After transferring from the airport spend the afternoon exploring Yangon’s finest monuments including the 109-meter Shwe Dagon Pagoda – Yangon’s most famous temple.

The early morning flight to Bagan leaves plenty of time for a full day exploring the world’s largest temple and pagoda complex. This site was once the capital of a great civilisation dating from 849 AD to 1287, when it was believed to have been destroyed by Kublai Khan’s Mongol army. At it height, it was a mighty city, as is evidenced by the thousands of archaeological sites still remaining. Over 2,000 monuments dot the plains by the banks of the river. Some still contain frescoes from historic times, whilst the spires of many of them form a dramatic skyline and provide excellent vantage points to view the other temples and pagodas. Nyaung U itself has one of the more interesting markets to be found in the country.

A full day excursion to the steep cragged (flower-rock) Mount Popa. This volcanic plug, known as Popa (Sanskrit=flower), is sacred to the Burmese as home of the nats (spirits). Stairs lead to the which is covered in temples and shrines. On the return across the plains to Bagan we stop to sample local palm wine. In the evening a marionette performance introduces one of Myanmar’s traditional entertainments.

Head off the tourist trail and into pristine rural Burma - crossing the Ayeyarwady then following the Chindwin River to Monywa.

The Powingdaun Caves reveal sacred Buddhist cave art at its best .In the afternoon continue to Mandalay via Sagaing, an important centre of meditation and Kyaukka, famous for its lacquerware.

Mandalay’s variety of sights are impressive; including the country’s biggest and most beautiful Golden Buddha and the largest marble Buddha. Nearby is the royal city of Amarapura with its many temples and the world’s longest teakwood bridge. Treasure hunt amongst the city’s many quaint boutiques.

Travel an hour upstream along the Ayeyarwady, the mighty Elephant River, enjoying its sights – washerwomen among buffalo carts at the river banks … to Mingun a mighty king once tried to build the world’s biggest pagoda – and failed. Yet the dimension of his failure is still impressive.
In the afternoon make the short flight to Heho on the Shan Plateau and on to idyllic Lake Inle.

Spend the morning on a boat visiting floating gardens and floating towns, floating; markets and floating pagodas – the floating world of the Intha, the famous leg-rowing fishermen. This stunning boat excursion leaves an unforgettable impression.
Afternoon flight to Yangon (about 1 hour) and drive to Bago (70 km).

Drive south through teak and rubber plantations to the Golden Rock of Kyaikhtiyo. After a short truck ride and 1 hour’s climb we reach the peak and enjoy the magnificent view. This gold plated boulder precariously perched is held in place only by a hair of the Buddha. The magic of faith, and a wonderful afternoon of splendid photo ops.

Bago was once the center of the Mon Empire and is home to extraordinary sights including the huge reclining Buddha and the Golden Pagoda. All bear witness to the glorious past of the Mon. Return to yangon.

Individual sightseeing or time for shopping? Don’t miss the huge Bogyoke Market with its arts, trinkets and souvenirs.