Our Myanmar Bucket List Journey

Explore Myanmar in style when you hit the highlights via private tours and deluxe accommodations. The children will enjoy themselves — and so will you.

Highlights of ‘The Land of A Thousand Temples' | Anywhere

Karl Nesseler

Club Room ROH (Pagoda/Lake View)

Yangon

Once the colonial capital of the British empire, Yangon is a city that represents the ancient, the old, and the new. With pagodas that date back several millennia, century-old remnants of colonialism and constant construction on new high-rise buildings, Yangon represents both the history and future of Myanmar. It just takes a little exploration and one is quickly immersed in the diversity this city has to offer.

Hotel Recommendation #1

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Shwedagon Pagoda and Night Market Tour

Appreciate the beauty of the Shwedagon Pagoda at a distance with a visit to the Kandawgyi Park. You’ll walk along the border of the lake to see the Karaweik Barge. Shwedagon Pagoda is estimated to be 2,500 years old. Its stupas are covered in gold leaf and diamonds. The central pagoda is 361 feet (110 m) tall and is the central feature of the Yangon skyline. Worshippers come here to pray, meditate, and bring offerings of flowers. Intricate carvings and statues make this one of the most interesting art history attractions in Myanmar. After the temple visit, you’ll visit a night market where you’ll try local food.  


Set out at dusk on a tour of the enormous Shwedagon Pagoda. This is the most famous Buddhist site in Myanmar, and many consider it central to Burmese culture. On the way, you’ll experience some parts of the city that you shouldn’t miss on a visit to Yangon.

Shwedagon Pagoda Night Market Tour

Sunglasses, sunscreen, hat, light clothes, bug spray, and comfortable shoes that are easy to take on and off.

Sunbird Tours

Yangon City Tour

Get a sense of Yangon’s multicultural influences in Little India and Chinatown neighborhoods. These neighborhoods have streets lined with temples and busy restaurants. Continue to Chaukhtatgyi Paya, a 213-foot (65-m) statue of a reclining Buddha. Murals surrounding the statue depict the life of Buddha and is a good beginner’s guide to Buddhism.  
  
Next, you have the option to visit the Bogyoke Market. This is an indoor market in a colonial-style building complete with cobblestone halls. It has been a central feature in Yangon since 1926 and is known for its jewelry vendors.  
  
Head to Kandawgyi Park, a pleasant green space next to the city’s main water source, Kandawgyi Lake. On the lake, you’ll see Karaweik Barge, which is designed to look like a royal palace. Right behind the lake, you’ll see the glittering gold stupa of Shwedagon Pagoda, the next stop on the tour.  
  
When you arrive at the temple, your senses will be overwhelmed with white marble and the gold leaf and diamonds that form the main pagoda. Huge, mythical beasts called *chinthes* guard the entrance. Inside, you’ll learn about the many relics of Buddha, including 8 strands of his hair. This stop concludes your tour and completes your introduction to Yangon culture.  


Yangon is Myanmar’s largest city and has a noteworthy mix of the country’s old an new. You’ll see some of the most interesting colonial architecture as well as one of Myanmar’s most famous Buddhist sites, the Shwedagon Pagoda. This tour has several optional stops, allowing you to customize your experience of the city.

Sunglasses, sunscreen, hat, light clothes, bug spray, and comfortable shoes that are easy to take on and off. If you come from December to January, bring a sweater.

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Deluxe Room

Mandalay

Built along the Ayeyarwady River, the city of Mandalay is steeped with both ancient and modern cultural intrigue. High red-bricked walls and a large moat separate the ancient palace from the rest of Myanmar's second largest city. Inside the fortifications sit a completely reconstructed palace, much like the one that stood there in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Hotel Recommendation #2

Mingun, Ava, and Sagaing 

Your tour departs from Mandalay and begins with an hour-long boat trip on the Ayeyarwaddy River. First, you’ll arrive in Mingun to see Mingun Pahtodawgyi, a massive unfinished pagoda left behind by King Bodawpaya. It’s home to the second-largest ringing bell in the world.  
  
Next, you’ll drive 45 minutes south to catch a ferry to Ava (or Inwa) Island. Ava served as the capital from the 14th to the 18th century. Once you arrive at the island, you’ll find a horse-drawn carriage waiting to take you to the Bagaya Monastery and the remains of the old royal palace. Among the ruins, you’ll see everyday life in rural Myanmar.  
  
The tour continues to Sagaing, which takes about 30 minutes to reach from Ava. Here, there are over 600 pagodas and monasteries, all painted white. These monasteries provide a home to over 6,000 monks, making Sagaing one of Myanmar’s top religious centers. You’ll get a view of the many pagodas from the top of Sagaing Hill. Before you drive back to Mandalay, you’ll visit a pottery village to see local potters making bowls.  


This full-day tour takes you to explore a few of Myanmar’s former capitals. Myanmar has seen many power shifts in its history, and this tour covers just a few of these previous kingdom’s highlights, including Sagaing, Ava, and Mingun.

Mingun, Ava, Sagaing

Bagan Temples Tour

The tour begins at Ananda Temple, one of the oldest and grandest temples in Bagan. It has one of the few surviving gates in the site. You can pick out this temple by its gilded spiral, which glimmers under the Myanmar sun.  
  
Next, you'll visit Shwezigon Paya, which is best known for its resemblance to Yangon’s famous Shwedagon Pagoda. In fact, the main stupa’s shape inspired temple designs all over Myanmar. Crane your neck to admire the beautiful, flower-covered stupa.  
  
King Narathu built Damanyangyi Temple in the 12th century and it is the largest temple in Bagan. This king came to power after murdering his father and brother and may have believed that building such an enormous temple would balance his karma. The temple was never finished, and your guide can offer some theories as to why—according to one legend, the king’s wrathful ghost made a mess of the temple’s interior.  
  
Thatbyinnyu Temple was one of the first temples to have two stories instead of just one. It is one of the tallest temples in Bagan.  
  
After the temples, you’ll hop in a horse-drawn cart just as the sun sets. You’ll drive past lots of beautiful shrines on your way to a nearby village. There, you’ll stop at several workshops that make lacquerware, textiles, and wooden wheels for oxcarts.  


Bagan has thousands of temples, but they’re only a fraction of the site’s original sprawl. Much of the site was built from the 11th to the 13th century, with lots of Buddha statues and other embellishments added from the 14 to the 16th century. You’ll follow your knowledgeable guide to see the most noteworthy temples, as well as a nearby village. This tour takes place around sunset, so you can appreciate the majesty of Bagan’s temples during the cooler part of the day.

Bagan Temple Tour

Bagan

Leaving early under the cover of darkness is the only way to experience one of Myanmar's most breathtaking spectacles — sunrise in Bagan.

Deluxe Garden View Room

Hotel Recommendation #3

Balloon Flight Over Bagan

 This complex has around 2,000 temples of the 10,000 that originally stood here. Getting in a hot air balloon is one of the easiest ways to see this enormous site. Look down to see the golden spires of the many temples as well as villagers tending to their animals. 

Hot air balloon tours are one of the most iconic ways to see Bagan. You’ll leave early in the morning and have the chance to see the surrounding villages waking up.

Hot Air Balloon Flight Over Bagan

Sunscreen, comfortable clothes, and sunglasses.

Kyauk Gu Umin Temple and Sunset Boat Tour 

Old Bagan saw the rise and fall of many Burmese kingdoms. The oldest buildings here date back to the 11th century. Out of the 10,000 temples that stood here at its height, around 2,000 temples remain. Their architectural style influenced temples all over Myanmar for many years to come.  
  
The next temple sits on the bank of the Ayeyarwaddy River. Kyauk Gu Umin temple is made from sandstone and was built around a cave. You can still see nooks in the cave that used to serve as spaces for quiet meditation. After you see the temple’s many unusual statues, you’ll climb aboard the boat once again for a scenic return trip to Bagan.  


This tour takes you to see the famous ruins of Bagan as the sunset draws near. After you see some of the site’s most famous temples, you’ll embark on a sunset boat tour to the Kyauk Gu Umin temple.

Kyauk Gu Umin and Sunset Boat Tour

Transportation (including boat fare) and a guided tour.

Thandwe Airport

Heho Airport

Junior Suite Room 

Inle Lake

Nestled in the high Shan Hills of eastern Myanmar, the breathtaking natural wonder known as Inle Lake serves as the center of a bustling boating community. Although a few things around the lake can be reached by car, the only real way to experience this lake culture is to hire a boat and immerse you.

Hotel Recommendation #4

Kakku Pagodas

It takes around 3 hours to drive to Kakku from Nyaunghshwe. The road has improved quite a bit in recent years, but you can still expect a bumpy ride. Kakku was off-limits to foreigners for many years, finally opening up to visitors in 2001. In addition to exploring the pagodas, you can also visit the villages of the Pao people. Villagers are happy to interact with visitors and share their traditional way of life. After visiting with the Pao, you’ll return to Nyaungshwe.  

This tour departs from Nyaungshwe and brings visitors to Kakku, a collection of approximately 2,500 pagodas. Kakku preserves the architecture of the Shan people.

Kakku Ancient Pagodas Tour

Deluxe Garden View Bungalow

Ngapali Beach

Out of its 1,200 miles (1,931 km) of coastline, Ngapali Beach is by far the crown jewel of Myanmar seaside getaways. Just a short plane ride from the busy streets of Yangon brings you to the peaceful, palm tree lined shores. A tranquil retreat along the Bay of Bengal, visitors come here for the white sand beaches.

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1-844-840-8780

1-888-456-3212

44-800-088-5758

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My dream trip in Country
Peru
Costa Rica
Vietnam
Ecuador
Thailand
Belize
Indonesia
Guatemala
Panama
Laos
Cambodia
Honduras

That I’ll spend with Group type
My Spouse/Partner
My Family
Myself
My Friends

Is filled with Trip type
Natural Wonders
Culinary & Cultural Encounters
Adventure Sports
Hidden Local Gems
Photo Opportunities
Mind & Body Rejuvenation
Easy Sightseeing
City-Life Energy
Rugged Exploration
Rest & Relaxation
Romantic Moments
Mind-blowing Vistas
Off-The-Beaten-Path Exploration