9 days / 8 nights Bago & Kyaiktyio ( Golden Rock) + Classic tour

la roccia d oro!
la roccia d oro!
 

General information

DurationDestinationDeparture
9 days and 8 nights
Myanmar (Yangon, Kyaikhto, Bagan, Monywa, Mandalay, Inle Lake)
Myanmar (Yangon)

Description

This tour can be:
-- on Private basis (daily departures, rates based on 2 passengers)
 
PLEASE NOTE! 
On the last day, the flight Heho / Rgn (Yangon) arrives in the morning, so it is necessary that to book the international flight for the return of passengers in the AFTERNOON.

Otherwise you will need to spend another night in Yangon. In this case, you can add an extra during the booking process which will include dinner on the last day + overnight at hotel in Yangon with breakfast + transfer to the airport the next day.

Category

 
4 Stelle locali - con pensione Completa (Scheduled Tour)
Full Board 4 stelle locali
More info
 
4 Stars - fly&drive, b/b, no local guide (Private Tour)
Bed & Breakfast 4 stelle locali
More info
 
4 Stelle locali - con pensione Completa (Private Tour)
Full Board 4 stelle locali
More info
 

Program

DAY 1 – YANGON
Arrival at Yangon International Airport - transfer to hotel ( lunch not included) - Yangon tour: it was founded in 1755 and is one of the most fascinating Asian cities. The city has 6 million people of different Burmese ethnicities who coexist peacefully with Indians and Chinese, and is a fascinating mix of buildings of different styles: Victorian English, Chinese, Burmese and Indian; bathed by rivers and with 2 lakes, shady parks and tree-lined avenues from which the pinnacles of the numerous pagodas scattered everywhere stand out. The Burmese population wears the traditional "Longji" (sarong) and the women use a whitish cream, the "thanaka" (of vegetable origin) to embellish their face. The Strand Road, the main street, runs along the Irrawaddy River, crosses the city and the busy port area, the hub of commerce and communication. The tour that will introduce you to this fascinating city includes: the gigantic reclining Buddha and the Shwedagon Pagoda. A myriad of small pagodas, temples, reliquaries, pavilions and statues frame the mighty central stupa that rise for almost a hundred meters, entirely covered with gold leaf, and embellished with gems and diamonds in the umbrella on top: when it lights up at nightfall, it will be unforgettable! The day ends in style, with dinner in a typical restaurant to taste local specialties. Overnight stay in Yangon.

DAY 2 – BAGO – KYAIKTHYIO “The golden rock”
The small Kyaikthyio Pagoda, 6m high, placed on top of a large boulder, attracts a large number of pilgrims from all over the country. The precarious balance of the large golden boulder poised on the rock that a deep cleft separates from the mountain has inspired many legends as it really seems to defy the force of gravity!

Breakfast. Early morning departure by private vehicle to visit Kyaikthyio, the "Golden Rock", about 180 km from Yangon (4 hours by road), a mountain considered sacred with a large boulder covered entirely with gold leaves. it remains wonderfully balanced on the edge of a rock. On the top of the boulder there is a small golden pagoda that contains a relic of the Buddha. First stop in Bago. Then lunch in a local restaurant. Arrival in Kyaikthyio; to go up, you take trucks at the base of Mount Kyaikthyio (used for the transport of pilgrims who trudge on the winding ascent) for an adventurous climb along the hairpin bends for about 20 minutes. Visit the Golden Rock. You see the pilgrims and monks encamped around the sacred place and many local tourists on the platform. Magic and mysticism pervade the air together with the smoke of votive candles. A truly unique experience !! Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel on the mountain.

DAY 3 – KYAIKTHYIO – BAGO– YANGON
Breakfast. Descent from the mountain( always with trucks). Departure by private vehicle to Yangon and a stop for a visit to the ancient capital Bago (ancient Pegu). Lunch in a local restaurant in Bago. Visit to the giant reclining Buddha, "Shwethalyaung" 55 m long and 16m high. On the way back we will stop for a photo at the KyaikPun pagoda, with 4 giant 30m tall Buddhas sitting back to back, and at the "Nat" temple dedicated to spirits for the protection of drivers. Transfer to the hotel, dinner and overnight stay.

Day 4- BAGAN "carriage ride among the pagodas ... the famous sunset and dinner with entertainment!"

Towards the middle of the 11th century, Bagan, under King Anawrahta (1044-1077), became a unique kingdom starting its golden age, where the Mon culture and especially its form of Theravada Buddhism exercised a dominant influence. The king became a staunch supporter of Theravada ideas and practices by starting a major construction program in support of the new religion. From the reign of Anawrahta, until the conquest by the forces of Kublai Khan in 1287, Bagan has been the vibrant center of a frenetic religious architecture.
Early in the morning transfer to the airport - Yangon / Bagan flight - arrival in about 1 hour. Take advantage of the cooler hours of the day to visit Bagan, the most fascinating place in Burma. It is thought that more than 13,000 temples, pagodas and other religious structures were probably built here, now about 2,000 remain. A unique heritage, among the most significant archaeological sites in Southeast Asia and in the world. Stop at the colorful market in Nyaung-oo, very lively in the morning hours, then visit the splendid Shwezigon pagoda, whose bell-shaped stupa has become the template for all the other pagodas in Burma, followed by a visit to other pagodas and temples among the most important and spectacular, and to the factory of the beautiful lacquer, typical of Bagan, if you like to buy a nice souvenir. Visit of the temple of Ananda, of the particular Manuha temple, you cannot miss the ride with the local horsecart in the plain of the pagodas, to conclude with an unforgettable panoramic sunset. Lunch in a local restaurant on the river, dinner in a restaurant with typical Bagan entertainment. Thus ends a memorable day in one of the most important and beautiful archaeological sites in Asia. Overnight stay at a Hotel.


Day 5 - BAGAN (overland) MONYWA / THE LOCALITY OF MYSTERY - Crossing the Irrawaddy and Chindwin rivers on the new long bridges,

We move away from the more touristy places and go back in time ... to the more genuine and mysterious Myanmar. Exploring the site of Po Win Daung is like savoring the atmosphere of evocative places in an open-air museum, a sacred place that leaves a moving memory of the discovery of secret treasures hidden from view.

Recommended optional: AT SUNRISE, BALLOON FLIGHT OVER THE PAGODA VALLEY, price on request.

" More than 3,000 elephants worked in the impenetrable forests of Myanmar, recently this commercial activity has been drastically reduced. The government has planned to support about 260 of the weakest elephants, in 18 fields scattered throughout the Country. A 15-minute drive from Bagan, in a pleasant area in front of the river, is the Palin Camp, with 8 elephants. Do not miss the opportunity to immerse yourself in nature near these wonderful animals !!!! With the entry fee you contribute to their maintenance.

Departure after breakfast, along the way we stop at the Elephant camp in a pleasant area in front of the river. Continue to Monywa crossing the great Irrawaddy River on the new large bridge over 3 kilometers long. Along the way you can admire the landscapes of Central Burma: crops, villages, and rural life. Arrival in Pakokku, (really genuine local market, the square of the monastery where thanakha woods are sold by the kg, and the manual production of rubber slippers ...) Arrival after about 3 hours on the road. lunch in local restaurant. We then leave for the visit of a spectacular location: Shwe Ba Thaung and Po Win Daung an extraordinary complex with more than 900 caves dug into the hills, which contain many statues of Buddha and well-preserved frescoes with Jataka (religious geometric symbols with stories of Buddha) in vivid colors dating back to the 14th or 18th century. Some scholars have indicated them as the richest collection of murals in all of Southeast Asia, but its history is still mysterious. You explore the caves freely .. here and there, some curious baboons appear. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel in Monywa.

Day 6– MONYWAR – SAGAING - MANDALAY ... a statue of Buddha as tall as a skyscraper!

With surreal views, Monywa is a small Burmese town but has two particular places that will certainly impress us: the Thambodday pagoda with over 500,000 images of Buddha crammed between the walls and ceilings, in splendid colors and with two imposing statues of white elephants guarding it, and the Bodhi Tataung, two huge statues of Buddha with one standing 116 meters (about the height of a skyscraper; the second tallest statue in the world !!) and another reclining 95 meters with the surrounding fields and woods crowded with statues of Buddha sitting in meditation: fantastic!! We then continue to Mandalay, arrival in about 3 hours by road and lunch in a local restaurant in Sagaing.

Capital from 1857 to 1885, it is today an important cultural, religious and commercial center of central Myanmar. Here the Burmese capitals alternated after the fall of Bagan, until its fall during the English rule and the adventurous escape of the last Burmese king to India. Various buildings in the city and its surroundings testify to the ancient splendor of the last Burmese kingdom.The last capital of the Burmese kingdom, it is today the second largest city in the country with a population of around one million.
The visit to this city rich in history begins, which includes a visit to the Shwenandaw monastery, with splendid wood inlays, a wonderful example of traditional Burmese art, the only survivor of the buildings of the Royal Palace that were completely destroyed during the Second World War. Then the Kuthodaw Paya, which was the result of a great synod of 2,400 monks, called by King Mindon in 1857 to establish the definitive canon of the oldest original text of the 15 sacred books that passed down the teachings of the Buddha. The text was carved in the language poles on 729 marble slabs. It has been calculated that it would take a person at least eight hours a day for 450 days to read the entire "book". If in time, continue for the panoramic view over the whole city from Mandalay Hill (closes at 6pm). After a busy day of discovery and incredible views, check-in at the hotel, relax, dinner and overnight stay at the hotel in Mandalay.


Day 7- MANDALAY - MINGUN - MANDALAY - The procession of a thousand monks.....

After breakfast, we start the day with the visit of the fascinating Amarapura, the ancient capital, the Mahagandayon monastery begins, where you can witness the procession and the silent community meal of about a thousand monks, a daily activity of Burmese Buddhist life, which will leave you excited. Not far away is the UBein bridge, the longest all-teak bridge in the world where you can take a walk. Continue to the district where they work the marble, to visit the important Mahamuni pagoda with the large statue of the seated Buddha from the Arakhan, covered with votive gold leaves. Walk in the colorful market. Lunch in a local restaurant. Transfer to the pier and, with a local boat, navigation of the Irawaddy River towards Mingun. This river, in the Burmese language, is called the "Elephant River" due to its grandeur. Once off the boat, we will immediately meet the huge MingunPaya or PathoTawgyi. The construction commissioned by King Bodawpaya was begun in 1791 but was never completed. When the king died, everything remained unfinished and the construction stopped at the current height of 49 meters, if completed, it would have reached 150 meters. and would become the largest pagoda in the world, rivaling the great pyramids of Giza ( Cheops, is 146 mt). Another notable monument that we will visit is the MyaTheindan Pagoda. Built in 1816 by Prince Bagydaw, successor to the Bodawpaya throne, the structure is dedicated to his first wife, Princess Hsinbume, the "white elephant princess". The architectural style that develops in seven white and wavy terraces represents the seven mountain ranges that surround Mount Meru, the center of the universe in Buddhist cosmology. Return to Mandalay for dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight stay in Mandalay.

Day 8 - INLE LAKE - IN THE SHAN STATE - the magic of INLE lake, life on stilts!
Inle Lake is a shallow mirror of water, about twenty kilometers in length and about ten at its widest point. It is clear, and particularly suggestive due to various environmental factors, the serenity of the people and the amenity of the views. In this exceptional place, the 80,000 inhabitants of the Intha ethnic group, which means "Children of Water", live, work, study, pray: all on the water!

Transfer to the airport and short flight from Mandalay to Heho, in the Shan state, on the border with Thailand, known as the "Burmese Switzerland" for the beautiful mountain landscapes. Arrival and we proceed to the Inle lake via a panoramic route; arrival in about 1 hour. We embark on a motorboat and start the Tour of the Inle lake, with lunch in a restaurant on the lake: the lake is very beautiful and extremely picturesque! You meet a world of its own, of a unique population of the Inthas, who live on the lake's waters. The fishermen row with their legs and fish with a special conical net. They cultivate with the particular system of floating gardens built with mud and water hyacinths and anchored to the bottom with bamboo poles. Visit the Nga Pha Kyaung monastery once famous for the trained cats, the Intha villages built on water, and the large Phaung Daw U Kyaung pagoda, the most important in Shan State. Dinner and overnight stay in a hotel on the lake.

Day 9- RETURN TO YANGON AND DEPARTURE (AFTERNOON)
Transfer to the airport and flight to Yangon. The visit to the city of Yangon ends in time with the international departure. lunch in local restaurant, transfer to the airport for departure.

Itinerary

Day Overnight Itinerary highlights
1 4 stelle localiYangon   Yangon - Yangon International Airport (RGN)
2 4 stelle localiKyaikhto
3 4 stelle localiYangon
4 4 stelle localiBagan
5 4 stelle localiMonywa
6 4 stelle localiMandalay
7 4 stelle localiMandalay
8 4 stelle localiInle Lake
9   Inle Lake

Accommodations provided in each place

Place4 Stars - fly&drive, b/b, no local guide
Private Tour
4 Stelle locali - con pensione Completa
Scheduled Tour
4 Stelle locali - con pensione Completa
Private Tour
Yangon4 stelle locali
Kyaikhto4 stelle locali
Bagan4 stelle locali
Monywa4 stelle locali
Mandalay4 stelle locali
Inle Lake4 stelle locali