Day 1| International flight

Day 2| Arrival in Bangkok
You will be spending the night in Bangkok, since it’s impossible to get connecting flights to Yangon on the day of your arrival. Make the most of it and take the pulse of this vibrant city.

Day 3| Bangkok - Yangon
A minibus will take you to Bangkok airport for your flight to Yangon. Your English-speaking guide will meet you at Yangon airport and a minibus will take you to your hotel.
This bustling 2000-year-old ex-capital is now home to a strong Indian population, following mass immigration in the 30s. Take a stroll around the city and discover its thousands of oriental fragrances. Everywhere you look people are still wearing their traditional lungis. This is the land of pagodas and golden stupas. Belief is crucial here. Start with a visit to Chaukhtatgyi paya and its large reclining Buddha. Discover Shwedagon pagoda, either early in the morning or late in the afternoon, so you can avoid the blistering heat. Rising to a height of 112 meters, this is the most impressive Buddhist temple in the country. Savor the city’s open-air markets – Bogyoke Aung San, for example. Glassblowers in this country still use intriguing ancestral techniques. If your schedule allows it, take a walk around the royal Kandawgyi Lake. (Option: Summit Parkview or Traders Hotel, depending on the hotel category of your choice)

Day 3 | Yangon - Kyaikhtiyo
A minibus transfer will take you to one of the country’s most sacred sites: Kyaiktiyo. About 20km from Kyaikto, Kyaiktiyo is an imposing boulder perched precariously on top of mount Kyaikto. According to popular belief, the boulder is held in this delicate balance thanks to a hair from the Buddha. Thanks to its religious significance, the boulder is now covered in layers of gold leaves and crowned with a stupa. For the Burmese, climbing to the top of Kyaikto is an act of purification. In so doing they pay tribute to the area’s Nat and put themselves in the good graces of these mythical Buddhist spirits. Enjoy excursions on your way there. (Option: Kyaik Hto or Mountain Top Hotel, depending on the hotel category of your choice)

Day 5 | Kyaikhtiyo - Bago - Yangon
Take a stroll in Kyaikto. Return to Bago, passing through one of the country’s most important rice producing areas. Between Bago Yoma and the shores of the Sittoungis, the landscape is filled with magnificent bright greens. According to legend, Bago’s first name of Hanthawady – “kingdom of the geese” – comes from a pair of geese who lived on a tiny islet in the gulf of Martaban. Visit Shwemawdaw pagoda, towering over Bago. At a height of 144 meters, this golden stupa is visible for miles around. Get acquainted with some of the small merchants that set up shop around this great stupa. Time permitting, stop over at the marvelous KanBawza Thardi palace. Return to Yangon. (Option: Kyaik Hto or Mountain Top Hotel, depending on the hotel category of your choice)

Day 6 | Yangon - Mandalay Flight - Ava - Sagaing - Amarapura - Mandalay
A minibus will take you to Yangon airport for your flight to Mandalay. Though Mandalay is an important intellectual, artistic, and religious site, visitors and mostly fond of the area for its ancient imperial monuments. Start this day of discovery with a visit to a gold leaf workshop and a silk weaving shop. Such delicate work! After crossing the river, discover the area’s main sites aboard a horse-drawn carriage. More commonly known as Ava, Innwa was the country capital for 400 years, starting in 1364. Among the fields and small villages, you’ll visit ancient monasteries made of teak and the leaning tower of Nanmyin. Make your way through this labyrinth under small teak roofs on the Sagaing hills, going from pagodas to monasteries. Relics from the last dynasty endure in Amarapura, city of immortality. Under an impressive teak bridge whose length exceeds two kilometers, enjoy a glass of toddy: a sweet alcohol-free drink in the morning that becomes a light-to-strong beer in the afternoon. Return to Mandalay. (Option: Mandalay Swan Hotel or Mandalay Hill, depending on the hotel category of your choice)

Day 7 | Mandalay - Mingun cruise - Mandalay
Catch a glimpse of the daily life of families who live on sand islets on this exceptional boat ride to the impressive monuments of Mingun. In this background, large boats with colorful square sails float by. Mingun is an ancient imperial city where little schoolchildren will be more than happy to accompany you on your visit to gigantic Mantara Gyi, the world’s largest red brick monument. Strike the world’s largest bell: it’s loud enough to make you deaf. The walls at Hsinbyume pagoda, one of the most beautiful in the country, represent the seven mountain ranges of Mount Meru, considered the center of the universe.
Once you’ve returned to Mandalay, visit Kuthodaw pagoda. It is said that 2400 monks worked for 6 months to read out the text that is now inscribed on its 729 carved marble pillars. End your day by climbing the 1729 steps of Mandalay Hill to meet a few astrologers and enjoy a gorgeous sunset.
Enjoy a “A Nyeit Pwe” performance, combining dance and music. With their comedy, the famous Mustache Brothers will teach you more about their sad story, made famous by the media. Despite their hardships, they continue to denounce corruption in the police and the military. Very moving experience. (Option: Mandalay Swan Hotel or Mandalay Hill, depending on the hotel category of your choice)

Day 8| Mandalay – Bagan cruise
This morning a boat will take you from Mandalay to Bagan. This is a great opportunity to take a look at the lifestyle of the Burmese living on the shores of the great Ayeyarwady River. The vast ruins of Bagan are among the most incredible wonders of Asia: more than 2700 pagodas, red brick stupas, and golden domes are scattered throughout the area. End your day by enjoying a fabulous sunset from the top of Minyeingon.

Day 9 | Bagan
Hop on a horse-drawn carriage, sugar cane in hand, and discover the area’s fascinating history. Take a bike or a horse-drawn carriage to Hitlominlo temple, Ananda temple – one of Southeast Asia’s finest, and Thatbyinnyu, the tallest, and visit Nathlaung Kyaung and its Hindu influences. Gawdawpalin and Shwegugyi will surprise you. Meet a 20-meter-long reclining Buddha in Shwesandaw pagoda and contemplate the imposing Dhammayangyi. If you like wall paintings, hop over to Sulamani. Don’t miss the stupas and beautiful golden dome at Shwezigon. Enjoy the sunset from the top of Bupaya stupa.
You’ll be staying in Nyaung U.

Day 10| Bagan - Mount Popa - Bagan
Today a minibus will take you on an interesting excursion to grandiose Mount Popa, a 1520-meter-high volcanic peak covered in luxuriant vegetation. The Nat transform any visit to this scared destination into a memorable experience. Most Burmese people are Buddhists when it comes to beliefs about the future. But when it comes to dealing with everyday problems, many Burmese believe in Nat and its accompanying respect of nature.

Day 11 | Bagan - Heho Flight - Pindaya - Kalaw
A minibus will take you to the airport for your flight to Heho. Another minibus will then take you to Kalaw, at an altitude of more than 1500 meters. What a sight! Minibus transfer from Kalaw to Pindaya. On your way there, stop at the neighboring villages’ markets. The women smoke the cheroot, a cigar made from tobacco, herbs, and roots rolled up in corn leafs. Overlooking a small lake, the mysterious Pindaya caves will astound you with more than 8000 golden Buddhas. You can also visit workshops where they made traditional paper and bamboo hats, time permitting. (Option: Hill Top Villa Hotel).

Day 12 | Kalaw - Inle Lake
Go for a hike and meet some of the area’s hill tribes, each with their own customs and traditions. You’ll fall under the spell of Pa-Oh women and their orange scarves as they work in bright green rice paddies. And this red soil… Breathe in the aromas of tea, coffee, ginger, garlic, and vegetables growing on the terraced fields. Friendly, sparkling eyes will follow you around. In the afternoon, a minibus will take you from Kalaw to Inle Lake. (Option: Hupin Kaung Daing or Shwe Inn Tha Hotel).

Day 13 | Inle Lake
Standing on one foot at the end of their boats, one leg wrapped around their paddle, Intha fishermen welcome you to spectacular Inle Lake. Flanked by lovely hills, this incredible lake’s floating gardens are one of a kind. Visit a few of the lake’s workshops and learn more about how they make cigars, silver, large ships, and little Buddhas made from flower ashes. Discover new and original fishing techniques, including one using large wicker baskets.
Among other treasures, the impressive Phaung Daw U pagoda is home to five Buddhas who have been covered in so many gold leaves that they now resemble globes. This excursion ends with a visit to Nga Hpe Chaung monastery, where imposing Buddhas are decorated with crowns. (Option: Hupin Khaung Daing Hotel or Shwe Inn Tha, depending on the hotel category of your choice)

Day 14 | Inle Lake - Heho - Yangon Flight - Pathein
Minibus transfer to Heho airport for your flight to Yangon. Note the majestic burgundy and green wood of these monasteries and their ornate decorations. Take some time off at Sjwemokhtaw pagoda. (Option: Pathein Hotel).

Day 15 | Pathein - Chang Tha
Discover the small countryside workshops that make the famed multicolor parasols of Pathein. Such hard work!
In the afternoon a minibus will take you from Pathein to the deserted beaches of Chang Tha and its marvelous sunsets. (Option: Belle Hotel or Max, depending on the hotel category of your choice)

Day 16 | Chang Tha
Walking and relaxation in this idyllic setting, where a few small islands are visible in the distance, decorated with a stupa and some palm trees. That’s all for today…You’ll surely encounter a few adorable children selling squid skewers. Hop over to the fishing village and taste a refreshing coconut. (Option: Belle Hotel or Max, depending on the hotel category of your choice)

Day 17 | Chang Tha - Yangon
Morning minibus transfer from Chang Tha to Yangon. Visit Sule pagoda, the city’s beating heart, built 2000 years ago, known for its fortune tellers. Some last minute shopping might be in order before getting back home. Take the time to discover some of the city’s colonial architecture, either at city hall or in the prestigious Strand hotel. Centuries old Botataung pagoda houses a golden coffin in which lies…a hair and other body parts from Buddha himself. You can also take a look at 700 small statues made of gold, silver, and bronze. (Option: Summit Parkview or Traders Hotel, depending on the hotel category of your choice)

Day 18 | Yangon - Bangkok - Departure
Minibus transfer to Yangon airport for your flight to Bangkok. Evening flight back to Montreal.

Day 19 | Arrival

** Budgets displayed on this website are provided for information purpose only and do not have any contractual value, Uniktour cannot be held responsible for any consequences related to this information (departure dates are not indicated). Fares are led to change on a regular basis, depending on exchange rates and the fluctuation in the hospitality industry. For a precise quotation, you may click here.

** Fares applying to the on-site itinerary are not subject to applicable GST (TPS) & QST (TVQ). The displayed budget does not include 0.1% FICAV contribution (The Compensation fund for customers of travel agents)

The budget for the land portion of this trip includes:
- Burmese visa TO BE PURCHASED PRIOR TO YOUR DEPARTURE (valid 3 months starting on the issue date; valid for 28 days once in the country)
- A Quebec guide who is familiar with Burma (for small groups of at least 7 travelers)
- A local French-speaking guide
- Transfers to and from Yangon, Heho, and Bagan airports
- Transportation in a private minibus
- Accommodation in double rooms in 2-, 3-, or 4-Star hotels, depending on the hotel category of your choice
- Accommodation taxes and baggage transport fees at hotels
- All breakfasts
- Lunch and dinner in charming restaurants (for small groups of at least 7 travelers)
- Entrance fees for all sites mentioned in the itinerary
- Boat cruise on Inle Lake
- Mustache Brothers show in Mandalay
- Boat cruise from Mandalay to Bagan
- Horse-drawn carriage and bike rental in Bagan
- Mount Popa excursion
- Domestic flight from Yangon to Mandalay
- Domestic flight from Bagan to Heho
- Domestic flight from Heho to Yangon

The budget for the land portion of this trip does not include:
- International return flight from Canada (or any other country) to Burma
- Travel insurance (strongly recommended)
- (International) airport tax (depending on the departure city or country)
- Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages during meals and outside mealtime, even if the meal is included
- Personal expenses, including souvenirs, laundry, phone calls, internet, etc.
- Any fees associated with taking pictures or videos
- Single supplement
- Tips for the Quebec guide as well as the local guide accompanying you throughout the trip
- (International) airport departure tax in Bangkok (500 baht) and Yangon (10 USD; please make sure you set aside this amount)
- OPC Taxes Contribution towards the OPC fund (0,35 %)
- Lunch and dinner (for groups of less than 7 travelers)
- Anything not mentioned in the “The budget for the land portion of this trip includes” section above

Next departure dates for this travel