9-Day Golden Land Discovery

Pick up from Mandalay airport and drive to Amarapura and take a stroll on U Bein Bridge, which at over a kilometer is believed to be the longest teak bridge in the world. From here, visit picturesque Sagaing, perhaps the living centre of Buddhist faith in Myanmar today. The hills here are dotted with numerous pagodas and monasteries. Lunch at 62 Mandalay Restaurant.
In the afternoon, drive along the busy Ayeyarwady River where you see many boats loading goods as well as women washing laundry. The visit Mahamuni Pagoda, home to a spectacular Buddha image covered with thick layers of gold leaves. Stop at local workshops to see Kalaga tapestries being made, gold leaf being beaten into paper-thin pieces, stone carving and bronze casting. From here, we go to Kuthodaw Pagoda, where the Theravada Buddhist scriptures are inscribed on 729 marble slabs, giving rise to its nickname 'the world's largest book'. Next visit beautiful teak-carved Shwenandaw Monastery, the only Royal Palace building to survive World War II bombing. Atop Mandalay Hill lie glittering glass-studded temple walls which reflect the evening glow as you watch the sunset.
Accommodation at Hotel Sakura Princess (Superior Room) or similar, Mandalay.

Drive up into the hills from Mandalay (80 Km, about 2 hours) for a full day visit of Pyin Oo Lwin (Maymyo), a former British hill station. Visit the local market and drive through the charming town in a horse-drawn 'stage coach', giving you the chance to admire the red brick and half-timbered houses, complete with English-style gables, turrets and chimneys. Lunch will be served at Feel Restaurant.
In the afternoon, visit the tiny Forestry Museum (if open) and the National Botanical Kandawgyi Gardens, which were laid out by Sir Harcourt Butler, a former Governor of Burma - the flower beds are similar to those you would find in an English country garden! Proceed to Peik Chin Myaung Caves, since ancient times a Buddhist shrine. Return to Mandalay and your hotel in the early evening.
Accommodation at Hotel Sakura Princess (Superior Room) or similar, Mandalay.

Transfer to Mandalay Airport for domestic flight to Bagan. Scattered on a large plain beside the Ayeyarwady River are the magnificent red brick temples and pagodas that are the great legacy of the kings of Bagan. Built from 1057 to 1287 AD in honour of the royal Buddhist faith, the pagodas display impressive architecture and interiors of colourful murals and exquisite Buddha statues. From the top, the visitor can enjoy awesome views of the immense, temple-dotted plain.
Pick up from the airport from where you start your tour to the busy local market, continuing with visits to a diverse selection of the most important pagodas and temples in Bagan. These include the Shwezigon Pagoda, a huge gilded temple built by King Anawrahta in the early 11th century and Gubyaukgyi (Wetkyi-Inn), a 13th century temple with exquisite murals of the 'Jataka Tales' (scenes from the life of the Buddha). Continue to the eminent Ananda Temple; one of the finest and largest pagodas, with a 51-metre (170-foot) shimmering gold tip plus four huge standing-Buddha images and numerous seated figures arranged around the interior gallery. Lunch will be served at Sunset Garden Restaurant.
Later, visit Moe Moe Lacquer ware factory where you'll learn how this delicate art is made. Sightseeing continues with visits to Manuha Temple, built in Mon style in 1059; Nanpaya Temple, a unique sandstone monument that is said to have been the palace of King Manuha; and Gubyaukgyi (Myingaba) under the protection of UNESCO because of its ancient mural paintings. Observe a sunset in the vicinity of Bagan's ancient monuments.
Accommodation at Villa Bagan (Superior Room Without View) or similar, Bagan. (Period until 30 April 2019)
Accommodation at Villa Bagan (Superior Room With View) or similar, Bagan. (Period 01 May 2019 - 30 September 2019)

Optional:There is no better or more spectacular view of the ancient kingdom of Bagan than from a hot air balloon. This world-famous archaeological site of more than a thousand Buddhist temples scattered over a plain is at its best when seen from a bird's eye vantage, as the sun comes up gently over the Ayeyarwady River.
You will be collected from your hotel in Balloons Over Bagan's vintage Renault bus, and provided with a light breakfast and safety briefing while the balloons inflate, before enjoying a dawn flight lasting just under one hour. Flights operate daily from October through March.
Balloons Over Bagan is operated by qualified pilots and technicians who are all registered in the United Kingdom. Cameron Balloons Ltd., the world's largest manufacturer of high quality balloons, manufactures the equipment. Eleven balloons carrying a total capacity of 140 passengers are available for pre-booking.

This morning visit Minnanthu village by horse cart. Visit Tayoke Pyay, Payathonzu and Nandamanya Temples (noted for exquisite 13th century murals) and Kyat Kan Cave Monastery, a famous meditation centre in Bagan. Visit farming houses around Bagan. Lunch at Ayeyarwaddy River Terrace Restaurant.
In the afternoon, enjoy an excursion to the beautiful Nat Htaung Kyaung, a monastery famous for wood carvings, built in 1781 by a group of monks. Admire the monastery's collection of ancient Buddha statues and lacquer boxes.
Accommodation at Villa Bagan (Superior Room Without View) or similar, Bagan. (Period until 30 April 2019)
Accommodation at Villa Bagan (Superior Room With View) or similar, Bagan. (Period 01 May 2019 - 30 September 2019)

Transfer to Bagan Airport for domestic flight to Heho. Transfer from Heho airport down into the valley to Nyaung Shwe on the edge of Inle Lake and board your own local boat to take you to your hotel (Room might not be ready for check-in).
Continue from your hotel and travel by long-tailed boat across the lake to Indaing, at the western end of Inle, for one of the most scenic trips on the Lake. Passing through the busy village of Ywama, the largest on the Lake, with many channels and tall teak houses on stilts; enter a long, often tree-lined canal, either side of which farmers cultivate their land against the backdrop of the Shan Hills. Disembark at the jetty and walk for 15 minutes through Indaing village to reach the 14th - 18th century pagoda ruins of Nyaung Ohak. Many pagodas here remain charmingly unrenovated, with plants and even small trees growing out of them, making the area very atmospheric. Lunch at Golden Kite Indaing Restaurant.
A covered walkway popular with souvenir stallholders leads up to Shwe Inn Thein Paya, a complex of weather-beaten 17th - 18th century zedi; some newly reconstructed. Afterwards, continue by boat downstream past Yethar village, watching local life on the banks and birds in the trees until rejoining the Lake near Phaung Daw Oo Paya.
Accommodation at Inle Resort (Garden Cottage - Private Pond/Garden View) or similar, Inle Lake. (Period until 30 April 2019)
Accommodation at Myanmar Treasure Resort (2nd Row Deluxe Lake View) or similar, Inle Lake. (Period 01 May - 30 September 2019)

Explore a 5-day rotating market (if your visit coincides with the schedule) which offers an insight into the life of the ethnic Pa-O, Danu and Intha people who come to these markets to sell and buy goods. Enjoy a full day boat trip on Inle Lake - a photographer's dream. Its calm waters are dotted with floating vegetation and fishing canoes, to which scenic hills provide the perfect backdrop. See the lake's unique 'leg rowers' - Intha fishermen who row standing up with one leg wrapped around a single oar, leaving their hands free to manipulate the conical fishing net. Stop at Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, the holiest religious site in southern Shan State. Lunch will be served at Mr. Toe's Restaurant.
Visit Mya Set Kyar traditional silk-weaving workshop which uses wooden handlooms, and a blacksmith's forge. Pass endless floating gardens, where Intha lake dwellers grow fruit and vegetables. Continue by boat to visit Nga Phe Kyaung Monastery, one of the oldest on the lake, where you can see exquisite Buddha statues which are more than 200 years old. Return to your hotel by boat as the sun lowers and the light softens over the lake.
Accommodation at Inle Resort (Garden Cottage - Private Pond/Garden View) or similar, Inle Lake. (Period until 30 April 2019)
Accommodation at Myanmar Treasure Resort (2nd Row Deluxe Lake View) or similar, Inle Lake. (Period 01 May - 30 September 2019)

Transfer by boat to Nyaung Shwe and then proceed to Heho Airport (25 km - 1 hour). Return domestic flight to Yangon and transfer to hotel. Start your sightseeing with a drive to the famous Strand Road and visit the bustling Yangon harbour, where ferries leave for Pathein in the Delta and upcountry towns along the Ayeyarwady River. Visit Botathaung Pagoda, close to Yangon River and said to contain Buddha relics. You then drive through the colonial-historical district, Chinatown, and the Indian quarter. Make a photo stop at the gilded Sule Pagoda, dating back over 2,000 years, and a landmark in central Yangon. Lunch at Pansuriya Restaurant.
In the afternoon, visit to Bogyoke (Scott) Market (closed on Mondays and Public Holidays) gives you the opportunity to see Myanmar's wide range of handicrafts and souvenirs. Stop alongside Kandawgyi (Royal) Lake to take photographs over the lake towards Karaweik Hall and the Shwedagon. Enjoy the sunset at Shwedagon Pagoda, famous worldwide - its golden stupa is the 'heart' of Buddhist Myanmar. The Pagoda is believed to be 2,500 years old and the central stupa in surrounded by dozens of intricately decorated buildings and statues. It is always full of people praying and making offerings, and is a fascinating place to spend time watching the world goes by. Return to your hotel.
Accommodation at Hotel G (Good Room) or similar, Yangon.

Transfer from your hotel to the jetty and cross the Yangon River by local ferry (10-minutes) to Dala. Upon arrival on the other side, trishaw drivers will take you on country roads through local villages to a local monastic school where you can meet the children and talk to the teachers (with help of your Diethelm Travel guide). The staff do all they can with very limited funds to create a good life for the children, and if you care to make a donation while you are here it will be welcomed for the purchase of school books, blankets, rice, clothing etc. The children are delighted to meet foreigners, and these encounters can be very rewarding for visitors. On your way back to the ferry enjoy the views of real local rural life - nothing like the busy streets of Yangon on other side of the river. Cross the river and transfer back to your hotel. Lunch at Monsoon Restaurant.
In the afternoon, transfer to Yangon Railway Station. Take a train ride on the Circle Line. Opened in 1961, the train carries an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 people a day in a loop around the city. This is life the way the locals live it - a unique, fun and authentic experience. Be prepared to be thrown into the midst of local life, chat to curious travellers and maybe stand for some of the 3-hour journey, with priority given to sacks of vegetables heading to local markets. As the journey passes from station to station you have a great opportunity to observe the life of Yangon suburbanites. Return to hotel.
Accommodation at Hotel G (Good Room) or similar, Yangon.

Transfer to Yangon International Airport for departure flight.