RIVER JOURNEY TOURS

14-Day Highlight And Upper Ayeyarwaddy By Local Wooden River Boat

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DAY 01          ARRIVE YANGON

Upon arrival at YANGON airport you will be welcomed by our guide and transferred to your hotel.
Your journey begins with an afternoon tour through Yangon’s colonial-style city center. Visit SULE PAGODA, dating back over 2,000 years ago; the magnificent reclining Buddha CHAUK HTAT GYI; and after a photo stop at the KARAWEIK HALL, a 'hamsa-bird-shaped' floating barge on Kandawgyi (Royal) Lake, stroll through the BOGYOKE (SCOTTS) MARKET, a compound of hundreds of food, garment, handicraft and gem stores. Complete your first day in Myanmar with a visit to one of the world’s most spectacular monuments, the SHWEDAGON PAGODA.
Overnight stay in Yangon.

DAY 02          YANGON – MYITKYINA (BY FLIGHT) (Operate on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday with Air Bagan)

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for a domestic flight to MYITKYINA. Upon arrival take a sightseeing tour around Myitkyina the capital of Kachin State, on a trishaw (bicycle taxi).
Overnight stay in Myitkyina.

DAY 03          MYITKYINA - BHAMO

After breakfast, drive over a bridge spanning the Ayeyarwaddy River to visit a small town named ‘Waine Maw’. Visit the local cottage industry work shops including blacksmiths, and a small rural market. Kachin tribes that inhabit here are still largely animist and still intact with their old customs. Continue a 186 km – 8 hour drive to BHAMO. Lunch at a local restaurant en-route.
Upon arrival to Bhamo, drive approx. 5km passing beautiful wooden colonial buildings until you arrive at a large bamboo bridge and Shwe Kina Padoga (if the time permit).
Overnight stay in Bhamo.

DAY 04          BHAMO - AYEYARWADDY

After breakfast, visit the colourful local market where Lisu, Kachin and Shan people meet to trade. Transfer to the bustling jetty to board a local, wooden boat, for the cruise to Mandalay. You have hardly cast the line when the first gold prospectors will come into view. See the SECOND DEFILE, of the 3 AYEYARWADDY GORGES, a dramatic and lush scenery with steep rock faces.
Visit SINKAN, a lovely village and important transit point for teak during the British colonial area. Take a walk past the old teak monastery and some old temple ruins overgrown by grass, moss and trees.
Continue your journey to KATHAR.
Lunch and dinner are served on board.
Overnight stay on board, docked near Kathar.

Important Note : You will travel by a local, wooden river boat. There are no cabins on board. On the lower deck which is semi open there is a ‘kitchen’ at the back as well as a toilet with cold water (no shower facilities on board). In the big open space we will set up a dining area as well as beds with cotton mattresses, pillows and mosquito nets. Every guest receives a comfort pack containing a cotton sheet sleeping bag and a towel. On the upper deck an open sundeck, partly covered by sunshade, with comfortable rattan chairs invite to relax and enjoy the passing scenery.

DAY 05          AYEYARWADDY

After breakfast on board, visit KATHAR, a beautiful town with an interesting market, friendly people, and a unique atmosphere. Kathar is well known from the book ‘ Burmese Days’ written by George Orwell.
Lunch on board will be served on board.
Sit back in a deckchair and observe the diverse river life: teakwood and bamboo rafts, gold prospectors, cargo boats dating from the colonial times, the government ferry and faster private passenger boats.
Call in TAGAUNG, one of the oldest capitals of Myanmar. The origin’s of Burma can be found here according to some legends. The remnants of the former palace walls of the ancient Pyu kingdom, are still visible today. The kingdom was later relocated to Sri Ksetra near current Pyay city. Take a walk through the rather poor town with its unusual Nat shrine and a small market.

DAY 06          AYEYARWADDY- KYAUKMYAUNG- MINGUN- MANDALAY

After breakfast, explore Tagaung before the ship heads through the third Defile of Ayeyarwaddy Gorges. The scenery is beautiful, the river though wider and the hills not as dramatic. Your next port of call is just south of the famous pottery village KYAUKMYAUNG, in the small village of Nwe Nyeint. Go ashore to learn all about the production of the big eastern pots and jars. Visit one of the impressive ovens in which the pots are burnt traditional way as has been done for centuries. This village is a fascinating place to see different types of cottage industry and is full of life and curiosities.
Lunch on board.
In the afternoon, see a pagoda dotted range on the western river shore of the river and arrive shortly to Mingun one the highlights of the Mandalay region. Visit MINGUN BELL, the world's largest un-cracked bell weighing 90 tons. Continue to the HSINBYUME pagoda and the unfinished MINGUN padoga built as one of the world's largest chedis by King Bodaw Paya.
Board the ship for your final leg to MANDALAY which you will reach within an hour. Upon arrival transfer to your hotel.
Overnight stay in Mandalay.

Note : Itinerary and stops during the cruise are subject to changes depending on river conditions and local circumstances.

DAY 07          MANDALAY - AMARAPURA – MANDALAY

After breakfast, excursion to Amarapura, 15 km from Mandalay. Visit MAHAGANDAYON, a famous Buddhist monastery, where more than a thousand monks live and study; continue to 200-year-old U BEIN teak bridge, built in 1782 during the era when Amarapura was the Royal capital. Already from the early days the city was known for its silk- and cotton weaving. Visit a traditional hand-woven silk workshop before proceeding to BAGAYA MONASTERY, a compound with a superb collection of Buddha statues.
After lunch at local restaurant, experience the sights and sounds of Mandalay including one of the most revered religious monuments in Myanmar, the MAHAMUNI PAGODA; the SHWE INBIN MONASTERY; the GOLDEN PALACE MONASTERY, a superb example of a traditional wooden building and KUTHODAW PAGODA the world’s largest book, made of marble. Visit a traditional hand-woven silk workshop as well as a Kalaga tapestries craftsmen’s shop before proceeding to MANDALAY HILL for sunset.
Overnight stay in Mandalay.

DAY 08         MANDALAY - AVA – BAGAN (BY FLIGHT)

After breakfast, embark for a short boat ride over a river and start exploring the former Royal Capital INWA (AVA) by horse cart. Visit NANMYINT WATCH TOWER, the remains of the ancient palace building, also know as “the leaning tower of Ava“; MAHA AUNGMYE BONZAN MONASTERY, built of brick and stucco; BARGAYAR MONASTERY, famous for its impressive ornate woodcarvings and teak posts.
After lunch, transfer to Mandalay airport for flight to BAGAN. Upon arrival in Bagan, transfer to your hotel.
Overnight stay in Bagan.

DAY 09          BAGAN

After breakfast, stroll through the colorful local market and continue by visiting the most significant pagodas and temples of Bagan: including SHWEZIGON PAGODA, built by King Anawrahta in the early 11th century as a religious shrine; GU BYANUK GYI, noted for its panoramic view of the area’s numerous monuments and ANANDA TEMPLE, with four standing Buddha images.
In the afternoon learn of manufacturing Myanmar’s most treasured handicrafts and visit a lacquer ware craftsmen’s workshop in nearby MYINKABA village. Later continue to MANUHA TEMPLE, built in Mon style in 1059 and explore the NANBAYA TEMPLE, a unique sandstone monument which according to legends used to be palace site of the King Manuha. Next you will explore the UNESCO protected MYINGABA GU BYAUKGYI TEMPLE, a temple known for its mural paintings. Complete the day by watching sunset over the majestic Ayeyarwaddy River from a temple top.
Overnight stay in Bagan.

DAY 10          BAGAN

After breakfast, embark for visits to TAYOKEPYAY TEMPLE in Min Nan Thu Village; PHAYA THONE ZU and NANDAMANYA TEMPLES noted for their exquisite murals of 13th century and KYAT KAN CAVE monastery, a famous meditation retreat in Bagan.

In the afternoon, an excursion to farming villages around Bagan will give you an insight to the rural life of the local people. Late afternoon, a colorfully decorated ox-cart will take you through some of the more off the beaten track temple sites. Experience the traditional way of traveling and transportation still commonly used by the rural people of Myanmar.
Overnight stay in Bagan.

Optional : Experience the magic of Bagan and a thousand years of history from the enchanting platform of a hot air balloon, for the first time ever. ‘Balloons over Bagan’ offers visitors exclusive sunrise champagne flights over the ancient pagodas of Bagan from late October to April. (Details see ‘Balloons over Bagan’)

DAY 11          BAGAN - HEHO (BY FLIGHT) – PINDAYA – INLE LAKE

After breakfast, transfer to airport for a domestic flight to HEHO. Upon arrival to HEHO, drive to PINDAYA (60 km - 1½ hour). After lunch at a local restaurant, visit PINDAYA CAVES, a unique site housing thousands of Buddha images placed there by pilgrims and devotees over the centuries. Transfer by road to NYAUNG SHWE (90 km – 2½ hour) and by boat to the hotel (20 minutes).
Overnight stay in Inle Lake.

DAY 12          INLE LAKE

After breakfast, a full day excursion by boat on the Inle Lake will include sights of the famous leg rowers, typical floating gardens, local methods of fishing, village life and magnificent scenery. The visit begins with the local market in the Inle Lake region (Remark : on market days only) and proceed to the Western Shore of Inle Lake, where you will find the beginning of a stair path leading to the well hidden INN THEIN PAGODA complex.
After Lunch at a local restaurant on the lake, you will visit the PHAUNGDAW OO PAGODA, one of the most sacred shrines in Myanmar, dating back to the 18th century; the NGA PHE KYAUNG MONASTERY, famous for its jumping cats trained by monks and the weaving village of INPAWKHON.
Overnight stay in Inle Lake.

DAY 13          INLE LAKE - HEHO – YANGON (BY FLIGHT)

After breakfast transfer to Heho Airport (32km – 1:20hour) for a domestic flight to YANGON. Visit a local cheroot factory and a wish fulfilling pagoda en-route. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel. Rest of the day is at your leisure for relaxing, shopping or sightseeing.
Overnight stay in Yangon.

Itinerary is subject to changes depending on confirmed flights, road conditions and availability of rooms.

Important Note : Besides visas for Myanmar, a special permit is required for all nationalities in order to be allowed to visit Kachin State. Asian Tour will obtain such permits at the discretion of the Myanmar governments. We require all client passport details as well as occupation latest 30 days prior to arrival.