This is a classic Thailand and Myanmar tour, starting from Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and the Golden Triangle area of the north of Thailand, through Bangkok to Mandalay, followed by Bagan, Inle, Ngapali, and finally departing from Yangon.
Thailand is more than beaches and islands. The northern highland is amazingly beautiful and can guarantee you a wonderful nature and culture experience. Myanmar has the world’s most fabulous temples and pagodas and it is attractive for its undeveloped old world charm. You can expect the thousands of temple ruins on Bagan plain, the authentic rural landscapes, the amazing sunset over Inle Lake, and the undamaged white sandy beaches of Ngapali.
Highlights of This Trip
This is a classic Thailand and Myanmar tour, starting from Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and the Golden Triangle area of the north of Thailand, through Bangkok to Mandalay, followed by Bagan, Inle, Ngapali, and finally departing from Yangon.
Thailand is more than beaches and islands. The northern highland is amazingly beautiful and can guarantee you a wonderful nature and culture experience. Myanmar has the world’s most fabulous temples and pagodas and it is attractive for its undeveloped old world charm. You can expect the thousands of temple ruins on Bagan plain, the authentic rural landscapes, the amazing sunset over Inle Lake, and the undamaged white sandy beaches of Ngapali.
Itinerary in brief
Chiang Mai(2 nights)
Chiang Rai(2 nights)
Bangkok(1 night)
Mandalay(2 nights)
Bagan(2 nights)
Inle Lake(2 nights)
Ngapali(3 nights)
Yangon(2 nights)
Why you'll love this trip?
Visit the fabulous temples in Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai, like Wat Umong, Wat Suan Dok, and White Temple, etc.
Enjoy a temple tour in Bangkok, covering Wat Traimit, Wat Arun, Wat Pho and Wat Phra Kaew.
Visit the fabulous Shwenandaw Monastery, Kuthodaw Pagoda, Mingun Pahtodawgyi and U Bein Bridge in Mandalay.
Explore the Ancient City of "Bagan", home to thousands of temples dating back to 1,500 years.
Cruise on tranquil Inle Lake and experience the unique lifestyle of local floating villages.
Relax on the beach of Ngapali.
Visit Yangon downtown area to see Shwedagon Pagoda, Bogyoke Market, etc.
Flight: International flight on your own arrangement or upon request
Welcome to Chiang Mai! Upon arrival, your guide will greet you at the airport and escort you to the hotel for check-in.
If time permits, go to tour the beautiful temples in Chiang Mai. Start with the Buddhist temple of Wat Umong, nestled in the forested foothills of Suthep Mountain. Before you head inside to see the impressive Buddha statue, learn about the Buddhist proverbs posted throughout the grounds.
Then visit Wat Suan Dok built in the 14th century, a white bell-shaped temple housing a 20-foot (6-meter) Buddha. See the large prayer hall and the unique open-sided chapel. Also, you have the opportunity to chat with the monks about Buddhism and their temple life.
Overnight in Chiang Mai.
Meals: B
Today, tour the elephant rescue and rehabilitation center - Elephant Nature Park, involving in the rescues of the disabled elephants, dogs and cats.
You can volunteer and care for the animals. Take your time to wander freely on the grounds and get close to these gentle giants. You get the opportunity to feed them and learn how to bathe them.
Overnight in Chiang Mai.
Meals: B
Today, you will transfer to Chiang Rai, taking around 3 and a half hours.
En route, visit Meow Hill Tribe Village that locates on Doi Suthep. It was once famous for opium cultivation. Then head to visit Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, where you can get a panoramic view of Chiang Mai City. The site is also one of the best places to enjoy a sunset.
Upon arrival in Chiang Rai, visit the White Temple, officially known as Wat Rong Khun, which mixes traditional Buddhist temple architecture with pop culture references. After that, check in the hotel and enjoy your free time.
Overnight in Chiang Rai.
Meals: B
Today, head to the Golden Triangle region to have a full day excursion.
Start the morning by Long Neck Karen Village to see the long neck hill tribe people who relocated from the Thai and Myanmar border. If time permits, you can watch cockfighting near the hill tribe village. Then drive to Mt. Doi Mae Salong to visit the Chinese village on the top of the mountain.
After lunch, continue the trip to the highest peak on the Thai-Myanmar border, Doi Tung. Here you can overlook the entire northern rice field plain and visit Doi Tung Temple that was built in A.D.1493. The scenery here may remind you of Switzerland.
After that, drive back to your hotel and enjoy your free time.
Overnight in Chiang Rai.
Flight: Domestic flight is on GTT arrangement
Meals: B
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for onward flight to Bangkok. Upon arrival, meet your guide and start the city tour of Bangkok.
First visit Wat Traimit, known as the Temple of the Golden Buddha. It is the home to a gold Maravijaya Attitude seated Buddharupa statue, with a weight of 5.5 tons.
Then visit Wat Arun, known as the Temple of the Dawn, which is one of the most published images of Bangkok. In the middle of the temple, an 82 metres high beautifully decorated Khmer-style tower stands, where you can walk up the steep stairs and admire the view of Bangkok and the rivers.
After that, explore Wat Pho, also called the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. Finally, head for the Grand Palace, one of the must-sees in Bangkok, followed by Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, which is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand.
Overnight in Bangkok.
Flight: Internal flight is on GTT arrangement
Meals: B
This morning, enjoy your free time until transfer to the airport for a flight to Mandalay, Myanmar. Upon arrival, the local guide will take you to hotel for check-in.
After lunch, visit Mahamuni Image where you can see local people pray and stick the gold paper on the Buddha for a blessing. On the way to the Mahamuni Image, pay a visit to a gold paper factory to see how people made the gold leaf.
Then head to Shwenandaw Monastery, also known as the Golden Palace Monastery. It was built in the 19th century and well known for its teak carving of Buddhist myths. Next, visit Kuthodaw Pagoda, a Buddhist stupa that contains the world's largest book of Buddhism.
Finish your day at the top of Mandalay Hill for a stunning sunset.
Overnight in Mandalay.
Meals: B
Today's tour will take you to have further exploration of Mingun and Amarapura.
After breakfast, head for Mingun, known for the unfinished Mingun Pahtodawgyi that holds the record for the biggest pile of bricks in the world. Then visit Mingun Bell which is the second-largest bell in the world, with a weight of 90 tons. After that, go to visit Hsinbyume Pagoda, one of the most beautiful and unusual temples in Myanmar.
Then, head to Amarapura for the enchanting U Bein Bridge. It is 1.2 kilometers long crossing the Taungthaman Lake and turns out to be the longest teakwood bridge in the world. The sunset over the bridge is gorgeous. You can take a boat on the lake to shoot the silhouette of U Bein Bridge. Before the sunset, take a tour to Taung Mingyi Pagoda, a beautiful pagoda near the U Bein Bridge.
Overnight in Mandalay.
Meals: B
After breakfast, drive from Mandalay to Bagan, taking around 3 and a half hours.
In Bagan, you will be amazed by the thousands of Buddhist pagodas spread on the plain. These pagodas used to own by individual families during its prosperous time.
You will visit the Nyaung Oo Market where local people buying and selling food for daily life. Then head for the Shwezigon Pagoda which is the largest pagoda in Bagan painted with real gold.
Have a rest at the hotel during the hottest time in the afternoon. Then it's time to enjoy a Horse Cart Ride for the sunset! You can climb up to the top of the Shwesandaw Pagoda for sunset and then take the horse cart back to the hotel. It will be an unforgettable memory of taking the horse cart ride to travel through the pagodas when it is quiet in the dusk.
Overnight in Bagan.
Meals: B
In the morning, drive to Mount Popa, an extinct volcano with its golden shrines.
Situated 50 km southeast of Bagan, this solitary peak showcases the Popa Taungkalat shrine, the favored home of Myanmar's most powerful "Nats" (local spirits), statues of which can be found at its base. These spirits were once so important to the country's early Kings that it was essential for them to consult the Nats before commencing their reign. The shrine is located at the top of the mountain, and if you have the energy, climb to the top (well worth the climb!). Along the way, there are a multitude of monkeys expecting a treat!
On the way back, stop by a local village to learn about local culture and lifestyle. Then enjoy lunch at a hill resort. Also, visit a palm sugar workshop, where the harvested nectar from local trees is cooked into the sugar cubes that you see in teashops.
Overnight in Bagan.
Flight: Domestic flight is on GTT arrangement
Meals: B
Drive to airport to board flight to Heho, where you will be picked up by local guide and driver and transfer you to your hotel by the lakeside of Inle Lake.
Inle Lake locates in the highland of Myanmar in an altitude of around 3,000 feet above sea level. Here you will enjoy different atmospheres and ambiance from the middle part of Myanmar.
Lives of In-Tha (name of local ethnic people) are centered on the lake. They live in stilted houses, grow fresh produce such as tomatoes, melons, and papayas in unique floating gardens, and eat fish as a staple. On the lake, you can see traditional fishing methods by using the leg-rowing technique.
Then you will visit Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, the most highly revered monastery in the Inle Lake area. After that, continue your boat ride to Nga Phe Chaung monastery, one of the oldest monasteries on the lake. The Buddha statues are more than 200 years old.
Next, proceed to the floating garden - Kyun-Hmyaw, which was built-up from strips of water hyacinth and mud. Finally, relax and enjoy spectacular sunset views over Inle Lake before returning to the hotel.
Overnight in Inle Lake.
Meals: B
Take a boat through the Inn Thein creek, and you’ll get to Indein village. There are two groups of pagodas ruins to explore, Nyaung Ohak and Shwe Inn Thein.
The pagoda complex of Nyaung Ohak dates back to the 16th century, and you can see the traces of time clearly. Plants and trees spring up over these pagodas. Slow down your pace to marvel at the detailed sculptures of celestial beings and mythological animals.
From Nyaung Ohak, a 700-meter covered walkway leads up to Shwe Inn Thein, where you can see hundreds of pagodas in the 17th and 18th centuries. You can also get a stunning view of Indein village and the surrounding area.
Overnight in Inle Lake.
Flight: Domestic flight is on GTT arrangement
Meals: B
Transfer to airport for the flight to Ngapali. Upon your arrival, you will be picked up by hotel’s shuttle bus and transfer to hotel for check in. Then enjoy your free time.
Overnight in Ngapali.
Meals: B
Today, you have a full day free time to relax on the beautiful Nagpali Beach.
Ngapali has a 7-kilometer long of beach, with white soft sand and turquoise blue water. Along the coastline, you can see rows of palm trees. The best part is that Ngapali offers you an almost empty beach.
Overnight in Ngapali.
Meals: B
Today, also enjoy your free time on Nagpali Beach. You can take a boat offered by local fishermen to visit the island just off the coast. Spend your day to explore the small fishing village.
Overnight in Ngapali.
Flight: Domestic flight is on GTT arrangement
Meals: B
Enjoy some free time this morning until your guide and driver escort you to Thandwe for your flight to Yangon.
Upon your arrival in Yangon, the former capital of Myanmar but nowadays one of the most developed city in Myanmar, your local guide will welcome you at the airport and then take you to hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is for leisure on your own.
Overnight in Yangon.
Meals: B
After breakfast, start your Yangon city tour at the historic Post Office, followed by Strand Hotel, Mahabandoola Garden and Independence Monument. Next, visit the famous Chaukhtatgyi Buddha Temple, home to a 66-meter long reclining Buddha, and shoot photos at the picturesque Karaweik Hall royal floating barge.
Then enjoy your free time to wander the Bogyoke Market. Finally, end today’s tour with an amazing sunset view at Shwedagon Pagoda, the largest pagoda painted with real gold in Yangon.
Overnight in Yangon.
Flight: International flight on your own arrangement or upon request
Meals: B
Today transfer to Yangon International Airport for your flight home.
End of service.
HOTELS
Homestay
Economy 2*+ Hotels
Superior 3* Hotels
First Class 4* Hotels
Deluxe 5* Hotels
Luxury 5*++ Hotels
Notes:
*All prices are based on per adult, in Double/Twin sharing
Surcharge will be applied for single traveler or single room request
Important Notes:
HOTELS, PROGRAMS & SCHEDULES SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE
GUIDE/LEADER:
English speaking guide. French , Germany , Spanish, Italian, Russian speaking guide can be arranged with on request.
SERVICE INCLUSIONS
✓Flight tickets with airport tax as listed in above itinerary.
✓Entrance fee and sightseeing as listed in the itinerary.
✓Private English speaking tour guide service.
✓Private van for land transportation with cold drinking water and soft drink provided in the car.
✓Meals as listed in the itinerary (B for breakfast, L for lunch and D for dinner).
SERVICE EXCLUSIONS
-International air tickets.
-Visa Handling fee, visa stamp fee.
-Meals are not listed in itinerary.
-Insurance, gratuities and personal expenses.
-Tipping for guide, driver and hotel bell boys, etc.
-Surcharge for public holidays (if any).
-Services not stated in the itinerary.