16 Days Myanmar and Vietnam Discovery Tour

Meals: B

Rise early in the morning to visit the Shwedagon Pagoda which is the largest pagoda painted with real gold in Yangon. The benefit for visiting the pagoda in the early morning is that you will enjoy a quiet and extremely peaceful atmosphere to watch local people and monks pray in front of the Pagoda.

Transfer back to hotel for breakfast. After breakfast you will visit the Reclining Buddha (Chaok-Htat-Gyi) and Mahabandoola Park.

Have some rest after lunch. In the afternoon, enjoy your free time to wander the Bogyoke Market. Then stroll around the busy streets of Yangon’s famous China Town and Yangon Jetty. Finish the day at the riverside where is flanked by colonize style buildings, which will give you the impression of old-time Myanmar.

Overnight in Yangon.

Flight: Domestic flight is on GTT arrangement

Meals: B

Drive to the airport for onward flight to Mandalay. Upon arrival, Your local guide and driver will pick you up and bring you to have a city excursion in Mandalay.

Visit Mahamuni Image where you can see local people pray and stick the gold paper on the Buddha for a blessing. You can also try to make your wish and donate money (buy) for the gold paper to stick the gold paper on the statue (only man allowed to stick the gold).

On the way to the Mahamuni Image, pay a visit to a gold paper factory to see how people made the gold leaf. Then visit the Shwenandaw Monastery which means "Golden Palace Monastery" and it was built in the 19th century and well known for its teak carving of Buddhist myths. Next, visit the Kuthodaw Pagoda which is 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

In the morning, drive about 30 minutes to get to Sagaing which is located by the Ayeyarwady River.

Cross the Innwa Bridge that is built by the British in 1934. Firstly you will visit the Maha Ganayon Kyaung Monastery to see hundreds of monks lining up for daily meals at 10:15 am.

Continue to visit Kaung Mu Taw Pagoda, a dome-shaped pagoda rising up to 46 meters. At the base of the pagoda, there are 812 stone pillars, each one with a hollow and an image of a Nat in it. Followed by Sagaing Hill, with a number of small pagodas and meditation centers. Soon U Ponya Shin Pagoda also sits here. You can stop at a monastery and talk with monks while taking a cup of green tea.

Lunch at a local restaurant in Sagaing and take a short break. Then head to Amarapura, known as the City of Immortality, situates 11 km to the south of Mandalay. Here you will first visit the U Bein Bridge which is 1.2 kilometers long and turns out to be the longest teakwood bridge in the world.

Then visit to Bagaya Monastery that is decorated with splendid Burmese architectural works such as carvings, floral arabesques, curved figurines and the reliefs of birds and animals. Then go to Nagayon Temple. The roof of the temple is draped by the naga Mucalinda, who protected the Buddha from the elements while achieving enlightenment.

Drive back to Mandalay and enjoy your free time.

Overnight in Mandalay.

Flight: Domestic flight is on GTT arrangement

Meals: B

Transfer to airport for domestic flight to Bagan in the early morning. Upon arrival in Bagan, you will be welcomed by your local guide at the airport and then transfer you to the hotel.

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 food in daily life and 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 early morning, you will able to enjoy an exciting morning Hot Air Balloon Ride in Bagan. Ordinarily, an average of 45 mins of flight duration is expected. However, the entire experience will last about 2 hours. On landing, our fully trained Myanmar ground crew will pack the balloon whilst passengers enjoy a glass or two of celebratory champagne.

After the flying, start your scenic 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. The shrine is located at the top of the mountain, and if you have the energy, take off your shoes and socks to climb to the top (well worth the climb!) Along the way are a multitude of monkeys expecting a treat!

Overnight in Bagan.

Flight: Domestic flight is on GTT arrangement

Meals: B

Today, you will take the 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.

After check-in hotel, enjoy your day at leisure to relax.

Overnight in Inle Lake.

Meals: B

After your breakfast around 8 am, you will take a boat trip to Inle Lake, the second-largest lake in 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.

Flight: International flight is on GTT arrangement

Meals: B

Today, you will transfer to airport for flight to Yangon, then connect with the international flight to Hanoi.

Upon arrival, your guide will greet you at the airport and escort you to hotel for check-in.

The rest of the day free for you to be on your own.

Overnight at Hanoi.

Meals: B

In the morning, your guide and driver will pick up at your hotel, start the tour to beautiful Tran Quoc Pagoda located on the shores of West Lake. This Pagoda is full of amazing Buddhist symbolism that visitors can learn more about.

Then, head to visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the final resting place of Vietnamese great father, President Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house, where he lived on and off from 1958 to 1969.

The next destination is One Pillar Pagoda, a group of structures consisting of a pagoda and a tower built in the middle of a square lake. Leave the pagoda for the Temple of Literature, which is the first college of Vietnam.

In the afternoon, you need to choose one of the city’s museums (History Museum or Ethnology Museum) to visit. After that, drive back to admire Hoan Kiem Lake with Ngoc Son Temple before taking cyclo tour through the Old Quarter, also known as the 36 streets, this bustling area of narrow streets is home to literally thousands of small businesses and shopkeepers. It’s a great place to explore in Hanoi.

Optional:
Later afternoon, you can watch a Water puppet show for one hour. It is a unique traditional performance of Vietnam.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Meals: B

Today, your trip starts with a 5-hour scenic bus ride from Hanoi Capital to Sapa hill station with a comfort stop at the halfway. Upon arrival, check-in the hotel.

In the afternoon, you’ll walk down streets for the orientation guided tour that endures one hour and the tour includes all the key sites such as the Old Church, local market, the dining, and shopping streets.

Then, continue by a drive to Sau Chua ethnic Black Hmong village. This village has been recently discovered and much less visited. It is located on the mountain summit, therefore you can take the best photos of panorama Sapa town down there at sunset. Besides, you will have lots of interactions with the villagers who show their great hospitality and want to share their life so you’ll learn more about how they live. Back to the hotel then and have the rest of the day at your leisure.

Overnight in Sapa.

Meals: B

In the morning, your guide will take you on a two-hour trek through the terraced rice fields to visit the villages Cat Cat and Sin Chai, where you will learn about local traditions and daily life. Rest of the day, you are free at leisure or explore the town on your own.

After lunch, farewell Vietnam’s Northwest area for a journey back to Hanoi. Upon arrival, check-in at the hotel and enjoy your time at leisure.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Meals: B / L / D

Today, you will have a full day excursion to Halong Bay to discover the world’s natural wonder.

Once at Halong Bay City, you will be welcomed on board for a four-hour cruise on the stunning bay, stopping along the way to visit one of the limestone caves in the area.

As you are cruising, the boat crew will serve you a sumptuous local seafood lunch. After 4 hours, you will sail back to the harbor, rejoin car, and back to your hotel in Hanoi.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Flight: Domestic flight will be on GTT arrangement and include in Quotation

Meals: B

This morning, transfer to remote My Tho. This burgeoning capital rests in the Mekong Delta and is surrounded by beautiful countryside known as the "rice basket of Vietnam".

Firstly, head to visit Vinh Trang Pagoda, decorated with mosaics made from broken pottery. Overlooked by a tall white Buddha, it is set amongst lovely gardens overflowing with flowers, shrubs, lotus pools, and tombs, and ornate gates that provide entry.

Continue on a boat ride along the river to view the stilt houses, fruit plantations and fishing villages.

After lunch, visit An Khanh, a small village that specializes in fruit orchards and coconut sweets. If time permits, you can take a short cycling trip through the island or explore the island on foot (the island is flat and relatively small). In the end, return to Hanoi for your flight this evening to Danang. Upon arrival, you will be escorted to Hoi An for hotel check-in.

Overnight in Hoi An.

Meals: B

In the morning, travel to the My Son Holy Land. Tucked in the mountains up winding roads with serene views, lies the 4th century My Son Holy Land ruins. The surrounding mountains are strictly forbidden for living or development. The ruins lie in a beautiful mountainous landscape. Enter the temples to hear all about the history and stories of the Cham people and this holy site.

In the afternoon, continue on to the Ancient Capital of Hoi An, which features the 16th-century port town in its preserved state. The town is a perfect mixture of ancient architecture, houses, and temples as well as modern western restaurants and cafes. The historic sites you will visit are the Japanese Bridge, a renowned Chinese Temple, and former Vietnamese merchants' houses.

Later, take a boat trip along the Huai River to Thanh Ha Pottery Village and see how local people work on their crafts. In the evening, the town became so romantic when the lights come on and you see colorful lanterns everywhere especially the flower lanterns floating on the river.

Overnight in Hoi An.

Flight: International flight on your own arrangement or upon request

Meals: B

In the morning, your guide and driver will pick up at your hotel and you will drive to Danang for the flight to your home. Hope you have a nice trip home and look forward to traveling with you again!

Service End.