Luxury Overland Tours

Depart UK on overnight flight to Rangoon.

Arrive this evening and transfer to The Governor’s Residence.

Rangoon, the former capital city of Burma is a multi-ethnic, cosmopolitan city but ancient traditions and spiritual heritage remain paramount. Its impressive colonial and spiritual heritage makes it one of the most fascinating cities in South East Asia. Our morning tour will allow us to observe the history of the city and local life of its people. We will walk around Sule Pagoda with its golden dome in the heart of downtown Rangoon and around the Mahabandoola Park to see the colonial courthouse and the City Hall. We also will visit Shwedagon Pagoda, the most revered Buddhist temple in Burma. The central stupa is 90m tall and gilded with gold leaf, making for a spectacular sight as the sun sets and from where you can enjoy the breathtaking views of the Pagoda and surrounding skyline. Rangoon is a charming city to explore on foot with its stunning lakes, shady parks and tropical trees, which earned it the title ‘Garden City of the East’.

Choose from a range of options:
1.  A free afternoon for relaxation.
2.  Visit Bogyoke Market offering a wide selection of Burmese handicrafts, paintings, jewellery and other local goods.
3.  Enjoy high tea at the historic Victorian styled Strand Hotel constructed in 1901, taking you back to the opulence of a bygone era.

Welcome Reception and Dinner this evening.

A morning flight takes us to Heho, where we enjoy a scenic drive through the picturesque hills of the Shan State to the small lakeside town of Pindaya. We check into the comfortable Inle Inn Hotel. This afternoon we will visit the Pindaya Caves where we learn about the culture, lifestyle and religious beliefs of the Burmese people. The caves contain thousands of images of Buddha in various shapes and sizes made from teak, marble, brick and lacquer, which have been created over centuries and arranged in such a way as to form a labyrinth throughout the various cave chambers. We continue our visit with a tour of handicraft workshops and observe the skilled techniques, which are used to produce local handicrafts such as shan paper, made from mulberry bark and traditional wooden umbrellas.

Today we take a scenic drive to Nyaung Shwe, the gateway village to Inle Lake. Upon reaching the edges of Inle Lake we board a private motorboat and journey out to discover life along this freshwater lake. We will pass villages built on stilts inhabited by the local Intha people, a Tibeto-Burman ethnic group. Observe the leg-rowing fishermen and see their floating gardens built up from strips of water hyacinth (aquatic plant) and mud anchored with bamboo poles. We will visit Nga Hpe Chaung Monastery, which houses dozens of Shan Buddha images but is more famous for its unique ‘jumping cats’; be entertained by the hoop jumping cats trained by the monks of the monastery! We continue to Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, the lake’s main sanctuary, which contains five sacred Buddha images covered in gold leaf. Our visit also includes a look at the local crafts of Inle Lake with a stop at the weaving village of Inpawkhone and a cheroot factory, where the typical Burmese cigars are made by hand. Our hotel for the next two nights is the Inle Princess Resort where a special dinner is arranged this evening in the wine cellar of our resort.

After breakfast we visit the lake’s morning market before heading down a small canal to the Pa-oh village of Indein. Stroll around the village, visit a local school and wander through the beautiful Alaung Sitthou area where you can climb the covered stairway to the top of a hill and be rewarded with views of picturesque ancient stupas and the magnificent lake below. This afternoon is; free for relaxation after lunch in the hotel, or you may wish to visit an authentic Intha house for lunch on the lake.

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast and morning around Inle Lake before transferring to Heho airport this afternoon for your flight to Mandalay, the cultural centre of Burma. On arrival in Mandalay we check into the Sedona Hotel. Enjoy a relaxing afternoon or stroll beside the walls of the old Royal Palace near our hotel. Later this afternoon we make our way by coach to Mandalay Hill to watch the stunning sunset over the city and Irrawaddy River.

Enjoy a dine-around evening in our hotel’s restaurant.

After a free morning in Mandalay enjoy a tour of the city including the Mandalay Fort, Mahamuni Pagoda and Mandalay Palace followed by lunch at a local restaurant. Later this afternoon we board the luxurious cruise ship, Road To Mandalay, for our seven night voyage. Settle into your newly renovated cabin before admiring the sunset whilst on deck prior to dinner and local entertainment onboard this evening.

After an early breakfast onboard we dock at a local village for a walking tour. This traditional Burmese village gives you the opportunity to discover the Burmese way of life first hand – from farming and handicrafts to spirit houses and tea shops. The ship departs mid morning and begins its journey south. The rest of the day is spent relaxing onboard and observing the fascinating local river life from the top deck. You may wish to attend one of the onboard lectures on Burma’s culture or pamper yourself at the Wellbeing Centre. This evening we dine onboard savouring regional cuisine with a selection of European and Australian wines.

The Road To Mandalay arrives at Bagan, once Burma’s largest area of Buddhist temples, pagodas and stupas with some dating back as far as the 11th century. It is an awe inspiring sight, where once 13,000 structures stood. Today, 2000 remain and the site retains its spiritual significance. Enjoy a guided tour of this remarkable site and explore some of the most important temples with their unique symbolic structure and history.

After lunch, rejoin our guide for a tour inside some of the significant pagodas. Alternatively, you may like to cycle or experience a horse-drawn cart ride to explore this fascinating area independently.

Late afternoon experience a spectacular sunset over a field of glowing pagodas by the river before we board our ship for dinner and local entertainment this evening.

Choose to start your morning early with a hot air balloon flight over the plains of Bagan. Enjoy the fabulous views as the sun rises over the stupas and Irrawaddy River. This is truly an unforgettable and unique experience (additional cost).

Embark on a full day excursion to Mount Popa, a National Park believed to be the sacred home of powerful ‘Nats’ (spirits). On top of a rocky crag is a picturesque complex of monasteries, pagodas and shrines, which can be reached via a winding covered walkway. Lunch will be at the Mount Popa Resort.Tonight enjoy a themed dinner onboard our luxurious vessel.

This morning we explore some of Bagan’s local markets selling wood carvings, fabrics and rattan goods. We also have an opportunity to observe Burma’s famous lacquerware being made.

Alternatively, you may wish to explore the area independently, whether it is on a bicycle or by horse-drawn cart at your leisure.

Mid morning, we set sail for Mandalay. Experience an insightful lecture onboard about the Irrawaddy River; one of the great rivers of Asia that stretches from the Himalaya into the delta of Burma and eventually into the Andaman Sea. Along its path, it enriches the soil and the lives of the people who rely on the river for survival and is also a major transportation route. The ship anchors mid-river for the evening providing a marvelous opportunity to observe the night sky.

We continue sailing up the Irrawaddy River until we arrive at the Burmese village of Shwe Kyet. After lunch onboard, we take an excursion to Sagaing, considered to be the living centre of the Buddhist faith in Burma and famous for its silversmiths, who still work in much the same way as their ancestors did. Tonight dine aboard the ship and enjoy some entertainment.

Pyin U Lwin, formerly known as Maymyo, is a colonial hill station set high in the Shan Highlands, once a summer capital for the British Administration. Soak up the atmosphere with its cool climate, broad streets lined with eucalyptus and pine trees, English style houses, colourful markets and beautiful Botanic Gardens. Enjoy a typical Shan lunch at a colonial house. This evening will be our final dinner onboard the Road to Mandalay.

Disembark this morning and transfer to a fine hotel in Mandalay for a leisurely morning.

We later transfer to the airport for our flight back to the UK via Ragoon and Bangkok.

Arrive back in the UK this morning.