ITINERARY
Day 1: Yangon Arrival.Our tour guide & driver will welcome you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel.
Your highlight for this evening is the dinner in Karaweik Palace, overlooking to the Royal Lake and Shwedagon tower. The dinner is served with fine Burmese food and amazing cultural show.
Meals: Welcome DinnerAccommodation: Hotel Grand UnitedDay 2: Yangon – Fly to BaganToday we fly to Bagan very early in the morning (The only direct flight to Bagan), Myanmar’s archeological wonderland, where over 3,000 ancient temples blossom from the countryside. Have an early breakfast at the hotel then drive to the airport to catch your short, in-country flight to Bagan. Start your tour with a trip to the bustling Nyang U Market in Old Bagan then explore the beautiful, gold-leaf Shwezigon pagoda and learn about the Burmese Buddhist tradition. We continue our tour with a visit to Ananda temple, stopping along the way in the Bagan plain to admire some of the surrounding temples. In the afternoon, take a tour of a local lacquer wear workshop and learn about this traditional craft.
Meals: BreakfastAccommodation: Shwe Yee Pwint Hotel Day 3: Bagan SightseeingAfter breakfast, We start with the exotic horse cart to one of the biggest temple in Bagan: Nan Paya pagoda and many other interesting sites nearby, continue with sightseeing to Minkaba Gubyaukyi Temple, experience the architectural difference in MyaZedi pagoda before heading to Manuha Temple. The highlight of today is the panoramic sunset view from the second highest pagoda of Bagan the ShweSandaw pagoda.
Meals: BreakfastAccommodation: Shwe Yee Pwint HotelDay 4: Bagan – Fly to Inle Lake – DiscoveryHeading to the airport for flight Heho. Inle Lake, the second largest lake in Myanmar, located 900m above sea level and is home to unique one leg rower Intha people.
Upon arrival, board on motorboat for a sightseeing tour to Phaungdawoo Pagoda, famed for its richly gilded five small Buddha images, also is believed the holiest in Inle Lake. Our next visit is Ngaphechaung monastery, known as jumping cat pagoda. As you travel further to Nam Pan village; cotton and lotus weaving factory, cigar making houses will impress you with a sense of traditional Intha life.
Meals: BreakfastAccommodation: Paramount Inle ResortDay 5 - Inle Lake – Indein – Inle Lake - Fly to YangonThis morning, you will visit the 5 days market which is hold in different villages surround the lake. This is definitely a fascinating place to enjoy the scene of local tribes in their colorful clothes and exotic market atmosphere.
After lunch, the boat will take you to beautiful temple of Indein, located on the hill overlooking the lake. It will be definitely relaxing to walk along the corridor and enjoy the giant columns which have been left to the nature for centuries before take the afternoon flight to Yangon.
Meals: BreakfastAccommodation: Hotel Grand UnitedDay 6: Yangon – City Tour - Fly to HanoiToday we arrange a guided city tour exploring Yangon and its highlights from Sule pagoda, the heart of Yangon city; Chaukhtayi pagoda and Kandawgyi Lake. discover the most outstanding pagoda in Yangon: Shwedagon pagoda. The golden pagoda is really a must see while you are in Myanmar. If time available you will have your shopping time in Scott market before transfer to the airport for the late afternoon flight to Hanoi. On arrival, the guide and driver will pick you from the airport and transfer to hotel in the city central.
Meals: BreakfastAccommodation: Gondola HotelDay 7: Hanoi City Tour – Night train to Lao CaiToday we have a full day to explore Vietnam’s charming capital. With its wide tree-lined boulevards, French colonial architecture, peaceful lakes and ancient oriental pagodas; Hanoi is an eclectic mix that offers something for everyone. Our city tour will take you to Hanoi’s key sites: the Ho Chi Minh Complex (Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum and stilt house); the Presidential Palace; the nearby One Pillar Pagoda; the Old Quarter; the Temple of Literature; West Lake; the sedate Tran Quoc Pagoda & Quan Thanh Temple; and one of the city's museums (a choice between the History Museum and the Ethnology Museum). In the evening enjoy a traditional Water Puppet performance - an unique Vietnamese art form hailing from Southeast Asia’s wet-rice culture before heading to the train station to catch your night train to Lao Cai.
Meals: BreakfastAccommodation: Soft Sleeper Cabin with AC.Day 8: Lao Cai – SapaYour train arrives at the Lao Cai station in the early morning. Lao Cai is a charming hilltop town near the Chinese border. Explore downtown Lao Cai and have breakfast at a local noodle house. After breakfast our driver and guide will take you to one of the local markets (Bac Ha Fair market on Sun/ Coc Ly on Tue and Can Cau on Sat). Wander through the stalls packed with hand-crafted goods peddled by the various hill tribe people who come here to buy and sell their wares. In the afternoon, continue on your way to Sapa: Northwest Vietnam’s premier travel destination, famous for its breathtaking views of cloud-woven mountaintops and gaping valleys.
Meals: BreakfastAccommodation: Hotel in Sapa.Day 9: Sapa – Trekking to Hill tribe villages – Night train to HanoiEnjoy breakfast at the hotel, before setting out on a full day’s trek to explore Sapa’s cultural diversity and haunting natural beauty. You will take a guided hike through yawning valleys decorated with terraced rice fields and pass through remote hill tribe villages. We have three trekking options to choose from: Soft trek (~ 3 km), medium trek (~ 6km) and long trek (~12km). Trekking is an excellent way to explore the daily life and familiarize yourself with the cultures of the H’mong, Dzao and Dzay people who populate the region. Lunch at a hill tribe village and then we drive back to Lao Cai to catch your return night train to Hanoi.
Meals: Breakfast& LunchAccommodation: Soft Sleeper Cabin with AC.Day 10: Hanoi – Halong bay CruiseArrive in Hanoi in the early morning. Our driver and guide will meet you at the train station and take you for a breakfast at a local restaurant before setting out on a 3 to 4 hour drive to the UNESCO World Heritage site: Halong Bay. Here you will spend 24 hours on a traditional Junk Cruise in the amazing Halong Bay: a natural wonderland composed of jutting limestone islands and sparkling turquoise waters. Arrive at the dock around noon and board your junk. Savor a gourmet lunch of fresh seafood onboard as we sail out into the mystical bay. In the afternoon, we will cruise around some of Halong’s numerous islands. We will visit one of the most beautiful caves on Halong Bay. Stop at an island cove with a sheltered white-sand beach and take a dip in the warm waters of the Gulf of Tonkin (if the weather will allow us to). Spend the night on the junk, lulled to sleep by the gentle rocking of calm waters.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & DinnerAccommodation: Oriental Sail CruiseDay 11: Halong Bay Cruise – HanoiAwake early and participate in Tai Chi exercises on the top deck or simply relax and enjoy the sunrise over the bay’s towering islands. Enjoy a morning cup of coffee or tea, before setting out to explore nearby islands by rowboat. Return to the junk for breakfast then take advantage of the sundeck and admire the amazing rock formations of Bai Tu Long Bay as we will navigate back to Halong City. Your cruise ends at noon and our driver will meet you at Halong Pier to take you back to Hanoi.
Meals: BrunchAccommodation: Gondola Hotel Day 12: Hanoi – DepartureEnjoy breakfast at the hotel before driving to the airport to catch your departure flight home.
Meals: BreakfastAccommodation: N/A.Note: Please be aware that flight times, hotels and all other logistics, services and days of travel are subject to availability. If the listed hotel is fully booked, alternate accommodation will be offered.All hotels are rated according to local standards.All itineraries are flexible and can easily be altered to suit your needs and interests.Please contact one of our travel consultants for more information.
