The highlights in just over a week

Bite-sized Burma

Duration

8 days

Regions

4 areas

Pace

Relaxed

Style

Short & sweet

About this journey

This eight-day tour takes in Myanmar's headline trio: the cosmopolitan metropolis of Yangon, the ancient stupas of Bagan and the glassy waters of Inle Lake.

It's the perfect introduction for travellers short on time but unwilling to miss the country's greatest hits — and it ends on a quieter note with the submerged stupas of Samkar Lake.

Trip highlights

Shwedagon Pagoda at sunset
A hot-air balloon flight over Bagan
Inle Lake's one-legged rowers and floating gardens
The submerged stupas of Samkar Lake
Colonial Yangon and Bogyoke market

Tailor this trip

Day by day

A sketch of the route.

A suggested flow rather than a fixed schedule — every day can be lengthened, swapped or skipped to suit you.

Day1
Yangon
The golden spire
A sunset tour of Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar's most revered shrine, with the chance to meet pilgrims from across the country.
Day2
Yangon
Colonial city & markets
Downtown's colonial architecture in the morning, then Bogyoke Aung San Market, the reclining Buddha at Chaukhtatkyi, and Kandawgyi Lake.
Day3
Yangon → Bagan
Into the temple plain
An early flight to Bagan, hidden temples by horse cart, and a sunset boat on the Irrawaddy.
Day4
Bagan
Bagan from above
A dawn balloon flight, then the great temples of Ananda, Shwesandaw and Shwezigon.
Day5
Bagan → Inle Lake
Up to the lake
Fly to Heho, stopping at Shwe Yan Pyay monastery and the Red Mountain Estate vineyard.
Day6
Inle Lake
Life on the water
A private boat among the one-legged rowers, floating gardens, weaving villages and workshops, with optional cycling in the afternoon.
Day7
Samkar Lake
The sunken stupas
A 2.5-hour boat journey to Samkar — submerged stupas, the Tar Kaut temple, the ancient city of Sagar and its pottery villages.
Day8
Inle Lake
Departure
A transfer for your flight home via Mandalay or Yangon.