9 days
Mystical Myanmar
Markets, temples & the river
See the routeYangon · Bagan · Mandalay · Inle Lake
The Golden Four
Duration
13 days
Regions
4 areas
Pace
Balanced
Style
Classic first encounter
About this journey
It is hard to go wrong with an itinerary that incorporates Yangon, Mandalay, Bagan and Inle Lake. These four destinations are the country's headline acts, and for good reason.
We've shaped this thirteen-day route to suit both first-time and returning visitors — pairing the unmissable icons with the quiet, lesser-trodden corners we've come to love over thirty years of travelling here. A two-night river cruise links Bagan and Mandalay, so the journey unfolds at the pace of the Irrawaddy itself.
Trip highlights
- Dawn hot-air balloon flight over the temples of Bagan
- A two-night Pandaw river cruise up the Irrawaddy
- Gold-leaf beaters and weavers in Mandalay's craft district
- Sunset over the teak U Bein bridge
- One-legged Intha rowers and floating gardens on Inle Lake
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
Arrival & the golden spire
Settle in, then meet Myanmar's most revered shrine — the 99-metre Shwedagon Pagoda — at sunset, as locals light candles and pilgrims circle the platform. Dinner at the farm-to-table SEEDS restaurant.
- Day2
Yangon
Colonial downtown & the Circle Line
Wander the faded grandeur of downtown's colonial quarter, lunch at the Rangoon Tea House, then ride the local Circle Line train. Dinner at Gekko Bar in the historic Sofaer building.
- Day3
Yangon → Bagan
Into the temple plain
An early flight to Bagan. Explore lesser-known temples by horse-drawn cart, finishing with a sunset boat journey on the Ayeyarwaddy River.
- Day4
Bagan
Bagan from above
Lift off at dawn with Oriental Ballooning for the view that defines Bagan. In the afternoon, the great temples — Ananda, Shwesandaw and Shwezigon.
- Day5
Bagan
Temples at your own pace
A leisurely day by e-bike, free to lose yourself among more than two thousand stupas and find the ones with no one else in sight.
- Day6–7
Bagan → Mandalay
Upstream by river
A two-night cruise upriver with Pandaw — misty sunrises, riverbank village life and a traditional longyi demonstration on deck.
- Day8
Mandalay
City of craftspeople
Watch gold-leaf beating, silk weaving and wood carving in the handicraft district. Cross to Ava's 200-year-old Bagaya teak monastery, then sunset at U Bein bridge.
- Day9
Mandalay
Mingun & Sagaing
By river to Mingun for its colossal unfinished pagoda and bronze bell, then the monastery-strewn hills of Sagaing and the Soon U Ponya Shin pagoda.
- Day10
Mandalay → Inle Lake
South to the lake
Fly to Heho. Pause at Shwe Yan Pyay monastery and the Red Mountain Estate vineyard for a tasting above the lake.
- Day11
Inle Lake
Life on the water
A private boat among one-legged rowers, floating tomato gardens, weaving villages and silversmith workshops — closing with sunset from the hotel jetty.
- Day12
Inle Lake → Yangon
Markets & galleries
Return to Yangon for last souvenirs at Bogyoke Aung San Market and a tour of the city's art galleries, including the Strand Hotel's River Gallery.
- Day13
Yangon
Farewell
A private transfer to the airport for your onward flight.
Start the conversation
Let’s design your Myanmar.
Tell us how you like to travel and one of our Yangon-based specialists will reply within two working days — with ideas, not a hard sell.