Treasures of Burma

(7 Days - Departs Daily on a Private Basis)
Yangon, Bagan, Inle Lake

Essentially a "highlights of Burma" tour, this itinerary includes the three most important cultural destinations in Burma: Yangon, Bagan, and Mandalay.

Begin in the city of Yangon and enjoy private city touring that includes the Shwedagon Pagoda, the Scott Market, the National Museum, and various neighborhoods that reflect the city's Burmese, British, Indian, Bangladeshi, and indigenous influences.

Next, fly to unforgettable, awe-inspiring Bagan, where thousands of pagodas and temples stretch from the Ayeyarwady River out across miles of arid plains. Tour the structures, built between the 11th and 13th centuries when Bagan was a major Buddhist center of Southeast Asia, and learn about the history carved in their layered facades, painted in their interior frescoes and sculpted in their Buddhist statues. Also visit local markets and villages. If desired, take a memorable hot air balloon ride over the temples as the sun rises. One evening, take a sunset cruise on the river.

Continue to Inle Lake, home of the Intha people, and the surrounding countryside. Take a canoe ride down Inle's canals, pass through floating villages built on stilts, and see how the Intha grow crops on reed islands. Visit local crafts villages to shop for distinctive textiles, ceramics and lacquerware, and tour In Dein, where ancient pagodas overlook the lake. Also visit a local vineyard for wine tasting.

Spend a final night in Yangon before departing Burma.