Overview: Our itinerary unfolds as we explore Yangon (previously known by its colonial name, Rangoon), a relaxed Asian city and former capital. Stunning, gold-plated Shwedagon Pagoda rises over 300 feet above the green treetops, the spiritual focus of the gentle, Buddhist Burmese. Another scene of devotion is the gold-leafed boulder at Kyaiktiyo, balanced among chanting worshippers and flickering candles upon the brink of a lofty cliff. We descend from its green heights to board a boat upon the gently lapping waters of Inle Lake, home to farming communities along its shoreline and islands. City life is again on our agenda when we fly to Mandalay to explore its jeweled temples, peaceful gardens and hectic markets. A two-day cruise down the Irrawaddy River transports us to Bagan, the land of five thousand pagodas. Built over almost 250 years from 1050 to 1290, the multitude of stupas and temples covering this broad plain attests to a religious fervor that has long simmered within this mystical land.

Leadership: The Mystical Burma Tour Leader is Effie Fletcher, the founder and director of Himalayan High Treks. For many years Effie led backpacking trips for the Sierra Club including excursions to Hawaii and the Grand Canyon and is a graduate of the National Outdoor Leadership School's course for Outdoor Educators. She maintains her certification as a Wilderness First Responder. During the last two decades, she's led over 40 overseas treks to Nepal, India, Pakistan, Bhutan and Tibet. This will be her first time leading a trip to Myanmar.

Mystical Burma Day-To-Day Itinerary Detail:

Pre Trip Days: In transit from your home (Americans lose one day crossing the international date line). Fly to Bangkok, Thailand. Your group leader or guide can meet your flight at your scheduled arrival. They must wait for you outside the customs hall, so we meet after you collect your luggage and pass through customs on your own.

Day 1: Arrive in Bangkok and transfer via your hotel's shuttle van for check-in. The balance of the day is free at leisure with meals on your own. Overnight in Bangkok. (No Meals)

Day 2: Enjoy breakfast at your hotel and transfer via your hotel's shuttle van to Suvarnabhumi Airport for your morning flight departing Bangkok to Yangon, Myanmar.

Arrive at the Yangon Airport with a welcome by our guide. Formerly known as Rangoon, Yangon is still a relatively quiet and charming city. The city's impressive colonial and spiritual heritage makes Yangon one of the most fascinating and authentic capitals of South East Asia.

A first look at the city takes you to the National Museum and Kyaukhtatgyi Pagoda's 70-meter-long reclining Buddha. You'll transfer to your hotel for check-in and refreshment before heading to Myanmar's holiest monument, the Shwedagon Pagoda — a golden stupa covered with 60 tons of pure gold leaf. Dinner tonight is at your hotel. Overnight in Yangon. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 3: After breakfast, explore Yangon by car and on foot for a close look at the daily lifestyle of the local people. We journey to the city center and stop for photos near the Sule Pagoda. You'll stroll around Mahabandoola Park to see the colonial courthouse and the city hall. We tour the colonial area highlighting its historic buildings and continue along the famous Strand Road to the riverside near by Botataung Pagoda.

In the afternoon visit Bogyoke Market to see Myanmar handicrafts and other goods (closed on Monday and public holidays). End your day by meandering in colorful Chinatown and visit one of Yangon's Chinese temples. Overnight in Yangon. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 4: Leave Yangon in the morning for a fascinating journey by road to Kyaikhtiyo, 190km to the north-east (about 5 hours). We stop on the way for lunch at a local restaurant. After we arrive at Kyaikhtiyo Base Camp, we transfer to the transit junction by local open truck (45 minutes).

From here, it's a short, 45 minute hike to the base of Golden Rock. You will have an opportunity to enjoy scenic beauty, nature and the culture of local people along the way. On our return, we check-in at our hotel. Later in the afternoon take a steep one-hour walk up to the site itself. An (additional cost) alternative to the steep uphill hike, is to ascend like a king — four porters can carry you in a specially made sedan chair! A huge boulder, covered by gold leaf and delicately balanced on the edge of a cliff, Golden Rock is one of Myanmar's main pilgrimage sites. The pagoda at the Golden Rock is said to hold a hair of the Buddha. Overnight near Golden Rock. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 5: After breakfast we return to the base camp by open truck and head back towards Yangon. We stop after about three hours in Bago — an ancient capital dating back to the 6th Century. Visit the beautiful reclining Buddha (55 meter long) at Shwethalyaung and the Mon-style Shwemawdaw Pagoda, one of the most venerated in Myanmar. Its spire stands 114 meters high — even taller than Shwedagon Pagoda. After lunch we'll visit the old palace "Kambozathadi" and the huge four-sitting-Buddha's "Kyaikpun." Just before Yangon, we'll stop at the Allied War Cemetery near Htaukkyan — the final resting place for over 27,000 allied soldiers. We'll arrive in Yangon in the evening where we will spend the night. (Breakfast, Lunch)

Day 6: After a hotel breakfast, transfer to Nyaung Oo Airport for our flight to Mandalay. In Mandalay we'll visit the Mahamuni Pagoda, famous for its statue of Buddha covered with gold leaf. Mandalay has long been known as a center of skilled craftsmanship and in former times supplied the Royal Court. Our tour includes traditional workshop visits to see crafts such as woodcarving, marble masonry, Kalaga tapestry and gold leaf making.

After lunch, we'll visit the Kuthodaw Pagoda with its 729 marble stone slabs of Buddhist scripture (the world's biggest 'book') and Shwenandaw Monastery, noted for exquisite woodcarving. We'll close our day with a sunset view from Mandalay Hill. Overnight in Mandalay. (Breakfast, Lunch)

Day 7: After breakfast at the hotel, we depart Mandalay for a scenic two-hour drive to the former British hill station of Maymyo. Now officially called Pyin Oo Lwin, it is located on a plateau 1,000 meters above sea level. Many reminders of the colonial era are still present in Pyin Oo Lwin — including brick and timber houses with British names and the Botanical Gardens to the south of town. We'll visit the local market in the town center near the clock tower, with lunch at local restaurant.

In the afternoon enjoy a traditional horse and carriage ride through the town to see the historic houses and later stroll through the beautiful Botanical Gardens. Overnight in Pyin Oo Lwin. (Breakfast, Lunch)

Day 8: After a relaxed breakfast at the hotel we visit more sites in Pyin Oo Lwin and in late morning, drive back to Mandalay. Lunch is en-route at a local restaurant with your afternoon free to explore or spend in leisure at your hotel. Overnight in Mandalay. (Breakfast, Lunch)

Day 9: After breakfast, we depart for an excursion to the former capitals of Amarapura, Ava and Sagaing. You can have a special opportunity to attend the daily meal with over one thousand monks at the country's largest monastery, Mahagandayon in Amarapura. Nearby we'll visit a silk weaving workshop. Then, we continue to Ava — the capital from 14th to 18th centuries. We visit the old wooden Bagaya Monastery and the remains of the Royal Palace and Fort by horse and carriage. Our lunch then awaits.

Following lunch, we cross the bridge over Irrawaddy River and continue to Sagaing. Covered with 600 whitewashed pagodas and monasteries, Sagaing Hill is widely regarded as the religious center of Myanmar. It is home to 3,000 monks and 100 meditation centers. Visit Swan Oo Pon Nya Shin Pagoda, U Min Thone Sae' Pagoda and Shin Pin Nan Gyaing Pagoda. Enjoy the rest of today strolling and admiring the sunset over the 200 year-old U Bein Bridge, constructed entirely from teak. Overnight tonight in Mandalay. (Breakfast, Lunch)

Day 10: After breakfast today, we head to the harbor and transfer to the jetty for embarkation on the RV Paukan 2007. Onboard, we head upstream to Mingun. Lunch will be served at 1PM. The sailing time is about 2 hours. When we reach town, our local English-speaking manager will assist you during the visit of the Mingun Pagoda complex. We moor overnight at a secure sandbank mid-stream. Dinner is served on board where you'll also spend a restful night on the water. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 11: Early in the morning we pull anchor to cruise downstream. Along the two-hour journey you can admire the passing natural beauty of the river and the life along its banks while relaxing on the sundeck or just sitting outside your own cabin. Enjoy the sunrise over Sagaing Hill! After breakfast you can go ashore to visit Sagaing for several hours with the aid of our manager or guide.

Our ship departs late morning and lunch will soon follow at 1PM. In the late afternoon we stop at Yandabo, a village specializing in pot-making. Here the peace treaty of the First Anglo-Burmese war was signed on Feb. 24, 1826. Cruise further along and moor overnight near the village of Shwe Nann Tint with dinner and your evening onboard. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 12: Early in the morning we continue down the river to Bagan. If time permits, after breakfast we can also explore another typical river village. We disembark after breakfast where you are welcomed back by your guide!

Thousands of ancient stupas and temples in this area make Bagan one of the most remarkable archaeological sites in Asia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The kingdom of Bagan dates back to the early 2nd century A.D. Bagan entered its golden age with the conquest of Thaton by King Anawrahta in 1057 A.D. From the 11th to 13th century until Bagan was overrun by Kublai Khan's forces in 1287 A.D., more than 13,000 temples, pagodas and other religious structures were built. Thousands of stupas and temples still stand today along the banks of the Irrawaddy River. Our visit in Bagan starts with the Shwezigon Pagoda and its magnificent golden stupa, followed by Wetkyi-In Gubyaukgyi — a cave temple with exquisite jatakas (mural paintings) and the elegant Htilominlo Temple, noted for its fine plaster carvings and glazed sandstone decorations.

In the afternoon, visit Ananda, an architectural masterpiece and early-style temple. Continue to Ananda Okkyaung — one of the few surviving brick monasteries from the early Bagan period. End the day with a horse carriage tour amidst the temples starting at Ananda, passing Thatbyinnyu (the highest temple in Bagan), the massive Dhammayangyi Temple noted for its remarkable brickwork and Sulamani. Dinner at a Bagan restaurant with its puppet show. Overnight in Bagan. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 13: After breakfast at the hotel, we visit the colorful Nyaung Oo Market before our journey to Myinkaba Village. We'll wander the village and visit intriguing local sites such as Gubyaukgi (with some of the oldest mural paintings), Manuha and Nanpaya. See the production process of lacquer ware — one of the best-known Myanmar handicrafts — in a colorful, local-family workshop. After lunch, we scout the countryside village of Minnanthu — the least visited area in Bagan. Here you will find unique temples such as Payathonzu (with its unusual architecture and Tantric Buddhism influence), Lemyethna as well as Nandamannya. We then head to the riverside, close to Nyaung Oo village for a sunset view. Overnight in Bagan. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 14: Following an early breakfast, we'll transfer to Nyaung Oo Airport for our short flight to Heho via Mandalay. From Heho, a 1-hour scenic drive leads to Nyaung Shwe, the gateway village to the jewel of Inle Lake. On the way, we'll stop at the wooden Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery.

Board our private motorboat to head out onto Inle Lake — one of Myanmar's most spectacular sights. We pass villages built on stilts over the lake (mostly inhabited by Intha people, the leg-rowing fishermen of the lake) and admire the floating gardens built up from strips of water hyacinth and mud and anchored to the bottom with bamboo poles.

After lunch, we visit Nga Hpe Chaung (Jumping Cats) Monastery with its Shan Buddhas and Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda — the lake's main sanctuary. We continue to the village of Inpawkhone. Here we observe the traditional silk weaving technique of Innthar and visit a Cheroot factory where typical Burmese cigars are still made by hand. If time allows, we'll also take an informal walk exploring one of the many small villages nearby. Overnight on Inle Lake. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 15: After breakfast, we'll discover the morning lake market. Rotating around villages on and near the lake in a five-day rhythm, this colorful market is visited daily (except new and full moon days) by lake dwellers and surrounding hill tribes. From the middle of the lake, we float down a small canal leading to the Pa O village of In Dein. After a stroll around the village, we take the covered stairway to the beautiful Alaung Sitthou — where ancient stupas are partly covered by lush vegetation. From our vantage point there is a magnificent view over the lake.

In the afternoon, you will transfer to the Heho Airport for the flight return to Yangon. On arrival, transfer to your hotel to settle-in. A full a la carte farewell dinner is in store later tonight. Overnight in Yangon. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 16: After breakfast at the hotel, it's time to bid a farewell to timeless Myanmar. Transfer with the hotel shuttle to Yangon's Mingalardon Airport for your departure flight to return home. (Breakfast

Important Note: This itinerary is designed only as a general trip guide to the schedule of our days. Changes may be made at any time as we go along and our flexibility will depend upon local conditions.

Travel Details: If you are making your own arrangements, note that you must arrive in Bangkok, Thailand no later than December 1, 2012 and that you can not depart earlier than December 16, 2012. Ask about booking a room should you have an overnight stopover. You are welcome to travel early or stay for extra days at the end. We can arrange additional nights at any of our hotels or guest houses for you. Airport pickup for early arrivals or late departures can also be arranged upon request.

Expenses: Additional travel-related expenses include: Your flight to the trip starting point of Bangkok, Visas plus $520USD (estimated) for your in-trip flights noted in the itinerary. We also recommend that you purchase travel insurance which includes coverage for trip cancelation as well as our required emergency medical evacuation coverage. We offer many other levels of trip insurance starting at $50USD. Please see our Policy section for complete information on our trip cancellations policies. Payment for additional services not specified in the itinerary may be required at the time the service is received.

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Updated by: HHT in January 2012
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