The best of Vietnam and Myanmar

Welcome to Hanoi – the capital city of Vietnam! Upon arrival flight, the local tour guide and driver will be welcoming you at Noi Bai airport; it takes us 35 minutes driving to the centre of Hanoi then check-in at hotel. Standard check in time is 14h00, early check in upon availability. This afternoon, we visit Hoan Kiem Lake, Ngoc Son Temple then take a cyclo tour around the Old Quarter of Hanoi. Overnight in Hanoi.

After breakfast and check out hotel, we journey east for 4 hour through picturesque rice-farming villages of the Red River Delta, where we see everyday Vietnamese village life to reach to Halong Bay, a Natural World Heritage as designated by UNESCO since 1994 and 2006. Upon arrival in Halong, we’ll board a charming traditional wooden junk for cruising through the Bay. Discover the magnificent beauty of this “Descending-dragon” bay, created by thousands odd-shaped limestone rocks and karst grottoes. After a lunch of fresh seafood on board, we can visit the Surprising Grotto, stop for swimming or kayaking, passing floating villages and approach islets to enjoy their beauty in close distance. Back to the boat for dinner late afternoon. Evening attend activities on the boat or relax at your own leisure. Overnight on the boat. 

You should wake up early to enjoy the dawn on the sea in the early morning. The Vietnamese call the "East Sea" by a point-oriented name "Eastern Sea", so you may guess how miraculous seeing the sunrise over the islets of the Bay. After breakfast, our boat will continue to cruise in marvelous areas, where almost each islet has its own name, adopting its shape or reminiscent like Sail Island, Fisherman’s head rock, Butterfly rock or Turtle islet etc. Have lunch on board before disembark the cruise and transfer back to Hanoi. On arrival, check in hotel and relax for the rest of the day. Overnight in Hanoi.
 

After breakfast and check out hotel, we begin a fascinating day with visits to the Ho Chi Minh Complex, inclusive of Ba Dinh Square, Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, as well as his private residence from 1954 until 1969. The wooden ethnic minority style house, which was built on stilts, is surrounded by lovely peaceful gardens. In the same complex you will see the One Pillar Pagoda, founded by King Ly Thai To in 1049. This structure has become an important symbol for the people of Hanoi. Continue to visit Tran Quoc Pagoda, locates on a small peninsula on the East side of West Lake, this is the most ancient pagoda in Hanoi with its history line of more than 1,500 years. Our next stop will be the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university. Constructed in 1070, the gardens and well-preserved architecture offer a relaxing glimpse into Vietnam’s past. After the visits, transfer to the airport for the flight to Yangon. On arrival, pickup by our local guide and driver at the airport and transfer to check in hotel. Overnight in Yangon.

After breakfast, transfer to visit Sule Pagoda, a 2200-year-old temple surrounded by government buildings and commercial shop. Walk from here to Mahabandoola Park and visit the Independent Monument. Continue our tour by car, passing City Hall, little india and little china, Strand road and Yangon Jetty. Our next stop is Chaukhtatgyi Pagoda, one of Myanmar's more beautiful reclining buddhas which is topped by a crown encrusted with diamonds and other precious stones. The feet of the statue carved with traditional symbols and often many locals gathering to pay homage and pray. Continue to visit Bogyoke Market, formerly known as Scott’s Market, where you can browse through the wide selection of Myanmar handicrafts and other goods (Note: closed on Mondays and public holidays). End our tour today at Shwedagon Pagoda, one of the wonders of the world. It was built 2500 years ago and enshrined with hair relics of Buddha and a place where to meet devoted Buddhists meditating and praying. Enjoy breathtaking views of the golden stupa from this vantage point. Overnight in Yangon.

After breakfast and check out hotel, we transfer to the airport for the flight to Bagan. Bagan, located on the banks of the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) River, is home to the largest and densest concentration of Buddhist temples, pagodas, stupas and ruins in the world with many dating from the 11th and 12th centuries. On arrival, pick up by our local guide at the airport and transfer to an elevated temple for a panoramic view of the magnificent plains of Bagan.
Continue to visit the golden Shwezigon Pagoda, first and prototype monument, which was built in Myanmar style in 1087. We then visit to Gubyaukgyi, a cave temple at Wetkyi-Inn Village which is well-known for its exquisite jataka mural paintings and the elegant Htilominlo Temple noted for its fine plaster carvings and glazed sandstone decorations. Transfer to check in hotel and avoid the midday heat. This afternoon, we visit to a traditional lacquer ware workshop where we observe the production of one of Myanmar’s best-known handicrafts. Continue to Ananda Temple, an architectural masterpiece and one of Bagan’s most beautiful temples.  Built in the early Mon-style, Ananda contains two unique Buddha images whose expressions seem to change depending on the distance from which the statue is viewed. From here, we visit to Thatbyinnyu, the highest temple in Bagan, and the massive Dhammayangyi Temple, noted for its remarkable brickwork, and Sulamani Temple. End the day with an unforgettable sunset view over the plains from the upper terrace of one of the temples. Overnight in Bagan.

After breakfast and check out hotel, we transfer to visit Mount Popa, an extinct volcano standing 1518 metres high. Mount Popa has played an important role in Myanmar culture, religion and history since earliest times. Its shrine is dedicated to the worship of the 37 Nats, the Burmese ancient animist spirits. This afternoon, we drive for 4 hours to Mandalay. Mandalay is Myanmar's cultural capital. The nature focus of the city is an abrupt hill, rising above a vast moated and walled square. On arrival, check in hotel and relax. Overnight in Mandalay.
 

After breakfast, we take a boat trip to visit Mingun, famous for its huge and incomplete Pahtodawgyi Pagoda, built by King Bodaw Badon in 1791, and Mingun Bell, the biggest hanging bell in the world history, weighing 55,555 viss (90 tons), the number is conveniently remembered by many people in Myanmar as a mnemonic “Min Hpyu Hman Hman Pyaw”, with the consonants representing the number 5 in Burmese astronomy and numerology. Continue to Hsinbyume Pagoda (known as Myatheindan Pagoda), built in 1816 by King Bagyidaw dedicated to the memory of his senior wife, Princess Hsinpyume. Take the boat trip back to Mandalay after the visit.
This afternoon, we visit to Mahamuni Pogada, 13ft-high sated Buddha image which is one of Myanmar's most famous. We then visit Kuthodaw Pagoda, whose 729 marble stone slabs of Buddhist scriptures have earned it the title ‘World’s Biggest Book’. Continue to Shwenandaw Monastery, the only remaining building from the 19th century Royal Palace. This grand teak building is known for its exquisite woodcarving. Head to the top of Mandalay Hill to enjoy magnificent views of the city and Irrawaddy River. Overnight in Mandalay.
 

After breakfast, we visit to Amarapura, a former capital whose name means ‘City of Immortality’. First visit Mahagandayon monastery, when over one-thousand monks reside and proceed to visit ne-thousand monks reside and visit a silk weaving workshop which produces exquisite handmade products. Continue our drive to Ava, which is one of the ancient cities and a remarkably rural backwater of empty fields sparsely dotted with widely spaced ruins, monastic buildings and stupas. Explore Ava by plodding horse cart to visit BagayaKyaung (a wonderful teak monastery), MahaAungmyeBonzan monastery (built of stucco-covered brick, royal monastery temple) and Nanmyin (a leaning watchtower of Ava). 
This afternoon, we drive to Sagaing by crossing a bridge over the Irrawaddy River. Uncountable white-and-gold stupas are highlights of Sagaing. Sagaing Hill is widely regarded as the religious center of Myanmar. It is home to 3,000 monks and 100 meditation centers and you will visit pagodas such as Swan OoPon Nya Shin and U Min ThoneSae. Continue visit Sagaing’s local market, a typical Burmese market that few tourists visit. Here we find a range of items for sale includinglocally made pottery, silver and other handicrafts. We also stop at a small pottery village to see the process of making the ubiquitous water pots found throughout Myanmar. After touring this tranquil site, we return to Mandalay with stop at U Bein Bridge, the world’s longest and 200 year-old teak bridge. Enjoy a stroll along the bridge and the fabulous views of the surrounding farms and streams at sunset. Drive back to Mandalay and relax for the rest of the day. Overnight in Mandalay.
 

After breakfast, at leisure until check out hotel and transfer to the airport for the departure flight. Standard hotel check-out time is 12h00 (late check out upon availability).