Day 1 Fly USA to Bangkok

Please note international air from the USA has not been included in the package price.
 
Day 2 Welcome to Bangkok, Thailand

Upon arrival and after clearing customs and immigration, a driver will meet you and transfer you directly to your downtown hotel.

An exciting brew of traffic and temples, luxury hotels and labyrinth-like streets, the “City of Angels,” is a hectic heaven. This inexhaustible energy is part of Bangkok’s charm, and it has made this feisty capital one of Asia’s favorite tourist destinations. Cutting through the heart of the city, the magnificent Chao Phraya River, “the River of Kings” provides easy access to Bangkok’s numerous Buddhist temples and the Grand Palace, as well offering insight into Thai life.

Day 3 Tour - Bangkok Grand Palace morning tour and city and temple afternoon tour

This 3-hour morning tour is a “must see” for all visitors to Bangkok. The Grand Palace complex, which includes the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Keow), is unquestionably one of the wonders of the world today. Within its enormous grounds is the most exotic Buddhist temple and at the heart of the temple itself is a fabulous Buddha image, carved from one piece of Jade, which is the holiest and most revered of religious objects in Thailand today.

Nearby is the Grand Palace, once the official home for the Kings of Siam - built in traditional Thai architecture mixed with European designs. You can also see the Royal Funeral Hall and the Royal Coronation Hall.

This afternoon you will visit some other notable temples in the city. Thailand has over 26,000 temples (or Wats). This tour will bring you to three of the most distinguished temples in Bangkok. Wat Trimitr, the temple of the Golden Buddha, features a statue made from solid Gold weighing 5.5 tons. It is a fine example of Sukhothai art and was discovered by chance from a layer of stucco during construction of the temple.

Passing through Chinatown your next stop is Wat Po, the temple of the reclining Buddha which is the largest and oldest in Bangkok. Your last stop is at Wat Benchamabopit or the marble temple. This magnificent monastery was built with white Italian marble from Carrara.

Day 4 At leisure, Bangkok

Thailand's capital, Bangkok, is a city that displays 30,000 lavish temples and a great variety of colorful architecture. Treat your eyes to a parade of colorful canoes laden with everything from juicy mangoes to jolly-faced souvenirs at the Damnern Saduak Floating Market, or paddle up to one of the floating markets and order a bowl of steaming noodles.

Day 5 Fly Bangkok to Yangon

An English speaking representative will meet you in your hotel lobby for your private airport transfer to your flight to Yangon. On arrival in Yangon you will be met and transferred to your hotel

Situated on the banks of the mighty Yangon River, Myanmar comes alive at night. Boulevards become beehives of activity, where colorful stalls selling everything from tantalizing dishes to bloated cigars, appear to grow out of the thick air surrounding them. As a new day breaks trade is replaced with tradition and there is no greater sight than that of the gold-plated Shwedagon Pagoda as it shines in the midday sun, its gilded dome studded with rubies, sapphires, and topaz.

Tour - Shwedagon Pagoda sunset tour

The Shwedagon Pagoda is the highlight of any visit to Yangon, dates back about 2500 years and was built to house eight sacred hairs of the Buddha.  Its original shape has changed beyond all recognition over the centuries. Its bell-shaped structure, resting on a terraced base, is covered in about 60 tons of gold-leaf which is continually being replaced.

Day 6 Road To Mandalay Cruise

After a morning flight from Yangon to Bagan board the Road To Mandalay berthed on the Ayeyarwady River at Bagan, where over 2,000 temples and pagodas remain on the awe-inspiring plain. After lunch on board, enjoy a sightseeing tour and visit some of Bagan’s more significant pagodas. Late afternoon, your guide takes you to watch the breathtaking vista of the sun setting over the plain. Return to the ship for a relaxed dinner and local entertainment. Overnight on board.

Day 7 Road To Mandalay Cruise

After breakfast on board a guided tour introduces you to Bagan's most important temples and the local market. Alternatively, you can hire a bicycle or horse-drawn cart and explore this fascinating area on your own. Mid-morning the Road To Mandalay begins its cruise north towards Mandalay. After lunch relax on board and watch the fascinating river life glide by. An on board guide lectures on local places and customs. The ship moors mid-river for the evening. Dinner and overnight on board.

Day 8 Road To Mandalay Cruise

Enjoy the morning on board as the ship cruises towards Mandalay, arriving at the quaint little village of Shwe Kyet Yet after lunch. In the afternoon, enjoy a guided tour of the key sights of Mandalay, regarded as the centre of Burmese culture and Buddhist learning. Return to Road To Mandalay, stopping en route to admire sunset over the river. Dinner and local entertainment awaits in the evening.

 Day 9 Road To Mandalay Cruise

After breakfast, cruise to Mingun. Visit the most important sights such as the pretty Hsinbyume pagoda and the world’s largest uncracked bell. Return by ferry for a late lunch. In the afternoon, visit the Sagaing Hills, considered to be the living centre of the Buddhist faith in Burma. Sagaing is also famous for its silver and silversmiths who still work in much the same way as their ancestors did. Dinner and local entertainment. Overnight on board. where dinner and local entertainment awaits.

Day 10 Fly Yangon to Bangkok

After an early breakfast transfer to Mandalay airport for your onward flight via Yangon to Bangkok. On arrival in Bangkok you will be met and transferred to your city hotel by private vehicle.

Day 11 Fly Bangkok to USA

An English speaking representative will meet you in your hotel lobby for your private airport transfer.

• The Peninsula Hotel

• The Strand Hotel

• The Road to Mandalay

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