Cycle Myanmar
13 days
from Yangon to Yangon
Duration13 days
You might not immediately associate Myanmar (Burma) with cycling, but we think you’ll change your mind once you’ve taken this two-wheeled trek through ancient cities and beautiful gardens. Once you get off the bike, you’ll have the chance to hike through limestone caves and make a pilgrimage to Mt Popa. Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime experience to get active in a place that’s the furthest thing from your backyard.
This tour is operated by
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Duration: 13 daysService level: Standard
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Starts in: YangonPhysical Grading: Demanding
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Ends in: YangonAges: 12+
Tour Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1: Yangon
Start place: Yangon
Arrive at anytime today. Today is arrival day so there are no activities planned. You are free to relax and explore the city. Please try to arrive before 6pm for an important group meeting where you can meet the Chief Experience Officer (CEO) and other group members. Following this, enjoy an optional group dinner where you can sample some of the local cuisine.
Arrive at any time.
Please note that most nationalities require a visa to enter Myanmar (Burma); please double check this with your travel agent or local Myanmar Embassy prior to your arrival.
End place: Yangon
Day 2: Yangon/Nyaungshwe
Start place: Yangon
Leave Yangon this morning and fly north to Heho. From here, travel by road a further 1 hr to Nyaung Shwe, the gateway village to Inle Lake. Take the rest of the day to explore Nyaung Shwe. Wander the numerous side streets, stupas, and restaurants around the town.
Fly to Heho and transfer the short distance to Nyaung Shwe. This town is the gateway to Inle Lake and its many attractions. In the afternoon, enjoy free time to explore Nyaung Shwe.
Meals: B
Day 3: Nyaungshwe/Inle Lake
Bike out to Inle Lake today, your first experience of cycling around Myanmar (Burma). Start the day by cycling from the hotel to the lake. Stop for lunch with a local Intha family and admire the views across the lake as we follow the road past paddy fields and tiny villages.
In the afternoon, take a boat down the canal to Inle Lake. Pass villages built on stilts over the water, inhabited by the local Intha people. Observe the leg-rowing fishermen and see their floating gardens, built up from strips of water hyacinth and mud and anchored to the bottom with bamboo poles.
In the afternoon, take a boat down the canal to Inle Lake. Pass villages built on stilts over the water, inhabited by the local Intha people. Observe the leg-rowing fishermen and see their floating gardens, built up from strips of water hyacinth and mud and anchored to the bottom with bamboo poles.
Visit Inle Lake by bike and boat. Cycle around the lake and stop for lunch with a local Intha family during the ride. In the afternoon, enjoy a boat ride on the lake, taking in scenes of local life along the way.
End place: Inle Lake
Meals: B
Day 4: Heho/Pindaya
Start place: Heho
After a short ride to Heho, enjoy a ride out to the village of Pindaya, set in a picturesque valley. Once here, enjoy the routes around the village, exploring country tracks on two wheels. Discover the myths and legends around the area.
Cycle through rolling hills to the village of Pindaya, before heading out into the countryside and exploring the surrounding trails.
End place: Pangtara
Meals: B
Day 5: Pindaya
Start place: Pangtara
Hike up among the caves surrounding the village of Pindaya. Passing the Shwe U Min Paya pagoda, the 152.4m (500 ft) caves are filled with thousands of images of Buddha, many dating back centuries. These images are made in a variety of materials, from cement to marble. Keep an eye out for monks in prayer, even in the smaller caves.
Begin an overnight hike up through the hills around Pindaya. Visit the magnificent Pindaya Caves, set in a limestone ridge overlooking a picturesque lake, where over 8,000 images of Buddha are on display.
End place: Pangtara
Meals: B, L, D
Day 6: Pindaya
Start place: Pangtara
Hike through friendly villages and enjoy the view. The scenery around the hills is spectacular and is among the best in Myanmar. Return to Pindaya to spend the night.
Wake up among the hills and enjoy the sights and sounds of village life. Hike through friendly villages and incredible scenery around Pindaya, before returning to the town for the night.
End place: Pangtara
Meals: B, L
Day 7: Mandalay
Start place: Mandalay
Discover the history and culture of Mandalay. Start at the base of Mandalay Hill and visit Shwe Nandaw Kyuang (Golden Palace Monastery), which is noted for its intricate wood carvings, and Kayuk Taw Gyi Pagoda to view the massive marble Buddha. Finally, check out Kuthodaw Pagoda, home to ‘the world’s largest book’, a collection of more than 700 marble slabs inscribed with Buddhist teachings. Continue to Mahamuni Pagoda, with its 3.8m (12.5 ft) tall Buddha image, which is covered with so much gold leaf that it has a lumpy appearance. Check out some of the craft shops in the area. In the late afternoon, head to Mandalay Hill to walk (or take the lift) to the top for gorgeous views over the city, countryside, and Irrawaddy River.
Transfer from Pindaya to Heho, then fly to Mandalay. The rest of the day is free to explore Mandalay's ancient temples and other beautiful sites, such as the Golden Monastery.
End place: Mandalay
Meals: B
Day 8: Mandalay/Myingyan
Start place: Mandalay
Jump back on the bike today, leaving Mandalay behind and head for Myingyan. Pass through the former Ava Kingdom, which once ruled upper Myanmar (Burma), before arriving at the city of Sagaing. The city is known for its numerous Buddhist monasteries, so stop here to wander around the many sites. Looking along the river, pagodas seem to sprout from the trees, puncturing the skyline.
Continue on to Myingyan by bus, and spend the evening there.
Continue on to Myingyan by bus, and spend the evening there.
Enjoy a full morning in the saddle as the journey continues by bike. Wheel through the ancient kingdom of Ava, the ancient capital of Amarapura, and the multiple Buddhist monasteries of Sagaing. In the afternoon, transfer to Myingyan.
End place: Myingyan
Meals: B, L
Day 9: Myingyan/Popa Hill
Start place: Myingyan
Cycle through the dry interior of Myanmar. Pass through fields of crops and varied farmland as the terrain steadily rises en route. Head uphill towards the pilrimage site of Mt Popa.
Make the challenging uphill cycle from Myingyan to Mount Popa, enjoying the great views along the way.
End place: Popa Hill
Meals: B, L
Day 10: Popa Hill/Bagan
Start place: Popa Hill
Cycle downhill from Mt. Popa towards the plains of Bagan. The journey passes through villages that are endemic to the region. Buffalo plough the fields and farmers collect their crops as you cycle by.
Enjoy a downhill cycle, passing through villages, towards the plains of Bagan.
End place: Pagan
Meals: B
Day 11: Bagan
Start place: Pagan
The journey begins with a visit to an elevated temple that offers a panoramic view of the magnificent plains of Bagan. Continue to colorful Nyaung Oo market, where locals buy and sell fresh produce and other goods. Visit the golden stupa of Shwezigon Pagoda for an introduction to Bagan’s rich history. After, visit nearby Wetkyi-In Gubyaukgyi, a cave temple with exquisite jataka mural paintings, and the elegant Htilominlo Temple, noted for its fine plaster carvings and glazed sandstone decorations. Later, check out a local monastery for a special monk blessing.
Explore the hundreds of temples and stupas that dot the landscape here.
End place: Pagan
Meals: B
Day 12: Bagan/Yangon
Start place: Pagan
Transfer to the airport and fly to Yangon. Enjoy a free afternoon.
End place: Yangon
Meals: B
Day 13: Yangon
Start place: Yangon
Depart at any time.
End place: Yangon
Meals: B
Inclusions
Included
- All cycling activities and entrance fees as mentioned in the itinerary
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Transport
Private bus/van, Bike, Plane, Walking -
Accommodation
Hotels (10 nts), Home stay (1 nt), Guest house (1 nt)