Myanmar People & Heritage Tour

Mingalaba! Welcome to Yangon, the city of glistening temples! Today, meet and greet your guide at the airport. Our driver then will transfer you to the hotel in the downtown city for check-in. After a short break, start our amazing photography tour to capture the exotic colonial architecture, busy markets, and spectacular Buddhist monuments. Make your first visit to Bogyoke Aungsan Market, the most lively market in the city where you can capture the hectic pace of trading and colorful stalls that sell an array of fabric, jewelry, and attractive items. (Note: the market is closed on Mondays and the gazette holidays).

Then proceed to Chauk Htat Gyi Pagoda, home to the incredible 66 meters long reclining Buddha image. You can spend your time witnessing the daily homage of the Burmese people and exploring the special symbols on the feet of the statue before moving to the next destination. Follow your guide to Kandawgyi Lake, a beautiful photo stop of Yangon where you will have a chance to save the best photo from the park to the golden floating Karaweik Palace, one of the most iconic landmarks of Yangon. Return to the hotel in the evening. Overnight in Yangon
Meal: n/a

Accommodation: Hotel in Yangon

Power up your morning photography at Shwedagon Pagoda, one of the most impressive Buddhist pagodas in Myanmar, and the pride of Yangon. The morning ambiance at the pagoda is incredible as you will beat most of the crowds. Take this chance to save the best photo to the peaceful ambiance and several monks in the pagoda. After that, your guide will take you to the street around Yangon to photograph the narrow street which is full of small workshops and market stalls. Also, don’t miss your chance to take photos of the local people who live there.

In the afternoon, wander through old Yangon to see its crumbling colonial buildings, bookshops, and street-side food stalls. Around twilight, we will make our way to Chinatown, one of the most vibrant streets in Yangon. Make use of the last light of the day to take the photo and enjoy the hectic atmosphere of the 19th-century street Overnight in Yangon
Meal: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel in Yangon.

Leave Yangon this morning to board a flight to Loikaw, a city and the capital of Kayan State that attracts travelers with the greatest ethnic diversity in the country. Arrive at Loikaw, visit Hta Nee La Leh village.

Head to Kaetoebu hall and shrines, where animist traditions are practiced. The totem poles which tower into the sky will be highlights of our morning visit. Together with photography, you will have an opportunity to learn why these sites are significant to Kayan people, and about the festival and events, which are held every year. Also, learn about the traditional ritual of hunting at the village hunting shrine. The people here are so friendly and happy to be subjects for your pictures for a short time. Overnight in Loikaw
Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Overnight at Loikaw

Today is an amazing day in your Myanmar photography tour for you to explore the life of Kayan people living in the Panpet village. The spectacular rice fields outer rim are wonderful scenery for you to capture the natural beauty in the region.

Keep going in the village, you will have a chance to meet with the special long-neck women who still keep their tradition of wearing brass rings to make their necks appear longer. There is no tourism infrastructure in the village but the people here are always welcome and happy to take photos. Overnight in Loikaw.
Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Loikaw

This morning, say goodbye to the authentic tribal life of Loikaw to take a scenic drive to Inle Lake, a beautiful highland lake that will excite your travel senses with the breathtaking mountain ranges and water melted into one another. The route takes us through the small town of Pinlaung and across a scenic plateau.

Upon arrival at Nyaungshwe, we will embark on a stunning boat trip to reach Inle Lake. Today’s stopover will be the Ngaphechaung monastery, the largest wooden monastery in the region. Here, use the afternoon light to capture the novice monks who are studying here. Overnight the hotel in Nyaung Shwe
Meal: Breakfast

Accommodation: Overnight at Nyaung Shwe

Start the day with an early boat trip to Indein village, a small village on the Western shore of Inle Lake. After passing through bamboo groves, there will be over a hundred ancient stupas that are over 1000 years old in front of us. They are impressive and attractive in different sizes and shapes. Some are crumbling and have vegetation attempting while others still glittering with their golden exteriors. Spend your time wandering around these sites and walking through the colonnade which is filled with market stalls before returning to the lake.

After that, we will spend the whole afternoon exploring the natural beauty of the lake itself. Continue your boat trip and look for the iconic leg-rowing fishermen for a photo dream. We also make our way to Ywama village to visit the traditional silversmiths. Then we visit Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, the holiest site in Inle Lake which houses five 800-year-old golden Buddha statues. Overnight the hotel in Nyaung Shwe
Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Overnight in a Nyaung Shwe.

Leave Inle Lake this morning to get on the train ride to transfer to Kalaw. The 3-hour ride will give you a window to numerous villages scattered around the beautiful scenery. Besides, it allows you to rub shoulders with the locals along the way. At an altitude of 1320 meters above sea level, Kalaw is a beautiful hill town for an escape from the summer heat. Spend your time walking around the street to capture the ancient architecture on the street’s buildings.

Then make your way to a hill tribe village near the town to experience the local life and photograph the daily life of the villagers who still maintain their living in simple houses. Overnight in Kalaw
Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Kalaw

Today will be a long day of driving to Bagan, the land of sun and ancient pagodas. The scenic drive will lead you through beautiful scenery and interesting villages that provide you with many opportunities to take photos.

Before arriving in Bagan, you will reach Mt Popa, an extinct volcano that is famous for the monastery that perches dramatically atop a sheer-sided volcanic plug. It’s also home to 37 Nats (Burmese spirits), an important worshipping of Burma. Take time to climb up to 7787 steps which are filled with interesting monkeys and can be a great subject for photos. From the top of the mountain, a magnificent view of the large area. Save your best photos then return to the car to transfer to the hotel in Bagan for check-in. Overnight in Bagan..
Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Bagan

Today is a full day for you to explore the man-made masterpiece of Bagan remains among the countless temples and pagodas in the region. Start the day with a visit to Shwesandaw Temple, one of the tallest pagodas in Bagan 100 meters high. As the sun flickers across the sky, take the best photo of one color melted into another as the sunrise. Then your guide also leads you to the most popular temples in the region such as Ananda Temple, one of the most well-preserved temples in Bagan which houses four standing Buddha images; Myingaba Gu Byaukgyi Temple which is notable for containing the oldest original painting to be found in Bagan and two stone pillars with inscriptions written in four languages: Pali, Old Burmese, Old Mon, and Pyu. Together with the impressive sites, we will also find monks and novices who help us to enhance our pictures.

In the late afternoon, head to one of the most popular sunset hills in Bagan where we can capture the most amazing scenery of sunset, perhaps one of the best sunsets in the world. How interesting is it? Overnight in Bagan.
Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Bagan

Wake up early this morning to make sure you do not miss the best moment in the day to have an awesome photo with hot air balloons. From all four corners, it’s hard not to be hypnotized by the wonderful temples merging into the blue sky dotted with colorful hot air balloons.

After returning to the hotel for breakfast, we make our way to Mindat, a little mountain town in Chin State that is famous as the kingdom of the face tattooed women. Perched on the slopes of a mountain, Mindat does not steal the heart of intrepid people for its stupendous view over the soft feminine blue curves of the surrounding mountain but it is also where you can discover the vibrant culture and daily life of the fascinating face tattooed women who made this place well-known to the world. Overnight in Mindat.
Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Mindat

Begin your amazing morning with a visit to the local market where you can expect to capture authentic people shots. Then we also head into the mountains to visit some remote villages to discover their daily life, traditional culture, dancing, music, and fold tales.

Nowadays, the custom of facial tattoos has been forbidden by the Myanmar government and young generations do not want to practice it as well. As a result, it is predicted that this Chin culture’s part will be gone soon. So make sure you travel as soon as possible to not miss the chance to save their best pictures. This evening, we spend the night in a local house in the village to experience their life. Overnight in the homestay
Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Overnight in the homestay

Today is another day for you to explore Chin Hills village. Continue to visit the villages and trek through the mountainous scenery for some landscape photography. Overnight in Mindat.

Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Overnight in Mindat

Say goodbye to the untouched landscape of Mindat this morning to drive back to Bagan. Upon arrival, we take a domestic flight to Yangon. Back to Yangon, drive to Shwedagon Pagoda to take the sunset photo when it lit up against the night sky.
Overnight in Yangon

Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Overnight in Yangon

After breakfast at the hotel, check out and then our driver will transfer you to the airport for a departure flight. Trip ends, we hope that you would love the itinerary we designed. Thank you for making your trip with us!

Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: n/a