A country of stunning natural beauty, with mountains, rainforests and beaches, Myanmar also boasts a rich and unique culture that has been influenced by Buddhism, Hinduism, and animism. It is home to many ancient temples, pagodas, and archaeological sites, such as Bagan, Mandalay and the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon.
Once a popular destination, with 4.7 million visitors in 2015, Myanmar became increasingly isolated in recent years, due to the pandemic and its socio-political situation, and tourism has completely dropped off. With experience and tight connections, YPT can help you navigate safely to see the best Myanmar has to offer.
Group Tours to Myanmar
Great Tours to Myanmar are currently offered by YPT during the most important festivals, celebrated with vibrant colors, night festivities, traditional dances and religious ceremonies. The Thingyan Water Festival, in April, and Thadingyut Lighting Festival, in October, are particularly popular.
During our tours, we will visit Yangon, the former capital and largest and most vibrant city in the country, and make our way through the country to watch sunsets over ancient ruins, from the mystical temples of Bagan, where thousands of ancient pagodas dot the horizon, to newly built capital Naypyidaw, which is basically a ghost town.
Having ran tours to Myanmar since 2016 Young Pioneer Tours have been able to create a great network of local partners and guides. As such we can arrange independent and bespoke travel packages, no matter what you’re looking for: budget tour of the best of Myanmar, active travel, beaches and islands break, or a more luxury trip.
Example Bespoke Myanmar Tour Itinerary (9 days)
Day 1
Arrive at your convenience into Yangon – the capital city of Myanmar. It is well connected to Asia and Europe.
Day 2
Explore Yangon and its fabulous mix of architecture and sites. The streets are filled with historical buildings many of which have a faded colonial charm not seen elsewhere in Asia. Learn about the fascinating history of the city as well as get a taste for the more modern side of the city.
Check out the stunning Kandawgyi Lake, Reclining Buddha, and Temples.
Afternoon
Visit the Martyr’s Mausoleum, housing Aung San – father of modern Burma – and containing the remains of various people including the former Secretary-General U Thant.
In the late afternoon, set off to see the sunset at the breathtaking Shwedagon Pagoda, one of the most beautiful sacred sites in all of Myanmar. The exterior of the stupa is plated with 8,688 solid gold slabs, its tip set with 5,448 diamonds and 2,317 rubies, sapphires and topaz. A huge emerald sits in the middle to catch the first and last rays of the sun.
Day 3
Drive to Naypyidaw, (367km), which takes around 5 hours on the expressway. On the way, we’ll make some stop for refreshment.
Afternoon
Naypyidaw is the capital city of Myanmar. It is 7,054 square kilometres in size, roughly four and a half times the size of London, but its population is only 924,608 people. With 20-lane highways and wide streets designed for a future of expansion, the city seems like a ghost town.
Explore the city and see buildings such as the seat of the government of Myanmar, the Union Parliament, the Supreme Court, the Presidential Palace, and official residences of government ministries and military.
Similar in size to the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, the 99-meter tall Uppātasanti Pagoda houses a Buddha tooth relic and was completed in 2009.
Day 4
Drive to Bagan, which will take around 4 hours. On the way, we will make some stops for refreshment and photos opportunities.
Afternoon
City tour of Bagan, an ancient city steeped in history and home to the largest and densest concentration of Buddhist temples, pagodas, and ruins in the world.
From the 9th to 13th centuries, the city was the capital of the Pagan Kingdom. More than 10,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas and monasteries were constructed in the Bagan plains at that time, of which the remains of over 2200 temples and pagodas survive. We’ll visit a selection of them.
We’ll head to the river for sunset.
Day 5
Transfer to hot air ballooning (optional) for one of the best sunrises in Myanmar.
Continue exploring Bagan will continue today. We’ll start by visiting a busy local market in Bagan.
More than just temples, our tour aims to provide you with a great overview of Bagan’s history, culture and local lifestyles. That’s why we’ll continue by visiting villages near Bagan to view the real way of life for most Myanmar people.
Afternoon
Visit to the traditional lacquer ware workshop to observe the production of one of Myanmar’s best-known handicrafts.
Continue to Ananda Temple, a 900-year-old architectural masterpiece and one of Bagan’s most beautiful temples. We’ll enjoy an unforgettable sunset over the plains from one of the elevated viewpoints.
Day 6
Drive from Bagan to Kalaw (268km about 4-5hrs drive) a former British colonial town. On the way, we’ll stop at some local villages and sightseeing. Kalaw’s hill is 1300-meter above sea level.
Afternoon
On the way to Kalaw, the scenery is beautiful. See paddy filed, local flowers filed, and meet with ethnic tribe.
Kalaw feels like a high-altitude holiday resort – the air is cool, the atmosphere is calm and the tree-lined streets still contain a smattering of colonial-era architecture.
Day 7
Visit the heart of Kalaw, its market, where villagers from the surrounding hills come to sell their produce.
Visit the Hnee pagoda, in which you will find a 500-year-old bamboo Buddha.
Afternoon
Full tour by private boat in Inle Lake. Visit the Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, the most holy religious site in southern Shan State, and also check the local handicrafts, silk weaving, wooden handlooms and traditional blacksmith methods along the way.
Visiting Inle Lake is not just about being on the water but also about discovering the Shan and Intha villages on the banks of the river. Pass the endless floating gardens, houses, monasteries built on stilts on the lake.
Stop at Nga Phe Kyaung Monastery then proceed to Nampan village and see local cheroot factory (where the Burmese cigars are made) and canoe carving.
Day 8
The boat tour will begin with a visit to the market, which rotates locations every five days and where hill tribe people dressed in colourful, traditional outfits barter for goods and produce.
We continue our sightseeing in Inle Lake, manoeuvering by boat though long, scenic channels. Visit the fascinating village of Indein, with its complex of ancient shrines and stupas and walk though exotic colonnades of stairways and shop stalls.
Afternoon
Visit the “long neck” tribal women and weaving and craft villages perched on stilts.
See the lake’s unique “leg rowers” – the Intha people row standing up with one leg wrapped around an oar. It is a feast for the senses and a photographer’s dream.
Day 9
Drive back to Yangon. It is a 8-9 hours-long drive, but there is the opportunity to stop at local villages for refreshment and photo opportunities.
Tour concludes
Bespoke Myanmar Tours
We are able to offer the following bespoke programs. Should what you are looking for not be on this list, please get in touch to see if we can fix it for you.
Myanmar in Brief
YPT can offer a 7-day program for those who wish to see 4 major cities but in a short time: Yangon, Mandalay, Bagan and Inle Lake
Hill tribes of Myanmar
YPT offer the rare cultural opportunity of exploring remote areas and meeting local tribes, such as the Shan Hill tribes (completely unique to the rest of Myanmar – even maintaining their own ancient languages), the “Long neck” tribal women, or the Tattooed Tribes of Chin State.
Active trips
YPT can arrange slower trips, using trishaws, bikes, horse carts, slow-moving trains and long-tail boats. A great way to get an up-close look at the sites and travel alongside locals, making a deeper connection with the people and places of Myanmar.
Beaches and island breaks
For travellers looking to experience a serene getaway at an unspoiled seaside destination, YPT can also organize beaches and islands breaks, to Ngapali Beach, Mergui Islands, or other places.
Filming in Myanmar
Whether you are a documentary maker, film maker, or hobbyist wishing to do a project in Myanmar YPT can help navigate the laws on filming here through our partners at Pioneer Media.
Myanmar Tours
Frequently asked Questions about travel to Myanmar
Citizens of most nationalities need to get a visa in advance to visit Myanmar. In the recent
years, the process has been simplified a lot and now a lot of nationalities can get an e-visa
including every country of the EU, Canada, the United States, Australia and New-Zealand
The best time to visit Myanmar is typically during the cool, dry season from October to May. That is also when the main festivals take place, which is why YPT organizes its group tours in that period.
As far as crime is concerned, Myanmar is generally considered safe for tourists. However, some regions have travel advisories due to the ongoing conflicts and social situation. YPT’s itineraries stay away from those regions and our team always monitors the situation on the ground.
Travelers are advised to check with their healthcare provider for vaccinations and take precautions against mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria and dengue.
Myanmar has a conservative culture, and it's important to dress modestly, particularly when visiting religious sites. It's customary to remove shoes before entering someone's home or a temple.
Most cafes, hotels and restaurants have free Wifi, as well as some shops and fuel stations. You can buy a prepaid SIM card in the arrival hall of the airport. There are also many SIM card shops in the cities. Tourist SIM cards are available from 6500 kyats (3.10 USD). Myanmar has four mobile network operators offering prepaid services. We recommend using MPT or Mytel
Due to the social and political situation, going alone to Myanmar is not advised.
Having been going to the country since 2016 and having a network of local partners on the ground, YPT ensure a safe trip as well as bringing you to some very cool places.
