10 Day Myanmar with 4 Night Anawrahta Cruise

Yangon - Inle Lake - Bagan - Pakokku - Yandabo - Ava  - Mandalay -  Mingun 

myanmar river cruises anawrahta cruise 13 myanmar river cruises 5 anawrahta cruise 7 irrawaddy river cruises 24
Special offers
Inquire about this tour
Day 01 (18-DEC-17 - 26-DEC-17) YANGON ARRIVAL

Mingalabar and welcome to Myanmar! The former capital Yangon, also known as Rangoon, remains Myanmar largest city and continues to be the country’s the most important commercial hub and gateway for most of its international visitors. Its colonial background and religious legacy make it one of the most mesmerizing and genuine places in all of Southeast Asia. Upon arrival at the airport our guide and drive will warmly welcome and transfer you to hotel for check in and relax. 

  • Accommodation: Overnight at hotel in Yangon
  • Meal: None 
Day 02 (19-DEC-17 27-DEC-17) YANGON MORNING SIGHTSEEING - FLY HEHO - INLE LAKE (B)

You’ll be taken downtown and start your tour on Kyaukhtatgyi Pagoda to see a 70 meter long reclining Buddha statue around the size of a blue whale. Afterwards, you continue uptown in order to make a quick stop by the Royal Lake located in Kandawgyi Park which is very popular with local residents, especially in the early morning and around sunset. No Myanmar expedition can be considered truly great if it’s lacking a visit to the legendary Shwedagon Pagoda. Ascend the eastern stairway to find a row of shops at the base of the temple selling various religious items. Here you will find monks robes, alms bowls, offerings, incense and other unique Buddhist objects. As your browse the stalls your guide will explain the use and rituals of Myanmar’s Buddhist people. Then reach the platform which forms the base of the majestic temple. Shwedagon is largely considered to be the most important religious site for the Burmese; most visitors report that the trip is extremely memorable and still etched into their minds.

Afternoon transfer to Yangon Airport to take flight to Heho then you will experience a lovely scenic one-hour drive (32km – 1 hour) which leads to NyaungShwe, gateway village to Inle Lake. Along the way, you will have an opportunity to visit rural workshops that specialize in traditional Shan paper and unique handcrafted umbrellas. Also, be sure to stop in at the teak monastery of Shweyanpyay to witness the intricate wood carving artwork and craftsmanship of the monks there.  

Then move to hotel for check-in and relax. 

  • Accommodation: Overnight at hotel in Inle
  • Meal: Breakfast at hotel 
Day 03 (20-DEC-17 28-DEC-17) INLE LAKE SIGHTSEEING (B)

After breakfast you will board your wooden motorized boat and begin heading out onto Inle Lake, one of Myanmar’s most spectacular and breathtaking sights. Its calm waters are dotted with floating vegetation and fishing canoes, to which scenic hills provide the perfect backdrop. Pay a visit to the lake’s morning market (the market is open every day apart from dark moon and full moon calendar days). The market’s location rotates between the lake’s villages in a 5 day schedule and is also visited daily by the lake’s inhabitants as well as the surrounding natives who also come to sell and trade their wares. Along the way you will pass several villages that are built on stilts over the lake, which are inhabited by the local Intha people. Observe the daily activities of the local leg-rowing fishermen and see their ‘floating gardens’, which are built up from strips of water hyacinth, earth and anchored to the bottom of the lake with bamboo poles. You will also visit NgaHpeChaung Monastery, which houses loads of early Shan Buddha Images. In the past this temple was known for its ‘jumping cats’ but these days there are only a few felines roaming around and none are jumping any more. Proceed to the PhaungDawOo Pagoda, the lake’s main haven, which contains five sacred images of Buddha decorated in gold leaf. There are also many traditional crafts origininating on Inle Lake and, should you wish, we can stop for a visit to one making incredible woven items from lotus silk, boat builders (depending on the time of year), a cigar making workshop, blacksmiths or even silver smiths if time allows. The day will come to a close with a return trip by boat back to your hotel.

  • Accommodation: Overnight at hotel in Inle
  • Meal: Breakfast at hotel
Day 04 (21-DEC-17 29-DEC-17) INLE LAKE - FLY TO BAGAN - SIGHTSEEING BAGAN (B)

Free until transfer to Heho Airport to take morning flight to Bagan. 

Welcome to Bagan, known to be one of the greatest architectural sites in Asia. When Bagan was the centre of Myanmar from the 11th to 13th centuries the monarchs built multitudes of massive stupas and pagodas, scores of which are still present on the shores of the Irrawaddy River. The majesty of Bagan with more than 2000 red brick temples on a plain of the size of Manhattan Island is one of the highlights of a Myanmar holiday that will soothe the eye of every traveller.

Discover the best of Bagan today wil introduce you to the Burmese culture, allows you to see traditional craftsmen at work and takes you up the mighty Irrawaddy River to a decidedly unusual ‘cave’ temple! Your fist port of call is Ananda Temple – one of the most exalted of Bagan’s temples. We will ensure that our tour reaches this point before the majority of tourist arrive, enabling you to enjoy the splendor of the temple in relative tranquility. Continue to various other temples dotted around the temple plains to experience a variety of architectural styles in the area as well as the artistic wonder of the 9-14th centuries. Traveling amid the temples you will get a taste of rural Bagan life in this ‘living museum’ setting where farmers and families work amongst the monuments.

Next on the agenda is your chance to learn more about the local culture with a visit to two workshops producing Bagan’s most famous products - lacquer ware and wood crafts. Watch in amazement as the skilled craftsmen use traditional techniques passed down through generations to create beautiful items.

  •  Accommodation: Overnight at hotel in Bagan
  •  Meal: Breakfast at hotel
Day 05 (22-DEC-17 30-DEC-17) BAGAN - SIGHTSEEING (B)

After breakfast at your hotel, your guide and driver will pick you up to start your Bagan excursion. It’s off to the vibrant NyaungOo Market, where the locals come to trade fresh produce and other goods daily. From here you will have a look around the Old Bagan starting with a visit of the renowned Shwezigon Pagoda, constructed by King Anawrahta in the early 11th century as a religious memorial. Travel over dusty lanes and tree shaded roads past temples and monasteries to a small village. Explore the village on foot, getting a glimpse of local lifestyles of Bagan’s residents. Continue to more lesser-known monuments, selected based on your interest, in the area for the remainder of the morning. If you wish, a short walk can be arranged through a series of smaller monuments which allows for a unique perspective of Bagan.

From here you will journey for an excursion that passes Thatbyinnyu, the tallest temple in Bagan, gigantic Dhammayangyi Temple noted for its remarkable brickwork, and of course, Sulamani Temple. Take pleasure in an extraordinary sunset from the upper terrace of one of the surrounding temples. 

  • Accommodation: Overnight at hotel in Bagan
  • Meal: Breakfast at hotel

 

Day 06 (23-DEC-17 31-DEC-17) BAGAN CHECK IN CRUISE – PAKOKKU (B, L, D)

Welcome you to Aye Yar Jetty to board the luxurious Anawrahta around 11.00AM, berthed at the quay of Bagan. After a friendly welcome by our staff offering some refreshments you move into your “home” for the next days.

Enjoy a leisurely lunch as the ship sails towards Pakkoku - an old trading town on the western riverbank of the Ayeyarwady and famous with the longest bridge of Myanmar (Pakokku Bridge).

On shore the tour takes you to some of the small industries in this area, such as a cheroot-rolling factory and a producer of ‘Burmese slippers’ (“flip-flops”). With this local handicraft people try to make their living. A visit of the thriving market gives you an insight of the local goods and trading. Pakokku is also well-known for the production of Tobacco. If you like to buy some Burmese cigars, this is the place.

We continue touring to the Shwegu Temple. This temple features incredible, intricate carvings made from rare Yamanei wood. It also houses a unique Buddha image seated on a lotus throne. Back on board our kitchen team serve lunch and Anawrahta continues her journey, evetually arriving at the utmost highlight of this journey - Mandalay. The ship will dock at the Mandalay pier at the early afternoon (~2PM).

As the evening approaches and the Burmese sun immerse everything in a golden light a special event will take place at the Kipling’s Bar. Dress up in style as we send “A toast to the past” during a British club gathering where gents may whiff cigars and ladies sip on tasty gins with tonic. Share some tales of the old (British-Burmese) days. Isn’t sometimes the time to lose time.

Adjacent dinner is served at the Hintha Hall. If you feel like it you can enjoy our open air cinema under the stars on the sun deck showing one of these classic movies (depends on weather conditions).

  • Accommodation: Overnight at Anawrahta Cruise
  • Meal: Breakfast at hotel, lunch and dinner on board

 

Day 07 (24-DEC-17 01-JAN-18) PAKOKKU - YANDABO (B, L, D)

For early morning risers there is a special opportunity to participate at a yoga session on the sun deck. Strengthen your muscles and ease your mind for the day by merging with the Ayeyarwady and its therapeutical slow flow upstream to the next stop - Yandabo. While we having breakfast the ship passes the confluence of the Ayeyarwady and it’s greatest tributary, the Chindwin River.

We arrives at the quiet, small riverside village of Yanderbo. An unique and fascinating gem of a village where in 1826 the King of Ava signed the Treaty of Yanderbo, signaling the end of the First Anglo-Burmese war. Nowadays the villagers produce a type of water pot which is reputed to keep water cooler than pots from anywhere else in the country. Anawrahta’s broad-knowledge guides will offer you the explanation to that.

On foot - which is the best way - we explore the village. You quickly notice that the villagers here are extremely friendly, charming and open for chit-chats. You will definitely take back home enchanting memories. Their techniques and skills to produce a variety of pots and utensils are perplexing and absolutely interesting. Try yourself to work on one of these pots.

Back on board a delicate lunch buffet awaits you. The ship continues its journey northwards. Gaze on the river banks of this eternal stream from your bench on the sundeck or alternatively, a spa treatment would have the same recreation effects. In the afternoon you learn more about some long-lasting tradtions (Longyi and Thanaka demonstration) and the fascinating history and culture of Myanmar and this region as a whole within a presentation or lecture.

Before dinner you may like to enjoy one of our various treatments in the Thanzin Spa. Dinner is served at the Hintha Hall.

If you feel like it you can take a seat at our open air cinema under the stars on the sun deck showing a classic movie (depends on weather conditions).

  • Accommodation: Overnight at Anawrahta Cruise
  • Meal: Full board
Day 08 (25-DEC-17 02-JAN-18) YANDABO - AVA - MANDALAY (B, L, D)

In the morning our yoga class will help you to get in the right form for a day. Enjoy a leisurely breakfast as the ship sails some more miles northwards before we arrive in Ava.

In Ava we disembark for a wonderful discovery of some very highlights of this former royal capital. By horse-drawn carriage we explore this area, sprinkled with many kinds of distingueshed ancient monasteries and fanes: BagayaKyaung a jaw-dropping teak monastery built in 1834, which nowadays continues to be a monastic school; Maha Aung MyeBonzan Monastery or the Nanmyint watch tower come both in a different art and creation. It is the peace of Ava which you will then hopefully absorb during a laid-back apertif at a secret place in the middle of this sacred spot on earth.

Back on board our kitchen team serves a feast of a lunch buffet and Anawrahta continues her journey, evetually arriving at the utmost highlight of this journey - Mandalay. Take some time to observe the beautiful Sagaing Hills with loads of scattered pagodas. The ship will dock at Mandalay at the early afternoon (approx. 2PM).

In the afternoon a magnificent tour will show you some of the most interesting sights of Mandalay. Observe the interesting and incredible process of the gold-leaf beating, visit a silk-weaving manufactorer and finally have a stroll through the amiable streets sprinkled with many marble carving workshops. The ultimate highlight of this day is a sunset cruise in a small rowing boat around the famous 200 year old “U-Bein Bridge”- a true “Kodak” moment.

We wistfully return to the boat. After some refreshing time and before dinner you are invited to watch a traditional dance and music performance by students and teachers of the Mandalay Art School.

After dinner our nightly open air cinema is offering another classic movie on the sun deck (depends on weather conditions). 

  • Accommodation: Overnight at Anawrahta Cruise
  • Meal: Full board
Day 09 (26-DEC-17 03-JAN-18) MANDALAY - MINGUN - MANDALAY (B, L, D)

Wake in the early morning and follow the going-ons on the Ayeyarwady before breakfast is served.

Today we take our guests on an amazing discovery of the most impressive pagodas during a morning Mandalay tour. First we visit the Kuthodaw Pagoda, which is known as the “the world’s largest book”. This pagoda comprises of a gilded pagoda, hundreds of shrines housing inscribed marble slabs and several pavilions. We continue to the Mahamuni Pagoda, which is one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Burma and houses the most highly revered Buddha image in the country. Last but not least the atmospheric Shwenandaw Monastery, which is one of the finest examples of traditional 19th century wooden monastery building, It used to be part of King Mindon’s Mandalay Royal Palace. From here we can entirely overlook the city of Mandalay.

We return to the ship and will have lunch on board while Anawrahta sets sail to cruise to the site of Mingun. Mingun showcases the monumental , unfinished stupa of King Bodawpaya. It was not completed, due to an astrologer claiming that, once the temple was finished, the king would die. Via a relaxed walking tour we reach the closeby world’s biggest un-cracked bell, weighing 90 tons.

Upon return to the ship our cruise manager invites for a high tea during sunset with cocktails, sweats and treats whilst Anawrahta is sailing slowly back to Mandalay. Dinner is served is the restaurant and afterwards the crew offers some farewel entertainment in the lounge before you retire for your last night onboard.

  • Accommodation: Overnight at Anawrahta Cruise
  • Meal: Full board
Day 10 (27-DEC-17 04-JAN-18) MANDALAY – CHECK OUT CRUISE – DEPARTURE (B)

After breakfast your stay on your floating, luxury home regrettably ends. Heritage Line and the Anawrahta crew wish you a wonderful onward journey in the Golden Land - Myanmar.

You will check out the cruise at 09.00AM at GawWein Jetty.

  • Accommodation: No
  • Meal: Breakfast on board

 

What's Included

CRUISE INCLUSION

  • Accommodation
  • Port taxes
  • 120USD/paxfor Christmas Eve’s Dinner and New Year‘s Evening
  • Daily (group) shore-excursions as mentioned in the program, entrance fees, transportation as mentioned in the program, transfers to/from the meeting point/ship (if applicable)
  • Tour guide services (English speaking),
  • Taxes, fuel, river pilots, local anchorage fees
  • Daily Yoga class, onboard entertainment, sauna as mentioned in program
  • Welcome drink, breakfast – lunch - dinner (as indicated in program)
  • Free flow of beverages - mineral water, soft drinks, juices, tea, coffee - at all times, free flow of local beer and house wine by glass during lunch and dinner 
  • Drinking water in cabin and during excursions, insurance (passenger liability)
  • Internet access in public areas (subject to cellular network signal).

LAND TOUR INCLUSION

  • Accommodation with daily breakfast at selected hotels
  • Private tours and all services as mentioned in the itinerary
  • Private transportation with air-conditioning
  • 02 Domestic flights: Yangon –Heho, Heho–Bagan
  • Local station English speaking guides (Note: Supplement for a through-out Russian/French/Spanish/etc speaking guide please contact our consultant for further detail)
  • Entrance fees for all mentioned sights visited
  • Water and cold towel on sightseein

What's Not Included

CRUISE EXCLUSION

  • Crew and guide gratuities
  • Any visa fees
  • Private transfers and any other transfer not stated in the program
  • Personal expenses and purchases, all further beverages, premium spirits and other services not mentioned under inclusions or in the program
  • Fuel surcharges if any (please refer to the general terms and conditions)
  • Medical services, spa treatments (please see special cabin inclusions)
  • Telephone 

LAND TOUR EXCLUSION

  • International flights
  • Other meals which do not mention in the itinerary
  • Early check-in and late check-out at hotels
  • Personal expenses (such as laundry, telephone, drinks, etc.)
  • Tipping for guides and drivers
  • Compulsory personal travel insurance
  • Myanmar Visa fees (http://evisa.moip.gov.mm/ )
  • Compulsory Christmas and New Year Eva Dinner at hotels if required

Other Tours

11
Days
11 Day Highlights Of Myanmar

Yangon - Bagan - Mingun - Ava - Amarapura - Mandalay - Pindaya - Inle Lake

14
Days
14 Day Mandalay to Yangon with Ananda Cruise

Mandalay - Pakokku - Bagan - Mt. Popa - Pindaya - Inle Lake - Indein - Ngapali - Yangon

14
Days
14 days Impressive Gorges of Myanmar

Yangon - Inle Lake - Bagan - Mandalay - Katha - Shwe Paw Kyun - Thagara - Mandalay

Let us help you find your suitable cruise

Could not find a suitable cruise in Myanmar? Just tell us your travel plan: departure date, favourite cruise itinerary, number of pax, budget and your special request (if any) and we will reply to you within 1-12 hours with the best option of cruise.

  SEND US YOUR REQUEST