The Rivers of Myanmar and Laos

Day 1 Depart the UK

Depart the UK on your overnight flight to Yangon.

Day 2-4 Yangon  Colonial Architecture and Golden Pagodas

On arrival in Yangon, meet your private guide for the transfer to your hotel. The first afternoon/evening is free for you to relax.

During your stay you’ll explore the city on our carefully crafted signature tour, getting a feel for the contrasts of village and urban life. Observe day-to-day activity on a morning trip on the local “circle” train, enjoy a street food dinner with a refreshing local beer or seek out the faded colonial architecture. We'd also include a rickshaw ride to a local market and naturally, a visit to the famous Shwedagon Pagoda, whose recognisable golden stupa dominates the city's skyline.

Day 5 & 6 Bagan   Extraordinary archaeological zone 

From Yangon, you’ll fly north to Bagan. The sights here are extraordinary, and you’ll have plenty of time to take it all in with your guide. We'll time this tour of this famous archaeological zone to ensure you enjoy sunsets and other quiet moments away from the crowds.

Day 7 & 8 Irrawaddy River Cruise 

Board your cruise boat travelling along the Irrawaddy River from Bagan towards Mandalay. The boat trip is a fantastic way to take in the scenery at a leisurely pace with comfortable accommodation, great dining and the expert guiding. En route, you’ll pass Yandabo Village, famous for its pottery, as well as other traditional country towns and villages.

Day 9 & 10 Mandalay   Buddhist Heritage and Ancient Capitals

After disembarking the boat, your guide will meet you for the transfer to your hotel. Here you’ll spend your time exploring ancient capitals, colourful markets, Buddhist heritage, intricate carvings and sunrise at the famous U Bein Bridge, taking advantage of various modes of transport as you travel around with your guide.

Day 11 & 12 Lake Inle  Life On The Lake

It’s a short flight from Mandalay to Heho where your private guide will meet you for the transfer to Inle Lake. En route, you’ll pass paddy fields and streams, and there will be an option to stop and explore some caves. When you reach the lake, you will board a private boat for the journey to your hotel. Towards the end of the day, you have the option of a fascinating sunset canoe trip on the lake.

You’ll spend a full day exploring Inle Lake including a private boat tour of the floating gardens and farms that move around on the water surface. You’ll see the local fisherman rowing in their one-leg style and perhaps taste some local wine. If you didn’t get the chance to do so at Bagan, Inle is another location where you may like to treat yourself to a Hot Air Balloon Ride for aerial views of the lake.

Day 13 & 14 Keng Tung  Explore the rural hill-side villages

A 30-minute flight takes you east and off-the-beaten-track to Keng Tung in Myanmar’s east. The culture and language are quite different from central Myanmar, and the area is home to a variety of ethnic villages dotted around the jungle-clad hills. This is a fantastic location for some light hiking; our travel experts will help you tailor an itinerary with guided trekking suited to your ability and timescale. You may wish to explore the Dhat Zoam Doi pagoda or tribal villages where you can see the production of Shan paper and sake rice wine. You could opt to visit the Loi Mwe Hilltop Town (used as a base for the British army headquarters before the Japanese invasion in World War II) or to explore the markets, where trade includes locally-produced silver alongside exotic fruit and vegetable produce.

Day 15 & 16 Lanjia Lodge  The golden triangle

From Keng Tung you’ll begin the road journey to Thailand, going south from Keng Tung to Tachileik where you’ll cross the border. The road journey to Lanjia Lodge runs close to the Mekong River, skirting along the lush green border of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos - aka The Golden Triangle.

Check-in at Lanjia Lodge for two nights; this is a responsibly run lodge where you can experience the lifestyle of the local community whilst staying in comfortable accommodation. Here you’ll begin to form a picture of the contrasts between the three neighbouring countries as you absorb stunning panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.

Day 17 & 18 River Voyage to Laos

It's a short road journey to the Thai/Laos border where you’ll board a boat for your river voyage along the Mekong River. The cruise is a fantastic way to see the dramatic and beautiful scenery of Laos unfold before your eyes and get a feel for how different it is compared to the flatter scenery of The Irrawaddy. The boat doesn't have overnight accommodation, this means you can stay overnight in a lodge in Pakbeng as well as safari-camp style accommodation at Kamu Lodge where you can explore the local community or take part in activities like cycling.

Day 19-21 Luang Prabang  Mysterious and charming city

The cruise brings you down the river and into Luang Prabang, a beautiful, mysterious and charming town deeply evocative of a bygone age. Luang Prabang is one of the highlights of Southeast Asia, and here you’ll get to experience the allure first hand with your guide, either walking or using bicycles to explore the city.

This is the kind of place where it's best to allow a little extra time for relaxing and just breathing it all in. During the time with your guide, you’ll watch the daily ritual of the local Buddhist monks collecting their alms at dawn, then head to the Kuang Sii Waterfalls for a picnic breakfast. You’ll explore the historic sites of the UNESCO town itself, enjoy the night markets and perhaps play a game of petanque with the locals (a popular sport in Laos - a legacy of the French!)

Day 22 Fly Home (or stay)

Today you’ll depart Luang Prabang for your flight back to the UK. Alternatively, you could add a stay in Thailand, an exploration of Laos, perhaps including the capital Vientiane and the 4000 Islands in the south. Call us today to discuss your ideas and we'll add in a few of our own.