Summary
Enjoy this Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar Tour (14 days) from Hanoi to Yangon and visit 3 countries during the same trip. In Vietnam you will discover Tam Coc town (part of the Trang An landscape complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site) where you will take the sampan boat down the Ngo Dong river through the rice fields to the sacred caves. You will also visit Hoa Lu town (the capital of Vietnam in the 10th and 11th centuries) and enjoy a cruise around the incredible Halong Bay, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and since 2011, one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Halong Bay is famous for its limestone karsts that form more than 1,600 islets, many of them being great climbing destinations or having caves that can be visited by boats. In Thailand you will visit the Doi Suthep Temple, located in the mountains, from where you will be able to enjoy magnificent views of Chiang Mai city. The temple is 15 kilometres from Chiang Mai city and situated at an elevation of 1,073 metres. You will also enjoy trekking through the jungle, bathing with elephants and rafting on the traditional bamboo raft through the Taeng River. In Myanmar, you will enjoy a guided tour of the city of Bagan, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the city of Yangon where you will visit the Botataung Pagoda and the Shwedagon Pagoda. You will discover the Ananda Temple, Sulamani Temple, Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda housing five golden images of Buddha and Nga Phe Chaung Monastery known as the Jumping Cat Monastery. You will also enjoy a boat ride on Inle Lake.
Individual travel request form Enjoy a private tour
Alfonso
Local travel expert in Vietnam
More than 10 years living and working in tourism in Southeast Asia. Based in Hanoi, but living for work periods in Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos. In love with Asian culture and the wonders that I do not stop discovering in these amazing countries. They certainly do not stop surprising me with something daily.
Itinerary
Upon your arrival at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, you will be transferred to your accommodation in the city. At the hotel, you will be given a brief introduction of your trip and any last minute doubts will be clarified.
Accommodation in Hanoi.
On this day, you will enjoy a private guided tour with an English speaking guide in Ninh Binh Province. At first, you will visit a local family in Ninh Binh Province. Here you will have the opportunity to see the architecture of the house and its daily life and its craft work of making traditional embroidery.
Then, you will enjoy a bike ride to explore the rice paddies and the stone mountains.
Next, you will discover Tam Coc town (meaning three caves in Vietnamese and part of the Trang An landscape complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site) where you will take the sampan boat down the Ngo Dong river through the rice fields to the sacred caves.
You will also visit Hoa Lu town (the capital of Vietnam in the 10th and 11th centuries under 3 dynasties: Dinh, Le and Ly).
In the evening, you will return by car to the hotel in Hanoi.
Accommodation in Hanoi.
In the morning, you will be transferred to Halong Bay where you will enjoy a cruise including reception with a welcome drink. Halong Bay is a 1,553 square kilometre extension of water that was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1994 and since November 11, 2011 is one of the seven natural wonders of the world. You will have lunch on board while enjoying the breathtaking scenery.
After lunch, you will have time to enjoy kayaking and relax.
Next, you will sail to Ho Dong Tien Cave (Fairy Lake Cave), one of the most beautiful caves in Halong Bay, where you will anchor for the night. You will enjoy dinner on board and have free time for a drink on the upper deck.
Overnight on board.
After breakfast on board, you will visit Sung Sot Cave, better known as the Cave of Surprises, discovered by the French in 1901 and originally called “Grotte des Surprises”. It is a limestone karst cave, the largest in Halong Bay, which can be reached after a hard climb to Bo Hon Island. At approximately 25 metres above sea level, the cave covers a total area of about 10,000 square metres and is made up of two chambers. The first, known as the waiting room, is about 30 metres high and offers a grand entrance to the second largest chamber where you will discover a spectacle with a diverse number of flowstones, stalagmites, stalactites and columns formed over millions of years. As you enter the second chamber, you will understand why the cave is called the Cave of Surprises.
Then, during the cruise, you will pass by iconic islets such as the fighting cocks or the stone dog islet.
In more the afternoon, you will enjoy a Vietnamese cooking class by the chef on board before arriving in port and brunch on board.
After brunch, you will be transferred to the hotel in Hanoi.
Accommodation in Hanoi.
In the morning, you will have some free time in Chiang Mai.
In the afternoon, you will be transferred to the airport to take your flight to Chiang Mai.
Upon arrival at the airport, you will be transferred to your hotel in the city.
Accommodation in Chiang Mai.
On this day, you will have a free morning, so that you could start exploring the city.
At 3:00 p.m., you will enjoy a trip in Songthaew (a passenger vehicle in Thailand adapted from a pick-up or a larger truck) to the Doi Suthep Temple, located in the mountains, from where you will be able to enjoy magnificent views of Chiang Mai city. The temple is 15 kilometres from Chiang Mai city and situated at an elevation of 1,073 metres.
Upon returning, you will have a small meeting to receive instructions and advice for the next day’s trekking. You are asked to have your passport ready.
Accommodation in Chiang Mai.
After breakfast at the hotel, at 8:00 a.m. you will be picked up to start a new adventure. First, you will visit a local market. You will continue by road to the north, making a stop at Mok Fah Waterfall, where you can take a dip. Mok Fah Waterfall is one of the most beautiful attractions in Doi Suthep - Pui National Park. It is a single level waterfall, which is over 60 metres high and is a great place to swim and cool off. The crystal clear water at its base is ideal for a refreshing swim on a hot day.
In the afternoon, you will arrive at Karen village where you will have lunch with the villagers. After lunch, you will start trekking through the jungle to Baan Pa Kao Lam village. Afterwards, you will enjoy a bath with the elephants.
You will end the day with dinner and entertainment around a bonfire.
Accommodation in Karen village.
In the morning, you will enjoy a morning trekking and rafting on the traditional bamboo raft through the Taeng River to Shan village, where you will meet the Lahu tribe.
In the afternoon, you will enjoy lunch and return to the hotel in Chiang Mai.
Accommodation in Chiang Mai.
At the appointed time, you will be transferred to the airport to take your flight to Yangon.
Upon arrival in Yangon, you will enjoy a guided tour of the city. You will visit the Botataung Pagoda, first built by Mon around the same time as the Shwedagon Pagoda. The Pagoda was completely destroyed during World War II and was rebuilt after the war. The new pagoda has an original design and a height of 40.13 m and its main attraction is the interior hollow of the stupa, which has a walkway shaped like a mirror maze lined with glass showcases containing many ancient relics and artefacts that were sealed inside the previous pagoda.
Next, you will visit the Shwedagon Pagoda, which is the holiest Buddhist pagoda in Thuwanabumi, in the southern part of Myanmar, as it is believed to contain relics of the four previous Buddhas of the current kalpa. Built 2,500 years ago on the 51-metre-high more Singuttara Hill, the pagoda is a 112-metre-high golden stupa that dominates the Yangon skyline.
Accommodation in Yangon.
In the morning, you will be transferred to the airport for your domestic flight to Bagan, which is an ancient city and a UNESCO World Heritage site in the Mandalay region of Myanmar. From the 9th to the 13th century, the city was the capital of the Pagan Kingdom, the first kingdom to unify the regions that would later constitute Myanmar.
In Bagan, you will enjoy a private guided tour with an English speaking guide and see several important attractions starting with the Shwezigon Pagoda, the most important mural in the area, dating from the 11th century. The pagoda consists of a circular Buddhist stupa gilded with gold leaf and surrounded by smaller temples and shrines. The construction of the Shwezigon Pagoda began during the reign of King Anawrahta (r. 1044–77), the founder of the Pagan Empire, in 1059–1060 and was completed in 1102, during the reign of his son, King Kyansittha. Over the more centuries, the pagoda has been damaged by many earthquakes and other natural calamities, and has been restored several times, but the lower level terraces have remained as they were before.
You will also visit the Gubyaukgyi temple is a Buddhist temple located in Myinkaba village, which contains many well-preserved frescoes on its interior walls, the oldest original paintings to be found in Bagan.
Next, you will discover Htilominlo Temple, a Buddhist temple built during the reign of King Htilominlo (1211-1231). The temple is three stories high with a height of 46 metres, is built of red brick and is known for its elaborate plaster moldings. On the first floor of the temple, there are four Buddhas looking in each direction.
Later you will visit the Nat Taung Kyaung Monastery, located to the north of the town walls of Old Bagan. Although its founding date is uncertain, it is probably the oldest as well as its finest monastery made of teak wood in the region.
Accommodation in Bagan.
After breakfast at the hotel, you will depart for Minnanthu village, where you will visit a traditional house of the village and chat with a local family.
Next, you will discover the Ananda Temple, one of Bagan’s best known and most beautiful temples that was built in 1105 AD during the reign of King Kyansittha of the Pagan Dynasty. The temple has a layout of a Greek cross with several terraces and is said to be an architectural wonder in a fusion of Mon and adopted Indian style of architecture. One of its most distinctive and beautiful features is the gilded top called shikhara, which is visible from miles away over the plains of the city. It was gilded in 1990 to mark the start of the temple’s construction 9 centuries earlier and is lit up after dark creating a spectacular atmosphere. The Buddhist temple houses four standing Buddha statues, each one facing a cardinal direction: East, more North, West and South.
Later, you will visit the Sulamani Temple located in the village of Minnanthu, which is one of the most-frequently visited temples in Bagan. It is a Buddhist temple that was built in 1183 by King Narapatisithu and served as the model for the Htilominlo Temple.
In the evening, you will enjoy a mini cruise on the Ayeyarwaddy river experiencing an amazing sunset.
Accommodation in Bagan.
At the appointed time, you will be transferred to the airport to take your flight to Heho. Upon arrival at the airport, you will be transferred to the hotel.
Next, you will enjoy a boat ride on Inle Lake. You will visit the village of Inn Paw Khone, a tidy village of teak stilt houses famous for its weaving workshops. You will also discover the floating village of the Pauk with its wooden houses built on stilts during your pleasant trip in the canoe.
Accommodation in Inle.
You will visit the Shwe Indein Pagoda, Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda and Nga Phe Chaung Monastery.
The Shwe Indein Pagoda is located in the village of Indein and consists of a group of Buddhist stupas that were built from the 17th to the 18th century (the earliest one dates back to the 14th century). It is assumed that the pagoda of Shwe Indein has over 1,600 stupas and a shrine in the centre that houses a golden Buddha image.
The Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda is a notable Buddhist site in Myanmar located on Inle Lake where the great annual festival of pagodas is held during which the main Buddha images from the temple circulate on a royal barge across Inle Lake. The pagoda houses five small golden Buddha images, which have been covered with gold leaf to the point that their original forms can’t be seen. The images are of different sizes, ranging from approximately 230 to 460 mm tall and are believed more to have been brought to Inle Lake by King Alaungsithu.
The Nga Phe Chaung Monastery, locally known as the Jumping Cat Monastery, is a teak structure located on stilts on the western side of Inle lake, which is best known for the cats that were trained to jump through small hoops. The monastery is considered the oldest and largest one among the Inle lake community and is home to impressive collections of Buddha images respectively in different styles such as Shan, Tibetan, Bagan, and Inwa. The mosaic-decorated pedestals and cases, which are very tall were built for the Shan and Northern Thai Buddhist art showcases.
Accommodation in Inle.
The day will start with the transfer to the airport to take the domestic flight to Yangon.
Upon arrival in Yangon, you will enjoy a stroll through Chinatown and have free time at Bogyoke Market (closed on Mondays).
Next, you will be transferred to Yangon International Airport to take your international departure flight.
Prices
Travel dates
Upon request for individual travellers
Price per person in €
2 Pers.
4 Pers.
6 Pers.
Standard cat. hotels (May 1 - Sept. 30, 2024)
1987€
1804€
1738€
Standard cat. hotels (Oct. 1, 2023 - Apr. 30, 2024)
2063€
1879€
1814€
| Travel dates | Accommodation | Price per person in € | ||
| 2 Pers. | 4 Pers. | 6 Pers. | ||
|
Upon request for individual travellers |
Standard cat. hotels (May 1 - Sept. 30, 2024) | 1987€ | 1804€ | 1738€ |
| Standard cat. hotels (Oct. 1, 2023 - Apr. 30, 2024) | 2063€ | 1879€ | 1814€ | |
What's Included
- 12 nights accommodation in a double (DBL) or twin (TWN) room at Standard category hotels, 1 night on board the cruise ship;
- Breakfast at the hotels / on board the cruise ship;
- Lunch on day 2, 3, 7, 8 of the itinerary;
- Brunch on board on day 4 of the itinerary;
- Dinner on day 3, 7 of the itinerary;
- Excursions with English speaking guides according to the itinerary;
- Entrance fees according to the itinerary;
- Vietnamese cooking class by the chef on board;
- Road and boat transportation according to the itinerary;
- International flights: Hanoi - Chiang Mai / Chiang Mai - Yangon;
- Domestic flights in Myanmar;
- Local SIM card with data package included.