Compare Road to Mandalay by Saga Travel

Day 1: UK-Yangon

After taking Saga’s included UK door-to-door travel service to your departure airport, fly overnight to Yangon.

Day 2: Yangon

Stay two nights at the Chatrium Hotel (4Q) close to the shores of the Royal Lake in the Kandawygi Natural Park.

Day 3: Yangon

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Join your local guide for a walking tour of the central districts of downtown and visit to the Botataung Pagoda and Sule Paya. Stop for a noodle lunch in a teahouse before stretching your legs in Kandawgyi Park, where the golden Karaweik barge is moored on a lake. Continue to the Shwedagon Pagoda to explore the vast complex with your guide and observe an oil-lighting ceremony. There will be a welcome dinner this evening.

Day 4: Yangon-Heho-Inle Lake

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Fly to Heho and transfer to Nyaung Shwe, gateway to Inle Lake. Enjoy an afternoon boat trip on the lake, sailing past villages of stilted houses and floating gardens. Disembark at the village of Inpawkhone to see traditional techniques for weaving silk, and to discover how Burmese cigars are rolled by hand in a cheroot factory. Stay two nights at the Sanctum Inle Resort (5Q).

Day 5: Indein market

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

This morning visit a colourful market with your guide, who will identify the native fruit and vegetables on sale. Then take a boat trip to the Pa-oh village of Indein where you can stroll around the village, visit a local school and perhaps venture up to the beautiful Alaung Sitthou area with its forest of ancient stupas. After lunch at a local restaurant re-board the ship and continue to the Inthar Heritage House to learn more about the Inthar people.

Day 6: Inle lake-Pindaya-Kalaw

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Head into the Shan Hills to the town of Pindaya beside Pone Taloke Lake. Lunch is included at the Green Tea restaurant, which specialises in Shan cuisine. An afternoon visit to the famous Pindaya Caves reveals some 6000 golden statues of buddha. Continue to the former British Hill Station of Kalaw, a charming little town founded in the Colonial era by British civil servants. Stay two nights at the Kalaw Hill Lodge (4Q).

Day 7: Kalaw

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

At the heart of Kalaw is its popular market where villagers flock from the surrounding hills to trade. Take the opportunity to explore the market this morning before joining a short tour that reveals some of Kalaw’s Colonial architecture. Spend the rest of the afternoon at leisure.

Day 8: Kalaw-Heho-Mandalay

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Fly to Mandalay, Myanmar's second largest city. Head up to Sagaing Hills by coach to admire views across the Irrawaddy River. Continue to Shwe Kyet Yet village to embark your ship, the Belmond Road to Mandalay (5⚓), and set sail for Mandalay. Enjoy lunch on board before transferring by boat to the shores of Mandalay for a guided tour of the city. Return to your ship for dinner and entertainment by local performers.

Day 9: Burmese village and Ava

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Join an early morning walking tour of Shwe Kyet Yet village before sailing to Ava, the former capital between the 14th and 18th centuries. Disembark for a tour by horse and carriage, visiting an ancient teak monastic school and the ruins of King Bagyidaw's palace. Spend the rest of the day relaxing on board watching the river life drift by. A cocktail party is followed by dinner on board.

Day 10: Bagan

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Today, Belmond Road to Mandalay arrives at the ancient city of Bagan where over 2,000 temples and pagodas adorn the plains that stretch alongside the river. See the most important temples on a guided orientation tour and venture inside some of the more significant pagodas with your guide. Later, your guide will take you to watch the sun setting over a field of gleaming pagodas.

Day 11: Mount Popa

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Set off on a full-day excursion to the Mount Popa National Park where the imposing Mount Popa, an extinct volcano, is crowned by a complex of monasteries, pagodas and shrines, some in honour of the native spirits believed to live on the crag.

Day 12: Bagan

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Join your guide to explore the market at Baglan before hopping back on board your ship to begin the cruise towards Mandalay, along the Irrawaddy River. Enjoy a relaxing afternoon on the top deck watching the scenery unfold around you. Afternoon tea will be served on board and the guide will give a talk about local customs. This evening enjoy an on-board cocktail party before dinner.

Day 13: Mingun

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Enjoy breakfast on board as your ship continues along the Irrawaddy, past the pagoda topped hills of Sagaing and the lively riverbanks of Mandalay City. Mooring late this afternoon gives you the chance to go on an included tour of Mingun, home to the huge, unfinished pagoda of King Bodawpaya.

Day 14: Maymyo

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

This morning Belmond Road to Mandalay crosses the river to Mandalay City. Disembark for an included full-day excursion to Maymyo, a colonial hill station with a beautiful botanic garden. Look forward to a typical Shan lunch in a colonial house before returning to the ship for dinner and your final night on board.

Day 15: Mandalay

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

After breakfast on board, disembark and transfer to the Sedona Hotel Mandalay (4Q) for an overnight stay in the heart of the city.

Day 16: Yangon-UK

Travel to the airport for your overnight flight. B

Day 17: UK

Arrive in the UK for your included UK door-to-door travel service home.