19 Days Myanmar-China (Yunnan) Overland Tour from Yangon to Kunming
Tour Overview
This Yunnan and Burma Old Road Tour will take you to visit Kunming,Shangri-La, Dali,Lijiang first, and then drive to the western Yunnan-Burma border and visit Tengchong, Mangshi, Ruili. you...
Code of Tour: YET0000063676
Length of Travel: No Data
Destinations of Tour:
Departure City: Yangon
Price of Tour: Request
Type of Tour:
Features of Tour: Yunnan-indochina tours
This Yunnan and Burma Old Road Tour will take you to visit Kunming,Shangri-La, Dali,Lijiang first, and then drive to the western Yunnan-Burma border and visit Tengchong, Mangshi, Ruili. you will enter Myanmar from Ruili Border Gate.In myanmar, you will meet your tour guide and driver for your trip to Mandalay and Yangon. You will have a beautiful cruise tour in Irawady River. The Yunnan-Burma Road is a road linking Burma (also called Myanmar) with China. Its terminals are Kunming, Yunnan and Lashio, Burma. The road is 1,154 km long and runs through rough mountain terrian. The sections from Kunming to the Burmese border were built with no machine, only with hand tools by 200,000 Chinese laborers(women, children and old men, as young men all went to war) during the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937 and completed by 1938.
DAY 1 ARRIVE YANGON
Upon arrival at YANGON airport, welcomed by your guide and transferred to hotel (Remark: Official hotel check-in time is at 14.00).
Day 2 Yangon
Then, depart for a heritage tour start at YANGON CITY HALL, located at the heart of the colonial-era city. Nearby is the former Immigration Department. This building was designed in 1910 to be the country’s most upmarket department store, Rowe & Company. Proceed to the High Court, a 1911 brick building designed by the architect John Ransome. Continue walking down to PANSODAN STREET enjoying impressive colonial buildings and have a stop at HLA DAY, a non-profit social enterprise shop, offers quality contemporary and traditional handicrafts sourced from local producers often struggling to overcome disability, exclusion and poverty. You’ll find colorful women’s and kids’ clothing, soft toys, stationery, jewellery, home wares and more there. Continue to Strand Road, home to the three-story former New Law Courts. Next stop is the 1916 Custom House, a large building with an elegant white tower and double-faced clock above the entrance. Walk past the red brick General Post Office to the luxurious Strand Hotel, built in 1901 by the Sarkies brothers, Armenian hoteliers. And also see the bustling life at the NANTHIDA JETTY. Visit and stroll through the BOGYOKE (SCOTTS) MARKET (closed on Monday and Gazette Holiday), a compound of hundreds of stalls and shops, that gives you the opportunity to see Myanmar’s wide range of handicrafts. After a photo stop at the KARAWEIK HALL, a “hamsa-bird-shaped” floating barge on Kandawgyi (Royal) Lake, visit the magnificent reclining Buddha CHAUK HTAT GYI. Evening, visit to one of the world’s most spectacular monuments, the SHWEDAGON PAGODA for sunset viewing.
Overnight stay in Yangon.
DAY 3 YANGON – HEHO (BY AM FLIGHT) – INLE LAKE
After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for a domestic flight to Heho and drive (25km – 1 hour) to NYAUNG SHWE Jetty for boat ride to INLE LAKE. Excursion by boat on the Inle Lake will include sights of the famous leg rowers, typical floating gardens, and local methods of fishing, village life and magnificent scenery. Begin with Local Market (if possible according to market day schedule); the PHAUNGDAW OO PAGODA, one of the most sacred shrines in Myanmar, dating back to the 18th century; SILVER SMITH, BLACK SMITH AND WEAVING WORKSHOPS in YWA-MA and INPAWKHON. And also visit the NGA PHE KYAUNG MONASTERY wonderfully carved wooden floating monastery in the lake.
Overnight stay in Inle Lake.
DAY 4 INLE LAKE / INDEIN – HEHO – BAGAN (BY PM FLIGHT)
After breakfast, the visit begins with the local market in the Inle Lake region (Remark : on market days only) and proceed to the Western Shore of Inle Lake, where you will find the beginning of a stair path leading to the well hidden INDEIN PAGODA complex.
In the afternoon you will be transferred to the airport for domestic flight to BAGAN. Upon arrival, transfer to hotel.
Overnight stay in Bagan.
DAY 5 BAGAN
After breakfast, visit the colorful local market and continue the day with visits to the most significant pagodas and temples of Bagan: including SHWEZIGON PAGODA, built by King Anawrahta in the early 11th century as a religious shrine; HTILOMINLO TEMPLE, noted for its plaster carvings and KHAY MIN GA TEMPLE, noted for its panoramic view of the area’s numerous monuments.
In the afternoon learn of manufacturing Myanmar’s most treasured handicrafts and visit a lacquer ware craftsmen’s workshop in nearby MYINKABA village. After visit to ANANDA TEMPLE, with four standing Buddha images, continue to MANUHA TEMPLE, built in Mon style in 1059 and explore the MYINGABA GU BYAUKGYI TEMPLE, a temple known for its famous UNESCO protected mural paintings. Finish the day of sightseeing by watching sunset over Myanmar’s longest river, Ayeyarwaddy from the SHWE SAN DAW PAGODA (if chance).
Overnight stay in Bagan.
DAY 6 BAGAN -MANDALAY (BY JOINT-IN SCHEDULE / PRIVATE BOAT)
Early this morning transfer to the jetty to boat to MANDALAY. The trip takes approx. 10 hours upriver; journey offers an insightful exploration of life on the Irrawaddy. Along the way explore a local village before continuing to Mandalay. Upon arrival at Mandalay’s jetty, welcomed and transfer to hotel.
Overnight stay in Mandalay.
Remark: From June to September the Mandalay to Bagan joint in schedule boat trip will be organized by car.
Optional: Experience 1nights/2nights/3nights/4nights cruise between Mandalay and Bagan by exclusive vessels.
DAY 7 MANDALAY / MINGUN / AMARAPURA
After breakfast, an excursion by boat on the Ayeyarwaddy River to MINGUN, about 11 km (1 hour) upriver from Mandalay. Visit the unfinished MINGUN PAYA, which was meant to become the largest stupa in Myanmar constructed by King Bodaw Paya one of the world’s largest bells; the 90 ton weighing MINGUN BELL and HSINBYUME PAYA. Return back to Mandalay.
In the afternoon, drive to visit 200-year-old U BEIN teak bridge in AMARAPURA. Continue experience the sights and sounds of Mandalay including the GOLDEN PALACE MONASTERY, the only Royal Palace building to survive World War II bombing. This grand teakwood building is known for its exquisite woodcarving. Next is the KUTHODAW PAGODA, whose 729 marble stone slabs of Buddhist scriptures have earned it the title being home to the ‘World’s Biggest Book’. Then proceed to MANDALAY HILL for sunset. It time permit, visit Shwe Kyin Monastery to observe student monks start their evening prayers before return your hotel.
Overnight stay in Mandalay.
DAY 8 START JOURNEY TO BURMA ROAD, MANDALAY – PYIN OO LWIN
After breakfast, take the scenic highway (67 km, 2 hours) along the Burma Road to the former British hill station of PYIN OO LWIN (Maymyo). Now the town is heavily inhabited by Nepalese and Indians, and their crafts and cultures predominate. Visit the PEIK KHYIN MYAUNG CAVES, caves almost as old as the land itself and proceed to PWE KYAUK FALLS, a favorite picnic spot for local people. Visit the Market, BOTANICAL GARDEN with its lake, waterfalls, and CHINESE TEMPLE soothes our spirit.
Overnight stay in Pyin Oo Lwin.
DAY 9 PYIN OO LWIN – GOKTEIK TRAIN – HSIPAW
Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to the railway station and board the Lashio – Mandalay train departing at 08:30 am. This train used to be infamous black-market train in the past transporting goods to and from China. You will travel past pretty hills and scenery. The train will cross the famous 700m long Gokteik Bridge, built in 1900 by the American Pennsylvania Steel Co. The impressive height from the bridge to the bottom of the valley is nearly 300m. After crossing the bridge the train will stop at a small station. You will get the chance to have a better look at the bridge. Take good note though that it is not permitted to Photograph/video bridges in Myanmar. Upon arrival at NAUNG PAIN station, get off the train and drive to HSIPAW (60 Km, 1½ hour).
Overnight stay in Hsipaw.
DAY 10 HSIPAW – LASHIO
Explore Hsipaw and sail.
After a few minutes’ walk to the jetty and take private long tail boat. Start upstream sail for around 30 minutes to a fruit plantation and a walk through the plantation, village and then up to a 150-year old monastery (40 minutes walking time). After visiting the monastery, return to the boat and continue sail to the confluence of the Dokehtawaddy River. Break for photos. Continue to a Shan village and take a stroll around the village to meet with the locals and learn more about their culture, traditions and lifestyles. Then return by boat to Hsipaw.
Afternoon, continue journey to Lashio (213 Km, 6 hours) and transfer to hotel.
Overnight stay in Lashio.
DAY 11 LASHIO – MUSE (BORDER PASS) – JIEGAO – RUiLI
Early breakfast this morning and leave to Muse for China.
Border crossing at Jiegao (the procedures take around an hour), welcome by your Chinese guide and journey to Ruli. Located in the western part of Yunnan province, it is a key area on the « Southern Silk Road » that connected Myanmar to Yunnan.
You will make a small detour to take in the famous banyan trees of the One Tree Forest, located an approximate twenty minute drive from Jiegao, before going on to visit Moli (taking another twenty minutes to reach), a tropical rainforest boasting more than 1500 varieties of plant and 500 species of flower. The Zhaduo waterfall is the reason for the park’s fame; principally because of the role it plays in the history of Buddhism (Buddha came here to train some wild elephants, who built this “basin” to show their gratitude). The visit will last around 2.5 hours.
On to Ruli (taking around 40 minutes). Settling in at the hotel and visit to the town. Formerly a crossroads for all kinds of trafficking (drugs, animals, and precious stones amongst other things), Ruli is now almost entirely clear of its toxic reputation. The population is a mix of Han Chinese, minorities (Dai, Deang, and Jingpo), and Burmese merchants who sell their goods from the many stalls, notably wooden sculptures and jade products (highly valued in the region), amongst other things.
Stroll along the palm tree lined streets, bustling with rickshaws and a visit to the jade market. Evening visit to the famous, colourful night market (which is along ‘Mengmao’ Road, the name given to Ruli by the Dai people), the street perfumed by the smell of Burmese cuisine, and the visiting Thai and Pakistani merchants showing off Ruli’s cosmopolitan charm.
Overnight stay in Ruili
Day 12 Ruili-Tengchong
Day 13 Tengchong-Baoshan-Dali
Day 14 Dali
Day 15 Dali-Lijiang
Day 16 Lijiang
Day 17 Lijiang-Tiger Leaping Gorge-Shangri-La
Day 18 Shangri-La
Day 19 Shangri-La – Kunming -Stone Forest-Kunming
Day 20 Departure from Kunming
Service Included:
- Admission fees for all of the sightseeing spots listed in the itinerary;
- Meals as listed in the itinerary;
- Hotels as listed in the itinerary;
- Private English-speaking tour guide;
- Private vehicle for transfers & sightseeing with skilled driver;
- Service charge & government taxes;
- Luggage transfers between airports and hotels;
- Service charge and all government taxes;
- Travel Agency’s Responsibility Insurance coverage.
Service Excluded:
- Any arrival and departure international airfares or train tickets;
- Chinese visa fees;
- Excess baggage charged by Airlines;
- Single room supplement;
- Tips to guides and drivers;
- Personal expenses and gratuities to service staff;
- Personal travel accident insurance;
- All optional programs.
