Bagan Day Tours

Bagan's History, Culture and Local Lifestyles Duration: Full day Tour Pick Up:          8:00am @ your hotel Drop Off:        6:00pm @ your hotel This program includes a range of sites, providing a great overview of Bagan’s history, culture and local lifestyles. Today, your Bagan exploration start with a visit to the colorful Nyaung Oo Market where villagers gather every day to buy and sell their produce and other goods. Afterwards, you will explore Myinkaba Village and Gubyaukgyi Temple. Marvel at its beautiful mural paintings on the interior walls and well-preserved plaster carvings on the exterior. Nearby is Manuha Temple and Nan Paya Temple, smaller temples with unique Buddha statues and stone work. For an authentic lunch you will travel to a nearby village where you will have a chance to experience local ways of life and traditional customs. You will be served a splendid meal of traditional dishes and tea. Next continue to Ananda Temple, one of the most revered temples in Bagan. Built in the early Mon-style, Ananda contains two unique Buddha images whose expressions seem to change depending on the distance from which the statue is viewed.  This afternoon, continue to the rural village of Minnanthu, one of Bagan’s least visited areas.  Here you will explore temples such as Payathonzu, Lemyentha and Nandamannya before heading to the riverside pier.  Board a local boat for a slow cruise down the Irrawaddy River.  As you cruise the waters, observe the lifestyle of the fishermen and riverside villagers as well as enjoying the unique perspective of Bagan’s temples. Back to hotel in the evening.

Bagan Daily Life and Kyauk Gu U Min Tour Duration: Full day Tour Pick Up:          8:00am @ your hotel Drop Off:        6:00pm @ your hotel Visit the vibrant Nyaung Oo Market where villagers gather to buy and sell their produce and other goods. Enjoy a cup of sweet Burmese tea or coffee in a local coffee shop. Continue on to a neighborhood where a local shop makes pone yay (pea powder paste) and see how local plum jam is made and packed. Travel to the outskirts of Bagan to witness the production of molasses, palm wine and other treats. Watch as the farmers climb the trees to collect the palm fruit and utilize traditional methods to create these important products. This afternoon, we will stop at restaurant for lunch and board a private river boat and set off upriver toward Kyauk Gu U Min. Throughout your Irrawaddy river cruise you will witness everyday Burmese life on the water: fishermen, local ferry boats, riverside villages and views of the Bagan temples. You’ll go ashore at Sae Lan village and explore a typical riverside village along the Irrawaddy. The friendly people work as farmers and fishermen, living a simple but happy life. Continue by boat to Kyauk Gu U Min, a spectacular cave temple on the banks of the Irrawaddy, with notable sandstone carvings and a massive Buddha image. After your exploration of Kyauk Gu U Min, you’ll return to the boat for a relaxing return cruise to Bagan (around 1 hour). Transfer back to your hotel upon reaching Bagan.  

Authentic Bagan Tour with evening Horse Cart ride Duration: Full day Tour Pick Up:          8:00am @ your hotel Drop Off:        5:00pm @ your hotel Your journey begins with a visit an elevated temple from where you will have a panoramic view of the magnificent plains of Bagan. Continue with a visit to the golden stupa of Shwezigon Pagoda for an introduction in to Bagan’s rich history. Then, visit to nearby Wetkyi-In Gubyaukgyi, a cave temple with exquisite jataka mural paintings and the elegant Htilominlo Temple noted for its fine plaster carvings and glazed sandstone decorations.  This afternoon begin with a visit to a traditional lacquer ware workshop where you can observe the production of one of Myanmar’s best-known handicrafts. Continue to Ananda Temple, an architectural masterpiece and one of Bagan’s most beautiful temples.  Built in the early Mon-style, Ananda contains two unique Buddha images whose expressions seem to change depending on the distance from which the statue is viewed.                                                                                From here, travel by horse cart for a tour passing Thatbyinnyu, the highest temple in Bagan, massive Dhammayangyi Temple, noted for its remarkable brickwork, and Sulamani Temple. Enjoy an unforgettable sunset from one of the temples.

Ngat Pyit Taung Community Tour Duration: Full day Tour Pick Up:          8:30am @ your hotel Drop Off:        3:00pm @ your hotel After breakfast you drive to the near NgatPyitTaung monastery and visit the temple caves. Continue to the Monastic Elementary School and see kids playing, learning and talk to them with the help of your guide. Bring some gifts for them (school books you can buy in Nyaung U or somewhere in Myanmar). For lunch you come to a local restaurant, before driving to Nyaung U and nearby villages. See how people live there and how to make Poneyay or plum marmalade. Further you go to some local handicraft shops of lacquerware and see how to build a traditional ox cart.

Spiritual Mount Popa & Ancient Salay Duration: Full day Tour Pick Up:          8:30am @ your hotel Drop Off:        3:00pm @ your hotel Your excursion to Mount Popa and Salay begins after breakfast, when your guide and driver will meet you at your hotel. Begin with a drive south, parallel to the Irrawaddy River, en route to Salay. After one hour we'll make a stop in Chauk which has a colorful morning market to explore. Few tourists visit this market and it is a great place for local interaction and photos. Continue to Salay (30 minutes) an important center of Buddhism in Myanmar with many active monasteries. Salay, many years ago, created its own unique style of Bagan-era architecture. While visiting Salay you will learn more about monastic life, Burmese Buddhism and this unique architectural style as you visit several sights including Salay is Yoke Sone Kyaung monastery, one of the oldest wooden halls in the area. We then head east toward Mount Popa, an extinct volcano standing 1518 metres high. Arriving at midday, we'll first go to Popa Mountain Resort for lunch with fabulous views over the surrounding area. Mount Popa has played an important role in Myanmar culture, religion and history since earliest times. Its shrine is dedicated to the worship of the 37 Nats, the Burmese ancient animist spirits. Learn about nats and nat worship as you climb the stairs to the top with your local guide.  The view over the Myingyan Plain from the top of the volcanic peak is impressive (and the climb is optional!). Transfer back to Bagan late this afternoon.

Hidden Bagan Duration:        Full day Tour Pick Up:          8:30am @ your hotel Drop Off:        3:00pm @ your hotel Let us take you off the beaten track and visit the temples that are not yet on all tourist maps and discover the hidden temples of Bagan. With car and guide we take you to ancient temples and monasteries with mural paintings, temples that have not been cleaned for tourists and places you won’t find hordes of souvenir sellers. One of the hidden temples is even tucked away at the compound of a police station. A lunch of typical “Myanmar dry zone” dishes is served in a local house far away from tourist busses or souvenir stalls. You might take a short break after lunch and then continue to learn more about the magical Bagan period. A fantastic day tour that certainly shows you the secrets of Bagan as only few have seen it.

Markets, monasteries and a hidden cave temple Duration: Full day Tour Pick Up:          8:30am @ your hotel Drop Off:        4:00pm @ your hotel An ideal excursion on your second day in Bagan when you feel like you have seen most of the temples (or at least enough) and also want to discover a bit more of the Myanmar country side. We go by private car to Kyauk Gu U Min cave temple that rarely sees foreign visitors, continue to Pakkoku and visit a local slipper factory, the market and see where the famous Pakkoku blankets are made. A private boat is ready for you at the jetty in Pakkoku for a leisurely 2 hour trip downriver while lunch is being served on board. In the afternoon your guide and driver will show local village life in the dry zone and we will visit later in the day a lacquer ware workshop in Myinkaba village.

A picnic in Minnanthu Duration: Half Day Tour Pick Up:          9:00am @ your hotel Drop Off:        1:00pm @ your hotel Minnanthu is probably the favourite temple area amongst frequent Bagan visitors and you know why? It’s quiet, it’s a beautiful area and the temples here are often completely deserted. The guide brings you by car to this forgotten part of Bagan and will spread out a blanket and serve you a great picnic lunch in this historical setting before or after visiting 2 or 3 ancient temples ruins in this area. The rest of the day the car and guide are available for additional visits of the temples if wanted.

Morning Ride in Bagan Duration:         Half Day Tour Pick Up:          7:30am @ your hotel Drop Off:        12:30pm @ your hotel Your tour begins with a bike fitting and short safety briefing at our convenient location, we then set off directly out of town following a dirt trail. We will be passing the first set of temples before visiting the local produce market in a small village. Bagan Sites It’s easy to get lost in this maze of temples, but our cycling guides know all the hidden tracks and will bring you far off the tourist trail. Village Life Life here moves at a slower pace. You are more likely to encounter cows, pig, buffalo, or an ox-cart on the road than another vehicle. Tea Shop & Lunch End the ride with a well-deserved lunch. Discover local delicacies such as noodles, dumplings and salads served in a classic setting. After lunch, transfer to your hotel after knowing you have truly learned, seen and experienced.

Experience Cooking Class & Explore Minnanthu Village Duration:         Full Day Tour Pick Up:          9:00am @ your hotel Drop Off:        5:00pm @ your hotel Tired of normal ways to visit Bagan and attractions places? You could explore the Bagan with different way. Start your day of morning, you will visit Nyaung U market. This market had local Fresh product souvenir shop, snack, clothing and mores let's get explore by feet, people are nice and welcome, alway busy till late morning. You could find the villagers with the thanaka white cream, sun protector, which everybody applies on the cheeks. Around 11:30am, you will drive to the cooking class for the real cooking and serving experience. Here, you will learn not only how to cook but also the art of preparing the delicious Myanmar Traditional Dishes. You will also have the guidance of professional chefs. Create the Authentic Myanmar Traditional Dishes with chef. Then, enjoy lunch with your own dishes. After having lunch, you will take a break. Afterwards, proceed to Min-Nan-Thu village. The villagers are open and friendly. Visitors can enjoy villager’s demonstration of a frame of their traditional life including cotton weaving, peanut oil distillation, etc. Some villagers make bamboo ware for sale: picture frames, handy phone holders, pen holders, etc. when you arrive in Bagan, why do not you have a look at the Min-nan-thu village activities to understand the local people life? It will be an unforgettable memory.