Arts & Crafts of Myanmar

(9 Days - Departs Daily on a Private Basis)
Yangon & Twante, Bagan & Mount Popa, Mandalay

This private tour of Myanmar focuses on traditional culture in the country's most popular destinations. It features private touring of crafts towns, art gallery districts, artisan workshops, local markets, Buddhist temples, monasteries and more. All touring is with your own expert escort guide and private drivers, and accommodation is at the country's best luxury hotels and resorts.

Begin in Yangon, the largest city in Myanmar. See atmospheric British-colonial architecture, the spectacular golden stupa of Shwedagon Pagoda and the enormous reclining Buddha at Chaukhtatgyi Temple while touring with your private guide and driver. Browse sprawling Bogyoke (Scott) Market for traditional Burmese crafts such as lacquerware, baskets and longyis. Visit Little India, Chinatown and other dynamic neighborhoods that reflect Yangon's diverse cultural influences.

One day, take a riverboat across the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) Delta to Twante, a renowned pottery village. Visit local pottery and weaving workshops, the central market and the landmark Shwesandaw Pagoda. En route back to Yangon, take in views of local farms and rural life along the waterfront.

Next, fly to awe-inspiring Bagan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where thousands of pagodas and temples cover arid plains along the banks of the Ayeyarwady River. During private touring, learn about Bagan's history as a major Buddhist center between the 11th and 13th centuries, and see the most interesting temple ruins and their Buddhist frescoes and sculptures. Also meet with local artisans who produce Bagan's revered traditional lacquerware. One evening, enjoy sundowner cocktails during a relaxing private sunset cruise on the river. Upon request, Artisans of Leisure can arrange additional activities such as a spectacular hot-air balloon ride over the temples of Bagan at sunrise; a visit to a local Buddhist monastery; and a private excursion to other local villages or Mount Popa, an important pilgrimage site.

One day, take a private excursion to Mount Popa, an extinct volcano that's considered the home of Myanmar's most powerful nats (spirits). Climb the 777 steps up the mountain to see the colorful shrines dedicated to the nats, and learn about this indigenous religion and its iconography. Also visit a local farm to see how palm sugar and toddy liquor are made.

Continue to fabled Mandalay, the cultural heart of Myanmar. One morning, visit a local monastery and observe a procession of Buddhist monks collecting their daily alms. During touring in town, visit local workshops to watch artisans create traditional crafts such as silk weavings, wood carvings, gold leaf, marble carvings and alms bowls. Visit the city's central market to learn about local ingredients and goods used in daily life, and perhaps enjoy a meal of Mandalay's famous noodles in a tea shop. Also see additional cultural and historical highlights in ancient former capitals surrounding the city such as Amarapura, Ava, Mingun and Sagaing.

Return to Yangon for a night and continue private touring. Depending on your interests, other touring options include visiting art galleries, the National Museum, Myanmar's only synagogue, or other architectural, cultural and culinary highlights.