From Mandalay: Full Day Excursion to Sagaing, Innwa, Amarapura

In the morning at 07:30 A.M. pick up from your hotel in Mandalay and drive to Sagaing and visit picturesque Sagaing Hill which is perhaps the living centre of Buddhist faith in Myanmar today. Hillsides are dotted with numerous pagodas and monasteries.

Visit Soon U Ponnyashin Pagoda On the hill is the most famous shrine in the area, the originally built in 1312 and enjoy a magnificent view over the surrounding area. Proceed to another hill to visit an interesting temple U Min Thonze Pagoda, which is built in a crescent shape and houses 45 sitting Buddhas in a vibrantly coloured colonnade. After enjoying the scenery, drive down to the foot of the hill and visit to one of the Monasteries in Sagaing to study the daily life of the Buddhist monks. Then, visit Ywataung Silver Smith. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant in Sagaing (or) Innwa depending on time limit.

Then, drive to the former Royal Capital Innwa (Ava) located on an island between the Ayeyarwady and the Myitnge Rivers. A local ferry carries you to the island where your horse cart and driver waiting you. You will visit Innwa by horse cart and pass through the ancient city walls to visit the brick and stucco monastery of Maha Aungmye Bonzan (also known as Ok Kyaung).

Continue to Nanmyint Watch Tower – and then proceed to see also the impressive wooden monastery of Bagaya Kyaung. Time permitting, visit some village homes to see local handicrafts, such as silk weaving, cane mats and alms bowls.

Return to Mandalay via the Ava Bridge, built by British engineers along the Ayeyarwaddy River and en-route visit Amarapura to take a stroll over the unique U Bein Bridge , a beautiful 1.2 kilometre-long structure built from teak planks and said to be the longest of its type in the world. In 1857, when the capital moved from nearby Amarapura to Mandalay, the local mayor (named U Bein) salvaged wood from pieces of the dismantled teak palace and reconstructed it into this magnificent bridge. Enjoy the sunset from the bridge. Transfer back to your hotel in Mandalay. Meals included: Lunch