Hidden Wonders of Myanmar

AMA Waterways Preferred
Has very high quality customer experiences and demonstrated commitment to responsible travel practices. read more
3.7 . Great
69%
Travel Style: Array Relaxed
Physical Level: Walking or physical activity half to most of day - no carrying equipment. Easy
Lodging Level: 3 to 4 star western hotel equivalents. While not all lodging will be 'luxury' they will be quite comfortable by western standards. Comfort (4*)
14 days
From: $ 7,079 $ 506 / day
Checking price

Overview

Highlights (Bullets)

  • Spend one amazing night in Yangon, fly to Mandalay and embark upon a 14-night cruise ending in Yangon
  • Visit Sagaing, opportunity to see hundreds of monasteries and tranquil atmosphere.
  • Explore Yangon
  • Visit Yokesonekyaung, built in 1882 and the region’s oldest surviving wooden monastery.
  • Take an opportunity to cruise through the Ayeyarwady Delta region
  • Explore the massive reclining Buddha at Chaukhtautgyi Temple.

Short Description

Begin your Myanmar adventure with a night in Yangon and a short flight to Mandalay, where you will embark upon a 14-night downstream cruise. Explore the fabled city of Mandalay, enjoy the spectacular view from the Mt. Popa summit, and visit artisan workshops, sacred sites, colorful markets and hushed monasteries. Take an in-depth tour of Bagan and stop at small delta towns and villages before your voyage concludes in Yangon.

Style Small ship cruise
See all the highlights and popular spots on a classic tour.
Itinerary Focus Classic Highlights
3 to 4 star western hotel equivalents. While not all lodging will be 'luxury' they will be quite comfortable by western standards.
Lodging Level Comfort (4*)
Flight & Transport Inclusions All internal ground transport
Start City Yangon
End City Yangon

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive In Yangon, Myanmar

Welcome to Yangon, former capital of Burma and known as the “Garden City of the East” for its lush tropical setting. Transfer to your hotel for check-in and spend the rest of the day at your leisure.

Day 2: Yangon-Mandalay-Embarkation

Meals: Breakfast. Lunch and Dinner

Check out of your hotel after breakfast and transfer to the airport for a short flight to Mandalay, the last royal capital of the Burmese kingdom. After boarding the AmaPura, the ship will depart for nearby Mingun, where you will see a 12-foot high bronze bell and the massive ruins of Pathodawgyi (the “unfinished pagoda”), originally intended to be 499 feet high. Although only a third of it was ever completed, it remains the world’s largest brick pagoda. You will also see Myatheindan Pagoda, featuring images from Buddhist mythology, before returning to Mandalay. Tonight, meet your fellow travelers at a Welcome Dinner.

Day 3: Mandalay

Meals: Breakfast. Lunch and Dinner

Your full-day tour includes many of the city’s top sights, including the bronze Mahamuni Buddha, now covered by the faithful with a thick layer of gold leaf. Visit the workshops of craftsmen making thin sheets of gold, marble carvings and tapestries, and stop at Kuthodaw Pagoda (said to contain the world’s largest book, Buddhist scriptures inscribed on 729 marble slabs) and Shwenandaw monastery, an architectural masterpiece filled with wood carvings. Later, take an excursion to see the world’s longest teak bridge, the U Bein Bridge in nearby Amarapura.

Day 4: Sagaing-Inwa

Meals: Breakfast. Lunch and Dinner

The ship stops today at the former royal capital of Sagaing, famous for its hundreds of monasteries and tranquil atmosphere. Visit silversmith’s workshop, Soonuponyashin Pagoda, Kaunghmudaw Pagoda and Uminthonese Pagoda, which contains 43 colorful Buddhist statues. Continue on to Inwa (Ava), capital of the Burmese kingdom for more than four centuries, where you will see the sights in a horse-drawn cart: Mahaaungmyebonzan monastery; the “Leaning Tower of Inwa,” ruins of a 90-foot-high watch tower; and Bagaya monastery, built of teak.

Day 5: Yandabo-Bagan

Meals: Breakfast. Lunch and Dinner

The ship arrives this morning in Yandabo, a village known for its finely crafted terracotta wares. See a pottery-making demonstration by local artisans as well as glimpses of typical village life. Later, the AmaPura’s Sun Deck offers the perfect vantage point for your first glimpse of the plain of Bagan (Pagan), one of the world’s most awe-inspiring archeological sites. On your initial sightseeing foray here, visit Ananda Temple, a well-preserved masterpiece known as the “Westminster Abbey of Burma,” and Shwezigon Pagoda, the holiest site in Bagan.

Day 6: Bagan

Meals: Breakfast. Lunch and Dinner

After a stop at the Nyaungoo Market, take an excursion to Mt. Popa, legendary home of animist nat spirits and an important pilgrimage site. Those who believe in these guardian spirits come to Mt. Popa to pray and worship. From the mountain top, enjoy the stunning panoramic view spread across Bagan’s plains. Return to the ship for dinner.

Day 7: Thantkyi-Salay

Meals: Breakfast. Lunch and Dinner

Enjoy one final sunrise over Bagan before departing for an excursion up Thantkyi Mountain to visit Thantkyi Pagoda. Later, cruise to Salay (Sale), a small community that boasts more than 50 monasteries. You’ll visit Yokesonekyaung, built in 1882 and the region’s oldest surviving wooden monastery, famous for its wood carvings and collection of religious artifacts. You will also see a splendid colonial-era house and the Man Pagoda, which contains the largest lacquer Buddha in Myanmar.

Day 8: Magwe

Meals: Breakfast. Lunch and Dinner

Further downstream today, the ship will stop at Magwe. Walk up to the ornate hilltop Myathalun Pagoda, constructed with thousands of solid gold bricks and housing numerous shrines devoted to nats (animist spirits).

Day 9: Minhla-Thayetmyo

Meals: Breakfast. Lunch and Dinner

Your day begins in Minhla, the site of a great battle during the Second Anglo-Burmese War. You will take a small boat to visit Gwechaung Fort and Minhla Fort, built by Italian engineers in 1860 to keep British forces out of Burma. Continue on to Thayetmyo, which once served as the border between Royal Burma and British Burma. Thayetmyo is a pleasant little town with many colonial-era houses and a local market.

Day 10: Pyay

Meals: Breakfast. Lunch and Dinner

After the ship arrives in Pyay (Prome), take walking tour of this former capital that once served as an important junction between Lower and Upper Burma. Pyay is home to more than 80 gilded pagodas, including Shwesandaw and Payagyi Pagodas, the country’s most revered religious sites. You will also visit the archaeological museum of Sri Ksetra.

Day 11: Myanaung

Meals: Breakfast. Lunch and Dinner

As the ship departs this morning, enjoy wonderful views of the Akauk Mountains and their river-facing cliff carvings. Continue on to Myanaung, a quiet riverside town where your walking tour will take you past well-preserved colonial-era houses. You will also have an opportunity to visit the town’s bustling market.

Day 12: Zalon

Meals: Breakfast. Lunch and Dinner

The ship cruises through the Ayeyarwady Delta region today, stopping to visit the small port town of Zalon. Enjoy seeing the sights by trishaw, including Pyitawpyan Pagoda and its famous “wish-fulfilling” bronze Buddha, stolen by British soldiers years ago and later returned by order of Queen Victoria.

Day 13: Danuphyu

Meals: Breakfast. Lunch and Dinner

You will have an opportunity today to explore Danuphyu, site of a Burmese uprising during the First Anglo-Burmese War. The ship departs for Maubin this evening. Tonight, enjoy a Farewell Dinner on board with your fellow travelers.

Day 14: Maubin

Meals: Breakfast. Lunch and Dinner

Enjoy a sightseeing tour of Maubin, a small delta town and the birthplace of Myanmar’s first head of state, Dr. Ba Maw. You will also have time to visit the local market before departing for Yangon.

Day 15: Yangon

Meals: Breakfast. Lunch and Dinner

Your full-day tour begins with a visit to the city center and Sule Pagoda, followed by a photo stop at scenic Kandawgyi Lake. Other sights include: Bogyoke Aung San Market (Scott’s Market), where you can shop for handicrafts, clothing and local delicacies; the massive reclining Buddha at Chaukhtautgyi Temple; and a visit to Shwedagon Pagoda, one of Myanmar’s most beautiful and revered religious sites. Tonight, enjoy a Farewell Dinner on board.

Day 16: Yangon – Disembarkation

Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast on board, bid farewell to Myanmar and prepare for your homeward journey or your optional post-cruise extension to Inle Lake.

Availability

Checking price
Price From $ 7,079
Price Per Day: $ 506 per day
  • Single Supplement: $ 140

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with AMA Waterways.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

39 AMA Waterways Travel Reviews & Ratings

69%
3.7 out of 5 (100+ reviews)
Excellent 26
Great 1
Average 0
Disappointing 0
Terrible 12
Value
3.7
Guide
3.7
Activities
3.7
Lodging
3.7
Transportation
3.7
Meals
3.7

Hidden Wonders of Myanmar

No reviews yet for this trip. Be the first one to write a review

Company Reviews

I’ve sailed with AmaWaterways 4 times

5.0
Details
Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
I’ve sailed with AmaWaterways 4 times. They are the best! You become family. I can’t wait to sail with them again!

Cancel for any reason

1.0
Details
Value1.0
Guide1.0
Activities1.0
Lodging1.0
Transportation1.0
Meals1.0
AMA’s “Cancel for any reason” insurance is bogus. It should be called rebook for any reason.

Refund my deposit for the Danube River Cruise

1.0
Details
Value1.0
Guide1.0
Activities1.0
Lodging1.0
Transportation1.0
Meals1.0
Refund my deposit for the Danube River Cruise. You canceled through 11/17 and our trip was the following week. You know darn well that trip will not happen. You’re trying to recoup lost revenue by keeping our deposit. Shame on you. I will never recommend this company.
Read more

There is no better society

5.0
Details
Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
Er is geen betere maatschappij!!!!!

highly recommend this company

5.0
Details
Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
We have done two trips with AmaWaterways so far, and had booked third trip for this July, but now rescheduled to Sept. 2021. Our experience so far has been above and beyond our expectations. We would highly recommend this company.
Read more

Everything!

5.0
Details
Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
Everything! This must be on your bucket list!

Details

Ship Name

AmaPura

Ship Stats

Built: 2014

Built in: Myanmar

Length: 188 ft.

Width: 40 ft.

Crew: 36

Suites: 28

Registry: Myanmar

Ship Description

The custom-built AmaPura takes its name from the former royal capital of Amarapura (Sanskrit for “City of Immortality”). Designed to provide an ultra-comfortable experience along Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady River, this vessel is beautifully furnished with a combination of modern and traditional motifs and its shallow draft allows it to navigate the river nearly year-round. The AmaPura has 28 suites featuring either a French Balcony, an Outside Balcony or Twin Balconies, as well as a well-appointed en suite bathroom. The ship’s elegant public areas include a restaurant and main lounge and bar. There’s also a gift shop, spa, and a Sun Deck perfect for lounging, enjoying a cocktail, or simply gazing out at the ever-changing scenery. The AmaPura was designed to provide you with a serene home away from home for the duration of your Myanmar voyage. After a full day of sightseeing, there is no greater luxury than to return to a peaceful, comfortable ship and be welcomed aboard with a cool drink and chilled towel. The friendly and resourceful staff will be at your service throughout your entire Ayeyarwady river cruise.

Deck & Cabin Plans

Deck Plan:

Deck Plan - AmaPura

All Deck & Cabin Plans (affiliate link) Trip Photos (affiliate link)

Optional Activities

Inle Lake Post-Cruise Extension:  We highly recommend that you extend your stay with this land program, which includes 3 nights in Inle Lake and 1 night in Yangon. Experience a unique and beautiful way of life on the lake with included hotel accommodations and guided tours for $1,120 per person. This extension requires roundtrip intra-Myanmar airfare, which is an additional $380 per person including taxes and fuel surcharges.

Bangkok Extension:  Optional 2-night Bangkok extension from $560 per person. Requires intra-Asia airfare at an additional cost.

Flight & Transport Inclusions

All internal ground transport

Group Size

Standard Group - 25 + people

Cancellation policy

In the unfortunate event a participant must cancel travel, notice to AmaWaterways must be via email to Res@AmaWaterways.com, which must include a return receipt and read notation, or other writing stating clearly and correctly each guest’s name, ship name, start and end date of the cruise and a brief statement of the reason for cancellation. Other forms of notice are not sufficient. The effective date of the cancellation is the date we receive the written cancellation notice. Name changes, a substitution of a participant or a reduction in the number of guests in a stateroom are treated as a cancellation in that all applicable cancellation charges apply. Cancellation charges for bookings within charter and part-charter agreements are as per the charter contract. All other cancellation charges are per-person, based on the cancellation date, as follows:

More than 121 days prior to departure

Cruise & Land Cancellation Charge: $200 (Europe & Asia) $1,200 (Africa)

Airfare Cancellation Charge (Economy Contract fares): $350 penalty

Airfare Cancellation Charge (Business/First Class Contract fares): $600 penalty

Trip ID#:

HidWonAma

Meals Included

15 Breakfasts, 14 Lunches and 14 Dinners

×
Great Choice!

You can access members-only savings of up to $700 on over 6,000 Travelstride Select trips.

Sign in to see trip eligibility

or
or
Provide email and password

With your FREE membership you get to:

  • Save up to $700 per person!*
  • Access private deals and offers
  • See personalized trip recommendations
  • Save favorite trips
*See Member Savings Program details
Already a member?

We respect your privacy and take great care to protect your information. By joining you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

×

You could save $ 600 per person on this trip!

TripSaver
Flexible travel vouchers redeemable on thousands of trips like this one!
×
×
×
Sign in to Save Trips
Welcome back! We're so happy to see you. ? Forgot Password?
Don't have an account? Join
  • Bookmark trips you like
  • Share with your travel companions
  • Track price changes
  • Access private discounts on trips you save
×
Sign in to see your results

TripFinder is a member-only feature. Don’t worry, it’s free!

With a membership you:

  • Save up to $700 per person!*
  • Access private deals and offers
  • See personalized trip recommendations
  • Save favorite trips
*See Member Savings Program details
×
Activate your free Travelstride membership

Just use the email address and password provided in the email we sent.

? Forgot Password?

With your free membership you:

  • Save up to $700 per person!*
  • Access private deals and offers
  • See personalized trip recommendations
  • Save favorite trips
*See Member Savings Program details
×
To Follow, sign in or sign up (it's free) ? Forgot Password?
Don't have an account? Join
member benefits

By signing in, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use

First name is required!
Last name is required!
First name is not valid!
Last name is not valid!
This is not an email address!
Email address is required!
This email is already registered!
Please enter valid email address
Password is required!
Enter a valid password!
Please enter 6 or more characters!
Please enter 32 or less characters!
Passwords are not the same!
Terms and Conditions are required!
Email or Password is wrong!
Please select the captcha checkbox!
Please select the valid captcha!
Something went wrong! Try again later!

"We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfilment."
Hilaire Belloc
x
x
Download your brochure

Enter your email to get the "" brochure.

x
Brochure successfully sent!

We've sent the "" brochure to "". Check your inbox!