Pandaw Expeditions Irrawaddy Cruise

Fly from the UK to Rangoon. (N)

Arrive in Rangoon and transfer to The Savoy Hotel for 2 nights. (N)

Full-day tour of Rangoon, including its colonial buildings, Sule pagoda, Kandawgyi lake and the magnificent Shwedagon pagoda. (B)

Early morning flight to Mandalay. Continue to the jetty and board your Pandaw cruise for a 7-night cruise on the Irrawaddy river. Lunch is on board, followed byan afternoon coach tour of Mandalay, visiting Mandalay fort and some craft workshops. (B, L, D)

Today you will make an early start, entering the first of the three gorges along the river. Cruise to Mingun to view the pagoda here and the largest working bell in the world. You will also visit the Mingun Old Peoples' Home, originally established with the assistance of the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company in the 1930s. (B, L, D)

Visit the potteries near Kyauk-myoung, where the famous 50 gallon water pots are made by hand. You will see all stages of their manufacture, from the initial throwing of the pots to the week-long firing process in huge kilns. (B, L, D)

Disembark in Mandalay for an early morning excursion to visit Sagaing Hill, home to hundreds of monasteries, some 6,000 monks and nuns, and 500 stupas. Continue to Inwa (Ava), an ancient city that served as Burma's (Myanmar’s) capital for nearly 400 years, and Amarapura, Burma's penultimate royal capital, home to the large Mahagandayon monastery. The day ends with a visit to U Bein Bridge in time for sunset. (B, L, D)

Continue downstream this morning and stop at Yandabo, a picturesque river village where the peace treaty of the first Anglo-Burmese war was signed. Yandabo is a small rural village famous for making pots. You will visit the Pandaw school with its new dispensary, both built with donations from previous Pandaw passengers. (B, L, D)

Today you will visit Pakokku, a small town on the west bank of the Irrawaddy which is often used as a stopping point for travellers heading south to Pagan (Bagan). Disembark and take a tuk-tuk to visit the town centre and the local markets. (B, L, D)

Spend a full day discovering a selection of the 2,000 listed pagodas and temples in Pagan. Highlights may include the Ananda temple, arguably the most beautiful temple in Pagan and a masterpiece of Mon architecture; Htilominlo temple, the tallest in Pagan with a height of 46 metres; Dhammayangyi temple, one of the largest structures in Pagan and with a similar architectural plan to Ananda temple; and Shwesandaw pagoda, a graceful, circular pagoda. (B, L, D)

Check out of your cabin after breakfast and disembark at the jetty in Pagan. Ttransfer to the airport for your flight to Rangoon. On arrival, transfer to The Savoy Hotel for an overnight stay. (B)

Transfer to the airport and fly back to the UK. (B)