Cycle Holiday Burma | Burma Cycling Holiday

Arriving in Rangoon today we have a chance to relax and freshen up before enjoying a late afternoon visit to the magnificent Shwedagon Pagoda, the most revered Buddhist temple in Burma. Towering some 99 metres over the city, the pagoda’s impressive golden stupa dominates the city skyline to the west of Kandawgyi Lake, making it the ideal spot from which to watch the sunset. Originally believed to be over 2,500 years old, this is the oldest pagoda in Burma and certainly one of the most beautiful in the whole of Asia.

Overnight Standard Hotel

A morning flight to Heho, followed by a drive to Nyaung Shwe, brings us to the beautiful setting of Inle Lake, one of the highest lakes in the country. Devout Buddhists, the local population live in simple stilted houses, fishing in the lake and growing their food on floating gardens of grass and seaweed. Heading out in a boat later today, we have a chance to witness some of the lake’s famous ‘one-legged’ fishermen at work, as well as pay a visit to Phaungdaw U Pagoda.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

After checking out our bikes this morning we begin our ride with an uphill climb from Nyaung Shwe to Kalaw, set high on the western edge of the Shan Plateau. Popular with the British during their time in Burma, Kalaw still retains a little something of its colonial charm. We plan lunch either in Heho enroute or in Kalaw upon arrival. This afternoon, time permitting, we then have a chance to continue exploring the town by bike. Attractions include the gold lacquered bamboo Buddha of Nee Paya and the Catholic church of Christ the King.

Total cycling distance approximately 60 km.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Following breakfast this morning we head north, cycling through a lovely rural landscapes of farmland and villages to Pindaya. The journey takes us through a rolling countryside of rice and potato fields that is dotted with Pao and Danu villages. After checking in to our hotel we then visit the famed Pindaya Caves, a revered pilgrimage site that is home to some 8,000 images of the Lord Buddha. Extending into the limestone hills above the town, the chambers are filled with a rich assortment of iconography that dates back to the middle years of the 18th century.
Total cycling distance approximately 50 km.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Turning north-west we head out of Pindaya on a recently paved road this morning, cycling through the mountains towards Kyauksee. This is a road rarely used by travellers and we’ll pass by huge Banyan trees as we make our way towards the village of Ywar Ngan where we stop for lunch. Continuing on this afternoon with our bus we complete the remaining 130km to Mandalay by road, passing through the township of Kyauksee en route. We expect the drive to take around 5 hours arriving into Mandalay in the late afternoon, early evening.
Total cycling distance approximately 70 km.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Mandalay was Burma’s last royal capital and, for many, the centre of its most historic and culturally rich region. Today we explore the countryside around the city, starting first with a ride out to Sagaing, some 20 kilometres away. Overlooking the waters of the Ayeywaddy River, Sagaing is considered one of Burma’s most important religious centres and its hillside is covered in pagodas and temples. From here we continue along the river to the ruins of the Mingun Pahtodawgyi which, had it been completed, would have been the world’s largest pagoda. After a short sightseeing trip around the site, we then take a short but scenic Irrawaddy river boat ride back to Mandalay.
Total cycling distance approximately 55 km.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

This morning we drive by charter bus to the town of Pyin Oo Lwin (Maymo), a former British colonial hill station that is set in the cool, lush hills to the east of Mandalay. Lying at the head of a valley, amidst a landscape blanketed in coffee plantations and wild flowers, Maymyo provides a wonderful slice of colonial eccentricity. We will visit the main attractions in town including British architecture, see a local waterfall, as well as the rich landscapes of the National Kandawgyi Gardens, before returning to Mandalay by bike.
Total cycling distance approximately 60 km.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

A short drive south of Mandalay lies the former royal capital of Amarapura, perhaps best known for Ubein Bridge - the 1.2 kilometres footbridge that spans Lake Taungthaman. We also have the opportunity to see the bridge on an optional short boat ride. If possible we plan to visit a monastery this morning, to observe monks collecting alms. Returning to Mandalay via the jade market, we then spend this afternoon exploring some of the city’s major highlights, including the world’s largest book at the Kuthodaw Pagoda, the intricate wooden majesty of the Shwenanda (Golden Palace) Monastery and Mandalay Hill.
No cycling today.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Departing Mandalay this morning we set off on the bikes towards Monywa in the Chindwin Valley. Cycling as far as the village of Nyaung Pin Win, we then complete the journey to Monywa by bus, arriving in time for lunch. This afternoon we take an excursion across the Chindwin River and up into the hills by pick up truck, to visit the Po Win Daung Caves and Shwe Ba Daung. These extraordinary caverns contain around 450,000 paintings, statues and carvings, representing what many experts believe to be the most comprehensive collection of Buddhist art anywhere in South East Asia. If time allows we also visit the colourful Thanbuddhay Pagoda.
Total cycling distance approximately 50 km.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Today we head towards one of the most impressive religious archaeological sites anywhere in Asia, the once imperial capital of Bagan. Heading out of Monywa on the bikes, we cycle past a tableau of everyday life en route to Pakkoku. Taking lunch here, we then take a local ferry down the Irrawaddy River to Bagan itself, a two and a half hour boat ride that gets us to our destination later this afternoon. If time allows we’ll cycle out to one of the temples to enjoy the sunset before heading to our hotel.
Total cycling distance approximately 65 km.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Bagan rose to prominence during the 11th to 13th centuries. At its height it presented a sea of colour and spectacle, with over 13,000 temples and pagodas spread across its expansive plains. Today just over 2,000 remain and we visit some of the most important ones today. After first paying a visit to a local village, we’ll return to the city to visit the distinctive Shwezigon and Ananda Pagodas, as well as the 13th century Wetkyi-in-Gubyaukgyi cave temple, before taking a late afternoon boat ride on the Irrawaddy River.
Total cycling distance approximately 20 km.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

This morning we take a ride through the picturesque countryside to Mount Popa, Burma’s sacred abode of the Nats (spirit gods). A volcanic plug that rises some 1,500 metres above the surrounding landscape, the summit sits amongst the rare flora and fauna of a national park and provides some fine panoramic views of the surrounding hills. The small temple on the summit is also home to troops of wild monkeys. Depending on time available and your energy levels there may be the opportunity to climb on foot the 777 steps that lead to the summit and temple. After taking lunch we return to Bagan on bike by way of a local farm producing traditional ‘toddy’ palm juice. Remainder of the day is free in Bagan with the option to see sunset from a temple.
Total cycling distance approximately 50 km.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

After flying back to Rangoon this morning we enjoy a tour of the city, taking in the ancient relics housed in the unusual (and hollow) Botataung Pagoda before exploring a little of the city’s downtown area. A stroll along Pansodan Street takes in the rich colonial architecture and bustling street markets, whilst the immense Bogyoke Market, formerly known as Scott’s Market, is filled with handicrafts from all over the country (closed on Mondays, full moons and public holidays). Late this afternoon we then head for Chinatown to explore its temples and exotic pavements markets before returning to the hotel.
No cycling.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Included meals: Breakfast