10 Night Cruise sailing from Bagan to Mandalay aboard Scenic Aura.

Day 1 - Yangon > Bagan > Irrawaddy Cruise
Meet your tour director this morning at the Pan Pacific Yangon at 08:00am. Transfer to the airport and fly to Bagan. On arrival wander through the city’s oldest market at Nyaung U, followed by a local lunch. Later, learn all about the production of Burmese lacquerware, a Bagan specialty, before transferring to the luxurious Scenic Aura, where you can relax at the welcome reception as you set sail.

Day 2 - Sailing > Magwe
Spend the morning relaxing and getting to know the facilities of the most luxurious ship on the river, Scenic Aura. This afternoon arrive in Magwe, exploring the town by traditional trishaw. Take in the elevated views from Mya Tha Lun Pagoda, a mesmerising architectural vision set on Naguttama Hill. Remain alongside over night for your own exploration.

Day 3 - Magwe > Minhla Fort
This morning continue cruising downstream to Minhla and it’s Italian built forts where their capture by the British brought to an end to an independent Burma. Explore the fort before accepting the challenge to shop as a local in the market. Afterwards begin sailing back upstream towards Salay.

Day 4 - Sailing
Make use of the ship’s luxury and take the time to sip a cocktail by the pool, attend an on board demonstration or enjoy some solitude on your private balcony during your full day sailing upstream along the Irrawaddy to Salay.

Day 5 - Salay > Bagan
Arrive early this morning. On your exploratory walking tour of this colonial riverside town, admire the mix of old Burmese and British architecture and visit Youqson Kyaung, a beautiful teak monastery now converted to a museum.

Enrich
Soak up the ambience of the river and the colonial feel of the town whilst enjoying traditional local Burmese tea and snacks in a restored colonial villa dating from 1906.

Continue sailing upstream to Bagan. Relax on the sundeck with a cocktail in hand viewing the many temples and pagodas that line the river as you approach the ancient location. Upon arrival, visit the most iconic sight of this hypnotic region, the Ananda Temple. Continue travelling by horse and cart through a local village, and as the sun begins to set, the surrounding plain filled with temple ruins. Tonight on board enjoy a string puppet show.

Day 6 - Bagan
For the early risers, attend and partake in morning alms for the local monks.

Freechoice
Visit a toddy farm en-route to Mount Popa, home to Myanmar’s nats or nature spirits, before enjoying lunch overlooking the temple or cross the river to Tant Kyi Tuang to take in the expansive elevated views of Bagan. Alternatively, either explore the Temple Circuit in more depth, or enjoy a visit to the sites of Old Bagan.

Enrich
Tonight, be wowed by a Scenic exclusive magical themed dinner, with included free flow drinks and a cultural show played out in front of candle lit Bagan temple ruins.

Day 7 - Bagan > Pakkoku
Optional Hot Air Balloon Flight
Balloons over Bagan - Between 01 October and 31 March, take a chance to ride in a hot air balloon flight over the majestic temples of Bagan. Must be purchased prior to your cruise to guarantee availability.

Depart Bagan and sail to Pakkoku. Upon arrival this afternoon, travel by local tuk tuk to a cheroot cigar workshop, the local market and longyi and blanket factory – perfect for shopping.

Day 8 - Yandabo
After a relaxing morning cruising, arrive in Yandabo where in 1826, the peace treaty ending the First Anglo-Burmese war was signed. Now famous for its pottery, stroll through the village and witness the artisans honing their craft and observe their unusual way of firing the pottery. Continue sailing to Mingun.

Day 9 - Mingun
In Mingun, discover the stories behind a huge unfinished brick pagoda and the all-white Hsinbyume Pagoda, Myanmar’s Taj Mahal. Nearby, admire the un-cracked Mingun Bell.

Day 10 - Sagaing > Mandalay > Amarapura
Take in the amazing views from the sundeck during the dazzling approach to Myanmar’s spiritual capital Sagaing, dotted with hundreds of gilded pagodas and monasteries.

Enrich
Interact with novice monks, nuns and orphans during a special visit to a monastic supported school before continuing to a quiet nunnery where you will partake in the ritual and our donation to the resident nuns before their midday meal.

Also take in the views over the Irrawaddy River from Sagaing Hill before sailing to Mandalay to visit Amarapura.

Sundowners
In Amarapura, relax with evening drinks in boats under U-Bein Bridge, the world’s longest teak bridge, to capture that memorable photo of the bridge’s silhouette at sunset.

Back on board enjoy the special farewell by Scenic Aura’s crew.

Day 11 - Irrawaddy Cruise > Mandalay
After disembarkation, admire the intricate artistry of Shwenandaw, a wooden monastery covered internally in gold leaf. Equally impressive are the sights at Kuthodaw Pagoda, home to the ‘World’s Largest Book’. Later walk through the rebuilt Mandalay Palace, destroyed during World War II.

Enrich
Learn how to produce gold leaf at a local workshop. At Mahamuni Pagoda, male guests will be able to place the gold leaf on the iconic Buddha statue.

After lunch transfer to the airport or your hotel.

This itinerary is a guide only and may be amended for operational reasons such as high and low water. As such, the cruise may operate altered from that stated above.