These are some of our favorite things to do in Burma. Discuss incorporating some of these ideas into your own itinerary with a travel specialist.

Yangon
Walk the winding streets and small alleys, exploring the temples and shrines, and feasting in the markets and small restaurants…visit Sule Pagoda, an impressive shrine built in the 3rd century that remains an active center for Ayurvedic astrology, Buddhist demon worship and strict Theravada doctrines…in early morning, stroll around the 2,500-year-old Shwedagon Pagoda, built when Yangon was just a coastal fishing village.

Bagan
Take a boat on the Irrawaddy River and arrive in the early morning to see the ruins…travel by horseback to more remote ruins or take a horse-drawn carriage to explore the splendor of the Buddhist frescoes and detailed sculpture…catch an unforgettable sunrise or sunset at Thatbyinnyu Temple for stunning views of the stupas that dot the sprawling plain…do not miss Ananda Temple, one of Bagan's finest and best preserved monuments…shop for lacquerware and observe craftspeople handcrafting these beautiful objects.

Mandalay
Visit Amarapura to witness the procession of monks receiving their offerings…walk along the mile-long rickety teak bridge…visit the small neighboring towns of Sagaing and Mingun… take an excursion to Mogok to observe gold processing, visit local fruit markets, and tour gem mines for hands-on experience harvesting rubies from the earth…spend an overnight at the scenic and temperate hill station of Maymyo.

Inle Lake
Cruise the lake with visits to the stilted houses, floating vegetable plots, traditional floating market, and famous leg-rowing fishermen…see the jumping cats at the Inle Lake monastery…listen to the sound of the frogs as you fall asleep in a bungalow over the water.

Additional suggestions
Spend time at Kalaw, a tranquil small town that was once a colonial retreat on the edge of the hill country, and catch the hilltribe market…step into the dark Pindaya Caves, used for centuries as a storage place for thousands of sacred Buddha images…visit the Padah-Lin Caves, sites of important Neolithic excavations…overnight in Prome, and tour the ruins of the old palace and visit to a traditional Karen tribal village... lie on the secluded beaches of Myauk-U in Arakan State, the most western and perhaps the most pristine region of Burma.