Mandalay Festival

Mandalay Festival

Day 1 – 06 October 14 Arrival Mandalay

Upon arrival in Mandalay your guide and car will pick you up and you will begin your sightseeing tour of Mandalay with a visit to Mahamuni Pagoda. This pagoda is home to one of the country’s most revered Buddha images which, over the years, has been covered with gold leaf giving it an almost ‘lumpy’ texture. Mandalay is well known for its skilled craftsmen and as you tour traditional workshops, you will learn more about the city’s cottage industries. Observe the production of wood carvings, kalaga tapestries, and gold-leaf where the techniques remained unchanged from those used centuries ago to craft items for the Royal Court.

OPTION: Make your own marionette! Visit a local craft shop, choose your marionette’s design (clothes, face, body) and make your own unique souvenir. The entire process takes around 1 hour and is suitable for adults and children.
Take a midday break for lunch (client’s account). We recommend joining the locals at Too Too or Daw Lay May, two fabulous Burmese restaurants that are teeming with businessmen, students and others at lunch time.
This afternoon is at your leisure.
Overnight in Mandalay.

Mandalay Festival

Day 2 – 07 October 14 Mandalay – Kyauk Se – Mandalay (B)

Dummy Elephant Dance Festival
Today you will drive to Kyauk Se, located 26 miles south of Mandalay to see one of the famous festivals in Burma. Every year, a dancing team from each of the 33 villages of the Kyauk Se area is involved in the competition.
Elephant figures are formed by bamboo frames and the skin is made of cloth and decorated with colourful and shining paper. A team includes 2 men who will climb into the elephant figure to perform the elephant dance. An oo zi (master of the elephant who work with the elephants in the forest) are common to see performing with the elephants.

There are three stages of the performance, with the baby elephant performing with the local youths being the most popular. The festival starts about 09:00 am and ends around 18:00 pm. There is also a short break from 13:30 to 15:00. Explore around the town to see the different dances and interact with locals who come from near and far villages.

Late in the afternoon, return to Mandalay.
Overnight in Mandalay.

Mandalay Festival

Day 3 – 08 October 14 Mandalay – Sagaing – Ava – Mandalay (B)

“Swun Daw Gyi Pwe” Food Offering Festival
This morning you will cross the Irrawaddy River to another ancient capital of Sagaing. Covered with 600 white-painted pagodas and monasteries, Sagaing Hill is widely regarded as the religious centre of Myanmar. It is home to 3,000 monks and 100 meditation centres and you will visit Soon Oo Pon Nya Shin Paya and U Min Thone Sae (30 caves). Then proceed to Kaung Mu Daw Pagoda to see Swun (food) Offering festival. You will see the procession with lay devotees; most of them dressed in white costumes and walking bare foot.

We then continue to Ava, once a royal capital from 14th to 18th centuries. Travel by horse and carriage through the area stopping to visit the old wooden Bagaya Monastery and the remains of the Royal Palace and Fort. On the way back to Mandalay, we stop to visit Amarapura and finish the day at U Bein Bridge for a walk along this 200 year-old teak bridge. The bridge spans over 1.2 kilometres in length and offers fabulous views of the surrounding farms and streams.
Overnight in Mandalay.

Mandalay Festival

Day 4 – 09 October 14 Mandalay (B)

After Breakfast at your hotel your tour of Mandalay with a visit to Kuthodaw Pagoda, whose 729 marble stone slabs of Buddhist scriptures have earned it the title ‘World’s Biggest Book’. Continue to Shwenandaw Monastery, the only remaining building from the 19th century Royal Palace. This grand teak building is known for its exquisite woodcarving. Head to the top of Mandalay Hill as the sun begins to set to enjoy magnificent views of the city and Irrawaddy River.

At the foot of Mandalay Hill is Kyauk Taw Gyi Paya, which will be celebrating its annual festival today. The festival is very entertaining with hundreds of locals gathering to make offerings, dance and eat local treats. Spend time here interacting with the visitors and sampling some dishes.
Overnight in Mandalay.

Mandalay Festival

Day 5 – 10 October 14 Departure Mandalay (B)

After breakfast at hotel, transfer to Mandalay International Airport for your onward flight.

Mandalay Festival

Rates vary frequently. Please contact us to get the best possible price based upon your travel period and specific touring needs, private basis not join in, please inquire for pricing which varies depending on accommodation standards.

Our services include:

Accommodation in a shared twin or shared double room with daily breakfast
Meals as mentioned in itinerary (B = breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner)
English-speaking station guides
Porter fees at airports
All transfers and excursions with private air-conditioned vehicles
Entrance fees for the visits as mentioned in the program
Horse cart tour in Ava
Water and refreshing towels

Our services do not include:

International ticket to/from Yangon
Domestic flights
Meals other than mentioned (B = breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner)
Visa arrangements for Myanmar
Visits not mentioned in the program
Drinks and personal expenses
Tips and porters at the hotels
International departure Airport Tax Yangon (USD 10/pax at present however this can change)
Any other items not mentioned

Creating Unique Touring Experiences
All the touring itineraries on this website have been carefully crafted by our in-country management teams and represent a series of experiences we can certainly recommend. However, we understand that every travel experience should be as unique and individual as each traveler. Our consultants are waiting to hear from you so that we can tailor or custom design a Burma tour to your individual specifications.