Mingun, Ava, Sagaing
This full-day tour takes you to explore a few of Myanmar’s former capitals. Myanmar has seen many power shifts in its history, and this tour covers just a few of these previous kingdom’s highlights, including Sagaing, Ava, and Mingun.
- Duration:
- 8 hrs
- Available Days:
- Every day
- Schedule:
- 8:00 AM
- Hotel Transport Included
- Mobile Ticket Included
- Offered in English,Burmese
Your tour departs from Mandalay and begins with an hour-long boat trip on the Ayeyarwaddy River. First, you’ll arrive in Mingun to see Mingun Pahtodawgyi, a massive unfinished pagoda left behind by King Bodawpaya. It’s home to the second-largest ringing bell in the world.
Next, you’ll drive 45 minutes south to catch a ferry to Ava (or Inwa) Island. Ava served as the capital from the 14th to the 18th century. Once you arrive at the island, you’ll find a horse-drawn carriage waiting to take you to the Bagaya Monastery and the remains of the old royal palace. Among the ruins, you’ll see everyday life in rural Myanmar.
The tour continues to Sagaing, which takes about 30 minutes to reach from Ava. Here, there are over 600 pagodas and monasteries, all painted white. These monasteries provide a home to over 6,000 monks, making Sagaing one of Myanmar’s top religious centers. You’ll get a view of the many pagodas from the top of Sagaing Hill. Before you drive back to Mandalay, you’ll visit a pottery village to see local potters making bowls.
What to Bring
Sunglasses, sunscreen, hat, light clothes, bug spray, and comfortable shoes that are easy to take on and off.
What's included
Transportation and guided tour.
Transportation
Many of our tours and activities offer transportation pick up & drop off options from several locations and destinations. Options vary by tour, see “BOOKING REQUEST” for full details.
Similar things to do
Take a half-day tour to see the town of Mingun’s temples. You’ll travel an hour upstream the Ayeyarwaddy River to see the Mingun Pagoda and the Myatheindan Pagoda. As you travel along the river, you’ll also see scenes from rural life in Myanmar, including women washing laundry among buffalo on the riverbank.
This half-day tour takes you from Mandalay to see the famous sites of the nearby city of Amarapura. Amarapura was Myanmar’s royal capital from 1783 until 1857 when King Mingdon had many of its buildings dismantled and moved to Mandalay. This tour takes you to Amarapura’s most famous landmarks: U Bein Bridge and the Mahagandayone Monastery.
This tour takes you to see Mandalay, Burma’s last royal capital. This is where the Burmese surrendered to the British at the end of the 19th century, ushering in a difficult colonial era. Today, Mandalay’s artisans work hard to preserve Myanmar’s traditional crafts. You’ll also visit the nearby royal city of Amarapura and then continue to see Mandalay’s most iconic landmarks.
