Mandalay Irrawaddy River Cruise with Sunset

Make your way to a central location in Mandalay for 2pm departure, then board an Irrawaddy River boat for a trip past sprawling reed banks and fishermen’s huts. 

After an hour of sailing, the boat arrives at Mingun, where you can tick “world’s biggest bell” off your bucket list. It is also the site of the Pathodaw Temple, a massive stupa that remains unfinished—the king who built it was told that he would die when the final stone was cast, but had he completed it, the stupa would have rivaled the Great Pyramid at Giza.

A short distance away from Pathodaw Temple is one of the most stunning and unusual pagodas in the whole of Myanmar: Myatheindan. This magnificent structure is pure white, with robust-looking lions guarding the grand entrance. 

Following your time at the temples, continue to a tiny village to meet some local people, and learn about life on the sleepy banks of the Irrawaddy River. There will be a break to purchase snacks and drinks before you return to the boat for the final leg of the tour.

Back on the river, enjoy the warm evening light as the sun sets over a landscape of stilt villages, old pagodas, and plowed fields. This tour concludes with a return to the original departure point.