Self-Launched Myanmar Family Adventure: Yangon to Yangon
12 days · Myanmar (Burma)
G Adventures charges £2,500
No-markup version: ~£1,390 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 12-day independent version of G Adventures' "Burma Family Adventure" — Yangon, Mandalay, Pyin Oo Lwin, a slow Irrawaddy cruise to Bagan, the temples by bicycle, hill-tribe hiking near Pindaya and a monastery overnight, and boat days on Inle Lake. You'll build the same route yourself using domestic flights, shared boats, local buses and guesthouses, booking guides and activities day by day. Note: Myanmar's tourism infrastructure has been heavily disrupted since 2021 and some regions on this route (notably hiking areas and parts of Shan State) have ongoing security concerns and travel advisories — check your government's current advice and local conditions carefully before booking, and expect prices, transport schedules and hotel availability to differ significantly from pre-2021 norms. All costs below are rough estimates for 2024-25 backpacker/budget rates and assume 2 travellers sharing a room; children often get reduced hotel and flight rates.
Day-by-day
Arrive Yangon
Yangon
Land at Yangon International Airport and take a metered taxi or the airport shuttle bus into the city centre (around 45-60 min). Check into a family room in a guesthouse around downtown or Bogyoke Market. Ease in with a walk around Sule Pagoda, the colonial-era streets and a bowl of mohinga for dinner. Pick up kyat at a licensed money changer — bring clean, recent US dollar notes as backup, and note ATMs and card acceptance are unreliable.
🚌Airport taxi ~£4-5
🛏Family room in a downtown Yangon guesthouse or budget hotel (~£30-40 per room)
- →Sule Pagoda area walk
- →Mohinga dinner downtown
Yangon to Mandalay
Mandalay
Morning visit to Shwedagon Pagoda (entry ~£4, go early to beat the heat). Then fly Yangon to Mandalay — book directly with Air KBZ, Myanmar National Airlines or Mann Yadanarpon; book well ahead as schedules are limited, checked baggage is capped around 15-20kg and excess is charged. In the afternoon explore the Golden Palace Monastery (Shwenandaw), Kuthodaw Pagoda with its 729 marble slabs, and Mahamuni Temple, finishing with the sunset climb up Mandalay Hill (free, tiled covered stairway).
🚌Domestic flight Yangon-Mandalay ~£50-70 per person; tuk-tuk around the city ~£6-8/day
🛏Family room in a Mandalay guesthouse near the palace area (~£25-35 per room)
- →Shwedagon Pagoda
- →Golden Palace Monastery
- →Kuthodaw Pagoda
- →Mahamuni Temple
- →Mandalay Hill sunset
Mingun, Sagaing and Amarapura
Mandalay
Take a shared or private river boat from Mandalay's Mayan Chan jetty to Mingun (~1hr each way, ~£6-8 return shared) to see the cracked Mingun Pahtodawgyi and the giant bronze Mingun Bell. Return and hire a tuk-tuk driver for the afternoon to Sagaing Hill (pagodas and viewpoints) and the old royal capital of Amarapura, ending with sunset on U Bein Bridge. Talk to your driver about a flat half-day rate rather than individual hops.
🚌Shared boat ~£7 return; tuk-tuk half-day ~£10-12
🛏Mandalay guesthouse (as night 2)
- →Mingun boat trip and Mingun Bell
- →Sagaing Hill pagodas
- →Amarapura and U Bein Bridge sunset
Pyin Oo Lwin hill station excursion
Pyin Oo Lwin / Mandalay
Day trip to the former British hill station of Pyin Oo Lwin (~2hrs by shared taxi or bus, or catch the slow old train from Mandalay). Explore the botanical gardens, the clock tower and market, and take a horse cart around town. Return to Mandalay in the evening. If your family prefers a slower pace, stay overnight in Pyin Oo Lwin instead — guesthouse rooms are around £20-30.
🚌Shared taxi/bus Mandalay-Pyin Oo Lwin ~£3-4 each way
🛏Mandalay guesthouse (as night 2)
- →Pyin Oo Lwin botanical gardens
- →Colonial hill station walk and market
- →Horse cart ride
Irrawaddy cruise to Bagan
Mandalay to Bagan
Spend the day on the river. Book a public or tourist slow boat from Mandalay's Gawwein jetty to Bagan (roughly 8-10 hours, departing early morning; ~£15-25 depending on class). Alternatively the faster express boat or a bus (~5hrs, ~£8-10) if time is tight. Watch village life, fishermen and ox carts along the banks, and arrive in Bagan by late afternoon. Base yourself in Nyaung U.
🚌Slow boat ~£20 per person
🛏Family room in a Nyaung U guesthouse (~£20-30 per room)
- →Full-day Irrawaddy River cruise
- →Sunset over Bagan from a riverside spot
Bagan Archaeological Zone by bicycle
Bagan
Hire bicycles (~£1.50-2.50/day) or ebikes (~£5-7, much easier in the heat and best for kids) and ride the temple circuit: Shwezigon Pagoda, Gubyaukgyi cave temple at Wetkyi-in, Manuha and Nan Paya temples, and Thatbyinnyu. Take a blessing at a local monastery, pop into a lacquerware workshop, and browse Nyaung Oo market. Optional splurge: sunrise hot air balloon (approx £210-230 per person — book direct with Oriental Ballooning or Balloons Over Bagan).
🚌Bike hire ~£2-7 each
🛏Nyaung U guesthouse (as night 5)
- →Bicycle/ebike temple circuit
- →Monastery blessing
- →Lacquerware workshop
- →Nyaung Oo market
- →Optional hot air balloon
Village and toddy farm day
Bagan
Book a local guide or ask your guesthouse to arrange a half-day village visit (~£15-25 for a guide plus donation/transport) to see palm toddy tapping, peanut oil pressing and jaggery making, with a home-cooked lunch. Afternoon free for another temple wander or a pool break. Combine the walk with a cart ride through the fields if the kids need a rest.
🚌Horse cart or tuk-tuk transfers ~£5-8
🛏Nyaung U guesthouse (as night 5)
- →Village visit and toddy farm demonstrations
- →Home-cooked village lunch
- →Temple wandering
Bagan to Pindaya and hill-village hike
Pindaya
Fly or drive to Heho and continue by bus/taxi to Pindaya (~1.5-2hrs). Visit the Pindaya limestone caves with their thousands of Buddha images (~£3). Then hike up into the hills to a Danu village with a local guide arranged through Guesthouse owners or Pindaya trekking outfits (~£20-30 per group for a half-day). Stay overnight in a monastery multishare, as the original tour does — arrange directly via your guide or guesthouse (a donation of ~£5-10 per person is typical).
🚌Flight/coach Bagan-Heho ~£35-45; local transfer to Pindaya ~£8-10
🛏Monastery multishare (donation-based) or Pindaya guesthouse backup (~£20-25)
- →Pindaya caves
- →Danu hill-village trek
- →Monastery overnight
Hike down to Pindaya, transfer to Nyaung Shwe
Nyaung Shwe
Walk back down from the monastery village to Pindaya, then transfer by shared taxi, pickup truck or bus to Nyaung Shwe (~2hrs, ~£5-8), the gateway town for Inle Lake. Settle into a guesthouse, rent bicycles (~£1.50-2.50) and explore the canal paths, or take a sunset boat ride on the lake.
🚌Shared taxi/pickup to Nyaung Shwe ~£5-8 per person
🛏Family room in a Nyaung Shwe guesthouse (~£20-30 per room)
- →Morning hike to Pindaya
- →Nyaung Shwe bike ride
- →Sunset canal walk
Inle Lake by boat
Inle Lake
Hire a longtail boat with a skipper for the day (roughly £15-25 per boat, split between the group) and visit the floating gardens and villages, the leg-rowing fishermen, Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, the Nge Phe Chaung monastery and a weaving or silversmith workshop. Stop at the rotating five-day market if it's on. Bring layers — mornings on the lake are cold.
🚌Longtail boat ~£20 per boat per day
🛏Nyaung Shwe guesthouse (as night 9)
- →Full-day longtail boat tour of Inle Lake
- →Floating villages and gardens
- →Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda
- →Nge Phe Chaung Monastery
- →Five-day market
Inle Lake and fly to Yangon
Inle Lake to Yangon
A second lake morning — an easy boat trip to Inthien temple complex or a walk up to the hilltop stupas, followed by a final bowl of Shan noodles in Nyaung Shwe. Transfer to Heho (~1hr) and fly to Yangon (limited daily flights; book ahead). Check into a downtown Yangon hotel for a last night and a farewell dinner at a local tea shop or Burmese restaurant.
🚌Transfer to Heho ~£10-12; flight Heho-Yangon ~£45-70
🛏Yangon downtown budget hotel (~£30-40 per room)
- →Inthien temple complex boat trip
- →Shan noodles lunch
- →Yangon farewell dinner
Depart Yangon
Yangon
Last-minute souvenir shopping at Bogyoke Market (closed Mondays) and breakfast, then a taxi to the airport for your international departure. Budget for the ~$10 departure tax (often now included in ticket price, but keep cash handy).
🚌Airport taxi ~£4-5
🛏N/A
- →Bogyoke Market shopping
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,390 | £2,500 |
| Duration | 12 days | 12 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,110 per person (44%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,390
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched Myanmar Family Adventure: Yangon to Yangon cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,390 per person for 12 days in Myanmar (Burma). This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £2,500 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,390 — a saving of roughly £1,110 (44%) per person.
How long is the Myanmar (Burma) trip?+
This itinerary runs 12 days, covering 12 day-by-day stops through Myanmar (Burma).
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, adventure, hiking trip through Myanmar (Burma), self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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