Enjoy the freedom of a regular bicycle, but without the effort, on this fun tour of the ancient city of Bagan. Hop on your eco-friendly electric bike and take a relaxing ride through Bagan stopping every now and then to explore the temples.

Pass through the magnificent Tharabar Gate and visit the 201-foot-tall Thet Bi Nyu Temple and Dhamayangyi Pahto, the largest temple in Bagan.

Cycle to the beautifully preserved Ananda Temple. The combination of standing Buddha images, stone sculptures, sandstone reliefs, exquisite terracotta tiles, and teakwood carvings make this one of the finest and most revered of the Bagan temples.

Stop at a teashop to refresh yourselves with some Myanmar tea and snacks. Then continue to the sleepy village of Myinkaba where you can watch local artisans creating beautiful lacquerware in the many workshops.

Join a Burmese tea party and visit an extinct temple-topped volcano dedicated to the legendary ‘nat’ spirits. During the journey from Bagan, stop in the small village of Shwe Hlaing for a Burmese-style tea party hosted by a local family in their home.

Try some famous tea leaf salad accompanied by a cup of Burmese tea as you chat and get to know your hosts.

Take a stroll around the village and watch the locals demonstrate how they climb the palm trees and how they use the sap to make palm sugar and fiery liquor.

Continue to Mount Popa, an extinct sheer-sided volcano that rises out of the plain. Topped by golden stupas, it is a famous pilgrimage site for locals who come to worship at the Nat temples.

Along the way enjoy the array of flora and fauna, including many species of birds and butterflies.

Lunch is taken at the Popa Mountain Resort, perched midway to the summit of this legendary mountain.

Relax for a while taking in the stunning views across the plains, valleys and distant mountains, before starting the return journey to Bagan.

Discover the best of Bagan with this full day guided tour. More than just temples, this excursion introduces you to Burmese culture, explores local neighborhoods to see craftsmen at work and takes you up the mighty Irrawaddy River.

The journey begins with a visit to an elevated temple with spectacular views over the surrounding plains. This is the perfect introduction to the grandeur and scope of Bagan’s architecture.

Next continue to Ananda Temple, one of the most revered temples in Bagan and which is quiet in the morning, before the tour buses arrive.

Afterwards go to Myinkaba Village and visit Gubyaukgyi Temple, which is noted for its beautiful mural paintings on its inner walls and well-preserved plaster carvings on its exterior. Nearby is Manuha Temple and Nan Paya Temple, two smaller temples with nice Buddha statues and stonework.

Next learn more about the local culture with a visit to two workshops producing Bagan’s most famous products: lacquer ware and woodcrafts. Watch as skilled craftsmen use techniques passed down through generations to create beautiful items.

Take a break with lunch at a local restaurant. Return to your hotel for a short rest, escaping the extreme heat of the midday sun.

In the afternoon, board a private river boat and set off upriver toward Kyauk Gu U Min. Throughout your Irrawaddy River Cruise enjoy fabulous scenes of life on the water: fishermen, local ferry boats, riverside villages and views of the Bagan temples.

Stop at Sae Lan village and go ashore for a short walk. Sae Lan is typical of the riverside villages along the Irrawaddy.

Continue by boat to Kyauk Gu U Min on the eastern side of the river where a five to ten minute walk leads to the temple. This beautiful temple has exquisite stone carvings depicting religious figures and flowers on the door. The temple itself is built against the side of cliff, so behind the main hall of the temple you can enter a cave. Inside the cave there are several small niches where individuals can practice meditation. Legend states that the cave was built during the 13th century for the locals to hide from the invading Mongols.

After the exploration of Kyauk Gu U Min, return to the boat for a relaxing cruise back to Bagan (around 1 hour). Transfer back to your hotel on reaching Bagan.

Bike through Bagan’s outskirts and explore a land of fields, palm farms and rolling hills. Pedal by nine villages, and discover traditional rural life, travelling along narrow lanes inaccessible to cars and buses, well off the tourist trail.

Transfer by car to Shwe Hliang Village, just south of New Bagan, where your bikes will be waiting.

Warm up with a 2 km ride on sealed roads before turning westwards into the countryside. Follow a small dirt track alongside a canal for the first part of your journey, venturing off from time to time to explore the local villages.

Aside from the fabulous views of rice paddies, toddy palms and distant temple spires you’ll also pass by a unique colonial-style monastery and ancient trees, like the shady tamarind tree in Let Wel village.

Around midday reach the base of the hills and bike parallel to them, affording great views of Shwe Pon Taung Pagoda and Bu Kin Pagoda. At the last village, Nat Palin, turn back onto a sealed road to head back to Bagan.

Stop for a picnic lunch in a shady spot. There will also be plenty of stops for water and photos and it’s usually possible to share snacks or drinks with a local family.

The tour lasts from around 7:30 until 15:30 and the cycling distance is around 25-35 km along mostly dirt/sand roads.

A sunrise flight over Bagan is a unique experience and for many the highlight of a tour of Burma. Coast over Bagan’s seemingly endless temples as the sun is rising with an early morning balloon ride over the plains of Bagan.

Enjoy a cup of coffee in the early morning calm as the balloon is inflated and then take off for a one-hour flight above the temples.

Depart the hotel before sunrise and transfer to the departure point (depending on wind). Enjoy a coffee and a croissant whilst the crew inflate the balloons. A thorough safety briefing follows before you take off for a 45 minutes to 1-hour flight.

On landing, retrieve vehicles will be on hand to serve sparkling wine and refreshments before a transfer back to your hotel. The whole excursion door to door normally last between two and a half and three hours.

For an extra touch, a VIP service is also available. On arrival you will be escorted to an adjacent launch site exclusive for the VIP balloon. Your pilot will give you an up-close tour of the balloon as it is being prepared for inflation. Receive a complimentary CD after your ride.

Due to weather conditions, Balloons over Bagan only operates from October to March.