Our Burma trekking holiday takes you to remote highlands of northern Burma, with an ascent of Phongun Razi (3,635m /11,920ft).
When you do your treks in Burma – unlike its neighbouring countries in Southeast Asia, you’ll find a true mountainous environment to explore, lying as it does at the eastern reaches of the Himalayan range. The peaks are modest here by Himalayan standards but at 3,635m /11,920ft high, Phongun Razi is typically snow-capped all year and higher than many walking peaks in Western Europe.
From Yangon (Rangoon), we take a flight to Putao, from where a short drive takes us to the trailhead. Over the next five days the scenery changes as we trek Burma from farmland through pine and then rhododendron forest, passing through villages of the Rawan and Lisu tribes on our expert-led trek. Burma then imparts a stunning reward, after the final non-technical ascent, are views stretching across the Himalayan chain and into Assam in the far north of India. Upon return to Putao we fly south to Mandalay, and then spend two days exploring the amazing temples of Bagan before returning to Yangon and the end of our Burma trekking journey.
Tour Duration: 20 days / 19 nights
Tour Type: Adventure, Trekking
Cities: Yangon, Putao, Mandalay
Price: From US$ 3000/person
Activity Level: Regular itinerary
Day 1 Yangon arrival
Fly to Yangon (Rangoon). Take a sunset tour of the glittering Shwedagon Pagoda.
Day 2 Yangon City Tour
This day you will spend the whole day visiting the other famous icons of the city covering Sule Pagoda, Chaukhtatgyi Pagoda, Karaweik Hall.
Day 3 Yangon – Putao
Fly north to Putao, a town in the foothills of the Himalaya. Rest at your leisure.
Day 4 Putao trekking uphill
Visit the local market in the morning then drive to Shangaung to begin the trek. Leaving paddy fields behind, trek through jungle, past Mt Shangaung 1,362m, then descend to village of Wasandum. (6 hours trekking)
Day 5 Putao trekking uphill
Trek to the village of Ziyadum. Today the walking is mostly level, with a few ups & downs. On the way your guide can tell you about the medicinal plants used in the region. (6-7 hours trekking)
Day 6 Putao trekking uphill
Trek towards Mount Phongun, through jungle and down to the Phongun River. The route takes you over two of the new bridges funded by Mountain Kingdoms. After lunch you climb to reach a forested ridge, and eventually a clearing where we camp for the night. (6-7 hours trekking)
Day 7 Putao trekking uphill
Trek to ‘Snow line camp’. Follow the ridge westwards and see your first proper views of snow-capped Phongun Razi from the clearing. These two days trekking are shorter, but include some steep, slippery sections. (4 hours trekking each day)
Day 8 Putao trekking uphill
Continue your treks this day via the forest and see the spectacular scenes of the Putao area.
Day 9 Putao at the top
Summit Phongun Razi, 3,635m/11,926ft. Depending on snow and weather conditions this could take between 3-7 hours. The remoteness of this mountain means that the forest remains undisturbed, so is of great interest to conservationists and botanists. On a clear day, the views are spectacular, you can see across to Assam. Descend to ‘snowline camp’, or on to Khantautmyit. (Up to 9 hours trekking).
Day 10 Putao trekking downhill
Trek to Wasandum and other villages in the area. There’s plenty of opportunity to see village life, as well as the wildlife. (7 hours trekking)
Day 11 Putao trekking downhill
Continue the downhill treks through the villages.
Day 12 Putao trekking downhill
Continue the downhill treks through the villages.
Day 13-14 Putao trekking downhill
Leaving the jungle behind, there is a final challenge of trekking uphill to the plateau of Mount Shangaung. Then, head steeply downhill to meet the jeep, your ride back to Putao. Enjoy a farewell dinner with your trek team and celebrate the shared experience of the past few days in this unique part of the world. The following day is free to rest or explore the area. (5 hours trekking)
Day 15 Putao – Mandalay Sightseeing
Fly to Mandalay, Burma’s second largest city, with over 700 pagodas, a number of temples and monasteries and a wealth of crafts including wood and marble carving, weaving and gold leaf.
Day 16 Mandalay Ancient Capitals
Drive to Amarapura. Visit U Bein’s bridge, the world’s longest teak bridge, stretching 1,200m across Taungthaman Lake. Fly to Bagan in the late afternoon.
Day 17 Bagan Heritages
This 41km2 plain contains thousands of temples built when Bagan was the capital of the Burmese capital. Take a walking and sightseeing tour around a selection of the temples.
Day 18 Bagan – Yangon
Return to Yangon in the morning. Continue to discover Thanlyin, the outskirt of Yangon with the Yele Pagoda.
Day 19 Yangon
This day is spent for a whole day visiting the rest of Yangon with Chinatown as well as British colonial buildings, Twante pottery village.
Day 20 Yangon Departure
Take a tour of the historic downtown area of Yangon and shop for souvenirs. Transfer to the airport for your international flight.
More about travel to burma
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Passports and Visas
- Go to Myanmar Embassies and Consulates in your home country and you will be guided procedure. You may want to check the list of countries where Myanmar has embassies and consulate offices by clicking here.
- Obtain VISA On Arrival (VOA). For tourists coming from countries has no Myanmar Diplomatic Rep offices, you can obtain VOA online via www.myanmarevisa.gov.mm – the official portal for VOA by Myanmar government. The portal launched in Sep 01, 2014 and took its pilot operation for a month. Providing you encounter any issue, please contact us for support.
Climate & Clothing
Cell Phones & Calling Cards
Making Telephone Calls from One Country to Another
Wireless Internet Access
Cards and Currency
- The US$ notes must be new.
- The US$ notes torn, marked, folded will not be accepted.
- The US$ notes having series before 2003 backward may not accepted.
Trip Preparation
- Several weeks before your trip, make a list of what you will need to take with you.
- Make sure your personal documents (passports, visas, driver’s license) are in order.
- We suggest that you make photocopies of passports, visas, personal ID and any other important travel documents and pack them separately from the originals. If you lose the originals while traveling, you'll have copies for easier reporting and replacement.
- You may consider bringing a small supply of over the counter medications for headaches and/or anti-diarrhea pills. Pack a list of medications including dosage and generic names.
- We recommend that you pack a portable alarm clock.
- Avoid placing valuables such as cameras in your checked luggage.
