The Burma Road: Kunming to Rangoon

Adventure awaits on the legendary Burma Road! Join veteran Asia Trip Leader Roger Williams for a memorable journey from Kunming, China, to Rangoon (Yangon), Burma, by way of dazzling green rice terraces, deep river gorges, hilltribe villages, colonial hill stations, and layers of history on one of the most famous mountain roads in the world. With the opening of long-forbidden northern Burma, we are thrilled to offer this overland journey linking two fascinating countries and cultures. Along the way, we explore the Old Town of Dali with a Bai elder, explore by horse-drawn carriage in the old British hill station of Maymyo, boat to ancient shrines along the Irrawaddy, watch a golden sunset over a thousand temples on the great plain of Bagan, and finish in nostalgic Rangoon, with its magnificent gold-spired Shwedagon temple bustling with monks and pilgrims. This promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience of Asia!

Itinerary at a Glance

For a more complete description, Download Full Detailed Itinerary

Days 1-4
Kunming, China / Dali

We explore Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province, set at an altitude of 6,000 feet, and Dali, with its ancient walled Old Town. Dali was Yunnan’s capital from the 8th to the 13th century. Today it is the center of the Bai, a Tibeto-Burmese people.

Days 5-7
Burma Road / Tengchong / Heshun

Heading south on the Burma Road, we pass through a lush landscape of forests, farmlands, and Dai villages. In Tengchong, once an important stop on the Southern Silk Route, we visit the local market and the preserved village of Heshun.

Days 8-10
Burma Road / Mangshi / Ruili

A journey along the Burma Road bring us to the town of Mangshi, also known as Luxi City. En route, we visit a Qing Dynasty residence known as the Xuanfu Chieftain Office, first built in 1851. We explore around Mangshi, the county seat of Luxi County, with a leisurely stroll through the local market and a visit to some of its gold-spired Buddhist temples. Our overland drive conintues to Ruili, a bustling trading center on the border with Burma.

Days 11-13
Muse / Lashio / Hsipaw / Maymyo

We get an early start for our border crossing, meeting with our Burmese guide at Muse, the first Burmese town over the border, set on the banks of the Shweli River. We then set out on a drive to Lashio, capital of Burma’s Northern Shan State, with its market  full of local hill tribe people. We continue to the friendly town of Hsipaw, also a great place to meet hill tribe peoples. We visit two of Hsipaw’s temples, the Ko Myo Shin and Pa Le Yin (The Altar of Spiritual Being), then walk through farms to small Shan villages along the banks of the Dohtawaddy River.  After a visit to Hsipaw’s “candlelight” Shan market, named for its early morning start, we drive through the scenic hills of Shan State to the old town of Pyin Oo Lwin, known as Maymyo during British times.

Days 14-16
Mandalay

In Mandalay, Burma’s cultural capital, we walk up Mandalay Hill for sunset views, explore the Mahamuni Pagoda, with its huge Buddha image that devotees have covered with countless layers of gold leaf, ferry to the ruins of Ava, the Burmese capital from the 14th to the 19th centuries, and visit Amarapura, the old capital of Burma prior to Mandalay.

Days 17-18
Bagan

We have two days to explore remarkable Bagan (formerly Pagan), Burma’s first World Heritage Site, where 2,000 pagodas and temples are scattered across 24 square miles of countryside. Built in the 11th century and overrun just 200 years later by Kublai Khan, Bagan is one of the most extraordinary sights in Burma if not in all of Southeast Asia. At sunset, the views from atop the temples are ethereal.

Days 19-24
Pindaya Caves / Kalaw / Tauggyi Balloon Festival / Inle Lake

Flying to Heho, we head to Pindaya, with its ancient Buddhist caves, and explore villages around the old hill town of Kalaw. In the town of Taunggyi, we witness the festive annual Hot Air Balloon Festival, and at magical Inle Lake, we visit floating markets and silk-weaving villages from our lakeside hotel. A day hike brings us through subtropical hills to a traditional Pa-O village.

Days 25-28
Old Rangoon and Shwedagon

In Rangoon, we mingle with Buddhist pilgrims at Shwedagon, Kipling’s “winking wonder,” the largest Buddhist temple of its kind in the world, a magical sight in the early morning light and at twilight. We also visit the eight-sided Sule Pagoda, the Bogyoke Market, and stroll along the bustling waterfront of the Rangoon River. Depart on Day 28.

For a more complete description, Download Full Detailed Itinerary

What the Trip is Like

This trip is Level 2, easy to moderate, according to our trip grading system. It is an overland cultural adventure, and for the most part, physical activity is light (all hiking is optional) but we still encourage participants to get in shape for the trip because travel to remote places does require some physical stamina. There will be long driving days on the journey. Please note that you will be visiting areas where tourism has been relatively limited. We ask that you make a special effort to bring flexibility and a spirit of adventure to this unique journey.

Explanation of Trip Levels