Northern Shan State by Train

^{4 Days / 3 Night}s

Itinerary (Mandalay - Pyin Oo Lwin - Hsipaw - Pyin Oo Lwin - Hsipaw - Mandalay)

NORTHERN SHAN STATE BY TRAIN 4 Days / 3 Nights (EMR/NSST)

DAY 1 : Mandalay-Pyin Oo Lwin (Breakfast)
Leave Mandalay for a scenic two hour drive to the former British hill station of Maymyo, now called Pyin Oo Lwin. Many reminders of the colonial era are still present in Pyin Oo Lwin, including brick and timber houses. Enjoy a traditional horse and carriage ride through the town and walk around the beautiful recently renovated Botanical Gardens. Visit the local market in the centre of the town near to the clock tower. In the afternoon take an excursion to the impressive Pwe Kauk waterfalls, north of Pyin Oo Lwin. Overnight in Pyin Oo Lwin.

DAY 2 : Pyin Oo Lwin-Hsipaw (B, L)
After breakfast transfer to the railway station for the six hour train journey to Hsipaw and experience an unforgettable journey including the famous Gokteik Viaduct, spanning a 300m gorge in the Shan Mountains. After a packed lunch on the train arrive at Hsipaw, a pleasant Shan town on the Dokhtawady River in the afternoon. Evening walk around Hsipaw before dinner and overnight at a local guest house in Hsipaw.
 

DAY 3 : Hsipaw (B, L)
After breakfast at a local restaurant begin an easy trek around Hsipaw with a local trekking guide. Enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Shan Plateau with its paddy fields, seasonal cultivation and green mountains. Stop by several Shan villages and observe village life. In the afternoon, after a picnic lunch, continue trekking to an impressive waterfall. Late afternoon enjoy sunset on a boat on the Dokhtawady River. Overnight at a guest house in Hsipaw.

DAY 4 : Hsipaw-Mandalay (B)
After breakfast stroll around the local market and visit the Shan Haw or Shan Palace, one of the last surviving examples of a Shan Palace now opened as a small museum. In the early afternoon depart for the six hour drive back to Mandalay via Pyin Oo Lwin.


*B : Breakfast, L : Lunch, D : Dinner