OVERVIEW
The Elephant Coach, as it is often referred to, is a sensitively restored antique Chevrolet bus from the 1940s that adds a VIP touch to typical half or full day Yangon sightseeing arrangements. The coach’s interior has been lavishly refurbished using eye-catching, locally sourced materials such as teak and Shan cotton fabric. When compared to the majority of vehicles assigned for touring, the seats are extremely spacious allowing more room to spread out and relax in comfort mid-tour.
Pace
Easy going
TOUR PERIOD
Half or full day
HIGHLIGHTS
- Explore Yangon’s key sights in the comfort of an old Chevrolet passengers bus.
- Experience what is arguably the most exclusive way of getting around.
- Visit some of the city’s most popular colonial heritage buildings, Chinatown, the Indian quarters, Bogyoke market and Shwedagon Pagoda.
- Be the envy of any other tourist you cross.
ITINERARY IN DETAIL
Meet with you guide early this morning before being transferred to the Elephant Coach to begin the tour. Depending on your location, it’s then a short drive until you reach Pansodan Jetty, a bustling port area thriving with local life. From here we’ll then take a short stroll into the centre of Yangon’s downtown area admiring plethora grand colonial facades along the way. Navigate your way through the wide streets until you reach Sule Pagoda, an important place of Buddhist worship thought to be somewhere in the region of 2,000 years old. Designated the centre of Yangon by Lt. Alexander Fraser of the Bengal Engineers in the middle of the 19th century (an officer who created the present-day street layout), from here you can enjoy unrivalled views of the Independence Monument in Maha Bandula Park, Yangon City Hall, Immanuel Baptist Church and the imposing High Court.
We will then venture through the streets that make up the even more lively Indian quarters, before reaching the colourful and ever-eventful Chinatown district. Having surely worked up an appetite by now, take a quick break for lunch at a restaurant of your choosing recommendations will be provided depending on your fancy).
In the afternoon, proceed to Bogyoke Aung San (Scott’s) Market, a huge covered market space selling items and services ranging from souvenirs to tailor-made shirts. Although the market feels touristy and the prices are a lot steeper than what you’ll find elsewhere in the country, it’s still a fun place to visit and there’s always room for negotiation.
To conclude your full day tour of Yangon in style, pay a visit to Myanmar’s most sacred Buddhist monument, Shwedagon Pagoda. Believed to be have operated as a place of worship in the same spot for 2,500 years, this 99-metre tall golden edifice has witnessed it all from the retreat of the British troops in 1942 to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s first mass rally. The current hti (an umbrella that adorns the top of pagodas) is decorated with approximately 85,000 jewels, with the centerpiece being a 76-carat diamond. Enshrined inside the pagoda itself is said to be the relics of the four previous Buddhas of the present kalpa (aeon).
Once you’ve finished taking it all in, transfer back to your hotel in style using the Elephant Coach.
INCLUSIONS
- Transportation to/from hotel in an airconditioned vintage coach
- Entrance fees
- English speaking tour guide (for other languages, please enquire)
- Drinking water and hand towel
EXCLUSIONS
- Any meals
- Accommodation
Notes
- At Shwedagon Pagoda avoid showing too much skin – if your attire is deemed inappropriate you will be turned away.
- You will also be expected to remove your shoes. Entering without doing so is strictly prohibited.
- Bogyoke market is closed on Mondays and public holidays.
- A supplementary fee may apply on certain days – Tour Mandalay will inform you of this
beforehand.