The Heart of Myanmar and Thailand

DAY 1 International Flight

Your adventure begins as you head to the airport and board an international flight to Bangkok. This overnight flight leaves at around lunchtime and takes roughly 11 hours.

DAY 2 Arrive and explore Yangon

Landing into the Thai capital in the early morning you can transfer across to the shorter flight to Yangon, with your bags checked straight through. On arrival you'll be met by a driver at arrivals and taken to your hotel in the centre of town. After a quick freshen up and the morning spent settling into your new surroundings a guide will meet you at the hotel for an afternoon walking tour. Your guide will introduce you to some of the buildings on the Yangon City Heritage List, a collection of 188 man-made structures mainly consisting of religious landmarks and colonial-era buildings. Highlights include the City Hall, the old railway station, the former Minister's office, St Mary's Cathedral and the Buddhist landmarks of Sule Paya and Botataung Pagoda.

Walking through the streets you'll also witness the lifestyle of the locals, taking in the buzz at the busy bus and boat stations and hidden street markets before stopping for a cup of tea or coffee at Lat Ywae Sin tea shop, a favourite with the locals thanks to its famous home roasted coffee and delicious semolina cake.

DAY 3 To Bagan

Today head onwards on your journey through Myanmar, with a short (roughly one hour and 20 minutes) domestic flight from Yangon to Bagan. You'll be met by a driver and taken to the airport in plenty of time, and then collected and transferred to your new hotel at the other end.

Once settled in, the afternoon is yours to explore before your evening plans begin. Tonight we've arranged for you to take a cruise along the Irrawaddy River as the sun sets over the temple plains. From the boat you'll go ashore to explore the crowd-free pagodas and then wander through peaceful Shwezigon to see the illuminated facades and mingle with locals at a nearby night market.

DAY 4 To Mandalay

With one heck of a day behind you, today it's time to move on again. This time to Mandalay, which is a four-hour drive away. On arrival you'll drop your bags and head out to explore the area with a private guide.

You'll first be collected and taken to Mahamuni Pagoda, Mandalay's most important religious site. The temple's massive Buddha image is coated with gold leaf applied by the local pilgrims - in fact, so much gold leaf has been applied over the years that the image now appears 'lumpy' in texture.

Next, visit some of the city's traditional workshops and see the skilled craftsmen at work. After that, continue to Kuthodaw Pagoda, whose 729 marble stone slabs of Buddhist scriptures have earned it the title 'World's Biggest Book', and then to Shwenandaw Monastery, the only remaining building from the 19th century Royal Palace. Finally, head to the top of Mandalay Hill as the sun begins to set to enjoy magnificent views of the city and Irrawaddy River.

DAY 5 Chiang Mai

Today the second half of your holiday begins as you start adventuring on Thai soil. You can spend this morning relaxing at your hotel and after lunch you will be met by a guide for a tour of the many beautiful temples around Chiang Mai. Start with a visit to the town centre, then hop on a pedal-powered trishaw to explore the old town where you'll stop at the Three Kings Monument on the way to Wat Phra Singh, one of the city's most revered temples. See the various buildings in the compound, admire its ancient Buddha image and hear about its 700-year history. Then continue on foot to Wat Chedi Luang and finally pass through Chiang Mai's silver district to see Wat Sri Suphan, a temple made from ornate silver.

DAY 6 To the beach

Today it's time to head south for some well-deserved beach bliss. You'll be collected at your hotel and driven to Chiang Mai airport where you'll catch a direct two-hour flight to Phuket. Once again you'll be collected and taken to your new hotel, this time on the sandy shores of this beautiful island.

As the afternoon draws in, wander down the beach and dip your toes in the sea before settling down with a cocktail to watch the sun set and the sky light up. For dinner we recommend some fresh seafood eaten overlooking the sea it was caught in that morning.

DAY 7 Home time

As with all good things, the holiday has sadly had to come to an end today. But, not before you are transferred to the airport to catch your flight to Bangkok, which will take an hour and a half, and then onward 12-hour flight to the UK, arriving in the evening.