You will be collected by your guide at approximately 16:00 this afternoon and escorted directly to Bagan’s bustling boat jetty.

As the majority of travellers start to flock towards the temple viewing mounds, take to the Irrawaddy in a private boat to enjoy a personal and equally impressive sunset experience. Cruising along the river with a beer (or soft drink) in hand, put your feet up and enjoy a unique perspective of Bagan’s ancient temples, local life and the sky’s ever-changing palette of red, yellow and orange hues.

Once back on land and as darkness begins to fall, we’ll make our way to the 920-year-old Ananda temple, one of Bagan’s grandest in terms of size and design. Built using a fusion of Mon and Indian inspired techniques, this striking monument houses four ginormous standing Buddha images, each of whom keep eternal watch over the temple’s four entrances. These look particularly picturesque in the evening, as do the 554 embossed terra cotta tiles that depict the life of Buddha.

With the night having well and truly set, we’ll now drive to see the mother of all Myanmar stupas, Shwezigon, illuminated in gold. Construction of the pagoda began in the mid-11th century during the reign of King Arawratha, but it was his son (King Kyansittha) who completed the build in 1102. No thanks to old age and numerous natural disasters, what you see today is a mishmash of different periods. The lower level terraces are original, but the last 500 years has seen substantial touch-ups made to the upper and middle sections. After the earthquake of 1975, the decision was made to strengthen the structure using over 30,000 gold-gilded copper plates. As the prototype of all Burmese stupas, it’s easy to understand why so many people, from kings to pilgrims, have worked so hard to maintain Shwezigon throughout the years.

For dinner, we’ve made a reservation on your behalf at Secret Home, a restaurant that serves fresh, locally sourced produce in what started off as the owner’s living room*. If you’re lucky enough to time your visit in-between the months of October and February, a live culture show can be enjoyed at the restaurant every evening from 20:00 to 20:45.

*Note: This is a reservation only. To avoid wastage and to make the arrangements more cost effective, we would recommend purchasing food and drink locally here.