Ava & U Bein Sunset Tour

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Ava & U Bein Sunset Tour

Price

60 USD

Duration

½ day

Timing

Afternoon/evening

Level

Novice

Tour Code

GHMC12

BOOK THIS TOUR

Explore Ancient Ava and U Bein at Sunset

A bike is the best way to explore the ancient capital of Ava. We will take you through small communities surrounded by picturesque ruins and, after a short ferry ride, continue cycling to one of Myanmar’s ancient capitals, Amarapura. End the day relaxing on a boat as you watch the sunset at the iconic U Bein’s Bridge.

Main Attractions:

+ Zaygyo village
+ Yadanasimi Paya
+ Sunset boat ride
+ U Bein bridge

Includes:

+ Expert guide
+ Cold drinks
+ Water bottle
+ Snacks
+Support Van

Please note: Myanmar day tours will not operate April 12th to 17th due to Burmese New Year holidays. We will re-open April 18th and apologize for any inconvenience. Hope you enjoy the many celebrations happening this time of year!

MORE TOURS

Departs: Daily

Distance: 20 KM

Group: 1 - 10 people

Meet: Hotel pickup
Finish: Hotel drop off

Start: 12:30 pm
Finish: 7:30 pm (est)

Fun for the whole family!

Tour Itinerary

Start Time: 12:30pm – End Time: 7:30pm

Pickup & Drive out of Mandalay

We start in the early afternoon with a pickup from your hotel. The starting time varies throughout the year to adjust for the timing of sunset, so we will communicate the actual start time to you before the tour. We then drive south from Mandalay to get out of the city’s busy streets. As the traffic fades, we find ourselves in the dry zone where, thanks to ancient canals, the local Burmese can sustain an agricultural livelihood.

On Your Bike
We hit the bikes and take the old Royal Road into the ancient city of Ava, now flanked by a lively community where locals will be pleasantly surprised to see you and call out with greetings. We’ll pedal through small villages and stop to see some of the cottage industries that have been operating here for centuries for an interesting cultural experience. Riding on, we’ll come across atmospheric ruins far from the usual tourist route taken by the horse-cart drivers, so we’re likely to have the place to ourselves. After passing through gates in the impressive walls of the central city, we find ourselves in something like a walled garden with golden pagoda spires scattered amongst the trees above.

River Crossing
Soon we’ll board a small ferry boat for a short crossing over the Dohtawaddy (or “small river”) where we’ll refuel with a well-earned snack break. The next couple of kilometers can be a little busy after the peace of Ava, so our support van is there for anyone who wishes to take a break from the bike and hop in.

U Bein - the Man & the Bridge
Soon we direct the handlebars onto a quieter road leading through small villages on the outskirts of another of the old capitals, Amarapura, still famous for its silk weaving industry. Along the way, we stop in the little-known hometown of Mayor U Bein himself, after whom the famous teakwood bridge is named, and learn about a Muslim community that has lived here for the last two hundred years or so. We finish our ride at U Bein’s Bridge. This world’s longest teakwood bridge spans 1.2km and was reportedly built by Mayor U Bein from salvaged teakwood that was left behind in the move of the capital from Amarapura to Mandalay in 1859. Whilst the bridge has been repaired from time to time, the pillars are still the original wood. After viewing a breathtaking sunset, we'll walk along the shores and the bridge itself to catch the last light of the day before driving back to Mandalay, arriving around 6:30-7:30pm.

Most of the day’s cycling is on tracks and small roads, some with bumpy surfaces our bikes are specially made to handle. Your guide will demonstrate a technique to make this part of the ride smoother. There is minimal traffic at all times.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

The area was home to Burmese Kings four times over many centuries, despite repeated sackings at the hands of rival factions. Although the Royal Capital eventually moved to Mandalay, the “Court of Ava” remained the European term for the Kingdom. With rivers already on two of its triangular sides, the area was turned into a man-made island to improve its defences, making it a peaceful place for our bike ride and an opportunity to learn more about Burmese history.

U Bein’s Bridge is one of Mandalay's most famous sights, and seeing it in the late afternoon light is without a doubt the best time to sit back and enjoy the view. Getting there is half the fun of this ride as you pass picturesque countryside and see village life.

Impeccably maintained Merida mountain bikes with a helmet are provided. The bikes have front suspension, full hydraulic brakes a comfortable saddle and an upright riding position. We also provide a refillable water bottle.

An experienced English speaking, local leader will host you on this trip who is well spoken, very knowledgeable, and charming. Our leaders are often cited as being the main highlight of the tour. We use local guides who have a passion for their country and are always well informed on topics ranging from history, politics, cuisine and importantly local customs and cultures. Our leaders will take pride in introducing you to every aspect of their country while looking out for your comfort and safety at all times.

Local snacks are provided during the tour, and clean water is always available to keep you well hydrated.

This tour is guaranteed for a minimum of just 2 travelers. And we limit the group size to only 10 travelers so that you get all the attention you want in an intimate group.

We have a range of kids sized bikes, tag-alongs and child seats so there's no reason to leave the kids at the hotel. And to help families we offer discounts to all children aged 15 years and below: Ages 0 to 4 years - 50% off / Ages 5 to 12 years - 30% off / Ages 13 to 15 years - 10% off

This tour is fully supported by an air-conditioned support vehicle, so if you need a break from riding the van is always there for a little relief.

MEETING POINT

Meeting Time:

Grasshopper Adventures - Mandalay Bike Shop

Parami Lane - Between Streets 25 & 26, and Streets 58 & 59, Mahar Zayyar Bon Quarter, Mandalay, Myanmar

Phone: +95 94 0265 9886

Note:

Meeting time: 12:30pm to 01:30pm - depending on the time of year. Time will be advised at the time of booking.

For a face to face chat about this and other amazing tours, feel free to visit us at our Mandalay shop.

GUEST REVIEWS

We had a fantastic time cycling through the Mandalay countryside with Than. We got to see the Mandalay outside of the guidebooks and met some lovely local people on the way. We visited markets, farms, little villages and was lucky to see an initiation ceremony in one of the villages for the young ‘monks’. Lunch in a tea room was a perfect end.

-jacquelinev255

Wonderful guide, good wheels and a great route made this unforgettable! Sunset at UBein bridge was the absolute highlight. Thanks a bunch!

-959claudikNovember 2018

We both really enjoyed this cycle tour and it completely exceeded our expectations! We'll be back.

-Conorr863

We went on a full day tour 24th Jan 2019 where we did several stops in villages, factories, temple and other places. Topped it all off with sunset at U Bein Bridge. It was a great trip, our guide Sai was the best and had great English as well!

-Dreamer7278788

We went to hidden gems. We did magic boat rides at sunset (you need to do both in Bagan and Mandalay, my favorites moments).

-marieg93

THIS TOUR CAN SELL OUT QUICK!

SAVE YOUR SPOT NOW! RELAX LATER!

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