Today you will go to Mandalay jetty where you will take a short and pleasant ride upriver to Mingun, the site of what would have been the world's largest pagoda had not King Bodawpaya died in 1819 thus halting all further work. Later an earthquake in 1838 split the monument and reduced it to partial rubble. Nonetheless, the mammoth base of the unfinished pagoda is still a very impressive sight as we approach from the river.
Nearby you can also visit the Myathein Than Pagoda, Mingun Bell, moved from the zedi after the earthquake and now hung in a new shrine building. It is said to be the largest hanging un-cracked bell in the world. Return to Mandalay.
Afternoon sightseeing to another former royal capital, Inwa which was founded in 1364 and which lasted nearly 400 years as a royal capital. Highlights include the ‘leaning tower of Ava’, Maha Aung mye Bonzan, a brick-and-stucco monastery, and the elegant teakwood monastery Bagaya Kyaung.