Step into Mandalay’s past at the Glass Palace and Shwenandaw Monastery, where King Thibaw comes alive through immersive storytelling.
With so many places to see across Myanmar, why does Mandalay still stand out? It was the royal capital of the country’s last monarchy, and that history is still visible in its streets and buildings today. Guided by a local expert, this journey takes you into the royal history of Mandalay’s Glass Palace and its last emperor, ending with a Buddha statue brought here by King Thibaw just before his defeat and exile to India. This isn’t ordinary history — it’s a story you walk through, not just hear about.
The day begins with the story of King Thibaw and Queen Supayalat, the last king and queen of Burma, exiled to India in 1885. Thibaw became king in 1878 under dramatic circumstances, in a reign that would end just seven years later. The well-known book “The Glass Palace” by Amitav Ghosh tells this story in detail, but walking through the same halls Thibaw once ruled brings it to life in a way no book can.
From here, you step inside Mandalay Fort and walk the grounds of the rebuilt palace, a faithful reconstruction of the original built by King Mindon. A short walk brings you to one of the most beautiful stops of the day: the wood-carved Shwenandaw Monastery, just outside the palace walls, where Mindon once lived and died, and where Thibaw later returned for quiet meditation. Look closely and you’ll see teak carvings, hand-cut more than a century ago, still standing in remarkable detail. From here, the journey continues to the lesser-known Setkyathiha Pagoda, home to a bronze sitting Buddha that Thibaw brought to Mandalay just before war broke out.
Along the way, your guide brings you into local workshops where the same royal craftsmanship is still alive today — artisans hammering gold into delicate leaf, carving intricate woodwork, and weaving kalaga tapestries with silver and gold thread. The day winds down with a relaxed lunch of traditional Mandalay curries, a fitting close to a day spent walking through the city’s royal past.
This is immersive storytelling at its finest, where royal history is not simply told to you but walked through, touched, and tasted, leaving you with a far deeper understanding of Mandalay’s last monarchy than any book ever could. To learn more or book your journey, reach us at sales.myanmar@khiri.com.