Asia Travel Guide: How to Think About the Continent (2026)

Asia is forty-eight countries, eleven major language families, two billion years of geological variety, and roughly half the world’s humans. Treating it as one travel destination is like treating "the Americas" as one destination. The first decision you make about Asia travel isn’t where to go — it’s which Asia.

This page is our running map of the continent: every guide we’ve published, plus an honest take on how to think about where to start, the practical things that change between regions, and the trips we’d recommend to a friend depending on what they’re after.

The four Asias, and how to choose one

It helps to think of the continent in four travel-distinct regions, because the visas, climates, foods, and cultural codes change dramatically across them.

East Asia — Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, urban China. The infrastructure is world-class. Trains run to the second. Cities are immaculate. Service is detail-obsessed in a way that takes some adjustment. Costs are higher than Southeast Asia (Tokyo and Seoul roughly match a mid-tier European capital), and the cultural learning curve for body language and etiquette is steep but rewarding. Best months: April (cherry blossom in Japan, mild Korea), October (autumn colour and clear skies across all four).

Southeast Asia — Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore. The traveller heartland of the continent. Visa-on-arrival or visa-free for most passports. Cheap by global standards. Tropical weather with wet and dry seasons that shift the optimal itinerary every 4-6 weeks. The food is the strongest argument for travelling here regardless of season. Best months depend on country: November-March for mainland Southeast Asia, April-October for Indonesia’s south coast.

South Asia — India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Maldives. The most intense in every direction: colour, noise, food, scenery, contradiction. India alone is six countries in a trench coat. Logistics demand patience — this is the region where flights get cancelled, trains run six hours late, and a 200km journey takes 8 hours. Reward for that patience is the highest food and cultural density on the planet. Best months: October-March for the bulk of the subcontinent; June-September for Ladakh and the high Himalayas.

Central Asia — Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Mongolia. The Silk Road heartland is now realistically visitable for the first time in a generation. Uzbekistan dropped visas for most Western passports in 2019. The high-altitude alpine of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan rivals anything in the Alps for a fraction of the cost. Mongolia is the empty country experience: 3.4 million people in an area three times France. Best months: May-September across the region (winters are brutal except for Uzbekistan, which is mild and beautiful in winter).

Where to start if it’s your first Asia trip

The honest answer depends entirely on what you want.

• If you want order, design, and food culture: Japan. Two weeks, Tokyo plus Kyoto plus one rural prefecture (Wakayama, Tohoku, or Setouchi). The cleanest first-trip-to-Asia experience.
• If you want beaches, low costs, and easy logistics: Thailand or Bali. Bangkok or Ubud, then a beach. Internet works. Coffee is good. The travel learning curve is gentle.
• If you want the maximum sensory experience: Vietnam or India. Vietnam is the easier first step (Hoi An, Hanoi, Saigon, the Mekong Delta). India is the more intense version, and you need at least three weeks to do it any justice.
• If you want quiet, mountains, and almost no tourists: Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan for hiking, Uzbekistan for the architecture along the Silk Road, Tajikistan for the Pamir highway road trip.
• If you want modern megalopolis without the tropical heat: Seoul or Taipei. Both deeply underrated as solo first-trip destinations.

Every Asia destination we’ve published

Cultural specifics worth knowing before you go

Asia rewards small upfront effort here. A few things that translate across most of the region, and the few that don’t.

• Shoes off indoors. Japan, Korea, Thailand, parts of Indonesia, much of India: indoor shoes come off at the entrance. Slip-on footwear genuinely matters here.
• Modest dress at religious sites. Shoulders and knees covered for temples, mosques, and shrines across the region. Sarongs and shoulder wraps are sold at most major sites if you forget.
• The left-hand rule. Across most of South and Southeast Asia, the left hand is the toilet hand. Eat, gesture, and hand things over with the right.
• Tipping is local, not universal. Japan and Korea: don’t. Thailand and Vietnam: small notes for guides and drivers. India: 10% in nice restaurants, small change for hotel staff. China: increasingly normalised in tourist contexts, still not expected.
• Bargaining etiquette. Markets in Vietnam, India, Morocco-style souks: yes, expected. Department stores, restaurants, fixed-price tourism counters: never. Asking is fine; aggressive pressure is rude.

Visas, climate, and the practicalities

Visas. Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam (for short stays), Sri Lanka, and most of Central Asia are visa-free or e-visa-on-arrival for most Western passports as of 2026. India still requires an e-visa for almost everyone (apply at indianvisaonline.gov.in, takes 3-5 days, $25-100 depending on length). China relaxed considerably in late 2024 with 30-day visa-free transit for several Western nationalities.

Climate is the dominant variable. Asia is broadly divided by the monsoon system. Mainland Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia) has its dry season from November to early April. Indonesia’s south coast (Bali) flips this: dry season April-October, wet November-March. India runs October-March for most of the country, but the Himalayan north (Ladakh, Spiti) is best June-September when the lowlands are flooded. Japan and Korea are temperate and four-seasoned. Plan around the season, not the date.

Money. Cards work in cities across East and Southeast Asia and the major cities of India. Cash is still king in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Nepal, and rural areas everywhere. Avoid airport ATMs (poor rates); use a major bank ATM in the first city. Carry small notes — large-denomination changes are the standard local hustle.

Connectivity. Airalo eSIMs work in 200+ countries. For a multi-country Asia trip the Asialink regional eSIM gives you 10-15 countries for the price of one. For a single-country deep dive, a local SIM is cheaper (a Vietnam Viettel SIM at the airport: $5 for 30 days, 10GB).

Frequently Asked Questions about Asia Travel