Asia offers some of the most rewarding — and most different — vacations available, from Japan’s temples and neon-lit cities to Thailand’s islands, Bali’s rice terraces and beach clubs, and the overwater villas of the Maldives.
But it’s also a huge continent covering vastly different climates, costs and travel styles. Start here to find the destination that fits your trip.
For current destination and international travel information, visit the U.S. Department of State before your trip.
Japan
Ancient temples, world-class cities, incredible food and a rail system that makes multi-city trips easy — Japan works for first-timers and repeat visitors alike.
Read the full Japan travel guide →
Thailand
Islands, beaches, temples and famously good food, with a range of budgets from backpacker-friendly to luxury resorts.
Read the full Thailand travel guide →
Bali
Rice terraces, beach clubs, wellness retreats and a well-developed tourism scene make Bali one of the most popular Southeast Asian destinations for couples and honeymooners.
Read the full Bali travel guide →
Maldives
Overwater villas, turquoise lagoons and some of the most exclusive resorts in the world make the Maldives a bucket-list honeymoon and anniversary destination.
Read the full Maldives travel guide →
Singapore
A polished, easy-to-navigate city-state that works well as a stopover or a short city break on its own, with a food scene that punches well above its size.
Read the full Singapore travel guide →
Explore Our Asia Guides
We now have full destination guides for Japan, Thailand, Bali, Maldives and Singapore, with more Asia destinations on the way. Browse all of our destination guides to start planning.
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More Tips From This Asia Travel Guide
This Asia travel guide covers destinations with very different trip styles, so pick a region before a ship or resort. Japan suits an active, city-and-culture itinerary, Thailand and Bali combine beach time with temples and rice terraces at a lower cost, and the Maldives is built almost entirely around a single overwater-resort stay.
Flight time is a bigger factor in this Asia travel guide than in most other regions, since most of these destinations require 15 or more hours of total flying from the US, frequently with at least one connection, so plan for real recovery time on both ends of a long-haul trip.
Check visa requirements early when using this Asia travel guide to plan, since entry rules vary significantly by country and some destinations require a visa arranged in advance rather than one issued on arrival. For current country-specific entry requirements, the U.S. State Department is a useful outside resource to check before booking.
Seasonality shifts meaningfully by destination in this Asia travel guide. Japan’s cherry blossom season and fall foliage are the most popular (and most expensive) windows, while Thailand, Bali and the Maldives each have a distinct dry season worth timing your trip around to avoid the heaviest monsoon rains.
Budget for a wide range across this Asia travel guide, since Thailand and Bali can be surprisingly affordable compared to a typical Caribbean resort trip, while Japan and especially the Maldives tend to run considerably higher once flights, resorts and dining are factored in.
First-time visitors following this Asia travel guide often do best starting with Thailand, since it combines an established tourism infrastructure, relatively affordable prices and a wide range of experiences from beaches to temples to cities within a single country.
Consider pairing two nearby destinations from this Asia travel guide into one trip, such as Bali with Singapore or Thailand with a Japan stopover, since the long flight to reach this part of the world is easier to justify when it covers more than one stop.