AsiaVela

First-trip guides to Asia, country by country

Where to start in each Asian country on a first visit: how long to stay, which places to choose and what to sort out before you fly.

First trip

24
A white shinkansen pulling into an open-air platform at Tokyo Station, with office towers behind under a clear blue sky
Japan · Two weeks (13 nights); 7–10 days if you drop the side trips

First trip to Japan

How to shape two weeks in Japan, what to settle before you fly (entry, Visit Japan Web, cash, data, insurance) and which trains, tickets and rooms to book.

Read the guide
The Chakri Maha Prasat hall and its lawn inside the Grand Palace in Bangkok under a blue sky
Thailand · Seven days and six nights for Bangkok plus Chiang Mai; fourteen days and thirteen nights for Bangkok, Chiang Mai and one coast.

First trip to Thailand

Plan six nights or two weeks in Thailand, choosing Bangkok, the north and one coast, with entry steps, SIMs and booking priorities.

Read the guide
Green rice terraces at Jatiluwih in Bali with a small open-sided pavilion and volcanic mountains under a blue sky
Indonesia · 7 days (6 nights) on Bali; 10 days (9 nights) adds one spoke; 14 days (13 nights) gives that spoke more time

First trip to Indonesia

Plan a first trip to Indonesia: how many nights, Bali or Lombok, entry steps, the Bali levy, paying in rupiah, SIM and the safety rules that change a booking.

Read the guide
Yellow shophouses with green lanterns at a street corner in Hoi An Ancient Town under a blue sky
Vietnam · 13 nights for the north, centre and south; 6 nights for the north alone

First trip to Vietnam

How many days a first trip to Vietnam needs, whether to start with the north, centre or south, when to go, what to leave out, and money, SIM and etiquette.

Read the guide
Hyangwonjeong Pavilion on its pond at Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul under a blue sky
South Korea · Five days for Seoul alone; seven days and six nights for Seoul, Gyeongju and Busan; ten days or two weeks to add Jeonju, Yeosu, the east coast or Jeju

First trip to South Korea

How many days a first trip to South Korea needs, which region to pick, where to land, how to pay and stay online, and what rooms, palace tickets and the subway cost.

Read the guide
Tainan Confucius Temple in daylight
Taiwan · Five days and four nights in Taipei; seven days and six nights with Sun Moon Lake and Tainan.

First trip to Taiwan

Plan a first Taiwan trip: nights and bases, compare rail routes, arrange the arrival card and SIM, and choose a hot-spring day.

Read the guide
Palm-framed view across Pantai Cenang beach in Langkawi
Malaysia · 7 days, 6 nights: 3 in Kuala Lumpur, 3 in George Town

First trip to Malaysia

Seven days in Kuala Lumpur and George Town: where to base yourself, visa by nationality and the MDAC, the ETS train to Penang and what to see.

Read the guide
Colourful shophouse facades on Pagoda Street
Singapore · 4 nights (3 for a city-only visit)

First trip to Singapore

Four nights in Singapore: where to base yourself, visa and SG Arrival Card, Changi to the city, cards and cash, what to book first and weather.

Read the guide
Clear water and forested coastline in El Nido Bay, Palawan
Philippines · Seven days and six nights for Cebu and Bohol or a single beach base; ten days and nine nights for Palawan; fourteen days and thirteen nights for Palawan and Bohol.

Your first trip to the Philippines

Plan a first Philippines trip: the Cebu–Bohol week, what to book first, the main regions, cash, SIMs and travel with children.

Read the guide
Carved battle figures in an Angkor Wat bas-relief
Cambodia · 7 days / 6 nights: Siem Reap 4, Phnom Penh 2

Your first trip to Cambodia

Plan a first week in Cambodia: four nights in Siem Reap, two in Phnom Penh, Angkor, visa steps and the intercity bus.

Read the guide
Rice fields and karst hills in Vang Vieng
Laos · 5 days / 4 nights in Luang Prabang; 7 days / 6 nights along the railway; 10 days / 9 nights with Nong Khiaw

First trip to Laos

Choose five, seven or ten days in Laos: Luang Prabang alone, the railway south, Nong Khiaw, or extra days for Bolaven and the Plain of Jars.

Read the guide
Hong Kong towers and Victoria Harbour seen from the Peak
Hong Kong · 5 days / 4 nights; depart on day 5

First trip to Hong Kong

Choose a Hong Kong base and a five-day first visit: harbour ferries, Central heritage, the Peak, West Kowloon, Lamma and the practical arrival decisions.

Read the guide
Green Taipa House beside a stone-paved path
Macau · 1 night / 2 days; depart on day 2

First trip to Macau

Plan a first Macau visit: where to sleep, entry rules, a two-day peninsula, Taipa and Coloane route, public transport, local food and a priced transport budget.

Read the guide
India Gate at the end of Kartavya Path in New Delhi under a partly cloudy sky
India · One week for the Golden Triangle; 11 to 13 days with Varanasi and Khajuraho or Rajasthan; two weeks or more with the south

First trip to India

How long a first India trip needs, which route fits one, two or three weeks, the month for each region, arrival airports, money, SIM cards and temple manners.

Read the guide
The Kathmandu Valley seen from a hill above it, with housing spread across the valley floor and green hills under scattered cloud
Nepal · A week for the Kathmandu Valley and one more region; ten days for the valley, Pokhara and Chitwan; two weeks to add Lumbini or a short trek

First trip to Nepal

Choose the length, route and season of a first Nepal trip: what a week, ten days or two weeks hold, what to book first, and the altitude, water, air and road advice.

Read the guide
A painted public bus and a red tuk-tuk on a wet road through tea fields in the Sri Lankan hills
Sri Lanka · 10 days, 9 nights: 1 in Colombo, 2 in the Sigiriya area, 2 in Kandy, 2 in Ella, 2 in Galle

First trip to Sri Lanka

Nine nights through the ancient cities, Kandy, Ella and Galle: all-in costs for two, the ETA, trains, monsoons, dengue, the sea and the roads.

Read the guide
Barak Khan Madrasa in the Khast Imam complex, Tashkent
Uzbekistan · 7 days / 6 nights (Tashkent 2, Samarkand 2, Bukhara 2) or 10 days / 9 nights (Tashkent 2, Samarkand 3, Bukhara 2, Khiva 2)

First trip to Uzbekistan

Choose seven days or ten for Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva: nights, trains, season, registration, money, a SIM and an all-in budget.

Read the guide
Close view of terracotta warriors in Pit 1 of the Terracotta Army museum at Lintong, with tied hair and moustaches
China · 7 days / 6 nights

First trip to China

How long a first China trip should be, then a week in Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai: what to book first, the trains, entry, paying and the cost per day.

Read the guide
Lower Kolsay Lake between spruce-covered slopes under a blue sky
Kazakhstan · 7 days / 6 nights (Almaty 3, Saty 2 on a group tour, Almaty 1) or 5 days / 4 nights in Almaty only

First trip to Kazakhstan

A first week in Kazakhstan from Almaty: Big Almaty Lake, Shymbulak, Charyn and the Kolsai lakes, with entry, money, SIM rules and a daily budget plus one extra lunch.

Read the guide
Red sandstone cliffs of Jeti-Oguz above a green valley
Kyrgyzstan · 8 days / 7 nights (Bishkek 2, Cholpon-Ata 1, Karakol 4), or 7 days / 6 nights going straight to Karakol

First trip to Kyrgyzstan

Plan eight days from Bishkek along Issyk-Kul to Karakol, with a day on the south shore: nights, buses and drivers, season, money, a SIM, etiquette and a daily budget.

Read the guide
Wooden jetty crossing a turquoise lagoon to white water villas at Thudufushi in Ari Atoll
Maldives · 7 days / 6 nights (Malé 1, Maafushi 3, a resort 2), or 10 days / 9 nights with three nights on Thulusdhoo

First trip to the Maldives

Resort or guesthouse island for a first Maldives trip: the rules on alcohol and dress, money, SIM cards, entry, safety and what a day costs at three levels.

Read the guide
The whitewashed courtyard buildings of Punakha Dzong with carved wooden galleries
Bhutan · 7 days / 6 nights (Thimphu 2, Punakha 2, Paro 2)

First trip to Bhutan

A first week in Bhutan: the visa and nightly fee, why a certified guide comes along, the Paro, Thimphu and Punakha loop, money, SIMs, etiquette and daily costs.

Read the guide
Walkway beside the lagoon leading to the gold-domed Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque in Bandar Seri Begawan
Brunei · 3 days / 2 nights in Bandar Seri Begawan, or 4 days / 3 nights with a Temburong rainforest day

First trip to Brunei

How many nights to give Brunei, the visa and E-Arrival card, the alcohol, Friday and Ramadan rules, money, SIM cards and what two nights in the capital cost.

Read the guide
The white Golden Stupa and smaller stupas of Erdene Zuu Monastery under a bright blue sky
Mongolia · 10 days, 9 nights: 3 in Ulaanbaatar and 6 in ger camps (Tsagaan Suvarga, Yolyn Am, Khongoryn Els, Bayanzag, Ongi, Kharkhorin)

First trip to Mongolia

A first Mongolia trip: why you travel with a driver-guide, the ten-day Gobi and Kharkhorin loop, ger camps and manners, entry, cash, SIM cards and daily costs.

Read the guide