Asia has plenty of dreamy, vibrant trips that don’t have to break the bank. Will you wander the lavish palaces of India, trek through the jungles of Borneo or the mountains of Nepal, or would a culinary tour of Southeast Asia be more to your taste?
Here are 10 dream trips in Asia in 2025.
1. Romantic Forts and Palaces in India
Majestic palaces in India among top 10 dream journeys
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Embark on a two-week journey through Delhi's intricate bazaars and Mughal forts, mosques and mausoleums; admire the majesty of the City Palace, Hawa Mahal, Amber Palace and Jai Singh II's extraordinary royal observatory; explore Jodhpur, where you can get lost in the maze-like Brahminblue streets that surround Mehrangarh Fort.
2. Admire the rainbow wildlife in Borneo
Beaches of Borneo
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The easiest place to enter this lost world of emerald green foliage and cocoa-brown rivers is Malaysia's Sarawak. Surrounding multicultural Kuching, seven rainforest reserves offer a wide variety of wildlife and wildlife, including a near-certain encounter with a proboscis monkey in Bako National Park.
3. Travel through the "Golden Triangle" in China
Night market in Xi'an
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China's "Golden Triangle" cities of Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai offer fascinating insights into the country. Five thousand years of history, ancient Silk Road world wonders, futuristic cityscapes and high-speed trains are all part of a two-week itinerary.
4. Southeast Asian culinary path
Cuisine in Singapore
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The best journeys are guided by taste. And in Singapore and Malaysia, every snack stop is a feast and every street corner is a feast. A walk along the Malay Peninsula is one of Asia’s greatest culinary journeys. Pick up your chopsticks in Singapore and you’ll find hawker centres bursting with Malay soups and stir-fries, Chinese banquet halls overflowing with dim sum and Indian canteens fragrant with cardamom, cumin and coriander.
5. See temples and cherry blossoms in Kansai
Cherry blossom season in Kyoto
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Springtime in Japan's Kansai region is here and the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. Covering hillsides, parks and temple grounds in a soft pink spray, they are one of Japan's most classic and beloved sights, depicted in art and music since ancient times. Kyoto, the country's best-preserved ancient city, is at the heart of this spring splendour.
6. Explore Hanoi and surrounding areas
Train Street Coffee in Hanoi
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Hanoi is a city that refuses to age gracefully and a journey from the thousand-year-old capital of ancient pagodas and labyrinthine streets to the outskirts is to see the country in all its contradictory glory: at once ancient and modern, yet rustic, exhilarating and timeless.
Start your 10-day adventure in Hanoi. The capital deserves at least two days to wander through its temples and museums, and stop by the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where you can see the father of the modern nation laid to rest. Early on day three, take a three-hour bus ride east to Bai Chay, the port from which most boats depart for Ha Long Bay. Trips vary in length and luxury, but two days should be enough, allowing you to dock at Titop Island and climb the stone steps to see the archipelago.
The Halong tour ends, and you return to Hanoi and catch the overnight train to Lao Cai. Relax in the cool air of Sa Pa for two days – or work up a sweat climbing the misty 3,143m Fansipan peak, known as the “Roof of Indochina”.
During your final three days, you can choose to explore the more remote areas of the mountains around Ha Giang or take the legendary Reunification Express train to central Vietnam. Here, you can stroll through the ancient capital of Hue and admire the colors of Hoi An.
7. Trek through the peaceful Langtang Valley
Langtang Valley
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There’s no place like Nepal for trekking. Breathtaking trails crisscross some of the highest mountains on Earth, and a hard day’s trek is rewarded with a slice of apple pie and a cold beer. You’ll need permits to tackle the most popular trails, but beyond that, the sky really is the limit. Everest (Sagarmatha) and the Annapurna massif offer weeks of arduous trekking on the shoulders of giants, but for a small taste of Nepal’s mountain magic, head to the stunning Langtang Valley.
8. Search for the ancient city by road and rail
Visit the Tooth Relic Temple
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Sri Lanka packs endless wonders into a small space: golden beaches, pounding surf, wildlife-filled national parks, emerald tea plantations and the ruins of ancient cities toppled from the jungle. Arrive at Bandaranaike International Airport and start your 10-day trip with a day on the sands of Negombo. Then head to Colombo for fine dining, colonial history and the delights of the National Museum.
9. Travel back in time in Thailand
Peaceful scenery in Chiang Mai
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Some visitors to Thailand aim to see the beaches and islands. For others, it’s all about the food and national parks. But history buffs plan trips along the winding railway that connects Bangkok to Chiang Mai, which takes visitors from one ancient capital to the next in air-conditioned comfort.
10. Silk Road Tour in Uzbekistan
The Avenue of Tombs at Shah-i-Zinda has some of the richest tile work in the Islamic world.
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Amid the sands of the Kyzylkum and Karakum deserts, Uzbekistan’s city-states served as crossroads on the Silk Road, thriving on the flow of goods, people and culture. Today, remarkable ruins and bazaars testify to the early days of international trade. Experience the best of them on this week-long itinerary starting in Tashkent.
Thanhnien.vn
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