Asia Travel Guide: The First-Timer's Map
Priya Nair· Asia Editor
Updated September 12, 2026 · 9 min read
Asia is too big for a list, so this is a map: Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia) is the value arc — $50–80/day, beaches and temples; East Asia (Japan, Korea, Taiwan) is the rail-and-city arc — $90–140/day, seasons and precision; South Asia and the Himalayas are their own trips.
First-timers should pick one arc and go deep: the Southeast Asia loop or the East Asia rail pair (Japan + Korea, two hours apart by air).
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Plan your Thailand trip with AI →The Two Arcs
Southeast Asia: Bangkok → Chiang Mai → the islands; or Vietnam north-to-south; or Cambodia's Angkor plus the coast. East Asia: Tokyo → Hakone → Kyoto → Seoul → Busan. Both arcs are proven; mixing them wastes days in airports.
- Value arc: Bangkok 3 → Chiang Mai 3 → islands 4 (or Vietnam's S-curve).
- Rail arc: Tokyo 3 → Kyoto 2 → Seoul 3 → Busan 1.
- Islands-first: Bali 5 → Singapore 2 → Kuala Lumpur 2.
The Season Splits
Southeast Asia: November–February is the cool season everywhere (the Gulf islands run to September). East Asia: March–April and October–November are the blossom-and-foliage windows; the monsoon hits June–August in the south.
The Southeast Asia Loop
The value arc, three weeks.
Day 1 · Bangkok — temples
The Grand Palace trio.
Day 2 · Bangkok — markets
Chatuchak and Yaowarat.
Day 3 · Chiang Mai
The old city and the khao soi.
Day 4 · Chiang Mai — elephants
The sanctuary day.
Day 5 · Fly to Siem Reap
Pub Street and the tickets.
Day 6 · Angkor — small circuit
Sunrise at Angkor Wat.
Day 7 · Angkor — grand circuit
Beng Mealea or Banteay Srei.
Day 8 · Fly to Vietnam
Hanoi's Old Quarter.
Day 9 · Ha Long
The karst cruise.
Day 10 · Hoi An
The lanterns.
Day 11 · Hoi An — slow
The beach and the tailors.
Day 12 · Fly to Bali
Ubud's arrival.
Day 13 · Bali — temples
The water temples.
Day 14 · Bali — beaches
The sunset coast.
Practical planning info
Money
- Southeast Asia $50–80/day; East Asia $90–140.
- Internal flights $30–100 make multi-country arcs cheap.
When
- November–February suits Southeast Asia.
- March–April and October–November suit East Asia.
Frequently asked questions
Where should I start in Asia?
Thailand — the easiest entry, the best tourism infrastructure, and the cheapest landing.
Japan or Southeast Asia first?
Southeast Asia for value and beaches; Japan for rails and precision. Both arcs are proven.
How long for an Asia trip?
Three weeks per arc minimum; two weeks if you pick one country deep.
Ready to plan your Bangkok trip?
Use this guide as your starting point — the AI planner builds a day-by-day itinerary around your dates and interests.
Plan your Thailand trip with AI →Keep reading
The Southeast Asia guide: the value arc, the island seasons and the budgets.
9 min read
The Thailand guide: Bangkok, the two coasts, the temple etiquette and the season split.
9 min read
The whole-country guide: routes, rail math, seasons and the etiquette that unlocks it.
10 min read