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Asia offers a compelling mix of ancient traditions and exciting modernity, balancing deep-rooted cultural ceremony with tech-fuelled cities and neon-lit skylines. It’s a fascinating destination for a holiday or tour, with a myriad of different countries and experiences to explore.
Travel back in time on a tour of ancient Uzbekistan, or in the dry deserts of the Middle East where you can discover for yourself the once hidden city of Petra. Fast forward to Japan, where teeming cities linked by lightning-fast bullet trains contrast with centuries-old scenes from enigmatic geishas to traditional tea ceremonies. India is chaotic and colourful, while Borneo offers jungle adventures and the chance to meet ‘the man of the forest’, the elusive orangutan. Other tours in Asia explore Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Malaysia.
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Highlights of a holiday to Asia
From exotic wildlife to colourful temples, historic cities and majestic mountains, there’s no end to the fascinating sights to see across Asia, whether you’re exploring the Middle East, Central Asia, India, South East Asia or the Far East.
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For centuries visitors to the Far East have been captivated by the culture and history to be found there, a fascination which endures to this day. And nowhere more so than Japan, where Tokyo’s ultra-modern skyline sits alongside ancient temples, where traditions endure as you’re whisked between historic cities by high-tech bullet train. Combine your trip with a visit to South Korea for another taste of the Far East.
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Key Asia travel information
Asia is the world’s largest continent, stretching from Turkey and the Middle East in the west to Japan in the east, and home to 48 separate countries, so the time to get to Asia from the UK can vary enormously.
Direct flights from London to Istanbul, on the border of Europe and Asia, take just under four hours, or around five hours to Jordan.
For Central Asia, you’ll need to allow around seven hours to reach Georgia, while for the Silk Road sites in Uzbekistan, journeys take around eight and a half hours Flights to India take around eight to nine hours direct, and around 10 and a half hours to Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
For South East Asia, allow around 11 and a half hours for Thailand, 12 hours for Vietnam and 13 hours for Malaysia. And to reach the Far East, it takes around 13 and a half hours to fly to Japan.
There’s a fascinating array of destinations to discover across Asia so you’ll never be short of inspiration for an unforgettable holiday. India is eternally tempting, with so much to discover between the steamy waterways of Kerala in the south up to the palaces of Rajasthan and the Golden Triangle, plus the majestic Himalayas of the north. And while Japan might be much smaller, it’s still as enticing, one of our most popular destinations; discover the capital Tokyo and historic Kyoto, spot snow monkeys bathing in hot pools and visit traditional tea houses as well as the moving memorials at Hiroshima.
South East Asia has its own attractions too, with the chance to combine several countries in one trip – Essential Vietnam and Cambodia is a great introduction to the two destinations, or visit neighbouring Thailand or Laos at the same time. But there’s plenty more to discover, including history and wildlife in Sri Lanka, a chance to trace the fabled Silk Road in Uzbekistan, an adventure in the desert and to the rose red city of Petra in Jordan, orangutans in Malaysian Borneo and Buddhist temples in Nepal, to name a few.
Visa regulations vary across Asia, with some countries allowing short-term visits for the purpose of tourism without a visa and others offering visas on arrival, such as Jordan, Nepal, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia and Japan (some of which also allow you to apply in advance). You do need a visa to visit Bhutan, China, India, Sri Lanka and Uzbekistan, among other countries, which you must apply for in advance.
Stays of up to 30 days are allowed in Uzbekistan without a visa, 45 days visa-free in Vietnam, and 60 days in Thailand, although you also need to submit an arrival card in advance for Thailand. There is no visa required for stays of up to 90 days in Malaysia (including Borneo), or for stays between 30 and 90 days (at the discretion of immigration) in Singapore. Both countries require you to submit an arrival card online in advance. Regulations can change, so always check the latest requirements before you travel.
All our trips to Asia are escorted tours, some of which visit multiple countries or others which let you focus in-depth on a single destination. There’s the chance to theme your trip to Asia around the astonishing wildlife and natural wonders, explore cities, relax on beaches, get active or to take an unforgettable rail journey.
Whatever tour you choose, Saga includes our nationwide return shared chauffeur service, to pick you up from home or another address, and take you back after your trip finishes. We also offer optional travel insurance, plus all escorted tours have an expert tour manager to make sure everything runs smoothly, alongside tour guides to ensure you see the best of your destination.
While you can certainly travel independently around Asia, joining an escorted tour is one of the most hassle-free ways to explore, with transport and excursions included. An organised tour in Asia means you won’t spend your precious holiday time trying to navigate unfamiliar transport networks or worrying about getting tickets to the key attractions.
If you’re hoping to visit more than one country during your holiday in Asia, such as Vietnam and Cambodia, or to explore off the beaten track like Bhutan, having an expert to hand ensures that everything runs smoothly. And with free time built in to the itinerary, you still have flexibility about fitting in a few extra sights or enjoying some well-deserved downtime.
Absolutely, and some destinations work particularly well together for a tour of Asia. If you’re exploring northern India, for example, it’s easy to combine with time in Nepal just across the border or with peaceful Bhutan.
South East Asia also lends itself to exploring multiple countries in one trip, especially neighbouring Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos, to discover the similarities and differences between them. It’s also easy to visit Singapore and Malaysia during the same trip, with a road and rail link connecting the two. Or in the Caucasus in western Asia, you could combine Georgia and Azerbaijan to discover two less-visited countries in one trip.
It’s best to allow around two to three weeks for a tour of Asia, depending how much you’re hoping to fit into your holiday. If you’re focusing on a single destination and are short of time, you could see the highlights of Jordan in just over a week. Japan’s relatively compact size means you can also fit many of the key stops into a two-week trip too (as well as the chance to spend longer savouring the destination), while you can also discover the wildlife in Borneo or Sri Lanka in less than a fortnight.
If you’re hoping to visit a larger country such as India, it makes sense to stick to a single area if you’re short of time – our Serene Kerala tour is 11 days long, although if you’re looking to explore more widely in southern India, you’ll need closer to three weeks. Equally, you could see some of the highlights of the Golden Triangle and Ranthambore National Park in 10 days, although it’s easy to fill more than two weeks exploring Rajasthan.
And if you’ve got time to spare, you could easily spend more than three weeks exploring historic Indochina, travelling through multiple countries in South-East Asia, including Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
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