9 grand journeys to take across Asia

From Mt Everest to the Ganges, uncover these bucket-list destinations for your next action-packed trip to Asia.

1. Mt Everest Base Camp

Travelling with: Sarah Reid

Buddhist shrines line the EBC trail. (Image: Sarah Reid)

Reports of overcrowding may turn alpinists off scaling the world’s highest peak, but the trek to the base of Mt Everest remains a magical experience. Avoid the crowds and hike in winter with an operator such as Encounters Travel. The days are crisp and clear, and there’s a wonderful spirit of camaraderie in the handful of tea houses that remain open in the off-season to accommodate hikers. Following this iconic trail through picturesque mountain villages, across turquoise rivers, and past serene Buddhist shrines and yak-studded mountains isn’t just a feat of physical endurance, but also a spiritual experience.

2. Hiking Mongolia

Travelling with: Dilvin Yasa

Stay in yurts in Gorkhi-Terelj National Park. (Image: G Adventures)

It’s an alarm clock of sorts, a pre-dawn orchestra of goats demanding to be milked, sheep keen to be shorn and wild horses doing whatever they damn well please. You could bury your face back into your sleeping bag, but you’re on a G Adventures Nomadic Mongolia tour, where a traditional nomad stay – and traditional nomad activities – are part of the experience.

Get a taste of nomadic life in Mongolia. (Image: G Adventures)

Before the sun sets, not only will you have mastered all of the above here in the dramatic Mongolian steppe you’re calling home, you’ll have made homemade goat’s cheese, mustered cows and downed milk vodka under a canopy of stars as you sit in wonder at how you, a committed urbanite, can still surprise yourself after all these years.

3. Hong Kong’s Dukling boat

Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

Cruise the Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong. (Image: Getty/Nithid Photo)

Board the Dukling, the oldest Chinese junk boat in Hong Kong, at sunset to see the Symphony of Lights. The boat celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2025 and the timeline since it was built charts the growth of the city from fishing village to glittering metropolis. Perch on the prow to appreciate the buildings painted in luminous lights and ruminate on a city that continues to reinvent itself with world-class hotels, such as the reimagined Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong.

4. Shanghai’s Art Deco tour

Travelling with: Justine Costigan

The iconic Fairmont Peace Hotel dates back to 1929.

Shanghai may be a self-assured 21st-century city with a skyline to rival Blade Runner, but its historic centre has an Art Deco soul. More than just a remnant of a bygone era, ziggurats, speed lines and streamlined glamour are a living, breathing part of the city. You’ll find the elegant apartments, theatres, public buildings and luxury hotels that redefine the meaning of modern best discovered in the former French Concession and in and around The Bund. Among these, Fairmont Peace Hotel stands above all others. Opened in 1929 by British tycoon Victor Sassoon, it is a masterpiece of Art Deco style. The hotel’s Jazz Club is also renowned for hosting the Old Jazz Band, an ensemble of seniors.

5. Capella Taipei, Taiwan

Travelling with: Kee Foong

A first look at Capella Taipei.

Capella Taipei, the first major luxury hotel to open in the Taiwanese capital in a decade, acts as a conduit to the local community. Each morning, staff provide free snacks to guests and passersby under the shade of a banyan tree while sharing stories about Songshan district, where the hotel is located. Better yet, guests can explore the tree-lined neighbourhood with a Capella Culturist or solo using an illustrated map highlighting cool cafes, shops and landmarks. You’d be forgiven for wanting to stay put within the 86-room ‘modern mansion’, however, to enjoy its wealth of drinking and dining venues, serene spa, chic outdoor pool, and elegant rooms and suites, a handful of which come with private terraces and plunge pools.

Fantastic skyline views from the top-floor suites of Capella Taipei.

6. The Great Wall of China

Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

The Great Wall of China holds thousands of years of recorded history. (Image: Getty/BJDLZX)

If Confucius were alive, he’d likely encourage visitors at the Great Wall of China to ditch the selfie stick and stay in the moment. The 21,000-odd kilometre-long wall, built to keep out marauding hordes, spans roughly from the Bohai Sea to the Gobi Desert (though it’s not an unbroken structure). Rise early to visit the Juyongguan Pass section of the Great Wall on Wendy Wu’s Wonders of China itinerary, which includes a visit to the Museum of the Terracotta Warriors.

7. India by vintage motorcycle

Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

Travel by motorbike through Ladakh. (Image: Getty/Eldar Hala)

The super-classic Royal Enfield motorcycle was made popular by Brits in the early 1900s and continues to be a retro symbol of the Great India Road Trip. Test your skills on one of the old thumpers on a 24-day adventure through Ladakh, Spiti and Zanskar with Vintage Rides on the Himalayan Expedition. Or ramble around Southern India on The Spices Route, departing February 2026.

8. Shikoku Henro, Japan

Travelling with: Sarah Reid

Find zen on a pilgrimage route in Japan. (Image: Sarah Reid)

In a country laced with picturesque pilgrimage routes, which one should you choose? Visiting 88 temples connected to the Buddhist monk Kūkai on the lush island of Shikoku, the 1200-kilometre Shikoku Henro (a rare loop route) offers a flexible approach.

Offerings at the temple on a spiritual journey through Shikoku Henro. (Image: Sarah Reid)

You can begin where you like, walk in either direction or break up the trail into sections. You don’t even need to walk, with nearly all temples accessible by car. Six-to-eight-day self-guided hikes offered by Kyoto-based Oku Japan include some of the most scenic sections, with shukubo or temple stays.

9. The Ganges, India

Travelling with: Rachael Thompson

Humayun’s Tomb is a significant Mughal-era monument in Delhi. (Image: Rachael Thompson)

India transforms travellers with its immersive, sensory-rich tapestry. Uniworld Boutique River Cruises’ 13-day India’s Golden Triangle and the Sacred Ganges tour offers an unforgettable journey through the iconic Golden Triangle – Delhi, Agra and Jaipur – before continuing to the country’s spiritual heart, the sacred Ganges.

A Uniworld cruise is a unique way to discover India’s mystique. (Image: Rachael Thompson)

Discover iconic landmarks like the Taj Mahal and Humayun’s Tomb, explore bustling markets, and unwind in the comfort of luxurious Oberoi hotels. Then, board the opulent Ganges Voyager II to watch life on the river unfold and visit lesser-known villages that reveal the true heart of India.