my first ASIA tour

Hi everyone,

I'm planning my first big adventure in Asia and would love to get some advice from those who know the continent well. I'm 54 years old, have never been to Asia, and I feel that a three-week tour could be a great way to soak in a variety of experiences, cultures, and landscapes. The idea is to get a good first impression so that in the future I can return to the places that resonate with me the most, but with more time.

Here's the route I've planned, from October 20 to November 7, 2025:

Vienna

Istanbul

Shenzhen

Hong Kong

Shanghai

Seoul

Tokyo

Taipei

Singapore

Hanoi

Back to Vienna

I know it’s an ambitious itinerary, but I’m really excited about it. What do you think? Does it seem like a reasonable route in terms of pace and connections?

I’m aiming for a mid-range travel style — no hostels, but no unnecessary luxury either. I’d really appreciate your thoughts on what kind of budget I should plan for in order to enjoy the trip comfortably.

Thanks in advance for your help and insights!

Best regards,
Enrique

Very ambitious for a first visit to Asia.

I think it is too busy. Also there are (my opinion) cheaper places to visit too!

Lots of flight involved.

• The idea is to get a good first impression so that in the future I can return to the places that resonate with me the most, but with more time.

Lots of cities on your list.

One suggestion to consider is round trip to Bangkok, Thailand. (Yeah, not on your list.) From there you could spend a few days in Laos and Vietnam. Then back to Bangkok for the return flight home. It is easy to book local flights between Bangkok and nearby countries. Just a suggestion.

(FYI) You could spend 3 weeks in Thailand alone and not see everything. Some tourists do this. R/T to Bangkok, visits to beach locations good for the month your visit, and a visit to Northern Thailand - Chiang Mai. Return to Bangkok for the return flight home. (Just a suggestion.:idea )

Lots of one way flights might be expensive. You could "do the math" and check the cost of your one-way flights vs round trip to a single city and take cheaper shorter flights to other places.

• Singapore is nice to visit but it is a city smaller than Bangkok alone.

Are you doing this on your own or part of some kind of organized tour?

You have to research your visa requirements for your particular passport.

• Passport up to date? Do not travel with a single debit and single credit card, have back up sources of spending money.

Pull up a map and see where everything is located and how far from each other. You should avoid spending a lot of time on planes, waiting in airports and on the way to and from airports! (My opinion.)

Hope everything works out okay.

Good luck.

[ Edit: Edited on 18 Apr 2025, 17:36 GMT by karazyal ]

With your given itinerary you won't see much of Asia, only the airport and the train-station. You won't have time for "soak in a variety of experiences, cultures, and landscapes"
With only 17 days you'd decide of one country.

Stay at least 3 days in each place.

enricorman

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Have you booked any flights yet?

• Using the same airline company or one of the partners, you will probably accrue lots of Frequent Flyer miles.