One city, properly
A short first trip with three stops usually turns into a suitcase-and-platform exercise. Two full days in one place will teach you more than three rushed check-ins, and it makes the next trip easier to plan.
Continent hubAsia
Where to stay in Asia
Neon, temples and very different rules of the road — sometimes in one trip.
Asia is not one travel style. A dense, rail-heavy city and a slow island stay can belong to the same two-week trip, but they need different bases, budgets and pacing. Start with one city, give it enough nights to matter, and add the second stop only when the first one has room to breathe.
The atlas · Asia
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Asia
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Kanazawa · Hiroshima · Sapporo · Abu Dhabi
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- City guide
- Tokyo · Dubai · Singapore · Hong Kong · Seoul · Bangkok · Kyoto · Osaka · Beijing · Shanghai · Kuala Lumpur
- Country hub
- Japan · United Arab Emirates · South Korea · Thailand · China · Malaysia
- In research
- Kanazawa · Hiroshima · Sapporo · Abu Dhabi
City guide
11 city guidesCity guides across Asia
The cities we have mapped in detail — neighbourhood by neighbourhood.
Asia01Japan7
Tokyo
The right base turns an enormous city into a walkable one.
ShinjukuShibuya+5
$120–$550 per night
Asia02United Arab Emirates3
Dubai
A beach resort, a business city and an old creek town — often on the same day.
Dubai Marina & JBRDowntown Dubai+1
$100–$800 per night
Asia03Singapore3
Singapore
A city you can cross by train in half an hour — so choose your evenings, not just your commute.
Marina Bay & Civic DistrictChinatown & Tanjong Pagar+1
$120–$650 per night
Asia04Hong Kong3
Hong Kong
Harbour views or street life — the two sides of the harbour give you different trips.
Central & Sheung WanTsim Sha Tsui+1
$110–$600 per night
Asia05South Korea3
Seoul
Palaces in the morning, markets at noon, neon after dark — the base decides which Seoul you get.
Myeongdong & EuljiroBukchon & Insadong+1
$90–$500 per night
Asia06Thailand5
Bangkok
A city that rewards staying near a train line — and punishes trying to be everywhere.
SukhumvitSilom & Riverside+3
$50–$400 per night
Asia07Japan3
Kyoto
A city best seen early — so sleep within walking distance of the first temple.
Gion & HigashiyamaDowntown & Kawaramachi+1
$90–$650 per night
Asia08Japan3
Osaka
Eat first, plan second — Osaka is the easiest city in Japan to enjoy.
Namba & DotonboriUmeda & Kita+1
$80–$450 per night
Asia09China3
Beijing
Imperial scale, hutong intimacy and a modern city that never stops expanding.
Wangfujing & DongchengGulou & Shichahai+1
$80–$500 per night
Asia10China3
Shanghai
A river divides old and new Shanghai; where you sleep decides which version you wake up to.
The Bund & People's SquareFormer French Concession+1
$90–$600 per night
Asia11Malaysia3
Kuala Lumpur
A tropical capital where towers, hawker stalls and rainforest sit a few train stops apart.
KLCCBukit Bintang+1
$60–$450 per nightSample nightly ranges, checked quarterly. Not live quotes.
Regional notes
What changes as you cross the region.
Asia · 6 country hubs
A transit card still helps
In the larger cities covered here, a stored-value transit card removes most ticket-machine friction. Keep a little cash for small counters, temples and older shops even where cards are widely accepted.
Look at the square metres
Bed size, room size and window type are worth checking in the listing, especially if you are travelling with two suitcases. Compact rooms are normal here; unpleasant surprises do not have to be.
Continent hub
Choose the region. I’ll help with the base.
Tell me the cities you’re weighing and how you like to travel. I’ll answer with a specific neighbourhood, not a list.
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Ask about your routeA note from the editor
“I’d rather tell you which area to skip than sell you another list of ‘best hotels’.”
The guides are independent. Booking links may earn a commission; they never change the shortlist.
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