East Asia: A Travel Guide For First-Time Visitors

After roaming around over 50 countries around the globe, East Asia is one region I can never get enough of. It was my first foray onto the continent, set in motion when I moved to South Korea on a whim to teach English.

Even after finding myself back in East Asia about half a dozen times since, it’s always on my radar when I’m looking for flight deals for my next vacation.

From the moment you set foot in it, East Asia dazzles in the grandest way possible. From ancient, moss-covered temples in Nikko and Kyoto to futuristic, neon-splattered cities like Shanghai and Seoul, the region delivered some of the most memorable travel experiences of my life.

What I love most about East Asia, though, is how easy it is to travel here. (Well, mostly.)

Of course, the language barriers here often run deep, but many of the annoyances I’ve encountered elsewhere in Asia aren’t as “in-your-face” here.

Throughout the most developed parts of the region, public transportation is quick and efficient. (No uncomfortable 12-hour night buses? Okay, I’m listening.)

And, unlike other places around Asia, you won’t be harassed by persistent and aggressive touts. (Save the handful of obnoxious tailors along Nathan Road in Hong Kong.)

Especially if you’re tight for vacation time, East Asia is the perfect introduction to the continent. Spend two weeks exploring Japan, roaming the Korean Peninsula, or doing a round-the-island tour of Taiwan, and I guarantee that both your taste buds and eyeballs will thank you.

Let me help you plan your ultimate trip to this fascinating corner of the world with this quick & easy East Asia travel guide for first-time visitors, including itineraries and attraction guides for some of my favorite countries and cities in the region.

When to visit East Asia

The best time to visit East Asia all depends on where you’re planning to go and what you’re looking to do.

(Sorry, I know this is a deeply unsatisfying answer, but hear me out.)

The reason is simple. While many East Asian destinations share somewhat similar climates to one another, once you factor in the immense landmass of China, this “sub-region” spans nearly the entire continent of Asia, along with all its weather intricacies.

East Asia’s eastern fringes—particularly Korea, Japan, and parts of mainland China—offer a four-season climate that’s not so different from that of many parts of Europe.

Winters in these areas can be cold and wet. (I learned that the hard way while teaching in South Korea during the winter months.)

Summer, on the other hand, is often insanely hot and humid. (And after traveling to the region a couple of times in the summer months, I can say that it’s not the most pleasant time to travel to East Asia.)

Spring, especially during cherry blossom season, is lovely, and is, in my opinion, one of the best times of year to visit East Asia. Visiting in autumn, when the full fall colors come out to play, is an equally enchanting experience.

The further south we venture in East Asia, the story changes.

Destinations like Taiwan and Hong Kong see less seasonal temperature variation, offering a more sub-tropical than temperate climate. Islands like Okinawa in Japan and Jeju in Korea may even fool you into thinking you’re somewhere in the South Pacific.

When choosing exactly when to go, I would recommend looking more closely at the weather in each destination you’re planning to visit.

Here are some weather guides covering a few of my favorite spots in East Asia:

Where to go in East Asia

Even with only a handful of countries occupying it, East Asia’s travel destinations are among the world’s best. On my half-dozen-or-so trips to the region, I loved the chance to explore some of the world’s most electric cities, walk among meticulously laid-out tea plantations, or chill on semi-tropical white-sand beaches.

Here are some of my favorite places to go in East Asia…

China

Backed up by a civilization thousands of years in the making, China is one of the most satisfying travel destinations I’ve visited on the planet.

As you sweep through its hyper-modern cities and hop between rural villages in the shadows of karst landscapes, you’ll quickly discover the immense diversity of this mammoth country.

Compared to other countries I’ve visited in East Asia, traveling in China isn’t always simple. Distances are vast, language barriers are deep, and comforts I’d take for granted elsewhere start to disappear the deeper you dig in.

Despite the difficulty of traveling in China, though—or perhaps because of it—there’s hardly a place on earth where wanderlust gets more stoked.

Traversing this vast country means embracing the breadth of an entire continent—in both its size and its diverse landscapes, cultures, people, and languages.

Hong Kong

After Seoul, Hong Kong was my second experience with an East Asian megapolis. And it was one that stuck with me from the moment I first landed on the streets of Kowloon.

Hong Kong is a love/hate destination for many travelers. Not everyone is instantly enamored by the city’s seemingly endless chaos.

If first impressions of Hong Kong weren’t quite what you expected, my advice would be to wait it out. For many unsure visitors, it might take a day or two to start enjoying the city. But, once you do, it might well slide in a regional favorite.

Like other big cities I’ve visited in East Asia, Hong Kong assaults the senses from the second your feet hit the pavement. But between the beautiful views, the weird & wonderful smells, and that neverending urban din, no sense is more catered to here than taste.

I’ve plenty of time exploring culinary destinations like Taipei, Singapore, and Shanghai. But Hong Kong is truly one of the world’s finest food cities I’ve yet to visit.

The city is famous for its Cantonese cuisine, earning it a place on the bucket list of every foodie on the planet.

In Hong Kong, eating is practically a religion. If you’re not spending a large swath of your itinerary exploring the city through your taste buds, your travel plans might need some tweaks.

As much as I love Hong Kong’s big city buzz, I didn’t truly and fully appreciate it until I escaped to the city’s quieter corners.

A stone’s throw of the chaos of Kowloon or Central, you can yourself roaming around quiet traditional fishing villages or clambering along rugged hiking trails serving up sweeping seaside vistas.

This alone is one of the reasons why I’d put big-and-bulky Hong Kong among the most interesting travel destinations on the planet.

Japan

No travel destination enters my mind more than Japan. From the overwhelming neon signs blazing through the streets to the mouth-watering culinary delights, I couldn’t imagine ending a lifetime without having experienced Japan at least once.

Of all the countries in East Asia, Japan rolls as easily into a travel plan as an expert sushi chef wraps maki. Language barriers notwithstanding, I found navigating Japan surprisingly quick and easy thanks to its well-developed transportation infrastructure.

Every corner of Japan seems to flash a unique view, each more compelling than the last.

For electric urban experiences like no other, I’d start by immersing in the modern chaos of Osaka and Tokyo. Both of these cities are among my favorites in the world. (I feel like I could spend weeks in each and still feel as if I’ve barely scratched the surface.)

To see Japan’s modernity fuse with its ancient history, I’d head to the former Japanese imperial capital of Kyoto. With its spiritual soul on display at every corner (and with over 1,600 Buddhist temples and over 400 Shinto shrines, I do mean every corner), Kyoto isn’t just one of East Asia’s most compelling cities, but one of the world’s must-see destinations.

Lesser known are Japan’s more “hidden” gems. From skiing in Hokkaido to relaxing on subtropical beaches in Okinawa, traveling across all of Japan can jam a lifetime of experiences into a few short hops around the country.

Korea

In an odd twist, it was not love at first sight for me in Korea. Moving to a random Korean coastal town to teach English without any sort of primer was, in hindsight, not the best move for me at that time in my life. (Long story!)

Fortunately, after using this not-so-pleasant experience as a springboard to explore Korea on weekend trips to cities like Seoul, Busan, and Gyeongju, I developed a strong taste for the country and quickly discovered what I was missing while living on the relatively rural (and, frankly, quite boring) fringes of Gangwon-do.

Fast forward to today, and I would put Korea into the mix as one of the most intriguing countries in Asia.

Negotiating the commuter chaos of Seoul puts some of the nation’s coolest tourist attractions and most compelling foods at your fingertips.

And even if the slightly grimy port city of Busan can’t hold a candle to the capital, its rawness is surprisingly refreshing in a region where appearances are sometimes deceiving.

And, of course, in between Korea’s urban delights are other, less obvious moments. For many travelers, the experience of hiking to a mountainside temple around Gyeongju or watching the sunrise from an extinct volcano in Jeju will become forever etched in memory.

Macau

Even if its tourism board isn’t spouting off lines like, “What happens here, stays here,” the small autonomous Chinese territory of Macau sits alongside Las Vegas as one of the two Meccas of the gambling world.

Unlike Vegas, however, Macau showcases a storied Chinese and European colonial history that makes it one of the most distinctive and surprising places to discover in East Asia.

While the casinos and luxury hotels along the glitzy Cotai Strip take center stage, it’s in the backstreets where Macau’s most interesting moments shine.

Walking through the city, you’ll stumble upon a smattering of Portuguese-influenced architecture, reflecting 300 years of colonial rule, alongside Chinese temples & old merchant houses that’ll keep you grounded to exactly where you are.

Much like in nearby Hong Kong, only 45 minutes away by ferry, Macau’s Portuguese influences extend beyond its looks.

Macanese cuisine is among the continent’s most unique, fusing regional classics like dim sum with Portuguese favorites like pastéis de nata (egg tarts) and bacalhau (salt cod).

Taiwan

Lest I forget the small & diverse island nation of Taiwan. Taking a trip around Taiwan is one of the easiest and cheapest introduction to East Asia. And, in my eyes, It’s maybe even one of the most fulfilling.

Whereas its other neighbors get by on their name recognition, Taiwan is one of East Asia’s less obvious travel destinations.

And I think that’s bound to change.

More and more travelers are discovering the island once known as Formosa by the Portuguese, who felt compelled to point out its beauty in its name, which translates simply to “beautiful.”

With its compact size, I’d point any traveler interested in exploring Taiwan to start by landing in Taipei. While I can’t claim the Taiwanese capital quite sports the dynamism of Tokyo, Seoul, or Hong Kong, it’s a fantastic place to visit in its own right.

After spending about a week here on my trip to Taiwan, I discovered a ton to do in Taipei, from admiring temples to hiking along mountain trails to stuffing myself at night markets.

(Yeah, I did way too much of the latter. Way too much.)

Even though you could spend your entire trip exploring Taipei and nearby destinations, moving about in Taiwan can’t be beat.

The secondary cities of Tainan and Kaohsiung are pleasant and interesting enough for a quick visit. But the country’s real drawcard is its natural destinations.

Explore the craggy landscapes around Taroko Gorge or the seaside delights of Kenting National Park to get a taste of just how diverse this pretty little island can be.

Transportation in East Asia

Getting there

By air

Unless you want to embark on an epic overland journey from elsewhere on the continent, you’ll most likely travel into East Asia by air.

The region is home to several major airports with flights to & from major cities all around the world. The most popular gateways to East Asia include:

• Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND)
• Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT)
• Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)
• Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN)
• Taipei Taoyuan International Airport (TPE)
• Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG)
• Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK)

When I book my flights to East Asia, I often find the best deals for flights into Tokyo, Seoul, or Hong Kong.

Even if you’re planning to go elsewhere in the region (or even elsewhere on the continent), I’d recommend playing around with layovers in these hubs. I’ve often been able to massively lower flight costs by adding on a day or two in one of these exciting cities.

(I’ve done this several times with Shanghai, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, even when I’ve been venturing to destinations further into the continent, like Singapore.)

Getting around

By train

By far, my favorite way to get around East Asia is by train. In the more developed parts of the region, trains are often the quickest, most convenient, and most comfortable way to get around between major destinations.

My favorite train routes in the region include the shinkansen (bullet train) routes between Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto in Japan; the high-speed Korail lines between Seoul and Busan in South Korea; the Beijing-Shanghai HSR route in China; and the Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) between Taipei and Kaohsiung.

By bus

In more rural areas of East Asia, buses may be the better (or only) option for getting to your next destination. I’ve noticed that this holds particularly true the further you move from major population centers.

In general, buses are less expensive than trains. They are, however, more confusing to navigate, in my experience.

(Hong Kong was the exception here, but, then again, I might have just got lucky.)

My recommendation on taking buses in East Asia is to get local advice before setting out. Write the destination name in the local language in case you need to explain to the driver where you want to get off. Most will happily help you out, in my experience.