Asia is almost too massive and diverse to conceptualize as a digestable travel “destination”. Even defining the borders of this continent is difficult - from the mountains around the Black Sea in the west, to the snow fields of Siberia in the east, there are more people and cities in Asia than outside of it.

Asia’s highest point is Nepal’s and China’s Mount Everest, which rises to 8,848 m (29,028 feet) above sea level. Its lowest point is Israel’s and Jordan’s Dead Sea, whose surface is 400 m (1,312 feet) below sea level.

Asia’s longest river is the Yangtze, which runs 6,300 km (3,915 miles) through China. Its largest lake is the 386,400 sq km (149,200 square mile) Caspian Sea, which is surrounded by several central Asian nations. Asia is bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the east, by Australia to the southeast, and by the Indian Ocean to the south.

It is bounded by the Red Sea to the southwest, by Europe to the west, and by the Arctic Ocean to the north.

Travel options range widely, from the desert ruins and modern malls of the Middle East to the magnificient monuments in South Asia, and from the beach bungalows and jungle treks of South-East Asia to the megacities and technology capitals of East Asia. Find out more about regions, destinations, and itineraries.

If you are flying into Asia, some of your best first destinations for flying into the continent are Bangkok, Singapore, Shanghai, Tokyo, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Hong Kong or Macau just to name a few.

Travel Around
If you are coming to Asia by train, you’ll likely be coming in through Russia, although other options may exist. For an interesting experience, try the Trans-Siberian railway.