What are the best places to visit in Asia in 2027?

Quick picks by month

• January to April: Palawan and Cebu, in the Philippines' dry season.

• Late March to mid-April: Tokyo, Yokohama and Kyoto for blossom and the expo.

• April and October: Seoul and Busan, between winter cold and the summer monsoon.

• May, June, September: Bali, dry but outside the July and August peak.

• October to November: Hanoi and the north of Vietnam, then Kyoto for autumn leaves.

• November to February: Chiang Mai and northern Thailand, cool and dry.

Our 2027 Asia festival calendar lists every public holiday and festival date for these countries.

Japan: spring for the expo, autumn for Kyoto

1. Tokyo and Yokohama. GREEN×EXPO 2027, an international horticultural expo, runs from 19 March to 26 September 2027 on the former Kamiseya communications site in western Yokohama, according to the organising association and Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is a day trip from Tokyo. The Japan Meteorological Agency's average full-bloom date for Tokyo is 31 March, so late March gives you both. The catch: blossom weeks are Tokyo's most expensive, Golden Week (29 April to 5 May 2027) fills the trains, and the departure tax added to your fare rose to ¥3,000 (≈ $19.0) on 1 July 2026. See where to stay in Tokyo and Golden Week 2027. We spent 9 days in Tokyo in March and April 2023.

2. Kyoto and Kanazawa. Kyoto's average full bloom is 4 April and Kanazawa's around 8 April, per our cherry blossom 2027 guide, and November brings the autumn leaves. The 2027 catch: Kyoto City plans a two-tier bus fare from fiscal year 2027 (April 2027 on) that would charge non-residents more than the current flat ¥230 (≈ $1.5). It is a proposal, not law, as of October 2026: see Kyoto city bus fare 2027. Kyoto's accommodation tax also moved to five tiers on 1 March 2026, from ¥200 to ¥10,000 (≈ $1.3–63) per person per night (Kyoto accommodation tax). JESTA, Japan's planned pre-travel authorisation, does not start before fiscal 2028. We spent 4 days in Kanazawa and 4 in Kyoto from 29 March to 6 April 2023; see Kyoto and around.

South Korea: spring or autumn, and check K-ETA

3. Seoul, Busan and Jeju. Spring brings the Jinhae cherry blossom festival near Busan (27 March to 5 April in 2026; the 2027 dates are not out yet), and October is the other comfortable window before winter. The 2027 rule: Korea's temporary K-ETA exemption for US citizens and 21 other nationalities ends on 31 December 2026, and as of late October 2026 no extension had been announced. If it is not extended, apply on the official k-eta.go.kr site (10,000 won, valid 3 years) at least 72 hours before you fly: see K-ETA 2027.

Two dates to avoid unless they are why you are going. Seollal, the Lunar New Year, is Sunday 7 February 2027, with the holiday from 6 to 9 February, when trains sell out (Seollal 2027). World Youth Day brings Catholic pilgrims to Seoul from 3 to 8 August 2027, the dates Pope Leo XIV announced. Early August is also hot and humid after the monsoon, which usually starts in late June. We spent 32 days in Korea from 7 June to 9 July 2023, from Seoul to Jeonju, Busan, Jeju, Gyeongju and Sokcho; our Korea itinerary follows it.

Vietnam and Thailand: the cool, dry months

4. Hanoi and the north. October and November are dry with highs around 26 to 30 °C; December to February is grey and drizzly at 20 to 22 °C, per our best time to visit Hanoi. The 2027 date is Tet, Saturday 6 February, with a 7-day official holiday from 4 to 10 February, when trains are full and family businesses close; see Tet 2027. Use only evisa.gov.vn for the e-visa (US$25 single entry, up to 90 days). We spent 2 days in Hanoi and 4 in Ninh Binh in April 2023; see northern Vietnam.

5. Hoi An. The old town ticket is 120,000 VND (≈ $4.6) for foreign visitors in 2026, valid up to three days, under the heritage centre's January 2026 rules (see Hoi An ticket). The catch: central Vietnam's heaviest rain and typhoon risk run from about September to December, so autumn is the north's season, not Hoi An's. We spent 6 days in Hoi An from 29 April 2023; see Hoi An.

6. Chiang Mai and northern Thailand. November to February is cool and dry in the north, per our best time to visit Thailand. The 2027 rule: since 15 September 2026 the visa-free stay for US, UK, Canadian, Australian and about 60 other passports is 30 days, not 60, extendable once inside Thailand (see Thailand visa rules). Songkran runs 13 to 15 April 2027 (Songkran 2027). The catch: Thailand's Pollution Control Department flags February to April as a haze-risk window in the north (burning season). We spent 6 days in Chiang Mai over Christmas 2022 and 7 in Chiang Rai into January 2023.

The Philippines and Bali: dry seasons and two holiday weeks

7. Palawan and Cebu. PAGASA, the Philippine weather agency, puts the broad dry season from December to May, and January to April is the safest window for boat days in El Nido and Coron. Sinulog's grand parade in Cebu City is on Sunday 17 January 2027 (Sinulog 2027). The catch: Holy Week (25 to 27 March 2027) fills flights and resorts, and from about June to November typhoons can cancel boats at a day's notice. Register on eTravel before you fly. We spent 29 days in the Philippines from 8 November to 7 December 2022, the tail of the rainy season.

8. Bali. May, June and September give dry-season weather without the July and August peak, per our best time to visit Bali. The 2027 date is Nyepi on Monday 8 March, when the island, including the airport, stops for 24 hours from 06:00, and Eid al-Fitr follows on 10 and 11 March, so that whole week is busy at the airport and ferries (see Nyepi 2027). The catch: Bali charges a one-off tourist levy on top of the visa on arrival, paid through the official Love Bali site. We spent 18 days in Bali from 19 May to 6 June 2023; see Ubud and Sidemen.

Putting two countries together

The easiest pairs follow the seasons. Japan and Korea in spring (late March to April) work as one trip, with a short flight or ferry between; compare them in Japan vs South Korea. Vietnam and Thailand from November to February share the cool, dry months in the north: see Thailand vs Vietnam. The Philippines and Bali do not share a best month as neatly, so put the Philippines first, in February or March, and Bali from May.

Lunar New Year (6 February in China and Vietnam, 7 February in Korea) is the week that breaks multi-country plans; our Lunar New Year 2027 guide shows what closes where. For the same idea across Europe and Australia too, see best places to visit in 2027.

Frequently asked questions