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Best castle destinations in Asia

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Himeji
Famed white castle and samurai gardens
8.4
Late March and early April bring cherry blossoms to the grounds of Himeji Castle. The white keep dates from 1609 and has five stories outside and six floors inside. UNESCO listed it in 1993. Visitors follow a winding path through gates and walls built to slow attackers.
Highlights:
  • ⛰️ Hike Mount Shosha and visit Engyoji Temple
  • 🌸 Stroll through the tranquil Koko-en Japanese Garden
  • 🏯 Explore the majestic and historic Himeji Castle
Matsumoto
Black castle town below the Alps
7.9
In early April cherry trees bloom around Matsumoto Castle, with snow still on the Japanese Alps behind it. The black keep is a National Treasure and dates from the 1590s. A moon viewing room was added in 1635. A red bridge crosses the moat beside the keep.
Highlights:
  • 🎨 Visit Matsumoto City Museum of Art and see Yayoi Kusama works
  • 🛤️ Stroll along the charming streets of Nakamachi and Nawate
  • 🏯 Explore the historic wooden Matsumoto Castle and its black keep
Hikone
Original castle town on Lake Biwa
7.8
Hikone Castle overlooks Lake Biwa from a hill in Shiga. Its three story keep is one of five castle keeps in Japan listed as National Treasures. Construction ended in 1622. Genkyuen Garden below the keep has a pond and a tea house. Visitors meet Hikonyan, the castle's cat mascot, at scheduled appearances.
Highlights:
  • 🐱 Meet Hikonyan, the town’s beloved samurai cat mascot
  • 🌸 Walk through Genkyuen Garden and admire its seasonal beauty
  • 🏯 Climb Hikone Castle and enjoy sweeping views over Lake Biwa
Kanazawa
Samurai streets, gold leaf and Kenrokuen garden
8.2
Ishikawa Gate leads into Kanazawa Castle Park. The Hishi Yagura turret and Gojikken Nagaya storehouse were rebuilt with traditional methods in 2001. The Maeda clan ruled from this castle for 14 generations. Kenrokuen Garden, one of Japan's three great gardens, is across the road. The park grounds are free to enter.
Highlights:
  • 🍵 Wander the preserved tea houses of Higashi Chaya District
  • 🏯 Explore Kanazawa Castle and its impressive defensive grounds
  • 🌸 Stroll through Kenrokuen Garden, one of Japan’s finest landscapes
Kumamoto
Castle city with horse sashimi and Mt. Aso
7.6
Kumamoto Castle covers a hill in the middle of Kumamoto city on Kyushu. Kato Kiyomasa expanded it from 1601 to 1607. Its curved stone walls rise steeply to stop attackers climbing. The 2016 earthquakes collapsed sections of wall and two turrets. Restoration is planned to run until 2052.
Highlights:
  • 📚 Meet Kumamon, Kumamoto's famous bear mascot, at Kumamon Square
  • 🌿 Stroll through the serene Suizenji Jojuen Garden
  • 🏯 Explore the historic Kumamoto Castle grounds
Aleppo
Ancient Markets and Resilient Spirit
5.7
A stone bridge over a moat leads into the Citadel of Aleppo. The citadel stands on a mound about 50 metres high. Inside the gate a vaulted ramp turns six times. Shelling in 2012 and a tunnel bomb in 2015 damaged the walls. It reopened on 17 February 2024 after earthquake repairs.
Highlights:
  • ⛪ Discover the ancient Umayyad Mosque, a symbol of Aleppo’s history
  • 🛍️ Explore the lively Aleppo Souks and taste traditional Syrian delights
  • 🏰 Visit the historic Aleppo Citadel and enjoy panoramic city views
Matsuyama
A hilltop castle and Japan's oldest hot spring
8.3
A chairlift and a ropeway climb Mount Katsuyama to Matsuyama Castle. The keep dates from 1854 and is one of 12 original keeps in Japan. The haiku poet Masaoka Shiki was born in the city. Haiku boxes in town collect visitors' poems. Dogo Onsen, an old bathhouse, is a tram ride away.
Highlights:
  • ⛩️ Explore Ishiteji Temple and its historic tunnel
  • ♨️ Relax in Dogo Onsen, Japan's oldest hot spring
  • 🏯 Visit Matsuyama Castle with panoramic city views
Jaipur
The Pink City of Royal Splendor
7.5
Amber Fort is older than the city of Jaipur. Raja Man Singh I began it in 1592. Jaipur was founded in 1727. Its Sheesh Mahal is a hall covered in mirror mosaics. The fort stands on a hill about 11 kilometres from central Jaipur. Nahargarh Fort on the next ridge is a popular sunset stop.
Highlights:
  • 💍 Watch city life unfold at the bustling Johari Bazaar
  • 🐘 Explore the majestic Amber Fort and ride an elephant uphill
  • 🌅 Marvel at the Hawa Mahal’s pink lattice windows at sunrise
Nagoya
Castle, car makers and miso-rich food
7.7
The keep is a 1959 concrete rebuild of the 1612 original, which burned in 1945. It has been closed since May 2018 for earthquake safety. Honmaru Palace, rebuilt by 2018, is open with reproduction painted sliding doors. A pair of gold shachihoko ornaments sit on the keep roof.
Highlights:
  • 🚄 Explore SCMAGLEV and Railway Park to see futuristic trains
  • ⛩️ Marvel at the Atsuta Shrine, one of Japan’s oldest Shinto sites
  • 🏯 Admire the golden shachihoko ornaments at Nagoya Castle
Nizwa
Ancient Capital with Mountain Charm
7.5
The round tower of Nizwa Fort was built by Imam Sultan bin Saif in the 17th century. Steep stairs lead to its roof. From the top you see date palm groves and the Hajar Mountains. The souq beside the fort has a livestock market on Friday mornings. Cannons on the roof point over the town.
Highlights:
  • 🐐 Visit the lively Friday livestock market for unique experience
  • 🛍️ Shop traditional crafts and spices at Nizwa Souq
  • 🏰 Explore the massive historic Nizwa Fort and towers
Gifu
Cormorant fishing, castle and old merchant lanes
7.1
A ropeway rises through the trees on Mount Kinka to Gifu Castle, 329 metres above the Nagara River. Oda Nobunaga took the castle in 1567 and renamed the town Gifu. The keep has a small museum and a lookout. Cormorant fishing boats work the Nagara River at night from May to October.
Highlights:
  • 🛤️ Walk through the historic Kawaramachi streets lined with old houses
  • 🐦 Watch traditional cormorant fishing on the Nagara River
  • 🏯 Ride the ropeway to Gifu Castle for mountain views
Okayama
A castle, a garden and Momotaro's legend
8.1
Ukita Hideie finished Okayama Castle in 1597 with black boards on its walls. Locals call it Crow Castle. An air raid burned the keep in 1945. The present keep dates from 1966. Korakuen Garden, completed in 1700, lies across the Asahi River. A footbridge links the two.
Highlights:
  • 🛶 Take a boat ride through the scenic Kurashiki Bikan canal area
  • 🏯 Explore Okayama Castle and enjoy the view over the Asahi River
  • 🌸 Stroll through Korakuen Garden, one of Japan’s top three gardens
Bodrum
Sun, Sea and Ancient Ruins
7.2
Knights Hospitaller began Bodrum Castle in 1406 and used stone from the ancient Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. Today the castle holds the Museum of Underwater Archaeology. Its rooms show amphorae and glass from shipwrecks found off the Turkish coast. The English Tower and French Tower guard the walls.
Highlights:
  • 🏖️ Relax on the sandy shores of Bitez Beach
  • ⚓ Discover ancient shipwrecks at Underwater Archaeology Museum
  • 🏰 Explore the historic Castle of St. Peter and its museum
Kitakyushu
Castle, retro port and steel heritage
7.0
Hosokawa Tadaoki built Kokura Castle in 1602. Its keep has upper floors wider than the lower ones, a style called Kokura zukuri. Fire destroyed the keep in 1837 and the present one dates from 1959. The top floor has a lookout over Kitakyushu. The castle stands beside the Murasaki River.
Highlights:
  • ☕ Discover retro streets and cafes in Mojiko Retro District
  • 🌉 Watch the Kanmon Bridge light up at dusk from Mojiko
  • 🏯 Visit Kokura Castle and stroll through its scenic gardens
Iwakuni
Wooden arch bridge, castle and white snakes
7.1
From June to September cormorant fishing boats work the Nishiki River below Kintai Bridge at night. The wooden bridge has five arches and was first built in 1673. A ropeway climbs Mount Yokoyama to Iwakuni Castle. The keep is a 1962 reconstruction with views of the Seto Inland Sea.
Highlights:
  • 🌸 Explore Kikko Park’s historic gardens and ruins
  • 🏯 Visit Iwakuni Castle for panoramic views
  • 🌉 Walk across the iconic Kintaikyo Wooden Bridge
Kochi
Castle city with Sunday market and bonito
7.2
Steep wooden stairs lead up through the keep of Kochi Castle, rebuilt in 1749. It is one of 12 original keeps left in Japan. The honmaru palace beside it also survives. Yamauchi Kazutoyo began the castle in 1601. Kochi's Sunday market runs along the street to the castle gate.
Highlights:
  • 🌇 Walk along the scenic Kagami River during sunset
  • 🐟 Stroll through Hirome Market and taste local specialties like katsuo no tataki
  • 🏯 Climb to Kochi Castle and explore its well-preserved keep
Sigiriya
Majestic rock fortress echoes ancient glory
Stairs wind up Sigiriya Rock past the polished Mirror Wall. Frescoes of painted women are visible in a pocket of the rock face. Two huge lion paws flank the final stairs to the summit. King Kashyapa built his palace on top in the 5th century. The rock rises about 200 metres above the plain.
Highlights:
  • ⛩️ Visit nearby Dambulla Cave Temple for Buddhist art
  • 🖼️ Explore ancient fresco murals inside the citadel
  • 🏰 Climb Sigiriya Rock Fortress at sunrise
Nijō Castle
The Tokugawa shogun's Kyoto palace and gardens
Nijo Castle is in central Kyoto with a subway stop at its gate. Tokugawa Ieyasu had it built in 1603. Floors in the Ninomaru Palace squeak on purpose to warn of intruders. They are called nightingale floors. UNESCO listed the castle in 1994. The Ninomaru Garden was designed for an imperial visit in 1626.
Highlights:
  • 🌸 Wander traditional gardens showcasing seasonal Japanese beauty
  • 🖼️ Admire exquisite Edo-period paintings inside Ninomaru Palace
  • 🎶 Hear the eerie chirping on Nijo Castle’s Nightingale Floors
Agra Fort
Majestic sandstone citadel echoing timeless glory
Go early to Agra Fort for views of the Taj Mahal across the Yamuna River. Akbar began the red sandstone fort in 1565. His grandson Shah Jahan was held prisoner in the Musamman Burj tower for his last years. UNESCO listed the fort in 1983. Its walls are about 2.5 kilometres long.
Highlights:
  • 🏰 Climb to the Diwan-i-Aam balcony
  • 🌅 Witness sunset over the fort from Mehtab Bagh
  • 🕌 Explore Agra Fort's majestic red sandstone halls
Mehrangarh Fort
Majestic sandstone citadel echoes centuries
Rajasthani musicians play folk tunes near the gates of Mehrangarh Fort. Rao Jodha began the fort in 1459 on a cliff about 120 metres above Jodhpur. It has seven gates, including Jai Pol built in 1806. The blue painted houses of the old city spread below the walls.
Highlights:
  • 🌆 Climb to the top of the fort's ramparts for panoramic city views
  • 🖼️ Tour the museum inside the fort showcasing Rajput art and weapons
  • 🏰 Explore Mehrangarh Fort's ancient palaces and watch sunset over Jaipur
Red Fort
Majestic sandstone walls echo centuries of power
Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal, also built the Red Fort in Delhi between 1638 and 1648. Red sandstone walls run 2.4 kilometres. Visitors enter through Lahori Gate into the covered Chhatta Chowk bazaar. On 15 August the Prime Minister raises the flag above the gate. A speech follows from the ramparts.
Highlights:
  • 🎶 Listen to live classical music performances at dusk
  • 🏰 Explore intricate Mughal architecture inside the fort
  • 🌅 Marvel at the Red Fort's sunrise view
The Moscow Kremlin
Majestic citadel echoing centuries of power
Cathedral Square holds the Dormition, Archangel and Annunciation cathedrals inside the Kremlin walls. The Ivan the Great Bell Tower rises 81 metres beside them. The red brick walls run about 2.2 kilometres with 20 towers. The Armory Chamber displays crowns and coronation carriages. Red Square lies just outside the eastern wall.
Highlights:
  • ⛪ Visit Saint Basil's Cathedral for iconic architecture
  • 📚 Tour the State Historical Museum inside Kremlin
  • 🏰 Explore Red Square's historic monuments
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