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Best destinations to visit in August in Asia

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Hong Kong
Where East Meets West
9.3
On the south coast of China at the mouth of the Pearl River, Hong Kong is hot and humid in August, so air conditioned malls, museums and dim sum lunches fill many days. In the seventh lunar month families burn paper offerings in the streets for the Hungry Ghost Festival.
Highlights:
  • 🥢 Shop and eat street food in Mong Kok’s bustling markets
  • ⛴️ Sail across Victoria Harbour on the iconic Star Ferry
  • 🌇 Ride the Peak Tram and admire skyline views from Victoria Peak
Bali
Tropical beaches, vibrant culture and adventure
8.2
Hindu priests and nobles from Java came to Bali in the 1500s as Islam spread across Indonesia. The island still keeps its own Hindu culture with daily offerings and temple festivals. August is dry and sunny with calm seas. Independence Day on 17 August has flags and parades in villages.
Highlights:
  • ⛪ Visit Uluwatu Temple perched high on a seaside cliff
  • 💦 Swim beneath the cascading Tegenungan Waterfall
  • 🌋 Watch the sunrise over Mount Batur volcano
Beijing
Ancient history meets modern dynamism
8.9
Pink lotus flowers bloom on the lakes of the Summer Palace and Beihai Park in August, when the air is warm and humid and afternoon thunderstorms are common. Early mornings are the quiet time to walk the Great Wall at Mutianyu, before the heat and the crowds arrive.
Highlights:
  • 🌸 Explore the Summer Palace’s gardens and lakeside pavilions
  • 🧱 Climb the Great Wall of China at Mutianyu
  • 🏯 Walk across Tiananmen Square and visit the Forbidden City
Hoi An
Charming Lanterns and Timeless Streets
8.0
Hoi An was a busy trading port from the 1500s with Japanese, Chinese and European merchants. The Japanese Covered Bridge and yellow merchant houses remain from that time. August is hot with short showers while on full moon nights electric lights go off and lanterns float on the river.
Highlights:
  • 🏖️ Relax on scenic An Bang Beach nearby
  • 🏮 Witness vibrant lanterns glowing at night
  • 🏘️ Stroll through UNESCO-listed Hoi An Ancient Town
Da Nang
Beaches, Mountains and City Vibes
6.8
The Golden Bridge at Ba Na Hills, a footpath held up by two giant stone hands, is a big sight in August along with the long sands of My Khe Beach. Days are hot and sunny with warm water for swimming while typhoon risk rises later in the year, from about September.
Highlights:
  • 🚠 Take a cable car to Sun World Ba Na Hills
  • 🪨 Explore the Marble Mountains with caves and temples
  • 🌉 Visit the iconic Dragon Bridge lit at night
Busan
Beaches, Markets and Culture
8.3
Locals cool off in summer with a trip to Haeundae Beach, then eat raw fish and grilled shellfish at the Jagalchi Fish Market, a custom shared by residents and visitors alike. The summer rains end by August, so beach days are sunny. The Busan Sea Festival has concerts and fireworks around the bay.
Highlights:
  • 🛕 Hike to the Beomeosa Temple nestled in the mountain forest
  • 🎨 Visit the colorful Gamcheon Culture Village and its hillside murals
  • 🏖️ Relax on Haeundae Beach and watch the coastal sunset
Lombok
Untamed Beaches and Majestic Mountains
7.4
Cool mountain air and the smell of woodsmoke are part of dawn in Sembalun, where treks up Rinjani, an active volcano 12,224 feet high, begin in the dry months from April to November. August is sunny, so the pale beaches and surf breaks of Kuta Lombok and boat rides to the Gili Islands are easy.
Highlights:
  • 🐠 Snorkel among colorful coral reefs around the Gili Islands
  • 🏖️ Relax on the white sands of Kuta Beach, Lombok
  • 🏔️ Climb Mount Rinjani and watch sunrise over the crater lake
Jeju Island
Nature's Island Paradise
8.6
Women divers called haenyeo gather seafood by free diving without air tanks, a tradition recognised by UNESCO. Some sell fresh abalone and sea urchin at seaside stalls. In August the island is hot and green. Hyeopjae Beach has clear shallow water while Hallasan, the tallest mountain in South Korea, is a shady hike.
Highlights:
  • 🏘️ Visit the colorful Jeju Folk Village Museum
  • 🦇 Explore the stunning Manjanggul Lava Tube caves
  • 🌄 Watch sunrise from the volcanic Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak
Bodrum
Sun, Sea and Ancient Ruins
7.2
On the Aegean coast of southwest Turkey, Bodrum has the Castle of St Peter, built by the Knights of St John in the early 1400s, beside a harbour full of wooden sailing boats called gulets. August is hot and dry with a warm sea, so swimming and boat trips to nearby coves fill the days.
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
Dali
Ancient Charm by Erhai Lake
6.7
Much cooler than the hot lowlands of southern China, Dali sits at about 6,500 feet beside Erhai Lake, with the Cangshan mountains rising behind the old town. August has green rice fields and afternoon showers. The Bai people hold a Torch Festival with bonfires in July or August.
Highlights:
  • 🚴‍♂️ Cycle around scenic Erhai Lake and its villages
  • 🛕 Visit the iconic Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple
  • 🏘️ Explore the charming streets of Dali Ancient Town
Kandy
Sacred Temples, Misty Hills, Tea Trails
7.3
Compared with a normal temple festival, the Esala Perahera is a huge procession of decorated elephants, drummers and fire dancers that moves through Kandy over about ten nights in July or August. It honours the Buddha's tooth relic kept at the Temple of the Tooth while dates follow the lunar calendar.
Highlights:
  • 🌺 Explore the vast Royal Botanical Gardens, Peradeniya
  • 🌊 Stroll peacefully around scenic Kandy Lake
  • 🦷 Visit the sacred Temple of the Tooth Relic
Hokkaido
Volcanoes, powder snow and fresh seafood
9.3
The smell of cut hay and sweet corn drifts across the farm fields of Furano and Biei in August, when sunflowers and late lavender bloom under big skies. The island is cool and dry compared with humid Honshu, so hiking in Daisetsuzan and Shiretoko is pleasant.
Highlights:
  • 🚤 Explore historic Otaru Canal and its shops
  • 🏂 Ski or snowboard in world-famous Niseko resorts
  • 💧 Visit the spectacular Shirogane Blue Pond
Lhasa
A Spiritual Journey in Tibet
7.9
The Potala Palace was started in 1645 by the fifth Dalai Lama on Red Hill and its white and red walls still rise above the city at about 12,000 feet. The Shoton Festival in August has Tibetan opera and giant Buddha paintings at Drepung Monastery, but foreign visitors need a permit and a guide.
Highlights:
  • 🛍️ Stroll the vibrant Barkhor Street market and pilgrim path
  • ⛩️ Visit Jokhang Temple, the spiritual heart of Tibet
  • 🏰 Tour the majestic UNESCO-listed Potala Palace
Java
Vibrant capital city and ancient temples
8.6
From May to September it is dry in Java, so skies are clear for sunrise at Mount Bromo and Borobudur temple. Hikers climb Ijen crater at night to see blue flames burn from sulphur gas before dawn. On 17 August villages hold pole climbing contests with prizes tied on top.
Highlights:
  • 🏮 Stroll Yogyakarta's Malioboro Street, shop batik souvenirs
  • 🛕 Explore Borobudur temple's ancient stone carvings
  • 🌋 Climb Mount Bromo sunrise for breathtaking views
Arugam Bay
Sri Lanka’s Surf and Sunrise Haven
6.4
The point break at Main Point in Arugam Bay has long right hand waves that surfers ride from May to September, when the southeast coast of Sri Lanka is dry and sunny. Boat trips on the lagoon pass crocodiles and birds while elephants are often seen at nearby Lahugala National Park.
Highlights:
  • 🦌 Join a safari in nearby Kumana National Park
  • 🪨 Climb Elephant Rock for panoramic coastal views
  • 🏄‍♂️ Catch waves at world-famous Arugam Bay Beach
Minneriya National Park
Sprawling grasslands hosting majestic elephants
8.3
Unlike parks where elephants are scattered, Minneriya has the Gathering, when up to 300 Asian elephants graze on fresh grass beside the shrinking Minneriya tank, a huge reservoir built in the third century. It peaks from August to October in the dry season and jeep safaris go out in the afternoon.
Highlights:
  • 🌅 Witness sunrise over the park’s misty savanna
  • 🏛️ Hike to the ancient Anuradhapura ruins nearby
  • 🐘 Spot elephants grazing near the Pundaluoya waterhole
Borneo
Wild rainforests meet unique wildlife
7.9
From June to September it is dry in Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo, so river trips are easy. In Tanjung Puting National Park, visitors sleep on wooden riverboats called klotoks and watch orangutans at feeding platforms along the Sekonyer River, deep in the rainforest.
Highlights:
  • 🦇 Explore unique limestone caves in Gunung Mulu National Park
  • 🦧 See orangutans up close at Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary
  • 🏔️ Climb Mount Kinabalu for unforgettable summit views
Mount Kinabalu
Majestic peaks echo ancient jungle whispers
Climbing is possible all year, but the drier months from March to September give clearer sunrise views from the top. The climb takes two days, with a night in a mountain hut at about 10,700 feet and a start at 2 am to reach Low's Peak at 13,435 feet. Permits book out months ahead.
Highlights:
  • 🌊 Witness orchid display at Poring Hot Springs waterfall
  • 🌺 Explore Kinabalu Park botanical gardens on guided tour
  • ⛰️ Climb Mount Kinabalu summit before sunrise
Ladakh
Himalayan Cold Desert of Contrasts
8.5
Pangong Lake, a long salt lake high in the Himalayas that changes from blue to green through the day, is a big sight of Ladakh along with monasteries such as Thiksey and Hemis. August is high season. The roads from Manali and Srinagar are usually open while the skies are clear and dry.
Highlights:
  • ⛺ Camp overnight beside the Tso Moriri Lake under stars
  • 🌊 Admire the surreal blue waters of Pangong Lake
  • 🏍️ Ride through the world’s highest motorable pass at Khardung La
Danum Valley
Untamed rainforest, rare wildlife sanctuary
8.0
In Danum Valley, every walk is led by a trained local guide, a rule that protects both wildlife and visitors in about 170 square miles of ancient lowland rainforest in Sabah. August is among the drier months, so hikers on night walks and dawn walks often see orangutans, gibbons and sometimes pygmy elephants.
Highlights:
  • 🐵 Spot orangutans lounging in their natural habitat
  • 🥾 Hike to the top of the rainforest ridge
  • 🌲 Explore Danum Valley's ancient cloud forest canopy
Mongolia
Land of endless steppes
7.7
Landlocked between Russia and China, Mongolia is green in August, when herders move cattle, sheep and horses across open steppe and visitors sleep in felt tents called gers. In the south, the Gobi has huge sand dunes at Khongoriin Els that make a humming sound on windy days.
Highlights:
  • 🛕 Visit the Gandan Monastery and observe morning prayers
  • 🌌 Stay overnight in a traditional ger under starry skies
  • 🐎 Ride a horse across the vast Mongolian steppe
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