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Best cities to visit in Asia

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Singapore
Tropical city-state of hawker food and gardens
9.5
Both a city and a country, this small island sits just north of the equator. The Supertrees at Gardens by the Bay stand 25 to 50 metres tall and light up in a nightly show. Hawker centres, which are open air food courts, serve chicken rice and laksa at low prices.
Highlights:
  • 🏮 Wander through Chinatown’s temples and traditional shophouses
  • 🌳 Visit Gardens by the Bay and its iconic Supertree Grove
  • 🌆 Admire the futuristic skyline from Marina Bay Sands SkyPark
Tokyo
Japan's capital of temples, towers and food
9.7
Sitting on a plain beside the bay, this is one of the largest cities on Earth. Tipping is not a custom here and staff greet visitors with a small bow. Senso-ji, in Asakusa, was founded in 645 and Shibuya Crossing sees up to 3,000 people cross at once.
Highlights:
  • 🖼️ Visit the teamLab digital art museum
  • 🌆 Enjoy panoramic city views from observation decks
  • 🍣 Savour sushi at a local eatery
Hong Kong
Where East Meets West
9.3
Packed onto steep hills and a busy harbour, this city is dense, fast and surprisingly green. The Peak Tram climbs to Victoria Peak, 552 metres high, for a view over the water. The Star Ferry has crossed Victoria Harbour since 1888 as dim sum restaurants fill up most mornings.
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
Shanghai
A dazzling mix of modernity and tradition
9.0
Opened to foreign trade in 1843, this river port grew into China's largest city. Foreign banks built stone offices along the Bund while Shanghai Tower rises 632 metres in Pudong across the river. Yu Garden, built in 1559, has rock gardens and zigzag bridges beside small shops that serve soup dumplings.
Highlights:
  • 🌸 Wander through Yu Garden and explore its traditional pavilions
  • 🏙️ Take the world’s fastest elevator to Shanghai Tower’s observation deck
  • 🌃 Admire Shanghai’s skyline from The Bund promenade at night
Osaka
Castle, neon canals and street food
8.5
Long known as the kitchen of Japan, this port city takes eating very seriously. Locals live by kuidaore, which means eat until you drop, so takoyaki stands along Dotonbori are always busy. Osaka Castle, begun in 1583, has a museum inside its main keep and gardens around it.
Highlights:
  • 🐠 Visit the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan, one of the world’s largest
  • 🍢 Feast on street food at Dotonbori and see the neon lights
  • 🏯 Explore Osaka Castle and wander through its scenic park
Taipei
A vibrant blend of old and new
9.0
Tucked in a basin ringed by green mountains, this capital feels relaxed, creative and easy to explore. Shilin night market opens at dusk and sells oyster omelets and fried chicken cutlets as big as a plate. Taipei 101 rises 508 metres and Beitou hot springs sit in the hills north of the city.
Highlights:
  • ♨️ Relax and soak in the Beitou hot springs
  • 🍢 Wander through the bustling Shilin Night Market and try local snacks
  • 🏙️ Take in the skyline views from the Taipei 101 observatory
Beijing
Ancient history meets modern dynamism
8.9
A capital that has served China's rulers for centuries, this city feels both ancient and busy with modern life. The Forbidden City has nearly 1,000 buildings and was home to emperors for about 500 years. Roast duck is a local speciality and the Great Wall at Mutianyu is a day trip away.
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
Dubai
Glamour, Adventure and Desert Charm
9.2
Rising from the desert coast in just a few decades, this city is known for bold buildings and sunny winters. Burj Khalifa rises 828 metres and has observation decks high above the city and the nearby Dubai Fountain. Wooden abra boats cross Dubai Creek in old Dubai for a single dirham.
Highlights:
  • 🏜️ Take a desert safari and ride camels over golden dunes
  • ⛷️ Shop and ski inside the Dubai Mall and Ski Dubai
  • 🏙️ Ascend the Burj Khalifa and watch the city from above
Istanbul
Where East meets West in stunning contrast
8.7
Spread across both Europe and Asia, this city served as an imperial capital for more than 1,500 years. Hagia Sophia, finished in 537, has a dome about 55 metres high and the Grand Bazaar has roughly 4,000 shops. Ferries cross the Bosphorus between the two continents all day long.
Highlights:
  • 👑 Explore the opulent Topkapi Palace and its imperial treasures
  • 🚤 Cruise along the Bosphorus between Europe and Asia
  • 🕌 Admire the grand Hagia Sophia’s domes and mosaics
Bangkok
The city of contrasts and chaos
8.6
Built along a bend of the Chao Phraya River, this capital is warm and full of life at every hour. King Rama I made the city his capital in 1782 and built the Grand Palace beside the river. Street food stalls sell pad thai and mango sticky rice late into the night.
Highlights:
  • 🌇 Watch the sunset over Wat Arun by the Chao Phraya River
  • 🚤 Take a boat ride through Bangkok’s bustling floating markets
  • 🏯 Visit the glittering Grand Palace and Emerald Buddha Temple
Kuala Lumpur
A fusion of cultures and skyscrapers
8.1
Built where two rivers meet, this Malaysian capital blends Malay, Chinese and Indian cultures in one busy centre. The Petronas Towers rise 452 metres and Batu Caves has a rainbow staircase of 272 steps. The smell of grilled satay drifts along Jalan Alor each night after the day heat fades.
Highlights:
  • 🪷 Visit the Batu Caves and climb the colorful staircase to the temple
  • 🛍️ Shop and dine in the bustling Bukit Bintang district
  • 🏙️ Stand beneath the towering Petronas Twin Towers and take in the view
Abu Dhabi
Modern luxury meets rich traditions
8.8
Spread across a group of islands in the Gulf, this capital mixes quiet waterfronts with grand modern buildings. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque has 82 white domes and Louvre Abu Dhabi sits under a wide silver dome. Winter days from November to March are mild, which suits a walk along the Corniche.
Highlights:
  • 🎨 Admire world-class art at the Louvre Abu Dhabi
  • 🏜️ Take a thrilling desert safari at sunset
  • 🕌 Marvel at the stunning Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
Guangzhou
A Fusion of Tradition and Modernity
7.9
Long a trading city on the Pearl River, this southern giant is the home of Cantonese cuisine. Families gather for yum cha, a tea and dim sum meal that can last all morning. Canton Tower rises 604 metres and Shamian Island has tree lined streets and old European style buildings.
Highlights:
  • 🏯 Explore the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall’s ornate Lingnan architecture
  • 🛳️ Cruise along the Pearl River to see Guangzhou illuminated at night
  • 🌇 Admire the skyline from the Canton Tower’s observation deck
Shenzhen
A Futuristic City with a Soul
7.8
Once a small fishing town, this young city grew in a few decades into one of China's big tech centres. It became a special economic zone in 1980 and now has over 17 million people. The hum of electronics stalls and flashing screens fills Huaqiangbei, where shops sell phones, drones and circuit boards.
Highlights:
  • ☕ Stroll through OCT Loft for art, coffee, and design
  • 🛍️ Shop for gadgets and streetwear in Huaqiangbei market
  • 🌆 Take in skyline views from Ping An Finance Center
Moscow
A grand city of history and power
8.2
Set on the Moskva River, this vast capital has grown around a medieval fortress for almost 900 years. Red Square has St. Basil's Cathedral, which was finished in 1561. The Metro opened in 1935 and its stations, such as Komsomolskaya, are decorated like palaces with chandeliers and mosaics.
Highlights:
  • 🪆 See Lenin’s Mausoleum and explore Soviet history
  • 🕍 Tour the Kremlin and its impressive cathedrals
  • 🏰 Admire St. Basil’s Cathedral on Red Square
Seoul
Where Tradition Meets High-Tech Marvels
8.6
Ringed by mountains and cut by the Han River, this capital mixes royal palaces with glass towers. Gyeongbokgung Palace, built in 1395, holds a royal guard ceremony at its main gate each day except Tuesday. Bukchon Hanok Village has hundreds of traditional wooden houses and Korean barbecue restaurants fill every neighbourhood.
Highlights:
  • 🌇 Admire Seoul’s skyline from N Seoul Tower at sunset
  • 🛍️ Shop and eat street food in bustling Myeongdong
  • 🏯 Explore Gyeongbokgung Palace and watch the royal guard ceremony
Jakarta
A chaotic, vibrant urban jungle
7.1
With over ten million people, this sprawling capital grew from a Dutch trading port into the centre of Indonesia. The Dutch East India Company founded Batavia in 1619 and left colonial buildings around Fatahillah Square. Street stalls sell satay and soto Betawi, a rich beef soup served with rice.
Highlights:
  • 🕌 Visit Southeast Asia’s largest Istiqlal Mosque
  • 🏛️ Explore Jakarta Old Town (Kota Tua) historic district
  • 🗼 Climb National Monument (Monas) for city views
Mumbai
India's bustling coastal metropolis
7.7
Stretched along a narrow peninsula on the Arabian Sea, this port city is fast, crowded and full of energy. The Gateway of India, finished in 1924, faces the harbour while Marine Drive glows like a necklace at night. Days are warm and dry at about 30 degrees Celsius from November to February.
Highlights:
  • ⛴️ Explore the ancient Elephanta Caves by ferry
  • 🌅 Stroll along Marine Drive at sunset
  • 🗽 Visit the historic Gateway of India monument
Riyadh
Tradition Meets Modern Ambition
7.3
Set on a desert plateau in the centre of Arabia, this capital has grown fast from a walled oasis town. At-Turaif in Diriyah, a village of mud brick palaces, became a World Heritage Site in 2010. The Edge of the World cliffs are a drive of about 90 minutes from the city.
Highlights:
  • 🏘️ Explore At-Turaif World Heritage Site's mud-brick architecture
  • 🏰 Visit historic Al Masmak Fortress museum
  • 🗻 Hike the breathtaking Edge of the World cliffs
Delhi
A Kaleidoscope of History and Culture
7.3
Split between a crowded old quarter and a capital of wide avenues, this city shows India's past and present. Humayun's Tomb, finished in 1570, sits in a large garden and Qutub Minar rises 73 metres. Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi serves parathas and sweets along narrow lanes.
Highlights:
  • 🌳 Walk through India Gate and relax in surrounding gardens
  • 🍢 Visit the bustling Chandni Chowk market for street food
  • 🏰 Explore the Red Fort’s majestic Mughal architecture
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