Asia holds more of the world’s great religious and imperial architecture than every other continent combined. This guide goes site by site through the twenty Australians book most, then by faith and by the practical questions — the hour, the dress, the guide, the season — that decide whether you see them or merely visit.
Asia holds more of humanity’s great religious architecture than the rest of the world combined: the largest religious monument on earth at Angkor, the largest Buddhist one at Borobudur, the 1,600 temples of Kyoto, the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, and thousands of lesser-known places that would be the centrepiece of any other continent. This guide is for travellers who want the heritage — the temples, tombs, palaces, forts and old cities — and want to see them well: at the right hour, in the right clothes, with a guide where a guide changes everything, and without the crowds that the famous ones attract at eleven in the morning. It goes site by site through the twenty that Australians book most, then by faith, then by the practical questions of dress, behaviour, timing and cost.
The twenty great sites
Angkor
Siem Reap, Cambodia
The Khmer empire’s capital from the ninth to the fifteenth century and the largest religious complex ever built: Angkor Wat itself, the walled city of Angkor Thom with the 216 stone faces of the Bayon, the tree-strangled Ta Prohm, the carved reliefs of Banteay Srei and hundreds of others across 400 square kilometres of forest. Three days is the minimum to see it properly; a week is not too many.
- Sunrise at Angkor Wat from the left-hand reflecting pool, arriving by 5.15 am; then leave the crowd and go to Ta Prohm before it fills
- A three-day pass (US$62 at the time of writing) and a licensed guide (AUD 50–80 a day) transform the visit
- November to March; April and May are brutal
- Shoulders and knees covered to climb the upper level of Angkor Wat
Borobudur and Prambanan
Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia
Borobudur is the largest Buddhist monument in the world, a ninth-century stepped mandala of nine terraces, 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddhas rising from the Javanese plain toward Mount Merapi. Prambanan, an hour away, is its Hindu contemporary: a compound of towering temples to Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma. Together with Yogyakarta’s sultan’s palace they make a three-day stop that is the cultural heart of Indonesia.
- Borobudur now limits access to the upper terraces to timed, guided groups of a set size — book ahead
- Sunrise from the Manohara hotel grounds or from Setumbu Hill across the valley
- Prambanan’s Ramayana ballet on full-moon nights
- A 90-minute flight from Bali; the Indonesia guide has the route
Kyoto and Nara
Japan
Japan’s capital for a thousand years and the survivor of the war that flattened the others: Kiyomizu-dera on its hillside, the Golden and Silver Pavilions, Ryoan-ji’s rock garden, the ten thousand torii of Fushimi Inari, Nijo Castle’s nightingale floors, seventeen World Heritage sites and more than 2,000 temples and shrines. Nara, 45 minutes away, was the capital before Kyoto and holds the Great Buddha of Todai-ji in the largest wooden building on earth. The Japan places guide covers both.
- Fushimi Inari at dawn; the eastern temples at 8 am opening; Arashiyama late afternoon
- Late May or October for the same temples without April’s or November’s crowds
- Shoes off, quiet, no photographs where signed, a coin at the offering box
- Kyoto’s hills (Ohara, Kurama, Takao) have temples as fine with almost no one there
The Taj Mahal, Agra and the Mughal north
India
Shah Jahan’s marble tomb for his wife, completed in 1653 and the most famous building in Asia, with the Agra Fort across the river, Fatehpur Sikri’s abandoned red-sandstone capital on the road to Jaipur, and Delhi’s Humayun’s Tomb, Qutb Minar and Red Fort completing the Mughal circuit. The South Asia guide has the region.
- The Taj at sunrise from the east gate before it opens; then the Mehtab Bagh across the Yamuna at sunset
- Closed Fridays; ticket with the mausoleum entry (about AUD 25); no tripods, no food
- October to March; the winter fog can hide it until ten
- A guide is worth it for the inlay work and the story; the touts outside are not
The Great Wall and the Forbidden City
Beijing, China
The Ming wall at Mutianyu (90 minutes from the city, restored, cable car, fewer people than Badaling) or Jinshanling (three hours, wilder, a proper walk); and in the city the 980-building palace of the Ming and Qing emperors, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace and the hutong lanes. Xi’an’s Terracotta Army is a five-hour high-speed train south-west and belongs in the same trip. The China guide covers the visa and the apps.
- The Forbidden City needs a passport-linked booking days ahead and is closed Mondays
- Mutianyu before nine or after three; Jinshanling for a half-day hike
- April–May and September–October; never the 1–7 October holiday
- A private guide and driver is the standard for Australians in China
Bagan
Myanmar
Two thousand temples and pagodas on a bend of the Irrawaddy, built between the eleventh and thirteenth centuries, seen at dawn from a balloon or a terrace. Off the map at the time of writing: Smartraveller advises against all travel to Myanmar and we do not book it. Listed because it belongs among the greatest, and will return.
- Not currently bookable
- Check Smartraveller for any change
Luang Prabang
Laos
The old royal capital on the Mekong, a World Heritage town of thirty-three gilded temples, French colonial houses and the dawn alms round in which hundreds of monks collect rice from the town in silence. Wat Xieng Thong is the finest; Mount Phousi the view; the Pak Ou caves and the Kuang Si falls the day trips. The Laos guide has the rest.
- Watch the alms round from across the street, quietly, without flash; do not join it unless properly instructed
- November to February
- Two nights minimum, three is better
- Now two hours from Vientiane on the Laos–China railway
Bangkok’s royal temples, Ayutthaya and Sukhothai
Thailand
Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace, Wat Pho’s reclining Buddha, Wat Arun on the river; then the old capitals — Ayutthaya, 80 km north, sacked by the Burmese in 1767 and left as a plain of brick prangs and headless Buddhas, and Sukhothai, the first Thai capital, whose lotus-pond temples are to many the more beautiful. The Thailand things to do page covers the routes.
- Grand Palace at 8.30 opening, dressed properly — it is enforced at the gate
- Ayutthaya by bicycle from the station, early
- Sukhothai as an overnight on the way north
- November to February
Gyeongju and Seoul’s palaces
South Korea
The Silla capital for a thousand years, with royal tumuli in the middle of town, the Bulguksa temple and the Seokguram grotto Buddha in the hills, and the seventh-century Cheomseongdae observatory; and in Seoul the five Joseon palaces, of which Changdeokgung and its Secret Garden is the loveliest and Gyeongbokgung the grandest. The South Korea guide has the itinerary.
- Rent a hanbok and the palace entry is free
- Changdeokgung’s Secret Garden is by guided tour only, booked ahead
- Gyeongju’s Anapji pond illuminated at night
- April–May and October–November
Hue and Hoi An
Vietnam
The Nguyen emperors’ citadel and Forbidden Purple City at Hue, with the royal tombs scattered along the Perfume River; and Hoi An, the fifteenth-century trading port preserved whole — Japanese bridge, Chinese assembly halls, merchant houses, lanterns at night. The Vietnam guide runs the route.
- Hue’s tombs by boat and bicycle, a full day
- Hoi An old town at 7 am before the tour groups and after 9 pm when they leave
- February to August for the centre
- Hoi An’s monthly lantern festival on the fourteenth day of the lunar month
Varanasi, Bodh Gaya and the Buddhist circuit
India and Nepal
Varanasi is Hinduism’s holiest city and the oldest continuously inhabited one on earth, its ghats stepping down to the Ganges where the living bathe and the dead are cremated; the evening aarti is watched from a boat. Bodh Gaya, where the Buddha was enlightened, Sarnath where he first taught, and Lumbini in Nepal where he was born make the Buddhist pilgrimage circuit.
- Dawn boat on the Ganges; the aarti at dusk from the water
- Never photograph the cremation ghats
- October to March; Dev Deepawali in November lights every ghat
- Two nights; it is not a place to rush or to linger
Tainan, Longshan and the temples of Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan has some 15,000 temples and a living folk religion that fills them daily: Taipei’s Longshan and Bao-an, the Confucius temple, and Tainan’s hundreds of Ming- and Qing-era temples and the Dutch Fort Zeelandia at Anping. Less monumental than the mainland’s, more alive. The Taiwan things to do page covers them.
- Longshan at 6 am with the chanting
- Tainan for a full day of temples and street food
- October to December
- Incense is offered, not lit for photographs
Sigiriya, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Kandy
Sri Lanka
The Cultural Triangle: the fifth-century rock fortress of Sigiriya with its frescoes and lion’s paws, the vast ruined capitals of Anuradhapura (sacred Bo tree, 2,300 years old) and Polonnaruwa (the Gal Vihara rock Buddhas), the Dambulla cave temples, and Kandy’s Temple of the Tooth. Three days on the loop.
- Sigiriya at 7 am opening; 1,200 steps and no shade
- Polonnaruwa by bicycle
- The Esala Perahera in Kandy in July–August is the region’s greatest procession
- White clothes are worn to temples by Sri Lankans and appreciated
Nikko, Ise, Koyasan and the Kumano Kodo
Japan
Beyond Kyoto: the shogun’s gilded mausoleum at Nikko under its cedars; Ise, the most sacred Shinto shrine, rebuilt every twenty years; Koyasan, the mountain monastery town where you sleep in a temple and walk the Okunoin cemetery at night; and the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trails through the Kii peninsula, twinned with the Camino de Santiago.
- Nikko early November for colour; Koyasan as an overnight from Osaka
- The Kumano Kodo’s Nakahechi route in three to five days with luggage transfer
- Ise has no visible inner shrine; the pilgrimage is the point
- Spring and autumn
Hampi, Khajuraho, Ellora and Ajanta
India
The deeper India: Hampi’s ruined Vijayanagara empire among the boulders of Karnataka; Khajuraho’s tenth-century temples with their celebrated carvings; and the rock-cut cave temples of Ellora (the Kailasa temple, carved downward from a single rock) and Ajanta (Buddhist paintings from the second century BC) in Maharashtra. Each is a two-night detour and each is among the wonders of the world.
- Hampi by bicycle or tuk-tuk over two days
- Ajanta and Ellora from Aurangabad, one day each
- October to February
- Khajuraho’s dance festival in February
Paro, Punakha, Kathmandu and Bhaktapur
Bhutan and Nepal
The Tiger’s Nest monastery on its cliff above Paro and the fortress-monasteries (dzongs) of Punakha and Thimphu; and Kathmandu’s Durbar Squares, the Boudhanath and Swayambhunath stupas, Pashupatinath on the Bagmati, and the medieval cities of Bhaktapur and Patan, much restored since the 2015 earthquake.
- The Tiger’s Nest is a three-hour climb; go early, wear boots
- Bhutan requires a licensed operator and a daily fee
- Boudhanath at dusk when the pilgrims circle
- Spring and autumn for both
George Town, Malacca and Singapore’s shophouses
Malaysia and Singapore
The Straits heritage: Penang’s George Town and Malacca, both World Heritage, with their Chinese clan houses, mosques, churches and Peranakan mansions in the same streets; and Singapore’s Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam, where the shophouses have been restored rather than replaced. Colonial and Asian heritage in one walk, and the best street food in the region alongside it.
- George Town on foot over two days, with the street art and the kongsi
- Malacca as a day from KL or an overnight
- Singapore’s Peranakan Museum and the Baba House
- December to February for Penang
Prambanan, Ubud and Bali’s temples
Indonesia
Bali’s Hindu temples are a living faith rather than monuments: Besakih the mother temple on Agung, Tanah Lot and Uluwatu on their sea rocks, Tirta Empul’s bathing springs, the water palace at Tirta Gangga and the thousand village temples with their daily offerings. Ceremonies are constant and visitors are welcome at most if dressed in sarong and sash.
- Uluwatu at sunset with the kecak dance; Tanah Lot at sunset without the bus park
- Tirta Empul early, to bathe with the locals
- Galungan and Nyepi are the festivals to time for
- Sarongs are lent or rented at every temple gate
Xi’an, Pingyao, Lhasa and the Silk Road
China
The Terracotta Army and Xi’an’s Ming walls; the intact Ming walled town of Pingyao; the Potala Palace and Jokhang at Lhasa (permit required); and the Silk Road cities of Dunhuang (the Mogao cave paintings), Turpan and Kashgar. The China beyond Beijing and Shanghai.
- The Terracotta Army pit 1 first, then 3, then 2
- Tibet requires a permit arranged through an operator and acclimatisation days
- Dunhuang’s caves are by timed, guided entry
- April–May and September–October
The rest of the list
Across the continent
Because twenty is not enough: Mandalay and Inle Lake (Myanmar, not currently bookable); Hoa Lu and the Perfume Pagoda (Vietnam); the Plain of Jars (Laos); Preah Vihear on the Thai border (Cambodia); the Golden Temple at Amritsar; Konark’s Sun Temple; the Meenakshi temple at Madurai and the Chola temples of Tanjore; Lahore’s Mughal fort; Samarkand and Bukhara, which are Central Asia and another guide.
- Each is a detour of two or three days from a main route
- Ask us which fits the trip you are building
By faith, and the rules that go with each
Buddhist
Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Tibet, and the temples of Japan, Korea, Vietnam and Taiwan. Shoes off, shoulders and knees covered, hats off, no pointing feet at a Buddha, no climbing on images, women do not touch monks in the Theravada countries, and photography of the interior is often restricted. A small donation is customary; buying a lotus or incense at the gate is welcome.
Hindu
India, Nepal, Bali. Shoes off, often leather removed, sarong and sash in Bali, and many inner sanctums closed to non-Hindus (most of Kerala’s temples, Jagannath at Puri, Pashupatinath’s main temple). Menstruating women are asked not to enter Balinese temples. The temples are living, loud and crowded; a guide explains what you are seeing.
Shinto and Japanese Buddhist
Bow at the torii, rinse hands and mouth at the basin, two bows, two claps, one bow at the shrine; at temples, no clapping. Shoes off inside. Quiet. Photography of the interior is usually prohibited and always signed.
Islamic
Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, the Maldives, India’s Mughal monuments, Xi’an’s Great Mosque. Full covering for both sexes, headscarf for women, shoes off, no entry during prayers, and many mosques admit non-Muslims only at set hours. The Mughal tombs are monuments rather than active mosques and the rules are lighter.
Chinese folk, Taoist and Confucian
Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, China. Incense is offered at the altars, photography is generally fine outside the innermost hall, and the temples are noisy, smoky, sociable places. Fortune-telling with moon blocks and the drawing of lots are part of a visit.
Colonial and secular heritage
The forts, shophouses, war sites and old towns follow ordinary museum manners. Hellfire Pass and Sandakan for Australians, the Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng in Cambodia, the Hiroshima Peace Park and Nagasaki, the War Remnants Museum in Saigon: dress and behave as at a cemetery, because in most cases you are at one.
Practical: seeing them well
The hour
Every famous site in Asia is a different place at opening than at eleven. The coaches arrive between nine and ten; the heat by eleven; the light is best before eight and after four. Book the hotel within walking distance and go at dawn. Where a site opens late (the Forbidden City at 8.30, the Grand Palace at 8.30), be at the gate before it does.
Guides
At Angkor, the Taj, the Forbidden City, the Terracotta Army, Borobudur, Hue and Anuradhapura, a licensed guide is the difference between looking and seeing. AUD 40–120 a day depending on country, split across the party. Book through an operator or the site’s official guide association, not the man at the car park.
Dress
A light sarong and a scarf in the day bag cover every temple rule in Asia. Slip-on shoes and intact socks. A hat you are willing to take off. Nothing that needs a queue at a cover-up rental.
The season
The temperate sites (Japan, Korea, China, Bhutan, Nepal) in spring and autumn; the tropical ones (Angkor, Bagan, Thailand, Laos, India’s north, Sri Lanka) from November to February; Borobudur and Bali in the dry season from May to September. The best time to visit Asia page has the calendar.
Tickets and permits
Angkor passes are one, three or seven days; the Forbidden City, Borobudur’s upper terraces, Dunhuang, Sigiriya, the Taj’s mausoleum and the Secret Garden at Changdeokgung need advance or timed booking; Tibet and Bhutan need permits arranged through operators; the Kumano Kodo and Koyasan need accommodation booked months ahead. We handle all of it, which is a large part of what a Cooee heritage itinerary is for.
Heritage routes we build
The Indochina temple trail, three weeks
Bangkok and Ayutthaya, fly to Luang Prabang, the railway to Vientiane, fly to Hanoi, down through Hue and Hoi An to Saigon, fly to Siem Reap for Angkor, and home via Bangkok.
The four old capitals of East Asia, three weeks
Kyoto and Nara, Gyeongju, Beijing and Xi’an, with Tainan if Taiwan is added: 2,500 years of the region’s history in the order it happened.
The Mughal and Rajput north, two weeks
Delhi, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Jaipur, then Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Udaipur with a driver, and Varanasi to finish for those who want it.
Java and Bali, ten days
Yogyakarta with Borobudur and Prambanan, then Ubud’s temples and the sea temples of the Bukit.
Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle and Kandy, twelve days
Sigiriya, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Dambulla, Kandy, then the train to the hills and the south coast.
The things to do in Asia page groups the continent by interest and the Asia tours page shows how the routes above become bookings.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most impressive temples in Asia?
Angkor in Cambodia, Borobudur in Java, Kyoto’s temples and Fushimi Inari, Bagan in Myanmar (not currently bookable), the Golden Temple at Amritsar, Bangkok’s Grand Palace, Luang Prabang, Sigiriya and the Tiger’s Nest in Bhutan. The Taj Mahal, the Forbidden City and the Great Wall are the great secular and Mughal monuments alongside them.
How many days do you need at Angkor?
Three is the minimum to see Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and the Bayon, Ta Prohm and Banteay Srei properly with a guide; a week allows the outer temples and the Roluos group. Buy the three-day pass and hire a licensed guide.
What should I wear to temples in Asia?
Shoulders and knees covered, shoes off, hats off, and in Bali a sarong and sash (lent at the gate). Mosques require full covering and a headscarf for women. A light sarong and scarf in your day bag covers every rule on the continent.
Is the Taj Mahal worth it?
Yes, and it exceeds its photographs. Go at sunrise from the east gate before opening, buy the mausoleum ticket, avoid Fridays when it is closed, and see it again at sunset from the Mehtab Bagh across the river.
Can I visit Bagan in Myanmar?
Not at the time of writing. Smartraveller advises against all travel to Myanmar and Cooee does not book it. Angkor, Borobudur and Luang Prabang are the alternatives in the same tradition.
When is the best time for a heritage trip to Asia?
November to February for the tropical sites (Angkor, Thailand, Laos, India’s north, Sri Lanka); April–May and October–November for the temperate ones (Kyoto, Korea, China, Bhutan, Nepal); May to September for Borobudur and Bali.
Do I need a guide at the big sites?
At Angkor, the Taj, the Forbidden City, the Terracotta Army, Borobudur, Hue and Sri Lanka’s ancient cities, a licensed guide transforms the visit. At Kyoto, Bangkok and Luang Prabang a good book and an early start are enough.
Which Asian temples can non-believers enter?
Almost all Buddhist, Shinto, Taoist and Balinese Hindu temples welcome visitors who follow the dress rules. Many Indian Hindu temples close their inner sanctums to non-Hindus, and mosques admit non-Muslims only outside prayer times. Ask at the gate.
Where this leads
Travel guide informs; things to do helps you choose; tours convert.