Planning your first trip through Asia is incredibly exciting but can also become overwhelming. You have lots of decisions to make, and things to organise. From deciding which countries to visit, to booking your flights and accommodation and knowing what you should (and should not) take with you, this step-by-step guide takes you through the process of planning a backpacking trip to Asia.

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Step 1: Decide Roughly When and Where

There’s a lot to be said for staying flexible when you’re travelling. Whether its deciding to follow new found best friends or feeling the sudden urge to escape from heat and humidity, having a flexible itinerary allows you to tailor a trip through Asia as you’re living it.

However, having at least a rough idea of where you want to go, and when, is the foundation block for the rest of your planning.

Here’s a few factors to take account of when deciding when and where to travel in Asia.

Festivals and Events

Asia is home to a plethora of festivals and cultural events hosted throughout the year. Aligning your travel dates with these events is a great way to make the most out of your visit to any given particular destination.

Even if you’re not visiting for the festivities, it’s good to know about them and other large events in case transport and accommodation availability / pricing is likely to be affected.

Air Polution

I visited northern Thailand in the heat of early April. I was well positioned in Chiang Mai and ready to celebrate Songkran with my water gun soaking every woman, man and child that happened to cross my path. The street music was banging and the vibes were incredible. I was super happy with how my trip was going. There was one little thing, though – I had not been expecting air pollution from burning activities.

Would I have still gone had I known? Yes, probably, but I wouldn’t have booked to stay for as long as I did (2 weeks) or I might have arrived closer to the festival date.

Anyway, the moral of the story is: search online for polution events in your potential destinations.

Weather and Seasons

Travelling during Asia’s low season can present you with unbelievably cheap deals. However, this period often coincides with less ideal weather conditions. Some areas just experience afternoon downpours while others can endure prolonged rains, flooding and typhoons.   

Think about what kind of activities you want to be doing while you travel. You may struggle (as I have) to white water raft or admire a normally thunderous waterfall towards the end of the hot season when water levels are low.

Make sure you’re also aware of regions which experience typhoon seasons.

• Southeast Asia: Prepare for humidity and rain in the monsoon seasons or scorching temperatures during the hot season. Two different monsoons affect different areas of Thailand at different times. Also, note periods of exceptionally poor air quality due to burning practices. Pack quick-dry clothing, lightweight rain gear, and waterproof protectors for your luggage, electronics and documents.
• East Asia and Central Asia: These regions have the largest variance in temperatures between their seasons. Summers can be hot and humid, but winters can be bitterly cold. 
• South Asia: The climate is extremely hot and dry here. Loose and breathable clothing, a sun hat, sunscreen, and plenty of water are essentials.

Your Goals and Limitations

Whether you want to immerse yourself in diverse cultures, see iconic landmarks, or simply escape from your daily routine, it helps to understand your travel goals and limitations when deciding which countries to explore during your trip.

How much time do you have, and how quickly do you like to travel? Asia is a vast continent, and trying to see as much of it as possible is tempting. However, travel can be exhausting, and it’s important not to overexert yourself, especially when it’s hot and humid. If you only have a few weeks, focus on one or two countries.

You can easily cover multiple countries and cities in a few months, but remember to factor in some time for relaxation and unplanned adventures. 

Focus on quality over quantity, aiming to immersing yourself in the culture, history, and daily life of the places you visit.

What’s your budget? Travelling around Asia is very affordable compared to other continents like Europe or North America, but prices vary considerably between countries. 

Preparing an estimated budget for each country (or city) can help you decide which route to take. Remember to include the typical cost of any visas you might need as well as accommodation, food and drink, transportation, tours and activities.

How much will transport cost you? Flying to the other side of the world can be a little pricey. Knowing about cheap flight routes between Europe and Southeast Asia can help you determine your adventure’s start and endpoints. Flying between Asian countries is generally quite affordable, especially if you only carry hand luggage.

Use Skyscanner to check the prices of flights. Setting your destination to ‘Everywhere’ can also help you decide on a route based on the cheapest flights available. For bus and train travel, compare options using 12goasia.com.

What type(s) of accommodation will suit you best and how much will it cost? Most backpackers prefer to stay in hostels because it allows them to meet fellow travellers. If that sounds like you, think about whether you want to stay in party hostels or somewhere a bit quieter. Are you happy to stay in large, mixed dorms, or would you prefer smaller dorms or those for females only?

I love staying in hostels but find that I need my own space after a while. When I reach that point, I pick smaller dorms or private rooms (preferably in countries with lower accommodation costs). I generally use booking.com or trip.com when comparing accommodation costs.

Will you need permits for any trails that you want to hike? If you plan on hiking trails, check whether you need a permit. In some cases, a limited number of permits are approved each year/season.

Step 2: Create a Bucket List

This is definitely the most fun step – it’s time to get excited about your trip! Don’t feel like you have to plan absolutely everything at this point, though.

Having a bucket list of activities or locations can help you to decide where to go, how long to stay and what to spend your money on.

Read blogs, use social media, and talk to fellow travellers for inspiration. Use GetYourGuide and Klook to find tours and activities available in each destination. You can also use the explore and street view functions on Google Maps to get a better feel for places.

Even if you’re the spontaneous type and prefer to stay flexible, saving interesting locations on Google Maps can take the pain out of deciding what to do when you arrive in a new place. Saving locations as a ‘starred place’ (the yellow star) will allow you to see those pins even when offline.

The objective here is to get inspired, not overwhelmed, and to keep practicalities in mind. Add to your list freely but when it comes to building an itinerary do consider geographical proximity, costs, and ease of getting between locations. 

Flights from Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok tend to be very reasonable. If you plan on taking any longer flights (e.g. to Australia or New Zealand), consider taking them from KL or Bangkok for the best prices.

Remember that there is no ‘perfect’ backpacking trip to Asia. Aim to find the places that resonate with you the most and offer you the experiences you crave.

“Travelling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” – Ibn Battuta.

Step 3: Research Travel Advisories and Entry Requirements

Now you’re armed with a good idea of when and where you want to go on your Asian adventure, it’s time to delve into the nitty-gritty details.

Government Travel Advisories:

Refer to government websites such as the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) (or your country’s equivalent) for travel advisories and safety information. The FCDO have also published a travel checklist.

Entry Requirements:

Passport Validity: Ensure your passport is less than 10 years old (even if it only expires several months beyond this point) and valid for at least six months beyond your intended return date. You’ll also need enough pages for the stamps in and out of each country, plus any visa extensions.

Visa Requirements: Know whether you will need to apply for any visas, how best to do that (i.e. online or on arrival) and the timescales for doing so. Make sure you do not work without the necessary visa or you may find yourself in deep trouble (by which I mean jail, especially in places like Thailand).

When thinking about visa processing timescales, don’t forget to take account of any public holidays in your destination country. Visit the official websites of the countries you plan to visit but do be aware of scam websites.

Take pre-cut passport-size photos with you if you will be applying for any visas on arrival or extending visa arrangements. Check the actual photo sizes required as they can differ by country. If necessary, you can get passport photos at your destination but it is more convenient to take them with you.

Proof of Funds/Travel Insurance: these are usually only required when entering certain countries on longer term visas. Make sure you know what documents you will require.

Proof of Onward Travel: When checking in for a flight, be prepared to show proof of a return or onward flight ticket to another country. I encountered this requirement a couple of times when checking in to flights between countries in East Asia (South Korea and Japan, for example) but was always able to show an onward ticket, thankfully!

Some airlines ask while others don’t. If you don’t have an onward flight booked and worry you will be asked for one before being allowed to board your flight, check out onwardticket.com.

Customs Regulations: Familiarise yourself with customs regulations, duty-free allowances, and declaration requirements. Check if there are any requirements or restrictions around any prescription medications that you need to take with you.

If you are travelling on a budget and are so inclined, plan to make the most of your duty-free allowances when travelling from less expensive countries to more expensive countries (I’m looking at you, Japan).

Prohibited Items: Check whether any items are prohibited. For example, you cannot take chewing gum into Singapore. Vapes are also prohibited in some countries across the region.

Step 4: Prepare for The Worst

No matter how diligently you prepare your trip through Asia, things can still go wrong. The majority of trips go smoothly but it is important to prepare for any mishaps.

Vaccination Recommendations:

A few months before you are due to set off on your trip through Asia, check which vaccinations are recommended for your travel destinations. The UK’s National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) provides vaccine recommendations by country and lists disease/virus outbreaks around the world.

Make an appointment to see the nurse at your GP surgery and get any relevant vaccines which are available for free on the NHS. Surgeries usually have some doses in stock but do mention that you want to discuss travel vaccines when making your appointment.

Next, schedule an appointment with a travel clinic, such as Boots Travel, for other vaccinations. Get your vaccinations ASAP, as some require several doses spread over a few months. Alternatively, check whether you can get a single dose jab on arrival, as vaccines can be much cheaper in Asia than at home. Do be aware that the vaccine may not be effective for a few weeks, though.

The vaccines recommended for your trip will depend on where you’re going, how long you’re staying, what you’ll be doing, and whether you have any pre-existing health conditions.

Travel Insurance

A lot of people feel like they don’t need travel insurance but they also don’t expect to be ill or injured while on their trip. That doesn’t mean to say it won’t happen though, potentially costing you a lot of money if you need medical assistance or find yourself robbed of your possessions.

When comparing policies, ensure that you are happy with the level of cover provided and familiarise yourself with the procedure for making a claim. For example, most providers require that you contact them before accepting any treatment in hospital. For loss or theft claims, you may need to provide receipts for your goods.

Make sure you have copies of any documents and phone numbers you may need in such circumstances – save them in the cloud (or in a draft email) so that you can access them anywhere you’re able to log in.

Global rescue

If you plan on hiking across remote areas or partaking in extreme sports and adventure activities, consider taking out a global rescue policy.

Alert Systems

Some countries, such as South Korea and Japan, have alert systems in place to warn you about imminent natural disasters, missile strikes or extreme weather. In some cases, these may be in the form of a siren but alerts may also be sent directly to your phone.

Familiarise yourself with the alerts that you may encounter ahead of arriving in these countries (as well as any planned tests, which can seriously affect public transport) and ensure your phone is set to receive electronic alerts.

Don’t panic when your phone makes an awful noise that you have never heard it make before. Just screenshot the alert and use the translate function in Google Lens or Google Translate. It is probably (hopefully) just alerting you to the fact that its going to be hot that day.

Tourist Scams

Tourist scams may be more of a danger to your wallet than your actual safety but realising that you have been scammed can also dampen your mood. Check out my blog post on common tourists scams and how to avoid them.

Step 5: Le Baggage

Another decision to be made when planning a trip through Asia is how to carry your belongings. Each luggage system has advantages and disadvantages. The choice ultimately depends on your travel style, preferences, and the nature of your itinerary. 

The Pros and Cons of Different Luggage Systems  

1. The good old backpack – the best choice for those going long distances over uneven or soft terrain. Backpacks are designed to distribute the load evenly across your body, making them more comfortable to carry for extended periods.
   • Pros: Backpacks can be carried across all kinds of terrain, making them ideal if your travel itinerary includes multi-day hikes.
   • Cons: Larger backpacks can be bulky and difficult to manoeuvre in crowded places. They often don’t fit into hostel lockers. You may tire of hauling the weight onto your back whenever you want to move. Not to mention, getting anything out of a backpack usually requires you to unpack and repack infinite items.
2. A wheeled cabin case – combined with a rucksack small enough to be your personal item on flights. I attach my rucksack to my cabin case and wheel my way around with ease.
   • Pros: Wheeled suitcases allow you to move around easily in urban areas. They are also easier to pack and organise.
   • Cons: They can be difficult to carry upstairs and over some terrains. 
3. A wheeled backpack – a cabin case with hidden shoulder straps. No, it’s not particularly attractive, especially when worn as a backpack, but it is the perfect option when you’re torn between using a suitcase or a backpack for your trip to Asia. If you are looking for the capacity of a full cabin case but also want straps, consider the EastPak Strapzvers.
   • Pros: A wheeled backpack combines the portability of a traditional backpack with the easy packing of a suitcase, making it a versatile luggage option. 
   • Cons: They can be heavier than a traditional backpack and may not offer as much packing space as a normal cabin case. The added features can also make them more expensive and don’t always look attractive when worn as backpacks.
4. Just a rucksack – an advanced level option for travellers living life to its simplest.
   1. Pros: You won’t be tempted to buy all of the treasures that you come across, as you won’t have room for them in your rucksack. Sure, your family might miss their souvenirs, but you’ll save money! 
   2. Cons: You’ll find yourself wearing the same clothes repeatedly and doing laundry regularly. 

In Asia, it is common for airlines to ignore small handbags in the context of their hand luggage restrictions. However, the weight allowance of your hand luggage, including your personal item can be as low as 7kg.

Waterproofing Your Luggage

Waterproofing your luggage will protect it from adverse weather conditions during your backpacking trip to Asia. 

• Use Waterproof Bags: Consider investing in waterproof or water-resistant backpacks and suitcases. These bags have a protective layer that can keep your belongings dry in case of rain.
• Use Rain Covers: If you already have a bag that isn’t waterproof, don’t worry. You can use a rain cover for your backpack. These covers are inexpensive, lightweight, and can effectively shield your bag from rain.
• Pack Using Dry Bags: Another technique is to put your most treasured belongings into dry bags before packing them in your luggage. Dry bags are also great to have on hand for when you want to take part in water-based activities.
• Sealable Plastic Bags: For smaller items like your passport, money, camera, or smartphone, take a few sealable plastic bags. 

Step 6: Make a List of Things to Pack

Planning what to pack for your trip through Asia can feel like an overwhelming task. Start with a comprehensive packing list grouped by category, such as clothing, hygiene, gadgets and documents.

Clothing: Pack enough versatile clothing to last a week or so, since laundry services are commonly available and affordable. Pack lightweight and quick-dry (i.e. NOT cotton) items, swimwear and comfortable shoes and sandals. You’ll need some long pants and a top which covers your shoulders if you plan on visiting religious places. Also, take a warm jumper or jacket for travel days as the AC on trains and buses can be really cold! 

If you are travelling during the hot season, pack colours and materials which help to disguise sweat patches (e.g. light grey cotton is a definite no). 

Hygiene: Read my post on how to travel more sustainably to see which hygiene and cosmetic products you might find useful for your backpacking trip. 

Tech Gadgets: A power bank, headphones, and universal travel adaptor are all handy gadgets to include. As for your smartphone, download helpful apps such as translation tools, travel guides, e-books, and offline maps beforehand.

Consider buying a power bank which states its capacity on its casing. Some airports require you to prove the capacity of the power bank before they will let you fly with it. Never put a power bank in checked luggage. 

Documents: Keep important documents such as your passport, ID and copies of your travel insurance in a waterproof document holder.

Medications:  Don’t forget to pack any prescribed medication you need, as well as a basic first-aid kit. You can buy sunscreen and insect repellent at your destination but I would take some with you for convenience. Note that sunscreen can be relatively expensive to buy in Asia – locals tend to cover themselves with clothing and/or a UV umbrella instead (which you can buy quite cheaply once you arrive). 

Step 7: Prepare Your Phone For A Trip Through Asia

The thought of landing in an unfamiliar country and not having data was one of my biggest anxieties before setting off on my first backpacking trip. As it turned out, I didn’t even buy a sim in some countries, instead relying on free wifi only.

E-Sims

An e-sim is one way of staying connected whilst you are travelling. You simply download the e-sim to your phone and you *should* have data as soon as you arrive in your destination. To save buying several of them as you go, you can get e-sims which cover several countries.

Local Sim Cards

Another option is to buy a local sim card in each country that you visit, for which your phone will need to be unlocked (i.e. not tied to a particular network provider). Sim cards are generally available in 7 Eleven and other convenience stores, although in some countries (such as Taiwan), you may need to visit a mobile phone store. You can generally find sim cards for sale in airports but they do tend to be more expensive than buying them outside of the airport.

Most airports offer free wifi but, if you plan on using public transport, do plan your route to your accomodation before you arrive, just in case you have any issues getting connected.

I chose to take 2 phones on my travels because I knew I would be using local sim cards. I kept my normal sim in my normal phone and put the local sim cards in my 2nd phone. This meant that I could avoid losing access to my banking apps and Whatsapp conversations, although I could only use my normal phone when connected to free wifi.

Download Apps and Maps

Since your phone and the sites you visit generally know your location (unless you are using a VPN), you may have issues signing up for or adding payment methods to apps and services which you try to use for the first time once you are already abroad. For example, I tried signing up for Food Panda in Cambodia but it wouldn’t accept my English phone number and I had decided against buying a local sim.

Whilst there are usually ways around such issues, it is easier to set up taxi hailing and food delivery apps whilst you are still at home. If you will be taking 2 phones, make sure you can access everything on both. Similarly, download offline Google maps for the areas that you will be visiting.

Here’s a list of the apps that I used the most on my trip through Asia:

• Google Maps – download maps of the areas you’ll be visiting in case you find yourself without data. I tend to save places that I want to visit as a starred place (with a yellow star) and save my accommodation as a favourite place (with a red heart) so that I can see them on my map even when offline.
• Google Lens and Google Translate – these let you take a picture of text to be translated, which is incredibly helpful in various situations. Lots of travellers just use the Translate app but I like Lens because you can also take a picture of various things, like a flower or an insect, and have Google tell you what it is (with limited accuracy). However, Google Translate lets you speak into the microphone before translating what you have said, which is great when trying to converse with someone.
• Grab – works exactly like Uber for taxi hailing and food delivery (where available). In some areas, it may be more expensive than hailing a normal cab but you have the added safety element. In other areas, it saves you having to negotiate with drivers (e.g. tuktuks). If you like, you can also use Grab’s rate to negotiate with drivers in the street – they are generally happy to agree the same rate when they know that you will otherwise just order a Grab.
• Booking.com -the website works fine but the app allows you to see some details even when you are offline. That’s great when you’re handed an arrivals form during a flight and suddenly need to know the address of where you’ll be staying!

If you are travelling to South Korea, you may find that Papago (for translation) and Naver Map or KakaoMap (for navigation) work best there.

Step 8: Manage Your Travel Money

The last (but not least important) step to planning a trip through Asia is to think about your travel money. In most cases, the easiest way to get the currencies you need is to withdraw cash from an ATM upon arrival. However, do use a card that won’t charge you for using your card or withdrawing money abroad. You should also find out whether you can avoid being charged by the ATM itself.

If there are no free ATMs (such as in Thailand), you may want to consider exchanging cash, or simply withdraw as much as you will need in a single transaction, to avoid paying charges on multiple withdrawals.

Take a spare card with you in case your primary card stops working or gets swallowed by a hungry ATM. Also take at least 1 Visa card as Mastercard is less widely accepted in some countries (South Korea, for example).

Conclusion

Planning a trip through Asia can be time consuming but it is well worth it in the long run. You may not be able (or want) to plan absolutely everything. Having some flexibility allows you to follow new friends but getting the basics in place can ensure your trip runs smoothly.

However, try not to get overwhelmed. There is a lot to think about but you will meet people who didn’t seem to plan much at all. Just do enough to give yourself peace of mind, as this can differ from person to person. Most importantly of all – enjoy your travels!