The Itinerary Budget-friendly
Worked out from what each trip actually costs per person per day, not from a vague promise — so this list changes when the numbers do.
Worked out from each trip's own budget — anything under $100 per person per day, converted at today's rate.
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Best for: Three islands, two flights, one sardine run
The Visayas in 10 days: Cebu, Bohol and Siargao
Cebu → Moalboal → Kawasan → Bohol → Panglao → Siargao
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Best for: The two subcontinental classics in one trip, at a pace that survives both
India and Sri Lanka in 12 days: the Golden Triangle, then the hill country
Delhi → Agra → Jaipur → Sigiriya → Kandy → Ella → Galle
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Best for: Crossing a border by speedboat, with the best street food in Asia at the end
Thailand and Malaysia in 12 days: Bangkok, the Andaman islands, Penang and KL
Bangkok → Krabi → Koh Lipe → Langkawi → Penang → Kuala Lumpur
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Best for: The island at a third of the villa price, with the scooter question answered honestly
Bali on a budget in 7 days: homestays, a scooter and warung food
Ubud → Canggu → Uluwatu
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Best for: Three great cities, two long bus rides and a fortnight on about fifty-five euros a day
Eastern Europe on a budget in 14 days: Prague, Kraków and Budapest
Prague → Kraków → Budapest
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Best for: The same three places for about two-thirds of the package price, with an honest account of what the third buys
Georgia on a budget in 5 days: marshrutkas, guesthouses and the real difference
Tbilisi → Kazbegi → Sighnaghi → Tbilisi
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Best for: Half-price rooms, a waterfall that only exists now, and beaches you have to yourself
Goa in the monsoon: waterfalls, spice farms and an empty coast
North Goa → Dudhsagar → Ponda → Panjim
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Best for: Ten fixed days in December when every Naga tribe is in one place
Hornbill Festival in 5 days: Kisama, Kohima and the Naga villages
Dimapur → Kohima → Kisama → Khonoma
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Best for: Working out that the rail pass no longer pays, and eating extremely well for very little
Japan on a budget in 7 days: the rail-pass maths and konbini meals
Tokyo → Kyoto → Osaka
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Best for: The classic valley honeymoon, slowed down — and read the advisory section before you book
Kashmir honeymoon in 6 days: a houseboat, Gulmarg and Pahalgam
Srinagar → Gulmarg → Pahalgam → Srinagar
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Best for: A three-week window in April when the valley does the thing it is famous for
Kashmir tulip season in 5 days: the garden, the blossom and the valley
Srinagar → Gulmarg → Pahalgam → Srinagar
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Best for: Deep snow at 4,000m and a houseboat with a bukhari going — behind a live travel advisory
Kashmir in winter: Gulmarg, the gondola and a frozen Dal Lake
Srinagar → Gulmarg → Srinagar
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Best for: The season Kerala is cheapest, greenest and the one locals book treatments in
Kerala in the monsoon: Ayurveda season, green Munnar and low rates
Kochi → Munnar → Alleppey
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Best for: A cheap, easy, English-speaking week with a theme park built for exactly this age
Malaysia with kids in 6 days: Kuala Lumpur and Legoland Johor
Kuala Lumpur → Johor Bahru
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Best for: A livestock market that became a spectacle, caught in the days before it tips over
Pushkar Camel Fair in 4 days: the fair, the lake and Jaipur
Jaipur → Pushkar → Jaipur
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Best for: The one week Jaipur lights every bazaar and competes with itself over it
Rajasthan at Diwali in 6 days: Jaipur's lit bazaars and Udaipur's lakes
Jaipur → Udaipur
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Best for: The months the south is washed out and the other coast is at its best
Sri Lanka in July: Trincomalee, Pigeon Island and Arugam Bay
Trincomalee → Nilaveli → Arugam Bay
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Best for: Second-class reserved seats, homestays and rice and curry, with the one line you cannot cut
Sri Lanka on a budget in 7 days: local trains and guesthouses
Negombo → Kandy → Ella → Mirissa
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Best for: Three stops, one famous train ride, and elephants you can rely on seeing
Sri Lanka with kids in 7 days: the hill train, elephants and a calm beach
Kandy → Ella → Udawalawe → the south coast
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Best for: Doing the standard route on roughly half the money, without pretending it is free
Thailand on a budget in 7 days: what it really costs, line by line
Bangkok → Ayutthaya → Krabi
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Best for: The largest water fight on earth, with the logistics worked out in advance
Songkran in 5 days: Bangkok and Chiang Mai, and how to survive it
Bangkok → Chiang Mai
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Best for: Two bases, one flight, and an elephant sanctuary that does not let you ride
Thailand with kids in 7 days: Bangkok, a beach base and the elephants
Bangkok → Khao Lak or Krabi
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Best for: The length of the country on sleeper transport, with the full cost written down
Vietnam on a budget in 10 days: sleeper buses and the whole country
Hanoi → Ninh Binh → Hue → Hoi An → Ho Chi Minh City
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Best for: Four nights in one town, a night on a boat, and the traffic designed around
Vietnam with kids in 8 days: a Ha Long cabin and a Hoi An base
Hanoi → Ha Long → Hoi An
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Best for: A free stopover hotel, one mosque at dusk and a museum under a dome
Abu Dhabi in a 24-hour stopover: the mosque and the Louvre
AUH → Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque → Louvre → Corniche → AUH
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Best for: Two days that are mostly indoors, which in this climate is the point
Abu Dhabi in 2 days: the mosque, the Louvre and Yas
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque → Qasr Al Watan → Louvre Abu Dhabi → Yas Island
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Best for: Three days that use the river instead of the traffic
Bangkok in 3 days: the river, the old city and Ayutthaya
The river and Wat Arun → the Grand Palace circuit → Ayutthaya
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Best for: The pyramids at opening and a museum that now holds Tutankhamun entire
Cairo in 2 days: Giza, the Grand Egyptian Museum and the khan
Giza plateau → Grand Egyptian Museum → Islamic Cairo → Khan el-Khalili
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Best for: Thirty temples inside a moat, and the one elephant question worth getting right
Chiang Mai in 3 days: the old city, the elephants and Doi Suthep
Old city temples → an ethical elephant sanctuary → Doi Suthep and the hills
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Best for: Two days in a capital most visitors skip, and the kite-flying hour that makes the case
Colombo in 2 days: the Fort, Galle Face and Mount Lavinia
Fort and Pettah → Galle Face at dusk → temples and Mount Lavinia
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Best for: Two days that split the city by era instead of fighting the traffic
Delhi in 2 days: Old Delhi, the Mughal tombs and New Delhi
Jama Masjid and Chandni Chowk → Humayun's Tomb → Qutub Minar and New Delhi
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Best for: The shortest airport-to-city run in the Gulf, and a loop that fits in eight hours
Doha in an 8–12 hour layover: souq, museum, Corniche
DOH → Museum of Islamic Art → Corniche → Souq Waqif → DOH
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Best for: Thirty-six guild streets, the best free hour in the city, and the day trip worth choosing carefully
Hanoi in 2 days: the Old Quarter, the lake and Ninh Binh
Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem → the mausoleum quarter → Ninh Binh or Ha Long
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Best for: Two days built around the hardest hour in Vietnam, and what to do after it
Ho Chi Minh City in 2 days: the war museums and Cu Chi
War Remnants Museum and District 1 → the Cu Chi tunnels → Cholon
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Best for: A fort with acoustics you can test, tombs almost nobody visits, and the best biryani in India
Hyderabad in 2 days: Charminar, Golconda and the biryani
Charminar and the old city → Golconda Fort and the Qutb Shahi tombs → Ramoji or the museums
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Best for: Twelve hours between flights, spent in the old city rather than the terminal
Istanbul in a 12-hour layover: what actually fits
IST → Sultanahmet → Eminönü → IST
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Best for: Two days, the elephant ride declined, and an observatory whose instruments still work
Jaipur in 2 days: Amber Fort, the City Palace and the bazaars
Amber Fort and the stepwell → City Palace, Jantar Mantar and Hawa Mahal
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Best for: Seven UNESCO monument zones inside one valley, and three of them are towns
Kathmandu in 3 days: Durbar Square, Boudhanath and Bhaktapur
Durbar Square and Swayambhunath → Pashupatinath and Boudhanath → Bhaktapur and Patan
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Best for: Two slow days in a port that has been trading for six hundred years
Kochi in 2 days: Fort Kochi, Mattancherry and Kathakali
Fort Kochi and the Chinese nets → Mattancherry, Jew Town and a Kathakali evening
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Best for: Two days where the best photograph of the towers is the free one
Kuala Lumpur in 2 days: the towers, Batu Caves and old KL
Batu Caves and the Petronas Towers → colonial KL, Chinatown and the food streets
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Best for: Two days that beat the crowds by starting before them, twice
Kyoto in 2 days: Fushimi Inari, Gion and Arashiyama
Fushimi Inari and southern Higashiyama → Arashiyama and the north-west
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Best for: Three days in a city of Victorian Gothic, Art Deco and twenty million people
Mumbai in 3 days: the Gateway, Bandra and Elephanta
Colaba and the Fort → Elephanta Island → Bandra, Dharavi and Marine Drive
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Best for: Japan's best eating city, and the day trip to the deer
Osaka in 2 days: Dotonbori, the castle and Nara
Dotonbori and Namba → Osaka Castle → Nara or Universal
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Best for: Four days that get the beach right and the day trip in the right boat
Phuket in 4 days: the beaches, Phi Phi and the old town
Kata or Karon → Phi Phi day trip → Phuket Old Town → Big Buddha and the south
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Best for: The one layover where the airport is genuinely worth an hour of its own
Singapore in a 24-hour layover: Marina Bay, the Gardens and a hawker stop
Changi → Gardens by the Bay → Marina Bay → Chinatown → Changi
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Best for: One day, done on the fast train, with the three-hour ticket rule understood
Taj Mahal day trip from Delhi: the train, the sunrise slot and Agra Fort
Delhi → Agra by Gatimaan → Taj Mahal → Agra Fort → Delhi
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Best for: A sulphur bath, a supra, and two UNESCO churches half an hour away
Tbilisi in 3 days: the old town, the baths and Mtskheta
Old Town → Abanotubani → Mtskheta → Kakheti or the Chronicle
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Best for: Two slow days in the one Rajasthani city built around water
Udaipur in 2 days: the City Palace, Lake Pichola and the old city
City Palace and Jagdish Temple → Lake Pichola by boat → Monsoon Palace and the old lanes
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Best for: Two days arranged around a sunrise on the river, which is the whole reason to come
Varanasi in 2 days: the ghats, the aarti and Sarnath
The ghats and the evening aarti → the dawn boat and Sarnath
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Best for: A first trip to India that sees one region properly and ends in a city
India in 10 days: Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Udaipur and Mumbai
Delhi → Agra → Jaipur → Udaipur → Mumbai
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Best for: A first India trip that sees the north, the Ganges and the south
India in 14 days: the Golden Triangle, Varanasi and Kerala
Delhi → Agra → Jaipur → Varanasi → Kochi → Munnar → Alleppey
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Best for: One long trip instead of three short ones — the Mughal north, the desert, the Ganges and the south
India in 21 days: the north, Rajasthan, the Ganges and Kerala
Delhi → Agra → Jaipur → Jodhpur → Jaisalmer → Udaipur → Varanasi → Kochi → Munnar → Thekkady → Alleppey
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Best for: A long weekend around one of the most welcoming buildings on earth
Amritsar in 3 days: the Golden Temple, Jallianwala Bagh and Wagah
Amritsar → Wagah border → Amritsar
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Best for: One island, three nights, and the best beach in India
Andaman in 5 days: Port Blair and Havelock
Port Blair → Havelock → Port Blair
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Best for: The four Garhwal shrines in the traditional order, with the trekking stated honestly
Char Dham Yatra in 10 days: Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath
Haridwar → Yamunotri → Gangotri → Kedarnath → Badrinath → Rishikesh
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Best for: Kanchenjunga at sunrise, a UNESCO railway, and a first taste of Sikkim
Darjeeling and Sikkim in 7 days: tea, the toy train and Tsomgo Lake
Bagdogra → Darjeeling → Gangtok → Tsomgo Lake → Bagdogra
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Best for: A long weekend in the north, without the drive south
Goa in 4 days: north beaches, Old Goa and the Latin Quarter
North Goa → Old Goa → Panjim → North Goa
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Best for: A first India trip on a long weekend, or a stopover stretched to its limit
Golden Triangle in 5 days: Delhi, Agra and Jaipur
Delhi → Agra → Jaipur
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Best for: A salt desert, the last wild Asiatic lions, and India's first UNESCO heritage city
Gujarat in 7 days: Ahmedabad, the white Rann, Gir's lions and Somnath
Ahmedabad → Bhuj → Rann of Kutch → Gir → Somnath
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Best for: Ruins in a boulder landscape, and the temples that came 800 years before them
Hampi in 4 days: the Vijayanagara ruins, Badami and Pattadakal
Hampi → Badami → Pattadakal → Aihole
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Best for: The classic hill-station pair, with a UNESCO railway to get there
Himachal in 6 days: Shimla, Kufri, Manali and Solang
Shimla → Kufri → Manali → Solang → Manali
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Best for: Skipping Shimla for the Parvati valley and the Tibetan exile capital
Himachal in 8 days: Manali, the Parvati valley and Dharamshala
Manali → Kasol → Manikaran → Dharamshala → McLeod Ganj
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Best for: A palace, a tiger reserve and coffee country, all within a short drive of one airport
Karnataka in 6 days: Bangalore, Mysore and the Coorg hills
Bangalore → Mysore → Coorg → Bangalore
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Best for: All four Kashmir valleys at a proper pace — behind a live travel advisory
Kashmir in 7 days: Srinagar, Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonmarg
Srinagar → Doodhpathri → Gulmarg → Pahalgam → Sonmarg → Srinagar
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Best for: The Dal Lake houseboats and two valleys — behind a live travel advisory
Kashmir in 5 days: Srinagar, Gulmarg and Pahalgam
Srinagar → Gulmarg → Pahalgam → Srinagar
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Best for: A first taste of Kerala on a short break, without the drive to Thekkady
Kerala in 5 days: Kochi, Munnar and one night on the backwaters
Kochi → Munnar → Alleppey → Kochi
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Best for: The full hills-and-water circuit, with spice country added to the short version
Kerala in 7 days: Kochi, Munnar, Thekkady and the backwaters
Kochi → Munnar → Thekkady → Alleppey → Kochi
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Best for: The full circuit, with the altitude given proper room
Ladakh in 10 days: Lamayuru, Nubra, Pangong and Tso Moriri
Leh → Lamayuru → Nubra → Pangong → Tso Moriri → Leh
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Best for: High-altitude desert, Buddhist monasteries and two days of acclimatisation built in
Ladakh in 7 days: Leh, Nubra Valley and Pangong Tso
Leh → Khardung La → Nubra → Pangong Tso → Leh
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Best for: Living root bridges, the wettest place on earth, and a river you can see the bottom of
Meghalaya in 6 days: root bridges, Cherrapunji and the Dawki river
Guwahati → Shillong → Cherrapunji → Nongriat → Dawki → Mawlynnong
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Best for: A hill station and a tiger reserve within a day's drive of Delhi
Nainital and Corbett in 5 days: a lake town and India's oldest tiger reserve
Delhi → Nainital → the Kumaon lakes → Jim Corbett → Delhi
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Best for: Seeing the whole state once, properly, instead of three cities twice
Rajasthan in 14 days: the complete circuit, tigers to the dunes
Jaipur → Ranthambore → Bundi → Pushkar → Jodhpur → Jaisalmer → Udaipur
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Best for: Rhinos, a river island of monasteries, and the wettest hills on earth
Northeast India in 12 days: Kaziranga, Majuli and the Khasi hills
Guwahati → Kaziranga → Majuli → Jorhat → Shillong → Cherrapunji → Dawki
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Best for: The three great cities, two nights each, no desert detour
Rajasthan in 7 days: Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur
Jaipur → Jodhpur → Udaipur
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Best for: Going north past the last towns, into valleys that close for half the year
Sikkim in 10 days: Gangtok, North Sikkim's high valleys and Pelling
Gangtok → Lachen → Lachung → Yumthang → Gangtok → Pelling
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Best for: Crossing the peninsula coast to coast, temples first and water last
South India in 14 days: Tamil Nadu's temples and the Kerala coast
Chennai → Mahabalipuram → Pondicherry → Thanjavur → Trichy → Madurai → Thekkady → Alleppey → Kochi
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Best for: A cold desert valley of 1,000-year-old monasteries, driven in the safe direction
Spiti Valley in 8 days: Shimla to Manali the hard way
Shimla → Kalpa → Tabo → Kaza → Chandratal → Manali
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Best for: Dravidian temple architecture, a French colonial detour, and no hill stations
Tamil Nadu in 7 days: Chennai, Mahabalipuram, Pondicherry and the temple towns
Chennai → Mahabalipuram → Pondicherry → Thanjavur → Madurai
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Best for: The Ganges plain's four great religious cities in one loop
Varanasi in 5 days: the ghats, Sarnath, Ayodhya and Prayagraj
Varanasi → Sarnath → Ayodhya → Prayagraj
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Best for: A three-hour flight from the Gulf to petroglyphs, mud volcanoes and a fire that has burned for centuries
Azerbaijan in 5 days: Baku, Gobustan, Absheron and Gabala
Baku → Gobustan → Absheron → Gabala → Baku
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Best for: A city break three hours from Dubai, with prehistoric rock art and a burning hillside attached
Baku in 4 days: the old city, Gobustan and the fire sites
İçərişəhər → Gobustan → mud volcanoes → Absheron → Baku
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Best for: East to west across the whole country, finishing on the Black Sea
Georgia in 10 days: Tbilisi, Kazbegi, Kakheti, Kutaisi and Batumi
Tbilisi → Kazbegi → Kakheti → Gori → Kutaisi → Batumi
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Best for: The whole peninsula plus five days in Sabah, where the orangutans are
Malaysia in 14 days: the peninsula and Borneo
Kuala Lumpur → Cameron Highlands → Penang → Langkawi → Kota Kinabalu → Sandakan
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Best for: The peninsula's three best stops, with tea country instead of a beach
Malaysia in 7 days: Kuala Lumpur, the Cameron Highlands and Penang
Kuala Lumpur → Cameron Highlands → Penang → Kuala Lumpur
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Best for: Hill country and the south coast, with the train ride that is the point of the trip
Sri Lanka in 7 days: Colombo, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Ella and Galle
Colombo → Kandy → Nuwara Eliya → Ella → Galle → Colombo
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Best for: North and south in one trip, with enough nights in each to stop moving
Thailand in 14 days: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and the Andaman coast
Bangkok → Chiang Mai → Chiang Rai → Krabi → Koh Lanta
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Best for: A long weekend from the Gulf that stays in one city and gets it right
Thailand in 5 days: Bangkok, Ayutthaya and Amphawa
Bangkok → Ayutthaya → Amphawa → Bangkok
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Best for: One city, one ruined capital and one beach, without a domestic flight every other day
Thailand in 7 days: Bangkok, Ayutthaya and Krabi
Bangkok → Ayutthaya → Krabi
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Best for: Four Andaman stops by ferry, with no backtracking and no Bangkok
Thailand island hopping in 8 days: Phuket, Phi Phi, Krabi and Koh Lanta
Phuket → Phi Phi → Krabi → Koh Lanta
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Best for: The whole country north to south, with the rice terraces and the delta that shorter trips cut
Vietnam in 14 days: Hanoi, Sapa, Ha Long, Hue, Hoi An and the Mekong
Hanoi → Sapa → Ha Long → Hue → Hoi An → Ho Chi Minh City → Mekong Delta
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Best for: The north only, with no internal flight and no wasted day
Vietnam in 5 days: Hanoi, Ninh Binh and Ha Long Bay
Hanoi → Ninh Binh → Ha Long Bay → Hanoi
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Best for: The north done properly, plus one flight south for the lanterns
Vietnam in 7 days: Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Ha Long and Hoi An
Hanoi → Ninh Binh → Ha Long → Hoi An
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Best for: The south on its own, with a beach at the end instead of a flight north
Southern Vietnam in 6 days: Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong Delta and Phu Quoc
Ho Chi Minh City → Cu Chi → Mekong Delta → Phu Quoc
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Best for: Two UNESCO castles and a forest of wild bison — behind a serious set of warnings
Belarus in 6 days: Mir, Nesvizh and the last primeval forest in Europe
Minsk → Mir → Nesvizh → Brest → Belovezhskaya Pushcha
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Best for: The largest fortress in the Americas, built by people who had just freed themselves
Haiti in 7 days: the Citadelle, Jacmel and Cap-Haïtien — and why not now
Cap-Haïtien → Citadelle Laferrière → Sans-Souci → Jacmel → Bassin Bleu
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Best for: Three fortresses on a limestone ridge, in the world's oldest surviving republic
San Marino in 2 days: the three towers, Monte Titano and the oldest republic
Borgo Maggiore → the cable car → Città di San Marino → the three towers
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Best for: Understanding what is at stake — and planning the trip for when it is possible
Ukraine in 7 days: Kyiv, Lviv and the Carpathians — and why not yet
Lviv → Kyiv → Chernihiv → the Carpathians
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Best for: The birthplace of Vodun, and a city of twenty thousand people built on stilts
Benin in 7 days: Ganvié, Ouidah and the palaces of Dahomey
Cotonou → Ganvié → Ouidah → Grand-Popo → Abomey → Porto-Novo
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Best for: A six-hour hike to a boiling lake, and sperm whales resident year-round
Dominica in 8 days: the Boiling Lake, sperm whales and the Waitukubuli trail
Roseau → Trafalgar → Boiling Lake → Kalinago Territory → Portsmouth
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Best for: The world's first underwater sculpture park, and rum made by water wheel since 1785
Grenada in 7 days: the underwater sculptures, nutmeg and Carriacou
St George's → Grand Anse → Grand Etang → River Antoine → Carriacou
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Best for: The world's largest wine cellar, and a monastery cut into a cliff
Moldova in 5 days: wine cellars, a cave monastery and Europe's least visited country
Chișinău → Cricova → Mileștii Mici → Orheiul Vechi → Purcari → Chișinău
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Best for: Two UNESCO Jesuit missions almost nobody visits, and South America's cheapest week
Paraguay in 8 days: the Jesuit ruins, Asunción and the Chaco
Asunción → Areguá → Encarnación → Trinidad → Jesús → Filadelfia
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Best for: A Dutch wooden capital in the Amazon, and Maroon villages up a jungle river
Suriname in 8 days: Paramaribo's wooden city, the Upper Suriname river and Galibi
Paramaribo → Commewijne → Upper Suriname river → Brownsberg → Galibi
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Best for: Europe's youngest country, and its cheapest
Kosovo in 5 days: Pristina, Prizren and the Rugova canyon
Pristina → Gracanica → Prizren → Peja → Pristina
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Best for: A capital that stays up, and canyons nobody photographs
Serbia in 7 days: Belgrade, Novi Sad and the western hills
Belgrade → Novi Sad → Mokra Gora → Uvac → Studenica → Belgrade
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Best for: Salt flats + altiplano
Bolivia in 11 days: La Paz, Uyuni and Lake Titicaca
La Paz → Uyuni → Southwest circuit → Titicaca
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Best for: Old towns + history
Bosnia and Herzegovina in 7 days: Sarajevo, Mostar and the waterfalls
Sarajevo → Mostar → Blagaj → Kravice
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Best for: Old towns + monasteries
Bulgaria in 8 days: Sofia, Plovdiv and the Rila mountains
Sofia → Rila → Plovdiv → Veliko Tarnovo
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Best for: Mountains + yurts
Kyrgyzstan in 9 days: Song-Kul, Issyk-Kul and the Tian Shan
Bishkek → Song-Kul → Issyk-Kul → Karakol
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Best for: Slow Southeast Asia
Laos in 8 days: Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and Vientiane
Luang Prabang → Vang Vieng → Vientiane
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Best for: Roman sites + desert
Tunisia in 9 days: Carthage, the Sahara and the coast
Tunis → Dougga → Tozeur → Matmata → Djerba
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Best for: Mountains + value
Kazakhstan in 7 days: Almaty and the mountains
Almaty → Shymbulak → Big Almaty Lake → Charyn
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Best for: Food + beach
Malaysia in 10 days: Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Langkawi
Kuala Lumpur → Penang → Langkawi
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Best for: First-time visitors
Nepal in 10 days: Kathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan
Kathmandu → Pokhara → Chitwan
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Best for: First-time visitors
Sri Lanka in 10 days: the classic island loop
Sigiriya → Kandy → Ella → Galle
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Best for: First-time visitors
Thailand in 10 days: Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket
Bangkok → Chiang Mai → Phuket
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Best for: First-time visitors
Vietnam in 10 days: Hanoi, Ha Long Bay and Hoi An
Hanoi → Ha Long Bay → Hoi An
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Best for: First-time visitors
Azerbaijan in 7 days: Baku, fire country and Sheki
Baku → Gobustan → Sheki
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Best for: Beach and diving travellers
Andaman Islands in 7 days: Port Blair, Havelock and Neil
Port Blair → Havelock → Neil
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Best for: Beach + culture travellers
Goa in 7 days: both Goas, done honestly
North Goa → Old Goa → Palolem
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Best for: First-time visitors
India's Golden Triangle in 7 days: Delhi, Agra and Jaipur
Delhi → Agra → Jaipur
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Best for: Desert + dunes
Jaisalmer and the Thar: the golden fort and a night in the dunes
Jaisalmer → Thar dunes → Longewala
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Best for: Slow-paced travellers
Kerala in 9 days: Kochi, Munnar, the backwaters and the beach
Kochi → Munnar → Backwaters → Kovalam
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Best for: Returning India travellers
Rajasthan royal circuit: Jaipur, Pushkar, Jodhpur and Udaipur
Jaipur → Pushkar → Jodhpur → Udaipur
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Best for: Culture and spiritual travellers
Spiritual north India: Varanasi and Amritsar in 7 days
Varanasi → Amritsar
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Best for: Second-time visitors
Russia beyond the capitals: Golden Ring to Kazan in 9 days
Moscow → Suzdal → Nizhny Novgorod → Kazan
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Best for: Second-time visitors
Turkey's Black Sea: Trabzon, Uzungol and the Ayder highlands
Trabzon → Uzungöl → Ayder
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Best for: First-time visitors
Uzbekistan in 9 days: Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva
Tashkent → Samarkand → Bukhara → Khiva
Other ways to travel
- Beach escapes Sand, snorkelling and somewhere to do nothing.
- Mountains & nature Peaks, parks, deserts and the long views.
- Culture & history Old cities, great museums, food worth travelling for.
- Couples & honeymoon Slower days, better dinners, a view worth the detour.
- Family travel Short hops, real breaks, nothing that needs queueing for an hour.
- Multi-country Several countries, one trip — and one set of paperwork.