Guide to Asia trekking holidays

With the snow covered mountains of the Himalayas, active volcanoes of the Pacific rim and vast expanses of jungle to the South and Tundra to the North it’s no wonder Asia trekking holidays are as diverse as they are popular.

For many trekking in the Himalayas is a life time goal with famous trips such as the Everest basecamp trek and Annapurna circuit in Nepal it is a great place to start with well established routes but still plenty of out of the way treks for those that want to escape the crowds. The Himalayas span cultural delights such as Bhutan, Tibet (part of China), India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and China there are trekking opportunities abound and still many unclimbed peaks to conquer.

While the Himalayas are a big draw there are plenty of other must dos such as Trekking the Great Wall of China. The entire wall stretches 8,850km so unless you have a year to spend in China you will need to choose a small section – there are plenty of tours that combine trekking with experiencing many of China’s other tourist attractions.

Trekking through the Mongolian Steppes, Siberian Tundra or Gobi Desert would be an incredible experience. Likewise following The Silk Road through, China, India, Pakistan, Tibet, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Iraq, Iran and Syria would be an unforgettable experience.

Japan is great for Trekking with a spine of volcanic mountains through the centre of the country there is elevation and wilderness abound. You will trek through the beauty of snow capped volcanoes and silver birch forests with traditional Shinto and Buddhist temples enhancing the landscape and hot pools to relieve the aching muscles. In the East of Asia South Korea should also not be overlooked.

In South East Asia trekking is most associated with jungle trekking such as the popular trekking in Thailand around Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai and in Northern Vietnam and Laos. In Borneo where the vast rainforests are still largely unexplored but trekking to natural wonders such as The Pinnacles is well marked within well organised national parks.

The highest point in the region is Mt Kinabalu which at 4095m is a stunning 2-3 day trek rewarding you with uninterrupted views of Borneo to the South and the Philippines in the North East. All countries in SE Asia have good trekking options ranging from day walks to beautiful waterfalls to multi day adventures staying with local hill tribes.

Further south there is plenty of trekking throughout Indonesia, around Lake Toba on Jakarta, the volcanoes or Java and Flores spring to mind. There are also famous treks to the high points in Bali and Lombok, and you can hike with dragons in Komodo and Rinca.