Hot and chaotic, yet offering plenty of fun activities, great landscapes and food, Asia is an awesome choice for your family trip. Before you start planning, get an idea of where you want to go, considering time available, cost and whether the place is appropriate for your kids’ ages (given you are bringing kids).
“Hey where are we going this summer?” The fun of family trips starts the very second this question pops. Choosing a destination that is just right for your family, gives you a solid goal to aim for. Oftentimes, it is your budget that decides your destination and how you will be traveling (nothing but luxury or mid-range). Don’t get trapped here! Think out of the box and you will find more possibilities than you can imagine.
Brainstorming Your Interests as a Family
Get everybody around the dinner table and start brainstorming for your next family trip. Take turns to call on a desirable destination or an experience that you would enjoy or want to try for the first time. Involve your children in decision making. No matter how old your kids, their understanding or expectations of destinations might have your considerations flipped or impelled.
After some time of brainstorming, a list of country names (possibly with specific activities) may emerge. It might be a long one, especially if you are taking a big family. Now it is time to narrow down the list. Before you do, make sure your kids understand that their suggestions might be replaced or crossed off to suit the good of the entire family.
Understand the Time Frame and Weather
When talking about time frame, you need to decide when to travel, how long your trip should be and consider the international flight duration. Once settled on these three factors, you need to think about the weather of the listed destinations. This helps you screen out those countries or regions that seem less enjoyable during your time of travel; it also helps you adjust expectations.
Generally speaking, older kids adapt to longer journeys better than younger ones. Traveling with school kids means you would probably leave home in summertime or winter vacation for a couple of weeks. For these fully-charged little tigers, a week is too short a holiday. But smaller kids, aged below 12 years, might not be ready for too long a vacation away from home. Long-haul flights for toddlers require more pre-vacation preparation.




98.8% positive customer reviews among 10,000+
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I have never hear of this company…
I have never hear of this company before , and after reading all these reviews ,I decided to give it a try . The professionalism and communicative skill received by one of the agent , Sharon of Asia Highlights , convince me that She was the right travel agent for my trip in Asia . Very quickly she communicated with me and got all the detail of my desire vacation . Sharon made me a great itinerary with great experiences that I am dreaming to experience and I am looking forward to it . Thanks Sharon for been so great and crafting me a dream vacation with great suggestions. More
orge alvarez,
May 2023
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Coco Yang worked tirelessly to…
From the moment I landed in Bangkok, Ms Noi Ying was there to welcome me and get me settled into my hotel. We enjoyed several days together touring Bangkok and Kanchanaburi. In Chiang Mai, Mr Ekachai took my son snd I on an amazing trip to the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary and to visit a community Lanna home, gardens and a hands-on cooking class preparing an authentic Thai meal. Lisa arranged a last-minute speedboat tour of 5 breathtaking islands in Phuket. From start to finish, the guides exceeded my expectations!! Thank you, Asia Highlight!! Debbie Woods More
Debbie Woods,
May 2023
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Sharon from Asia highlights has been…
Sharon from Asia highlights has been amazing. She offered her amazing ideas to other tours I wanted. We have planned the perfect 9 day itinerary to Thailand. She worked in my budget and was very flexible when I had to change my flights. Thank you sharon. Can’t wait for the trip. More
Heather Stern Wilensky,
Apr 2023
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Ms. Ning first review 4-2023
Ms. Albee Ning has been doing a great job accommodating my requests and itinerary changes. Remember the first itinerary is a rough draft and you may modify it to suit your tastes. Remember you can not do it all and see everything in 3 weeks. If the flight wasn't so long I would visit Southeast Asia more often. I will update my review in a few months. We don't leave for 9 more months. Asia Highlights is working well for me so far! More
Chiefray,
Apr 2023
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Perfect Trip To Thailand…
We had so much fun in Bangkok with Tanni and Tom as they kept laughing at all of our silly jokes. Paul, our guide and Chiang Mai was really thoughtful, fun and full of great information about the temples and sights. Thanks so much! Brian and Michelle More
Scott Orchard,
Mar 2023
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I highly recommend Asia Highlights
I highly recommend Asia Highlights. I worked with Alisa and she is fantastic! I was planning my honeymoon trip, and I changed the destination multiple times. Each time, Alisa provided me an updated itinerary with activities that matched my interests. Whether I had a small change to an activity, a question about one of the arrangements, or a change or destination, Alisa was helpful, thoughtful, and knowledgeable, providing me with updated options in an extremely timely manner. In the end, despite the fact that I changed my mind on location multiple times, I ended up booking a 17 day trip to Thailand for this upcoming November. I am extremely excited to experience everything that Alisa planned for us. I recommend Asia Highlights to everyone and look forward to using them again on any other trips to Asia in the future. Thank you Alisa and Asia Highlights! More
Britt Rosen,
Mar 2023
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Three weeks encompassing Vietnam
A special shoutout to our last guide in Bangkok - Ms. Ka-Noon who spoiled us with her kindness and then got us through check in and security for our flight home in record time at that huge Bangkok airport. More
Deby,
Feb 2023
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Over the last 5 years we've used Asia…
Over the last 5 years we've used Asia highlights twice. And both times we've had fantastic vacations. Would not want to do it any different when we travel to Asia from now on. Sharon was fantastic. She was a wonderful agent who helped us nail down our trip and make everything go as smooth as possible. More
Todd Atwell,
Feb 2023
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Family Trip to Thailand
Our trip to Thailand comprised three generations of the family , ten people and an age range of 4 to 70 so a potentially difficult brief.Our itinerary over two weeks involved four locations, and a number of different trips and tours.From out arrival at an extremely busy Bangkok airport Asia Highlights were terrific.In each location we were met by a smiling , knowledgeable and professional guide who simply made everything easy and stress free for everyone.Our transportation was clean and comfortable . Transport was always ready for us at the agreed time and the drivers were excellent.There were so many highlights enjoyed by all the age groups. The floating houses , railway market and elephant sanctuary were particular favourites.We had one minor glitch with the accommodation in Phuket which was immediately dealt with by Tip. I think we would have struggled to resolve the problem by ourselves. So, thank you Asia Highlights , Cathy, Tip and tour guides Tanny, Sam and Lisa. It was a memorable holiday and we will be back. More
Roger Pyle,
Feb 2023
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Trip of a lifetime from Asia Highlights!
I recommend highly Asia Highlights as a travel company. Our travel consultant Albee took the time to connect with us during the planning process to make sure we were comfortable with our itinerary. When we arrived, we were met by our guide and all the details were attended to. They picked great hotels and tours. I often describe our trip as the trip of a lifetime! Would definitely use them again when we come back to Asia More
Nancy Parker,
Feb 2023
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Asia Highlights and Albee - highly recommended
Asia Highlights is very reliable agency and Albee is an amazing representative of the company. From the moment when we contacted her until our departure, the whole support we received was 6* level. She prepared our trip offer within few hours and afterwards she was extremely flexible to adjust as per our needs. In the period between the offer and the trip, Albee was always available for all our questions and supported us on the best possible way. During the trip she was again flexible to add new activities/transfers and this went on the smoothest possible way. Thank you, Albee and Asia Highlights. Definitely we will approach you again for our next Asian trip More
AZ,
Feb 2023
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5 STAR CUSTOMER SERVICE BY MONICA
Monica is a very sweet young lady who speaks excellent English via email/WhatsApp, and knows the importance of excellent customer service. More
Trent,
Jan 2023
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We had an awesome experience with Asia Highlights
We started our trip in Bangkok, where Mr. Prassert our tour guide, met us. He was on time and the van was clean and well-maintained. Mr. Prassert was our guide for the 4 days we spent in Bangkok. He was helpful, kind, and willing to accommodate our pee and coffee breaks. The driver was safe and punctual. Next, we went to Chiang Mai.Gemma exceeded every expectation we had for our tour of Chiang Mai! She had a great attitude that made exploring the city fun and exciting, as well as an abundance of knowledge and experience. She was always spot on with figuring out logistics and coming up with unique ideas that suited our interests and schedules. Gemma was incredibly generous with her time and even walked us to security at the airport to make sure we could carry all of our luggage. That’s just one example of how far out of her way she went to make our trip easier and more enjoyable. Gemma was sincerely interested in making every minute of our trip count. We’re very grateful to have met her and feel like we have found a friend in Gemma! Our driver in Chiang Mai was also great and very accommodating to our changes in schedules. More
Lois Paskow,
Dec 2022
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Thailand & Cambodia 2022
Albee went above and beyond to make our trip perfect. She rearranged flights due to a mistake of mine. She made sure we were still picked up and escorted to the airport. I felt comfortable and safe with all our reps. She did an excellent job and I highly recommend her booking your next trip. Thank you, Albee. More
Karen Brooks,
Dec 2022
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Perfect vacation thanks to Albee we…
I can’t say enough about how much we appreciate all the efforts, attention to details and immediate responses to all questions that Albee and her team provided. The Asia Highlights team deserves more stars than the maximum allowed because of continually going above and beyond all expectations. Thanks Albee for making our vacation through south east Asia absolutely perfect!!! More
Michael Sharp,
Dec 2022
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2023 Chiang Mai CAD Yipeng Festival
We got early bird ticket and Bella was assisting us through whatsapp. Easy, competitive price, front row tickets. Thanks Bella, for being patient explaining everything to me. Highly recommended. More
lily hartati,
Dec 2022
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Bella has been an outstanding customer service rep
Bella has been an outstanding customer service rep. She was responsive and knowledgeable. Buying tickets from their website was super easy and the whole process was straightforward. Highly recommended. More
Khai,
Nov 2022
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I was ever so grateful to have a point…
I was ever so grateful to have a point of contact while in a foreign country for the first time, alone, that helped me through the Ins and outs of getting to and from my destination. Albee was readily available which brought me much comfort and feeling of safety. If in this part of the world again, I will not hesitate to use your services.. More
Omega,
Nov 2022
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Memorable Experience!!!
I booked tickets to the Chiang Mai Yi Peng Lantern Festival in Nov 2022. Bella was extremely responsive and helpful!! More
Bowen,
Nov 2022
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Personalized
It is the attention to detail and what we specifically wanted to see that made the reservation experience so exciting. More
Peter Bongiovanni,
Nov 2022
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Define Your Budget
Your list is now shorter after the above two steps. Checking out how much you have budgeted for this trip depicts a clearer outline for your holiday. Legitimately, a nearer destination might look better on the bill than a destination on another continent. However, turn your mind around – a family trip to Asia doesn’t really cost that much, provided you plan it well.
International flights are one of the main expenses. The optimal plan would be to fly directly. If impossible, you should count an extra overnight stay for transit flights, so you and your kids don’t get worn out. When purchasing air tickets, you need to budget for 1) children’s prices; 2) baggage prices; 3) additional services such as special in-flight meals, advance boarding, seats together and VIP lounges.
Peak tourism season in Asia is October to March, costing USD150 to 250 per person per day, based on 4-star accommodation, USD250 and up for 5-star, excluding international airfares. During off-peak season, April to late September, it will be half the price. For children, you need to consider the cost for extra beds and internal flights, normally 70% of the adult cost.
Based on our years of tour operation, we have a chart of costs in each Asian destination at the bottom of this article (data for 2017, only for reference)
Country/Region | Peak Tourism Seasons | Hotel Ranking | Cost per day/person (see Note 1) | Cost in Off-Peak Seasons |
---|---|---|---|---|
Japan | January to May, September to early December | 4-star 5-star |
USD320 to USD400 USD400 and up |
USD280 to USD350 USD350 and up |
Chinese mainland | February to April, September to November | 4-star 5-star |
USD200 to USD280 USD280 and up |
USD200 to USD280 USD280 and up |
Mongolia | May to early August | 4-star 5-star |
USD220 to USD280 -- (5-star accommodation is limited, not enough data for a conclusion) |
USD180 to USD220 -- (5-star accommodation is limited, not enough data for a conclusion) |
Vietnam | October to May | 4-star 5-star |
USD150 to USD250 USD250 and up |
USD120 to USD220 USD220 and up |
Cambodia | Late September to early April | 4-star 5-star |
USD180 to USD260 USD260 and up |
USD150 to USD230 USD230 and up |
Laos | October to May | 4-star 5-star |
USD180 to USD260 USD260 and up |
USD150 to USD230 USD230 and up |
Myanmar | Late September to April | 4-star 5-star |
USD200 to USD270 USD270 and up |
USD160 to USD220 USD220 and up |
Thailand | Late September to May | 4-star 5-star |
USD160 to USD240 USD240 and up |
USD120 to USD200 USD200 and up |
India | October to March | 4-star 5-star |
USD180 to USD260 USD260 and up |
USD140 to USD200 USD200 and up |
Singapore | All year | 4-star 5-star |
USD200 to USD300 USD300 and up |
USD200 and up (no distinguishing line between |
Malaysia | November to March | 4-star 5-star |
USD180 to USD250 USD250 and up |
USD150 to USD220 USD220 and up |
Indonesia | May to December | 4-star 5-star |
USD180 to USD240 USD240 and up |
USD130 to USD220 USD220 and up |
The Philippines | January to May | 4-star 5-star |
USD140 to USD220 USD220 and up |
USD80 to USD160 USD160 and up |
Sri Lanka | November to April | 4-star 5-star |
USD170 to USD250 USD250 and up |
USD110 to USD200 USD200 and up |
Nepal (see Note 2) | October to November, June to September | 4-star 5-star |
USD150 to USD200 USD200 | USD110 to USD160 USD160 and up |
Bhutan (see Note 3) | December to Februaryt | 4-star 5-star |
USD250 to USD350 -- not enough data for a conclusion |
USD200 to USD280 -- not enough data for a conclusion |
Brunei | January to May | 4-star 5-star |
USD220 to USD350 USD350 and up |
USD200 to USD280 USD280 and up |
Notes:
- 1. Cost is per day per person, excluding international flights, with English-speaking stationary(?) tour guides
- 2. Cost for Nepal excludes Chitwan
- 3. Cost for Bhutan excludes a mandatory daily fee, ranging from USD200 to USD300
Talk to an Expert
Use online tools smartly for research and go through reviews written by family travelers like you. Share the resources with your family and see how they react. Besides the domestic democracy, it is also vital to understand the suitability of different destinations for different age ranges and experiences. If you find yourself vacillating between options, find some trustworthy experts to talk to. They could be somebody who has been to these destinations or actually living there, and they should be honest enough to tell you what to expect.
You might want to skip travel agents as they always mean ‘more expensive’. That is not always true. Considering the time and effort that you can save, talking to an on-site expert actually is in line with your goals for a family trip: enjoyable, cost-efficient and meaningful.
A good agent, however, doesn’t really decide your destination per se. They act more like a sidekick who studies your interests and evaluates the possibilities. You always have the say in everything.
Look no further, Asia Highlights is right here, ready to create your trip. For more ideas, read our Top Destinations for Family Trips in Asia. Or get a quick start with us (Tailor-made button)
Plan your Family Trip to Asia with Asia Highlights
Asia Highlights welcomes the chance to help you achieve your travel plans. See our itinerary below and let us do the work for you.
15-Day Family Trip to Mongolia, China and Thailand
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Why Travel with Asia Highlights (98.8% positive customer reviews among 10,000+)
- Unique experiences tailored to your interests: Enjoy a premium trip that goes beyond the typical tourist attractions.
- Hassle-free travel and peace of mind: Every aspect of your trip will be carefully planned and organized by your 1:1 travel consultant.
- Experienced and knowledgeable guides: Your guides will be local and love to work for travelers' smiles.
Get Inspired with Our Sample Itineraries
At Asia Highlights, we create your kind of journey — your dates, your destinations, at your pace. You can have any trip tailor made for your travel.