Visit the Far East
Go All In
Signature Asia Journeys
Japan, Thailand, Vietnam & India
Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, and India each offer more than enough to shape an entire journey around. Connect Japan’s futuristic cities, historic neighborhoods, and scenic regions by rail, follow temples and islands through Thailand, travel between vibrant cities and limestone bays in Vietnam, or experience India’s monuments, markets, palaces, and sacred cities with expert local guidance.
Go a Little Further
Asia Journey Extensions
Cambodia, Laos & Bali
Take an Asian adventure one step further with ancient temples in Cambodia, quiet river towns and mountain scenery in Laos, or a slower stretch of jungle, culture, and coastline in Bali. Add one to a longer regional journey, or give it more time and let it become a destination of its own.
Stay a Little Longer
Asia Stopover Destinations
Singapore, Hong Kong & Taiwan
Turn the connection into part of the trip with a few days in Singapore, Hong Kong, or Taiwan. Skyline views, glowing gardens, harbor cruises, night markets, celebrated food, and neighborhoods filled with energy make each one far more than a place to simply pass through.
Destinations
Fall in Love with Thailand
Turquoise water, immersive culture, and the kind of trip that pulls you all the way in.
Damnoen Saduak Floating Market
Experience two of Thailand’s most recognizable markets in one day with a small group tour. Travel by boat through the colorful canals of Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, then visit Maeklong Railway Market, where vendors pull back their stalls as the train passes directly through.
Elephant Jungle Sanctuary
Spend time with majestic elephants in a natural setting while learning about their care, behavior, and conservation. Feed the elephants, walk alongside them, and observe them up close with guidance from the sanctuary team.
Chiang Rai
This city offers an immersive experience of Thailand’s rich culture and heritage. Visit three distinct temples, each representing a different side of Thai Buddhism, architecture, and artistic tradition.
Phang Nga Bay
This bay is one of southern Thailand’s most iconic natural highlights, known for its dramatic limestone views and emerald water. Visit James Bond Island, canoe through sea caves, and take in some of the most memorable scenery in the region.
Grand Palace & Bangkok Temples
Step into Bangkok’s historic heart with tours of the Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaew, Wat Pho, and Wat Arun. Golden rooftops, ornate details, reclining Buddhas, and riverside temple views create a day filled with color, scale, and cultural depth.
Luxury Resorts & Boutique Stays
Thailand makes it easy to build in a more elevated stay, from private pool villas and beachfront resorts to boutique hideaways and rooftop city hotels. With quality service, beautiful design, and strong value compared to many other tropical destinations, the stays can become a highlight of the trip.
Thai Food Experiences
Taste your way through Thailand, from sizzling woks and grilled skewers to fresh herbs, coconut curries, and neighborhood food streets. Join a guided street food tour, shop for ingredients with a local chef, and step into a hands-on cooking class to learn the flavors, techniques, and dishes that make Thai cuisine so distinct.
Phi Phi Islands Excursion
Set out from Phuket for a full-day Phi Phi Islands excursion, where turquoise water, limestone cliffs, hidden coves, and soft beaches shape the day. Travel by speedboat between island stops, swim or snorkel in clear blue-green water, explore Pileh Lagoon, relax on Bamboo Island, and take in the scenery by traditional longtail boat.
Ayutthaya
Explore the ancient city of Ayutthaya, once the capital of the Kingdom of Siam. Walk among temple ruins, stone Buddhas, historic monasteries, and riverfront sites that offer a deeper look at Thailand’s royal past and architectural heritage.
Japan: Timeless to Modern
From Tokyo’s electric energy to Kyoto’s quiet beauty.
Private Tokyo Tour with a Local Guide
Explore Tokyo with a private local guide who can introduce you to the city’s neighborhoods, culture, transportation, and hidden corners. The day can be personalized around places like Asakusa, Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, Ginza, local markets, food stops, or quieter areas beyond the usual sightseeing route.
Shibuya & Shibuya Sky
Experience one of Tokyo’s most recognizable neighborhoods, from the famous Shibuya Crossing to shopping, cafés, nightlife, and pop culture. Finish above the city at Shibuya Sky, an open-air observation deck with sweeping views across Tokyo and, on clear days, toward Mt. Fuji.
TeamLab Digital Art Experience
Step inside one of Japan’s immersive teamLab museums, where light, color, sound, water, and movement transform each room into an interactive work of art. It is one of Tokyo’s most memorable modern experiences and a favorite for couples, families, teens, and first-time visitors.
Mt. Fuji & Hakone
Leave the city for a day of mountain scenery, lakeside views, and quieter landscapes near Mt. Fuji. Depending on the route and weather, the experience may include Lake Ashi, Hakone’s mountain railway or ropeway, scenic viewpoints, traditional villages, or time in the Fuji Five Lakes region.
Kyoto Temples & Historic Streets
Discover Kyoto through its shrines, gardens, temples, and preserved neighborhoods. Visit places such as Fushimi Inari, Kiyomizu-dera, the Arashiyama bamboo grove, or the streets of Gion while learning more about the traditions and history woven throughout the city.
Tea Ceremony & Kimono Experience
Take part in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony and learn about the gestures, tools, and customs behind the ritual. The experience can also include kimono dressing, calligraphy, Japanese sweets, garden visits, or time for photographs in one of Kyoto’s historic neighborhoods.
Nara Day Trip
Visit Japan’s first permanent capital on an easy day trip from Kyoto or Osaka. Walk among the free-roaming deer of Nara Park, see the enormous bronze Buddha inside Todai-ji Temple, and explore lantern-lined paths, shrines, gardens, and historic streets.
Osaka Street Food Tour Cooking Class
Taste your way through Osaka’s lively food districts with stops for local favorites such as takoyaki, okonomiyaki, kushikatsu, and other regional specialties. Explore Dotonbori or a quieter neighborhood with a guide who can introduce you to small restaurants and dishes that are easy to miss independently.
Traditional Ryokan & Onsen Stay
Slow the pace with an overnight stay at a traditional ryokan, where tatami rooms, seasonal meals, peaceful surroundings, and hot spring bathing offer a more restorative side of Japan. These stays can be added in Hakone, the Mt. Fuji area, Kyoto, or another scenic region between major cities, creating a memorable break from the energy of Tokyo and Osaka.
Vietnam: Cities, Bays & River Days
Move through lantern-lit streets, limestone waters, and landscapes that stay with you.
Hanoi Old Quarter & City Highlights
Explore Hanoi through its Old Quarter, tree-lined boulevards, historic landmarks, lakeside cafés, and lively street scenes. With a local guide, wander through narrow market streets, visit Hoan Kiem Lake and cultural sites, and experience the rhythm of Vietnam’s capital through its food, architecture, and everyday energy.
Luxury Ha Long Bay Cruise
Spend a night sailing between the limestone islands and calm waters of Ha Long Bay aboard a polished overnight cruise. Enjoy a private balcony cabin, kayaking, cave visits, tai chi, cooking demonstrations, elegant meals, and time relaxing on deck as the scenery passes by.
Sapa Rice Terraces & Mountain Villages
Travel north for mountain scenery, layered green rice terraces, and villages tucked into the hills. Sapa offers a cooler, more scenic side of Vietnam, with guided walks, local culture, valley views, and landscapes that feel completely different from the country’s cities and coastline.
Hoi An Ancient Town & Lantern Streets
Explore Hoi An, known for its lantern-lit streets, yellow-walled buildings, riverfront cafés, tailor shops, and relaxed coastal charm. This historic town offers a softer, slower-paced stop with night markets, boat rides, nearby beaches, and some of Vietnam’s most atmospheric streets.
Ninh Binh Countryside & River Landscapes
Travel into one of northern Vietnam’s most scenic regions, where limestone mountains rise above rivers, rice fields, temples, and quiet villages. Ride a sampan through the waterways, take in the countryside from Hang Mua, and experience a softer, more cinematic side of Vietnam beyond the cities.
Cu Chi Tunnels & Mekong Delta
Pair two of southern Vietnam’s major highlights in one full-day experience from Ho Chi Minh City. Visit the Cu Chi Tunnels with a guide for a look at Vietnam’s wartime history, then continue into the Mekong Delta to explore rural waterways by motorboat and rowboat, and experience local villages, coconut groves, regional food, and fresh fruit along the way.
Cambodia, Carved in Stone
Ancient temples, jungle ruins & the wonders of Angkor waiting beyond.
Angkor Wat Sunrise & Temple Complex
Begin before dawn at Angkor Wat, where the early light rises behind one of the world’s most iconic ancient sites. Continue through Angkor Thom, Bayon Temple, Ta Prohm, Banteay Kdei, and Sras Srang, taking in carved stone faces, jungle-covered ruins, royal terraces, and sacred spaces
Banteay Srei & Grand Circuit Temples
Explore a quieter side of the Angkor region with the Grand Circuit temples, including Preah Khan, Neak Pean, Ta Som, Eastern Mebon, and Banteay Samre. Continue to Banteay Srei, known for its pink sandstone and intricate carvings, with time for a local village stop and sunset views from Pre Rup Temple.
Tonle Sap Lake & Roluos Group
Travel beyond the main Angkor temples to Tonle Sap Lake, where floating and stilted villages show a different side of life near Siem Reap. After time on the water, visit the 9th-century Roluos Group temples, including Lolei, Preah Ko, and Bakong, before rounding out the day with local crafts, monastery visits, or time in town.
Lose Yourself in Laos
Drift along the Mekong through golden temples, turquoise waterfalls & timeless villages.
Luang Prabang Temples & Kuang Si Falls
Explore Luang Prabang through Wat Xieng Thong, its UNESCO-listed old town, local markets, and relaxed riverside atmosphere. Continue to Kuang Si Falls, where turquoise pools cascade through the forest, with time to walk the trails, swim, and visit the nearby bear sanctuary.
Mekong River & Pak Ou Caves
Cruise along the Mekong River to the Pak Ou Caves, home to thousands of Buddha statues placed there over generations. Along the way, visit riverside villages known for traditional weaving, pottery, and local crafts, offering a quieter look at everyday life along the river.
Vang Vieng’s Mountains & Blue Lagoons
Discover the limestone mountains, caves, rice fields, riverside villages, and blue lagoons surrounding Vang Vieng. Explore by boat, bicycle, or locally guided drive, with time for scenic viewpoints, swimming, and easy outdoor adventure among some of Laos’s most dramatic landscapes.
India in Living Color
Take the leap into India, guided by those who know it best.
India, Thoughtfully Guided
For a first journey to India, discover the country through a five-star, fully guided experience with carefully selected hotels, a personal driver throughout the route, and a specialized local guide in each city. Your driver handles the travel between destinations while each guide brings local history and culture to life.
The Golden Triangle & India’s Icons
Follow the Golden Triangle through Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur to experience some of India’s most iconic landmarks. Visit Raj Ghat and the historic sites of Old and New Delhi, see the Taj Mahal at sunrise and explore Agra Fort, then continue to Jaipur for Amber Fort, City Palace, Hawa Mahal, and Rajasthan’s royal architecture.
Color, Culture & Wild Landscapes
See India beyond its monuments through Old Delhi’s lively markets, Jaipur’s colorful bazaars and artisan traditions, Udaipur’s lakes, and Ranthambore’s wild forests. Add local food, market walks, lake cruises, and guided tiger safaris for a journey that pairs living culture with some of the country’s most memorable scenery.
Bali, Find Your Flow
Temple mornings, jungle paths & barefoot evenings by the sea.
Ubud Culture, Rice Terraces & Waterfalls
Stay in Bali’s cultural heart, surrounded by jungle, temples, artisan villages, and layered green rice terraces. Explore Ubud’s markets, visit sacred sites, walk through the Tegalalang countryside, and add waterfalls, traditional dance, a Balinese cooking class, yoga, spa time, or a private-pool villa overlooking the trees.
Uluwatu Cliffs & Southern Beaches
Head south for cliffside views, beach days, and some of Bali’s most memorable sunsets. Visit Uluwatu Temple above the Indian Ocean, watch a traditional Kecak dance at sunset, and choose between Uluwatu’s dramatic coastline, Nusa Dua’s high-end resorts, Sanur’s relaxed waterfront, or Seminyak’s dining and beach clubs.
Nusa Islands & Private Boat Days
Take a fast boat to Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, or Nusa Ceningan for turquoise water, rugged cliffs, snorkeling, and quieter island scenery. Visit Kelingking Beach, Broken Beach, or Crystal Bay, arrange a private boat day, or stay overnight on Nusa Lembongan for a slower escape beyond Bali’s main island.
Taiwan: Skyline to Streetlights
From city icons to late-night bites, find history and flavor around every corner.
Taipei 101 & Din Tai Fung
Rise above the city at Taipei 101, where the observation deck offers sweeping views across Taipei and the surrounding mountains. Afterward, head downstairs to the internationally renowned Din Tai Fung, known around the world for its signature xiao long bao and other Taiwanese favorites.
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
Walk through Liberty Square to one of Taipei’s most significant historical landmarks. Explore the memorial hall, traditional gardens, and the surrounding National Theater and Concert Hall while learning about Chiang Kai-shek and the complex political history that helped shape modern Taiwan.
Raohe Night Market
Experience Taipei after dark at Raohe Night Market, where glowing signs, busy food stalls, and the scent of pepper buns fill one of the city’s oldest night markets. Try local favorites, browse small shops, and visit the colorful Ciyou Temple at the market entrance.
Hong Kong, Meet New Heights
Peak views, Kowloon energy, and an iconic glowing night harbor.
Victoria Peak
Rise above Hong Kong at Victoria Peak for sweeping views across the city’s skyscrapers, Victoria Harbour, Kowloon, and the surrounding green hills. Ride the historic Peak Tram or travel up by private transfer, then explore the viewpoints and walking paths as the skyline shifts from daylight into evening.
Kowloon Streets & Markets
Cross the harbor into Kowloon, where waterfront views, shopping streets, local restaurants, and busy markets show a different side of the city. Walk the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade and Avenue of Stars, continue along Nathan Road, or experience Temple Street as its stalls and late-night food spots come alive.
Victoria Harbour by Night
See Hong Kong’s skyline from the water aboard a sunset sailing, traditional junk boat, dinner cruise, or evening harbor tour. Watch the city begin to glow from both sides of Victoria Harbour, with the option to time the experience around the nightly Symphony of Lights show.
Singapore, Gateway to the World
An experience from the moment you touch down, Singapore pairs perfectly with journeys across Asia and beyond.
Hawker Centers & Michelin-Recognized Bites
Taste your way through Singapore’s hawker culture, where sprawling food centers bring dozens of local specialties together under one roof. Visit favorites like Chinatown Complex, Maxwell Food Centre, or Lau Pa Sat to try everything from chicken rice and laksa to satay and dishes from Michelin-recognized and Bib Gourmand stalls.
Gardens by the Bay After Dark
Step into the Cloud Forest, wander beneath the Supertrees, and stay into the evening as Gardens by the Bay transforms with light and music. The towering gardens, misty conservatories, and glowing tree-like structures create a futuristic landscape that feels straight out of Avatar.
Marina Bay Sands
Experience Singapore’s most recognizable modern landmark from the waterfront or high above the city at the SkyPark Observation Deck. Pair the panoramic views with dining, shopping, the ArtScience Museum, or the evening Spectra light and water show. Travelers staying at Marina Bay Sands can also access its famous rooftop infinity pool.
Contact Us
To plan a custom version or join our next escorted trip, call or email us today!
(239) 899-0335
Video
Check out our hype video from last year!
Been There. Planned That.
Firsthand experience, honest insight, and recommendations shaped by real travel. From personal favorites to carefully curated excursions with trusted local guides, Brightside uses what we’ve learned along the way to create trips that feel thoughtful, seamless, and genuinely connected to the destination.
Carley
Jacob
Advisor 3
Advisor 4
Questions?
Feel free to contact us today!
Give us a call or a text
Talk to the travel experts running this tour
Mon – Fri: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Sat & Sun: 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM