Travel Journal

With so many of our clients currently planning their travels to Asia in 2026, we thought it was a good time to showcase three destinations that are very much in fashion and great value for money – Japan, South Korea & Taiwan.

Japan is unique – it feels entirely different to anywhere else in Asia, where ancient eastern tradition and western modernity mingle among beautiful countryside. The cuisine is justifiably renowned, the history fascinating and it’s incredibly safe. The Japanese yen is currently quite weak so it’s now great value for money and is consequently enjoying a massive tourism boom. Enjoy a sake tasting at a local brewery, soak in a steaming hot onsen and marvel at World Heritage-listed temples thousands of years old, what’s not to love?

Several of the Discover Travel team have explored Japan recently, here are the recent thoughts of Ian and Juliet.

When to go?

Springtime from March to May is when the cherry blossoms bloom, with the first week of April usually the best time for viewing in the major cities, but it can get very busy in Kyoto then!

Summertime in Japan (June-Aug) can be hot and humid but it’s much quieter and there are traditional festivals and firework displays; Juliet loved her recent summer visit!

Autumn is an excellent time for Japan – there’s cooler crisper weather and the brilliant red and gold foliage known as Koyo. Late October to November is the peak time to view Koyo as the leaves change from the north and make their way southwards, painting the landscapes.

Winter is a great time to explore the cities without the crowds; Ian was in Tokyo at Christmas time last year and loved it. That’s also when all the ski junkies take their annual pilgrimage from around the world to descend on Japan for their powder snow and steaming onsens, wow!

How to explore?

There are plenty of excellent ‘Highlights of Japan’ itineraries for first timers to Japan that cover the main sights of Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Nara, Kanazawa & Takayama, and including flights from NZ – like this.

We also love to get our first timers to Japan a little off the beaten track though – for instance this wonderful ‘Backroads of Japan’ 15-day tour or this 14-day ‘Offbeat Japan’ tour.

We’ve been organising a lot of both self-guided and guided walking holidays through little villages along feudal Japan’s ancient paths. Staying in traditional ryokan and hosted by local families, it’s a delightful contrast to the big cities that most tourists only experience. Ian walked the famous Nakasendo trail in central Honshu and loved it – here’s his report.

The Nakasendo can either be done self-guided with all the transfers and ryokan pre-booked and train tickets are provided to link the sections of the walk, or it can be done as a guided walk with a small group – both are excellent options.

There are lots of other great walks in Japan – the Kumano Kodo trail south of Osaka is wonderful, and we’re very excited about the new Michinoku Coastal Trail in Northern Honshu.

If travelling around Japan independently, it’s usually worthwhile buying a Japanese rail pass in advance. A 7 day ‘ordinary’ pass is currently NZD$588 per person and a 14 day ‘ordinary’ pass is currently NZD$941 per person. The JR network is extensive and as incredibly efficient as always, signage is in English and most big stations now have English-speaking tourist desks. A metro card for Tokyo or Osaka is also essential!

For second or third timers to Japan, we’d recommend exploring not just Honshu but other islands like Kyushu or Hokkaido.

We’re also getting a lot of interest in cruises that feature Japan and also South Korea. Princess Cruises are the best value and have a huge range of itineraries from 7-28 days aboard Diamond Princess, but if you’d prefer a smaller expedition ship, there’s 10-15night voyages from April-June 2026 with Heritage Expeditions aboard the 140 passenger Heritage Adventurer and 8 or 12 night voyages from Feb-June2026 with Ponant aboard the 264 passenger Le Soleal plus more, please just ask us for details!

South Korea is also experiencing a sharp uptick in tourism, fuelled by its pop culture and cosmetics, with ubiquitous K-Pop, television shows like Squid Game and movies like Parasite now globally famous. A little like Japan, South Korea has a fascinating blend of ancient traditions and neon cities. Picturesque mountain temples and springtime cherry blossoms draw in the visitors and the iconic street food scene will guarantee a full belly! Tourists are welcomed with warmth, stories and pride in a culture that’s both deeply rooted and constantly evolving.

There are lots of great ‘South Korea highlights’ small group tour itineraries like this 9 day tour or this 12 day option.

Perhaps you have been to Japan and Korea and would like to try something different? How about Taiwan?

It’s green, clean, teeming with tempting food and emerging as one of East Asia’s most exciting destinations. With a spine of forested mountains, over 1500 kms of coastline, waterfalls, gorges and hot springs, you’ll be struck by Taiwan’s dramatic beauty. But as you go deeper – learning forest survival skills with the Indigenous Atayal, meeting resident nuns at a monastery and uncovering the influences that have shaped this island nation – you’ll find that it’s Taiwan’s people and unique culture that make you want to stay. And the food is to die for. Check out this great Taiwan small group tour.

How to get there?

JAPAN: Air New Zealand fly direct daily from Auckland to Tokyo or you can fly with Singapore Airlines from Christchurch via Singapore to either Tokyo or Osaka.

KOREA: Air New Zealand will also fly you via Shanghai or Hong Kong to Seoul, but we have great fares with Air NZ and Star Alliance partner Asiana from Christchurch via Sydney to Seoul also. Asiana also offer good fares if you’d like to combine Japan and Korea on the same trip.

TAIWAN: Air New Zealand fly 4 times per week direct from Auckland to Taipei.

We’d love to plan your 2026 travels to Asia, so please contact us to get underway!

Happy travels!

The Discover Travel team.