15 Best Asia destinations in October of 2022

• October 1 – Mid-Autumn Festival in China
• October 1 to 7 – China National Day and Golden Week (major public holidays)
• October 2 – Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday in India (major public holiday)
• October 29 – Republic Day in Turkey (major public holiday)

Bali, Indonesia

• October avg high: 86F/30C
• October avg low: 77F/25C
• October avg precip: 3.6″/9.0cm

October is the last non-rainy month in Bali until April, so it’s a good time to come to enjoy the shoulder season. The weather is mostly dry and warm, and yet Bali isn’t overflowing with Australians or Europeans like it is in most of the other nicer months, and even the rainy months.

It’s worth noting that Bali has become so crowded and overdeveloped that some people no longer enjoy it, but if you stay in a large hotel with its own stretch of sand then you might not even notice that. If crowds do bother you you can always head to Lovina along the northern coast, or to nearby Lombok, which are both like Bali was 20 or more years ago.

• Good 3-star hotels in October from $42 for two people
• Good 4-star hotels in October from $74 for two people
• Hostel dorm beds in October from $7 per person

>>Check current hotel promotions for Kuta, Bali
>>>Bali prices and travel tips

Hong Kong

• October avg high: 82F/28C
• October avg low: 74F/23C
• October avg precip: 6.0″/15.0cm

Hong Kong is at the end of its rainy season in October, and temperatures are fairly reasonable most of the time as well. The later you come in the month the drier it is likely to be. Either way, this city is good at dealing with rainfall, so it’s not the problem it is in other places anyway.

You may have heard that Hong Kong has become insanely expensive in recent years, and that is true in some ways, but it’s still possible to enjoy this amazing city on a reasonable budget. There are plenty of 3-star and 4-star hotels with good locations and reasonable prices, and the more authentic local food tends to be cheap as well.

• Good 5-star hotels in October from $123 for two people

>>Check current hotel promotions for Hong Kong
>>>Hong Kong prices and travel tips

Tokyo, Japan

• October avg high: 71F/22C
• October avg low: 59F/15C
• October avg precip: 6.4″/6.0cm

Tokyo is another city that is extremely hot and also fairly rainy in summer, so October is a good month to visit when it’s still warm and it’s drying out. This city is so modern that dealing with the rain isn’t problematic in general, but still it’s better to not have to deal with it if you can avoid it.

This city and country have always been considered the most expensive in Asia, but prices here haven’t budged much in over 20 years and it’s now similar in price to a mid-range European city. In fact, Singapore recently surpassed Tokyo to become the most expensive Asian city for 3-star travelers in our recent study.

• Good 3-star hotels in October from $201 for two people
• Good 4-star hotels in October from $232 for two people
• Hostel dorm beds in October from $34 per person

>>Check hotel deals for Tokyo
>>>Tokyo prices and travel tips

Chiang Mai, Thailand

• October avg high: 88F/31C
• October avg low: 71F/22C
• October avg precip: 4.8″/12.0cm

If you go to the popular cities in southeast Asia such as Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur, you are still likely to get rained on in October. But if you head a bit north to Chiang Mai you’ll have less chance of rain and you’ll also get much more pleasant temperatures in general.

In case you aren’t familiar with it, Chiang Mai is Thailand’s second city and it’s the main base for trekking and culture in the north. This is also famously a very affordable city, with posh hotels going for shockingly low prices. Nearly everything is cheaper in Chiang Mai than in Bangkok or the islands, so it’s a good place to hang around and enjoy the weather if you’ve got the time.

• Good 3-star hotels in October from $41 for two people
• Good 4-star hotels in October from $72 for two people
• Hostel dorm beds in October from $6 per person

>>Check hotel deals for Chiang Mai
>>>Chiang Mai prices and travel tips

Luang Prabang, Laos

• October avg high: 88F/31C
• October avg low: 70F/21C
• October avg precip: 4.2″/10.5cm

Another northern city in the region is Luang Prabang, which is the main tourist hub of Laos. This is a lovely and very mellow town that is very affordable as well. You can famously take the 2-day slow-boat journey between Luang Prabang and the Thai border, and it’s highly recommended for those on longer trips.

Luang Prabang is another charming city where you can get hotel rooms for far less than you would expect once you see how nice the place is. The main challenge for some people is that it’s hard to get a cheap flight here, and the overland methods of bus and boat travel are a bit slow.

• Good 3-star hotels in October from $28 for two people
• Good 4-star hotels in October from $90 for two people
• Hostel dorm beds in October from $7 per person

>>Check hotel deals for Luang Prabang
>>>Luang Prabang prices and travel tips

Singapore

• October avg high: 87F/31C
• October avg low: 77F/25C
• October avg precip: 8.2″/20.5cm

We left Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur off the list for October because it’s still the rainy season in those huge cities, but Singapore has a rainy season that goes almost the whole year so it’s still a good choice this month. This is an extremely modern city that is used to dealing with the quick tropical rainstorms, so they really are nothing to fear.

Singapore has become Asia’s most expensive city for 3-star travelers, overtaking Tokyo, mostly because the hotels here are now so pricey. It’s still possible to get a reasonable deal if you can stay a bit away from the CBD or Orchard Road. Another way to save money is to book one of the many rooms here with no windows. If that doesn’t sound appealing to you either, then be careful when you book because the cheapest rooms in most hotels are window-free.

• Good 3-star hotels in October from $113 for two people
• Good 4-star hotels in October from $133 for two people
• Hostel dorm beds in October from $13 per person

>>Check current hotel promotions for Singapore
>>>Singapore prices and travel tips

Malé, Maldives

• October avg high: 84F/29C
• October avg low: 77F/25C
• October avg precip: 7.6″/19.0cm

It’s sad to say, but Malé is one of Asia’s least charming and worthwhile capital cities. It’s also one of the most crowded, and the only place to get even a drop of alcohol nearby is a single hotel near the airport. The reason people come to Malé is to hop a speedboat or sea-plane to one of the hundreds of resort islands in this huge chain.

You may have heard that the Maldives home to most of the world’s water villas. Even though this is a non-wealthy Asian country, the water villas are as expensive as they are wonderful. They start at around US$300 per night, although you can get island rooms for closer to US$100 per night at some of the same resorts.

• Good 3-star hotels in October from $81 for two people
• Good 4-star hotels in October from $148 for two people

>>Malé prices and travel tips

Pokhara, Nepal

• October avg high: 75F/33C
• October avg low: 59F/23C
• October avg precip: 2.2″/8.8cm

If you haven’t heard of Pokhara you aren’t alone, and it means you probably haven’t started planning a trip to Nepal yet. Kathmandu is the capital of the country, but Pokhara is the place where people come for trekking and other outdoor activities.

Pokhara is actually one of the world’s cheapest cities if you just want a nice hotel room and 3 meals a day. It’s also very relaxed and friendly. October is one of only 4 great weather months each year, so this is part of the high season. If you want to go trekking into the nearby Annapurnas, it’s not quite so cheap however.

• Good 3-star hotels in October from $17 for two people
• Good 4-star hotels in October from $64 for two people
• Hostel dorm beds in October from $6 per person

>>Check current hotel promotions for Pokhara
>>>Pokhara prices and travel tips

Delhi/New Delhi, India

• October avg high: 92F/33C
• October avg low: 65F/18C
• October avg precip: 0.7″/1.8cm

Delhi has scorching summers and surprisingly chilly winters, so October is an ideal month when you actually get decent temperatures and very little rain. The sights around this huge city are some of the most interesting in Asia, and this is also the best place to start a trip to Taj Mahal, which is in Agra, and a popular day trip from here.

New Delhi is actually a small region within central Delhi where you find the capital and government buildings, along with many hotels and a few sights as well. Hotels here are very reasonably priced, although it’s wise to be careful of the cheapest places because the standards can be very low. Delhi now has some good hostels as well, but again it’s worth checking those reviews.

• Good 3-star hotels in October from $29 for two people
• Good 4-star hotels in October from $72 for two people
• Hostel dorm beds in October from $10 per person

>>Delhi/New Delhi prices and travel tips

Goa, India

• October avg high: 89F/32C
• October avg low: 72F/11.2C
• October avg precip: 4.6″/11.5cm

October is when the rainy season in Goa comes to an end, although you can still get some downpours early in the month. Most visitors from outside of India don’t start arriving until December, so October is a very good month if you prefer smaller crowds.

Goa is actually a state that is lined with various small beach towns, and each is different from the other. Some, such as Vagator and Anjuna, are famous for their beach parties and hippie vibe. But others are known for families or simple beach huts. Doing some research is essential if this is your first trip.

• Good 3-star hotels in October from $28 for two people
• Good 4-star hotels in October from $83 for two people
• Hostel dorm beds in October from $6 per person

>>Check current hotel promotions for Goa
>>>Goa prices and travel tips

Mumbai, India

• October avg high: 91F/33C
• October avg low: 74F/23C
• October avg precip: 3.5″/8.8cm

Similar to Goa, which is down the coast from Mumbai, the summer rainy season here can be overwhelming. But in October it’s usually quite dry and the temperatures are starting to get reasonable as well. Mumbai is India’s business and financial center, as well as the center of its film industry, but it’s not actually a classic tourist city.

Though still reasonable by international standards, hotels in Mumbai are very expensive for India. The popular tourist area in the south and the business district are both quite small, so real estate goes at a heavy premium here. Mumbai is worth seeing, but probably best for only a couple days before heading to a smaller town or a beach.

• Good 3-star hotels in October from $78 for two people
• Good 4-star hotels in October from $85 for two people
• Hostel dorm beds in October from $14 per person

Mumbai prices and travel tips

Beijing, China

• October avg high: 66F/19C
• October avg low: 46F/8C
• October avg precip: 0.9″/2.3cm

Beijing has hot summers and then suddenly in October it cools down to where you need a jacket during the day. The winters here are quite chilly so October really is the best month in the second half of the year to enjoy this huge city when it’s reasonably warm and dry.

Most Westerners who visit China will typically book a package tour that includes Beijing, Xi’an, and Shanghai. Unlike most other parts of the world, those package tours can be surprisingly good bargains, even for small-group tours of fewer than 20 people. But if you come on your own you can do it for even less, although having a guide can really help because not many people speak English. Here’s why you still probably want to visit China as part of a tour.

• Good 3-star hotels in October from $65 for two people
• Good 4-star hotels in October from $79 for two people
• Hostel dorm beds in October from $12 per person

>>Check current hotel promotions for Beijing
>>>Beijing prices and travel tips

Shanghai, China

• October avg high: 73F/23C
• October avg low: 59F/15C
• October avg precip: 2.5″/6.3cm

Far more modern than Beijing, many visitors prefer Shanghai even though it doesn’t have many historic sights. This coastal city is very hot during summer so October is an ideal month to visit and even do a group tour before it gets too cold in November.

Most things in Shanghai are a bit more expensive than in Beijing, and hotels in particular. But by international standards Shanghai is still pretty cheap, especially for such a modern city. There are many expats here so it feels fairly international in places.

• Good 4-star hotels in October from $60 for two people
• Hostel dorm beds in October from $13 per person

>>Check current hotel promotions for Shanghai
>>>Shanghai prices and travel tips

Xi’an, China

• October avg high: 67F/19C
• October avg low: 49F/9C
• October avg precip: 2.0″/5.0cm

If you are reading this whole page you might expect that Xi’an would be next. Very few people would ever come to China for the first time and only go to Xi’an, but if you are already coming to see Beijing and Shanghai as well, you might as well pop over to see the famous Terracotta Warriors among other things.

Xi’an is a bit cheaper than the other two larger cities and it shows you a different side of modern China as well. You can take the bullet train from Beijing here in only about 7 hours, but flying is obviously faster and typically cheaper as well.

• Good 3-star hotels in October from $46 for two people
• Good 4-star hotels in October from $53 for two people

>Check current hotel promotions for Xi’an
>>>Xi’an prices and travel tips

Seoul, South Korea

• October avg high: 68F/20C
• October avg low: 50F/10C
• October avg precip: 1.9″/4.8cm

Seoul is yet another Asian city with scorching summers and winters that start sooner than we would like. October is a fine month to come and enjoy the excellent food culture here, not to mention the high-tech culture and pop culture as well.

Hotels in Seoul are good value in general considering the high standards that you get from the many chains and even independent places in the city center. As with most large Asian cities, the restaurants can range from very cheap to extremely expensive, depending on how much comfort and familiarity that you require.

• Good 3-star hotels in October from $91 for two people
• Good 4-star hotels in October from $95 for two people
• Hostel dorm beds in October from $11 per person

>>>Check current hotel promotions for Seoul
>>>Seoul prices and travel tips