The Best Rail Trips to Take in Asia

Another island, another loop tour, but Taiwan is totally different to Sri Lanka. In fact it’s different to pretty much anywhere else on Earth. This East Asian gem has cultural influences from China, Korea and Japan, but also its own distinct identity, which we’ll explore across nine-days of rail-based discovery. The trip starts and ends in the capital, Taipei, where foodies will fall in love with busy night markets and architecture fans will marvel at the city’s many manmade masterpieces. We’ll explore Taichung City, the culinary capital (Tainan) and Kaohsiung, famed for its vibrant temples and art scene. You’ll also get to visit Sun Moon Lake, where we’ll go cycling, take a boat cruise and visit a temple, as well as going for a tea tasting session at a local factory – if there’s one thing this place does have in common with Sri Lanka, it’s tea. You’ll discover the surreal cave systems and epic rock formations of Taroko Gorge, before heading back north to Taipei on the most scenic train ride of the trip, all the way up the splendid East Coast National Scenic Area.

You can’t talk Asia and trains without eventually getting around to Japan, home of the iconic shinkansen, or bullet train. This famous high-speed rail network makes it possible to cover large swathes of this endlessly explorable nation within a relatively short period of time. That’s the idea behind our 12-day trip in Japan, which starts in Osaka and ends in Tokyo. Stops on the way include Hiroshima, Miyajima Island, Arashiyama bamboo forest, Kyoto, Hakone and Lake Ashi. You’ll visit traditional folk villages, sample sake in the Japanese Alps and stay in a traditional ryokan inn, equipped with onsite onsen (natural hot springs). You’ll snap photos of Mount Fuji on a Lake Ashi cruise before hitting up the capital, where you’ll get to watch sumo wrestlers train, learn how to roll sushi and try taiko drumming, before a customary night of karaoke fun.

People don’t always associate Southeast Asia with train travel, but our two-week epic across two of the region’s most spectacular countries aims to change that perception. We’ll start in Bangkok before hopping on a train to explore the ancient ruins of Sukhothai and the street food delights of Chiang Mai. You’ll be treated to a Thai cooking masterclass ahead of some jungle exploration in Northern Thailand, where you’ll go bamboo rafting, visit an ethical elephant sanctuary and barbecue back at our jungle campsite. After around a week it’s time to cross the border into Laos, where we’ll briefly swap train travel for its water-based cousin, the river cruise. We’ll float down the verdant jungles of the Mekong, stopping off to meet remote whisky-making villagers and sacred caves. You’ll hike through a rainforest in search of Laos’ most famous sight, the spectacular Kuang Si Falls, before taking a high-speed train to Vang Vieng, where we’ll explore the Nam Song river by kayak. Having crossed back into Thailand, you’ll hop on the sleeper train back to Bangkok, where we’ll round off the trip with a city tour and farewell dinner.