Best of Asia · Honeymoons
The best honeymoon destinations in Asia
The right honeymoon depends less on the destination and more on what the two of you enjoy doing. Here are eight places we'd recommend, and the kind of couple each one suits.
- Type: Best of Asia
- Reading time: 5 min read
- Updated: Updated 2 November 2026
By The GoTourRide team · Published 2 November 2026
The short answer
- For pure rest: the Maldives, ideally after a week of something more active.
- For a mix of adventure and beach in one trip: Sri Lanka, often combined with the Maldives.
- For a villa, spa and slow days: Bali, best from April to October.
- For something completely different: Japan in spring or autumn, with a night in a ryokan.
Start with one question
Before choosing a country, ask each other this: after two days on a beach, will you be bored or blissful? Couples who want to do nothing at all are best in the Maldives or a villa in Bali. Couples who want stories to tell, with a bit of comfort, tend to love Sri Lanka, Japan or Vietnam. A lot of people do both: ten active days, then four or five days of rest.
Timing matters too. A wedding in June means different places from a wedding in December, so we've added the best months for each.
Eight honeymoon destinations, and who they suit
- Best December to AprilThe Maldives1
Best December to April
The Maldives
Overwater villas, house reefs you can snorkel from your deck, dinners on the sand. It's the classic for a reason, and there's no better place to recover from wedding planning.
The honest downside: it's expensive, and after four or five nights many couples are ready for more. Which is where the next entry comes in.
- Pure rest
- Highest budget
2Best December to April (south), May to September (east)
Plan it with GoTourRideSri Lanka
Sri Lanka is the honeymoon for couples who want variety: a dawn climb at Sigiriya, a night in a colonial tea bungalow, a leopard safari, then a boutique villa by the sea. The island is small enough to see a lot without rushing, and a private driver means you don't have to plan any of the travel.
Hotels are a strength. There are beautiful small places at very fair prices, from jungle lodges near Sigiriya to restored houses inside Galle Fort.
- Adventure + beach
- Great boutique hotels
- Best April to OctoberBali3
Best April to October
Bali
Private pool villas in Ubud's jungle, sunset on a cliff at Uluwatu, spa treatments that cost a fraction of what they would at home. Bali is ideal for a slow, romantic honeymoon in one or two bases.
Avoid the busiest areas in July and August, and be ready for traffic between areas in the south.
- Villas and spas
- Busy in summer
- Best March to May and October to NovemberJapan4
Best March to May and October to November
Japan
Not a beach honeymoon, but one of the most memorable. Cherry blossom or autumn colours in Kyoto, a night in a traditional ryokan with a private hot spring bath, and food you'll talk about for years.
- Culture and food
- Book spring early
- Best November to AprilThailand5
Best November to April
Thailand
Thailand does romance at every budget. Krabi and Koh Lanta are calmer than Phuket; Koh Samui has the most luxury resorts; Chiang Mai adds temples and mountains if you want a few days off the beach.
- Every budget
- Easy to combine
- Best January to AprilPalawan, the Philippines6
Best January to April
Palawan, the Philippines
The lagoons and limestone islands of El Nido and Coron are some of the most beautiful seascapes in Asia. Island hopping by boat is the main activity, and it's hard to tire of it. Transport is slower than elsewhere, so allow at least a week.
- Island hopping
- Allow a week
- Varies by regionVietnam7
Varies by region
Vietnam
A night cruise on Ha Long Bay, lanterns in Hoi An, a beach finish on Phu Quoc. It suits couples who love food and don't mind a busier pace. The weather is different in the north, centre and south, so plan the route around your month.
- Food lovers
- Check the season by region
- Best March to May and September to NovemberBhutan8
Best March to May and September to November
Bhutan
Quiet valleys, prayer flags and the hike to Tiger's Nest monastery. Bhutan charges visitors a daily sustainable development fee, so it's a splurge, but it's one of the most peaceful places on earth. Check the current fee before planning.
- Peace and quiet
- Daily visitor fee
What a Sri Lanka honeymoon actually looks like
Most couples spend 10 to 14 days. The usual shape is two nights in the Cultural Triangle for Sigiriya and an elephant safari, a night in Kandy, two nights in the hills in a tea estate bungalow, then a slow finish on the south coast, often in Tangalle or near Galle, where the villas are quieter than in Mirissa.
A private driver makes it feel like a honeymoon rather than a logistics project. You can stop for photos at waterfalls, take the train for the most scenic stretch while the driver brings the bags, and never have to haggle with a tuk-tuk at midnight.
- Tell your hotels it's your honeymoon. Many will add a small surprise.
- From December to April, end on the south or west coast. From May to September, end on the east coast at Trincomalee or Pasikudah.
- Leave one completely empty day in the middle. You'll be glad of it.
- If you're adding the Maldives, fly there at the end so the last days are the most relaxed.
A 9-day Sri Lanka honeymoon route
- Colombo Airport
- Sigiriya150 km · 3.5 to 4 hours
- Kandy90 km · 2.5 to 3 hours
- Nuwara Eliya75 km · 2 to 2.5 hours
- Ella55 km · 1.5 to 2 hours
- Tangalle135 km · 3.5 to 4 hours
- Colombo Airport215 km · 3.5 to 4 hours
150 km · 3.5 to 4 hours
Day 1: north to a jungle lodge. Spend 2 nights; Sigiriya at dawn and an elephant safari.
90 km · 2.5 to 3 hours
Day 3: Dambulla cave temple, then Kandy for the evening ceremony at the Temple of the Tooth.
75 km · 2 to 2.5 hours
Day 4: up to a tea bungalow for 2 nights. High tea, fires in the evening.
55 km · 1.5 to 2 hours
Day 6: the train to Ella while your driver brings the bags.
135 km · 3.5 to 4 hours
Day 7: down to a quiet beach villa near Tangalle.
215 km · 3.5 to 4 hours
Day 9: the expressway to the airport, or to your flight to the Maldives.
Trip length
9 days · about 720 km
Car and driver
About $594 ($66/day)
Family or group (minivan)
About $927
For the whole vehicle, not per person. Average day rates of drivers on GoTourRide; your driver confirms the final price before you book.
Drivers who know this trip
Not sure yet? Ask a local
Tell us when you're travelling and what you like. We'll tell you honestly whether Sri Lanka suits you and suggest a route, free.
Questions people ask
What is the most romantic country in Asia for a honeymoon?
It depends on your style. The Maldives is the most romantic for pure relaxation, Japan for culture, and Sri Lanka for couples who want adventure and a beach in the same trip.
Is Sri Lanka good for a honeymoon?
Yes. It has beautiful boutique hotels at fair prices, a lot of variety in a small area and easy access to the Maldives, which is about 1.5 hours away by air.
How long should a honeymoon in Sri Lanka be?
10 to 14 days is ideal. With a week, focus on the Cultural Triangle, Kandy and the south coast, and skip the far east and north.
Where is the best place for a honeymoon in Asia in June or July?
Bali is in its dry season. Sri Lanka's east coast and Cultural Triangle are also dry and sunny, and quieter than Bali at that time.
Keep exploring
Trip ideas
Sri Lanka and the Maldives in one trip
How to combine Sri Lanka and the Maldives: the best months, which country to visit first, flights from Colombo to Malé, seaplane timing and a ready 7-day Sri Lanka loop.
Compare destinations
Sri Lanka or Bali? Which island suits you
Sri Lanka or Bali: beaches, culture, wildlife, surf, food, weather and cost compared side by side, with who should pick which and a ready 10-day Sri Lanka route.
Best of Asia
Where's warm in Asia in December and January?
Where to find sun and warm sea in Asia in December and January: Sri Lanka, the Maldives, the Andaman coast of Thailand, southern Vietnam and more, plus the places that are rainy or cold then.
Drive distances and times come from our road data for Sri Lanka and include normal traffic, not stops. Prices are averages from drivers on GoTourRide and change with the season and vehicle.