Top Asia Unique Experiences

Spend a day exploring Vietnamese cuisine in Ho Chi Minh City, starting with a market visit, on this private excursion. On arrival at the cooking school, take a tour of the garden farm and harvest its fruits. A professional chef demonstrates how to prepare four authentic dishes that you sit down to enjoy for lunch. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included in this full-day tour.

Meet a Hiroshima local to discover the city through their eyes rather than a sightseeing itinerary. After hearing your wishes via phone or app, your Hiroshima local will craft a private walking tour around your interests or their favorite areas. Cue a walk that brings Hiroshima to life through a local’s perspective: with cultural insight, pointers on sights, transport, and food; and conversations that help immerse you in the city.

On this scenic, half-day excursion, you’ll enjoy exclusive access to a Sri Lankan tea plantation, known as Lipton’s Seat. Travel like a local in a three-wheeler tuk tuk, enjoying an open-air ride through lush tea country. Then, learn the ins and outs of local tea cultivation before sitting down to a panoramic picnic lunch overlooking the misty hills.

Discover some of Phu Quoc island's untouched areas on a snorkeling adventure to Coral Jungle Reef. With a private guide, take a boat ride to the healthy reef that is home to an abundance of local marine life. Your day also includes time for swimming, free diving, and a delicious sunset dinner on the beach.

Explore Hong Island by longtail boat and kayak on a full-day tour from Krabi. Slip between towering limestone walls that shelter Hong Lagoon and paddle along the coastline, where soaring cliffs and lush vegetation join the Andaman Sea. Discover every nook and cranny of Hong Island’s stunning bays, go snorkeling, or simply bask on the shores and watch for giant lizards and wild birds.

Skip the stress of the Seoul subway rush hour and let a comfortable air-conditioned van transport your tour group to five of the city’s top attractions. Your guide then takes you to the charming Petite France overlooking the Han River and the Garden of Morning Calm. Discover the nearby Italian village before exploring Gangchon Railbike Park and Nami Island. Then get dropped off at your hotel in time for dinner.

Tokyo is known for its incredible food and culinary culture. Make the most of your time in Japan with a private cooking class with a local’s home. Ask questions along the way and learn at your own pace. Your Japanese instructor will show you how to make several authentic home-cooked dishes, tailored to your group’s requirements, and you can eat them when you’ve finished.

Making sushi is a skill that is difficult to master alone. Get a hands-on experience under the guidance of an expert in this class at an Osaka restaurant. In a small group of no more than 14 participants, learn how to make sushi, as well as other typical Japanese dishes including miso soup and yakitori chicken.

Benefit from an evening tour of Bangkok’s Chinatown district to discover the great street food and other highlights of this lively neighborhood. Your guide takes you by ferry on the Chao Phraya River to the flower market, with views of majestic temples along the way. Have dinner of typical Thai dishes from street stalls in Chinatown, explore Khao San and Rambuttri Roads, then relax with a foot massage.

City tours are great for first-time visits but can have rigid itineraries and tight schedules. This half-day tour of Nagoya offers the chance to design a custom itinerary with a local host assigned to you based on your interests. Highlights can include visiting Nagoya Castle, strolling through the Noritake Gardens, or catching panoramic views from atop the Nagoya TV Tower. Once the tour begins, you’re free to change destinations as you see fit.

This isn’t a checklist-style shopping tour. It’s a curated Tokyo experience shaped around your style, led by a local host who knows where to find the best of Ginza, beyond just the designer labels. From minimalist Japanese fashion to craft stationery, handmade ceramics to premium skincare, you’ll shop the way Tokyoites do: intentionally, curiously, and with taste. Before the day begins, you’ll complete a short questionnaire so we can match you with a host who shares your style and interests. They’ll reach out to plan your personalized route, whether that means hunting for vintage finds, niche beauty brands, or sleek homeware. Think of it as spending the day shopping with a well-connected friend who knows every stylish shortcut.

Sake has been brewed in Nada since the Edo period and accounts for 30% of Japan's total sake production. Nada's location, climate, quality of rice, as well as water, all make it the perfect place for brewing sake. This tour introduces you to sake brewing and tasting, as well as food culture using sake, which we will explore as we stroll local shopping streets.

For outsiders, Japanese culture can be difficult to grasp but this guided tour offers the chance to get a locals' eye view of one of the most traditional of Japanese settings. Accompanied by a guide who tailors the tour to your interests, stroll through the historic streets of Kyoto's Gion district, famed for its scenic cobbled streets lit by paper lanterns, traditional architecture, and association with geiko and maiko culture. Visit Pontocho alley, one of Japan's oldest nightlife areas, and stroll by teahouses as your guide offers insights into local culture.

Orient yourself on your first day in Tokyo, and see the city through the eyes of a local. During this customized tour with your personal host, learn how to navigate and use Tokyo’s transport system. Choose from the city’s most famous attractions, or explore up-and-coming neighborhoods. Understand cultural practices, find the best places to eat, and get advice on Tokyo’s nightlife scene.

When traveling abroad, there is no other experience like sitting down for a meal with a local. Michiyo opens her Kyoto home to visitors to cook a meal and share conversation. Enjoy learning to make authentic Japanese cuisine, from dashi (fish broth) to chirashi sushi with your Kyoto native host. Enjoy sitting down together to for a meal with paired alcoholic drinks to accent your delicious food.

Pair up with a Nagano local for a private walking tour that’s a new concept in travel. Unlike traditional, pre-packaged tours, it’s like exploring the city alongside a local friend, complete with tips, advice, and insider recommendations. From a pre-tour chat with your Lokafyer guide to the walking tour itself, the experience is completely tailored to your preferences.

Shanghai is a great city for food lovers, but it can be hard for first-time visitors to know where to find the best bites. Leave the planning to someone else on this local-led, small-group food tour, which takes you off the beaten path. As the sun starts to set, head out to find some of the most authentic regional dishes in the city. Look forward to sampling soup dumplings, noodles, and more, plus drinks.

Wagashi, traditional Japanese sweets, are delicious, but even more satisfying than eating them is learning how to make them yourself. This wagashi-making class is held at a private home in Tokyo and teaches you how to make the sweets from scratch, from making the dough to decorating them.

This Marvelous Matcha Kyoto Green Tea Tour is the perfect way to discover the different varieties of matcha, see how to craft the perfect cup, and best of all—taste it. Visit the world-renowned district of Uji, which is known for producing outstanding quality green tea. The tour helps you discover hidden local tea shops that would be hard to find alone, and you have a guide to help translate. When you’ve worked up an appetite, a delicious set lunch is provided.

Visit Sri Lanka's old hill capital on this day tour from Colombo. No need to rent a car, as all transportation is included; you can enjoy the scenery on the way there and back. Your tour guide will tailor the tour and their commentary to your interests and you'll have plenty of time to ask questions. Highlights include the Kandy Market, the Temple of the Tooth, and the Peradeniya Royal Botanical Gardens.

Rather than just eating them at a restaurant, learn how to recreate authentic Thai recipes at home during this small-group, half-day cooking class in Bangkok. You’ll prepare classic dishes using ingredients you’ve gathered from a nearby market, which will give you a glimpse into local life. Work at a personal cook station as you blend ingredients to create Thai classics, and learn to customize each recipe to your taste.

A repertoire of Thai dishes makes the perfect souvenir from your Koh Lanta vacation. Join a professional chef in a teak wood house amid an organic garden for a lunch or dinner feast. You’ll prepare four dishes from a menu of 10 choices—vegetarian and lower spice options are available on request—then enjoy them alongside water, coffee, tea, and seasonal fruits. Leave with your leftovers and a cooking certificate.

Visit an ethical elephant sanctuary in Chonburi and create unforgettable memories with these gentle giants. Observe them in their natural habitat, walk alongside them, and help care for them. The sanctuary respects the elephants' natural behavior, ensuring they are never forced into activities. They are free to join or leave any area at their own will. The program includes transportation from Pattaya city and lunch.

Pair up with a Lokafyer guide who’s a Kaohsiung local for a private walking tour of the city. An authentic alternative to a group tour, it’s like having a local friend to show you around Kaohsiung, whether you’re searching for the most authentic restaurants or taking in the sights. Starting with a pre-tour chat about what interests you, you’ll get personalized tips and recommendations based on local know-how.