Shopping destinations

The neon-lit capital where centuries-old shrines sit a train stop from the world's busiest crossing.

A round-the-clock capital of palaces, K-beauty lanes, mountain trails and all-night eating.

The sprawling, high-energy capital — colonial old town, mega-malls and the archipelago's food in one place.

A cool-climate highland city of art-deco streets, volcano craters and factory-outlet shopping.

The rose-hued 'Pink City' of Rajasthan, packed with hilltop forts, royal palaces and bustling bazaars.

Nepal's chaotic, captivating capital, where medieval temple squares and sacred stupas hide among buzzing bazaar lanes.

The high-octane southern metropolis, formerly Saigon, buzzing with motorbikes, markets and rooftop bars.

A lantern-lit former trading port, its UNESCO old town glowing with silk shops and riverside tailors.

A living museum of Silk Road trade, its old town dense with caravanserais, trading domes and thousand-year-old minarets.

Central Asia's largest city, blending broad Soviet-era avenues, a palatial metro and bazaars piled with melons and bread.

Sri Lanka's bustling seaside capital, where colonial-era landmarks and ornate temples meet a fast-modernising skyline.

Mauritius's bustling harbour capital, a melting pot of Creole, Indian, Chinese and French flavours and markets.

The island's liveliest beach resort town, a curve of turquoise bay lined with restaurants, boutiques and catamaran piers.

Taiwan's vibrant capital of night markets, hot springs, mountain trails and a record-setting skyscraper.

Bahrain's cosmopolitan capital, stacking a 4,000-year-old harbour fort, a maze-like souq and glossy waterfront towers.

China's dazzling financial hub, where colonial Bund facades face a futuristic neon skyline across the river.

The Cantonese capital of the south, a trading powerhouse celebrated for dim sum and morning tea culture.

A skyline of gleaming towers beside a Spanish colonial old town, all watching ships thread the famous canal.

The Vegas of the East, a reclaimed strip of mega-resorts, canal-side shopping, big-name shows and world-class dining.

The Gulf's dazzling megacity of record-breaking towers, artificial islands and desert-edge luxury.

A frenetic capital of gilded temples, canal markets, rooftop bars and street food on every corner.

Qatar's futuristic capital, where the Museum of Islamic Art and a lantern-lit souq face a skyline of glass towers.

Canada's biggest, most multicultural city — a lakeside skyline crowned by the CN Tower and endless global food.

The City of Light, where grand boulevards, world-class art and café terraces frame an iron-lattice icon.

A glamorous Riviera resort of red-carpet film premieres, luxury yachts and palm-fringed promenades.

Germany's skyscraper-studded finance hub, balancing a glassy skyline with a reconstructed medieval core.

Italy's sleek fashion and design capital, home to a spiky Gothic cathedral and da Vinci's Last Supper.

A gleaming capital where the twin Petronas Towers rise above bustling markets, mosques and hawker stalls.

The Red City of labyrinthine souks and palaces, where snake charmers and storytellers fill Jemaa el-Fnaa square at dusk.

The city's mile-long shopping boulevard, mall after air-conditioned mall.

The Malay-Arab quarter of a golden-domed mosque, indie boutiques and mural-lined lanes.

Switzerland's polished financial hub, blending a medieval old town with a pristine lakeside setting.

A cosmopolitan lakeside city of global diplomacy, framed by its landmark fountain and Alpine views.

A world capital where royal palaces, riverside icons and 300-plus museums crowd both banks of the Thames.

The gritty birthplace of the industrial age, now a football-mad hub of music, bars and red-brick warehouses.

The archetypal big city — skyscrapers, Broadway, world-class museums and every cuisine on earth.

A neon desert playground of casinos and shows, and a launchpad for the Grand Canyon.