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Prayer planning

Where you can pray in Asian cities

You want to know whether a prayer place will be there when the time comes.

Travellers rest in a mosque courtyard
Plan prayer on my route

Prayer places in Asia depend on the country. Where the Muslim share is small, rooms and mosques gather in big cities, airports and a few malls, and the gaps between them are yours to plan. Where it is large, a mosque is easier to find, though you still check the room first.

Which countries need a plan for every prayer?

The table is a planning view, not a promise of what a place has. Use the links for each country.

Country or cityMosquesMalls and public placesAirportsHotels
JapanMostly big citiesCheck each place firstCheck by terminalMuslim-friendly ones help
South KoreaSeoul Central MosqueCheck the sight’s own pagePrayer rooms listed at IncheonPray in the room
Taiwan and Hong KongMain-city mosquesPlan aheadCheck by terminalPray in the room
ChinaMosques in some citiesRules apply near religious sitesCheck each airportPray in the room
ThailandBangkok and beyondPlan aheadCheck the terminalRoom or nearby mosque
Vietnam and CambodiaSmall communitiesPlan aheadCheck the airportRoom or nearby mosque
SingaporeMosques in the cityPlan aheadTransit only at ChangiPray in the room
TurkeyPart of daily lifeEasier to findLarge airports list masjidsEasier to arrange

What does Japan offer?

The Japan National Tourism Organization says prayer rooms and mosques are mostly in larger cities, with major airports, tourist hotspots and Muslim-friendly hotels increasingly offering places to pray1. Pew estimated Muslims at 0.1% of Japan’s population in 20102.

Tokyo Camii in Shibuya is a landmark; its current building was completed in 20003. At Haneda, the official site lists no prayer room in Terminal 14. Our Japan prayer guide goes city by city.

What does South Korea offer?

Seoul Central Mosque opened in 19765. Pew estimated Muslims at 0.2% of the population in 20107. Incheon lists a Terminal 1 prayer room on the 3rd floor near Gate 24, open 24 hours6. See Praying in South Korea.

What about Taiwan, Hong Kong and China?

Taipei Grand Mosque opened in 19608. Kowloon Mosque on Nathan Road opened its current building in 19849, and Pew put Muslims at 1.3% of Hong Kong in 201010.

In China, the Great Mosque of Xi’an was founded in 742 CE according to traditional accounts11, and Pew estimated Muslims at 1.8% in 201012. Read Taiwan and Hong Kong and China for the rules on religious sites.

What about Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia?

Haroon Mosque in Bang Rak, Bangkok was founded in 183713, and Pew estimated Muslims at 5.8% of Thailand in 201014. Saigon Central Mosque was completed in 193515. Plan your own prayer stops in Vietnam and Cambodia; Vietnam and Cambodia and Thailand city by city have the detail.

What about Singapore and Turkey?

Changi’s prayer rooms sit only in the transit areas, so landside visitors cannot reach them16. They are open 24 hours daily17. Singapore’s 2020 census counted about 15.6% of residents as Muslim18. Istanbul Airport lists 44 masjids19, and Pew put Muslims at 98.6% of Turkey in 201020.

How do you plan around the gaps?

Use hotel rooms, a mat and the qibla for the prayers that land between places. Then use the prayer-stop itinerary checklist to place each stop. If you are new to this, start with how to find a prayer room or mosque when you are abroad, and read what each type of prayer room really offers.

For the whole topic, see Prayer and daily pacing.

Tell us your route and who is travelling, and we will help you mark where each prayer fits so no stop in the day is left to chance.

Ask about prayer stops

Common questions

Can I always find a prayer room in an Asian city?

No. In Muslim-majority places you may see a mosque on the way. In non-Muslim-majority countries, prayer rooms cluster in large cities, major airports and some malls and hotels. Between sights there may be nothing, so plan where each prayer happens instead of hoping.

Do airports have prayer rooms?

Major airports usually do, but the position matters. Some are only past immigration, some only in certain terminals. Check the official airport page for your terminal and decide whether to pray before check-in or after, since landside access varies.

Are hotel rooms a fair place to pray?

Yes, for most travellers it is the main option in countries with few prayer places. Find the qibla, carry a mat, and ask the hotel for a clean, quiet room. The guide to the qibla in hotel rooms and the prayer gear list help with this.

How do I find a prayer place when I land?

Save a short list before you leave: the nearest mosque to each hotel, the airport prayer room and the prayer room at the biggest sight each day. Use your phone map to check, and ask the hotel front desk the day you arrive.

What if a prayer room is closed or full?

Have a backup. A quiet corner in a hotel, a mall or an open space away from foot traffic can work, if the place is clean and the people around are comfortable. Ask your own ustaz or your state mufti office about any fiqh question on where and how.

Sources

  1. JNTO says prayer rooms and mosques are mostly in larger cities, with major airports, tourist hotspots and Muslim-friendly hotels increasingly offering places to pray. JNTO (japan.travel), Muslim travelers (accessed 2026-10-19)
  2. Pew Research Center estimated Muslims at 0.1% of the population of Japan in 2010. Pew Research Center, Table: Muslim Population by Country (accessed 2026-10-19). 2010 baseline estimate; later national censuses may differ.
  3. The current Tokyo Camii building was completed in 2000 and inaugurated on 30 June 2000. Wikipedia (accessed 2026-10-19)
  4. Haneda Airport's official site lists no prayer room in Terminal 1. Tokyo Haneda Airport official site (accessed 2026-10-19)
  5. Seoul Central Mosque in Hannam-dong, Yongsan District, Seoul opened in 1976. Wikipedia (accessed 2026-10-19)
  6. Incheon Airport's official site lists a Terminal 1 prayer room on the 3rd floor near Gate 24, open 24 hours. Incheon International Airport official site (accessed 2026-10-19)
  7. Pew Research Center estimated Muslims at 0.2% of the population of South Korea in 2010. Pew Research Center, Table: Muslim Population by Country (accessed 2026-10-19). 2010 baseline estimate; later national censuses may differ.
  8. Taipei Grand Mosque in Da'an District, Taipei opened in 1960, with an inauguration ceremony on 13 April. Wikipedia (accessed 2026-10-19)
  9. Kowloon Mosque and Islamic Centre at 105 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong opened its current building on 11 May 1984. Wikipedia (accessed 2026-10-19)
  10. Pew Research Center estimated Muslims at 1.3% of the population of Hong Kong in 2010. Pew Research Center, Table: Muslim Population by Country (accessed 2026-10-19). 2010 baseline estimate; later national censuses may differ.
  11. The Great Mosque of Xi'an in Shaanxi province was founded in 742 CE according to traditional accounts. Wikipedia (accessed 2026-10-19). Traditional date.
  12. Pew Research Center estimated Muslims at 1.8% of the population of China in 2010. Pew Research Center, Table: Muslim Population by Country (accessed 2026-10-19). 2010 baseline estimate; later national censuses may differ.
  13. Haroon Mosque in Bang Rak district, Bangkok was founded in 1837, and its current two-storey building dates from 1934. Wikipedia (accessed 2026-10-19)
  14. Pew Research Center estimated Muslims at 5.8% of the population of Thailand in 2010. Pew Research Center, Table: Muslim Population by Country (accessed 2026-10-19). 2010 baseline estimate; later national censuses may differ.
  15. Saigon Central Mosque in Ho Chi Minh City was completed in 1935, with construction starting on 21 December 1934. Wikipedia (accessed 2026-10-19)
  16. Changi Airport prayer rooms are located only in the transit areas and are not accessible to the landside public. Changi Airport official site (accessed 2026-10-19)
  17. Changi Airport's prayer rooms are open 24 hours daily. Changi Airport official site (accessed 2026-10-19)
  18. Singapore's 2020 census counted 539,251 Muslims, about 15.6% of residents. Wikipedia (citing Singapore Census of Population 2020) (accessed 2026-10-19). Official SingStat PDF returned 404; secondary source.
  19. Istanbul Airport's official site lists 44 masjids, split evenly with 22 for women and 22 for men. Istanbul Airport (iGA) official site (accessed 2026-10-19)
  20. Pew Research Center estimated Muslims at 98.6% of the population of Turkey in 2010. Pew Research Center, Table: Muslim Population by Country (accessed 2026-10-19). 2010 baseline estimate; later national censuses may differ.

Keep planning

Finding a prayer room or mosque abroadZohor is close and you do not know the city, so where do you start looking?Praying in Japan: mosques, prayer rooms and etiquetteJapan is quiet and clean, but a place to pray is not always a short walk away.Prayer rooms, quiet rooms and multi-faith roomsThe sign says prayer room, and you wonder what you will find behind the door.Prayer-stop itinerary checklistYour itinerary lists every sight and no place to pray, and the afternoon is where it goes wrong.

Tell us your route and who is travelling, and we will help you mark where each prayer fits so no stop in the day is left to chance.

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