The World’s 100 Best Castles & Fortresses · 2026
The Best Castles & Fortresses in Asia
11 of the 100 castles in The World’s 100 Best Castles & Fortresses 2026 are in Asia, in 2 countries. The highest placed is Himeji Castle in Himeji, Japan, at number 2 in the world. Matsuyama Castle in Matsuyama, Japan (number 20) and Gwalior Fort in Gwalior, India (number 23) follow.
India
Gwalior, Kumbhalgarh, Chitradurga, Daulatabad and Jaisalmer are hill forts with long walls, gates and temples inside. Rajgad, Raigad and Harihar stand in the Sahyadri range of Maharashtra and are reached by a climb on foot; Raigad also has a ropeway. People still live inside Jaisalmer Fort.
Japan
Himeji Castle has a white plastered keep on a hill above the city. Matsuyama Castle is reached by lift or ropeway up Mount Katsuyama. Matsumoto Castle stands on flat ground beside a wide moat, with the Northern Alps behind. In all three, visitors climb steep wooden stairs inside the keep.
Castles
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N° 2
Himeji Castle
Himeji, Japan
Japanese castle
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N° 20
Matsuyama Castle
Matsuyama, Japan
Japanese castle -
N° 23
Gwalior Fort
Gwalior, India
Fortress -
N° 27
Rajgad Fort
Gunjavane, India
Fortress -
N° 30
Raigad Fort
Raigad, India
Fortress -
N° 62
Daulatabad Fort
Daulatabad, India
Fortress -
N° 64
Kumbhalgarh Fort
Kumbhalgarh, India
Fortress -
N° 82
Chitradurga Fort
Chitradurga, India
Fortress -
N° 85
Jaisalmer Fort
Jaisalmer, India
Fortress -
N° 87
Harihar Fort
Harshewadi, India
Fortress -
N° 96
Matsumoto Castle
Matsumoto, Japan
Japanese castle