Ashton, who became EU's high representative for foreign affairs in December, is scheduled to go to Israel, Egypt, Syria and Jordan in mid-March but hopes to gain entry to the Palestinian-ruled Gaza to assess the need for aid.
"I have asked to go to Gaza," she told reporters during a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Cordoba in southern Spain.
"We are providing a huge amount of aid into Gaza and I'm very interested to make sure that we are seeing the benefits of that aid going in."
Israel generally denies foreign officials entry to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip as part of its blockade of the territory.
However, Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin last week became the first EU foreign minister to enter the Mediterranean coastal area in over a year, and on Friday urged the EU and other states to up pressure on Israel to end the blockade.
"I will hope more visits take place. I will make a point (in Cordoba) that it is important to visit Gaza and see it first hand," he told reporters ahead of meetings in Spain.
EU governments and the bloc's executive Commission are the largest aid donors to Gaza, which was severely damaged during the Israeli offensive in December 2008.
Efforts by Ashton to put the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the EU's agenda are part of a wider effort by the bloc to raise its international clout.
In Cordoba, EU foreign ministers were to discuss what role the bloc can play in the US-mediated peace negotiations that may start between Israel and the Palestinians in coming days.
"We should be realistic about the Middle East process but not cynical. The European Union should have a much stronger role than it has had in previous years," Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb said.
Ashton said the EU was focused on supporting Palestinian authorities in building state institutions and wants to follow step with US mediation.
"It is extremely important that we continue to boost that as the ... talks get going," she said.
EU diplomats said the bloc would focus on gathering support in the Arab world for peace talks.
The immediate start of the long-awaited negotiations still hangs in the balance, however, with a Palestinian official saying President Mahmoud Abbas' party may not support the move to return to talks.
"The EU sees it as the US competence to lead in the talks and we wouldn't want to get ahead of the process in any way on that front," a EU diplomat said.
"But it will be very engaged once talks begin in liaising with neighboring Arab states and with the Palestinians to ensure that the process gets the support it requires."
