🇯🇵 Japan or 🇵🇭 Philippines
Which one, honestly
Japan leads on cities, getting around and food. Philippines leads on the sea and value for money.
A normal day costs about $165 in Japan and $85 in Philippines.
Side by side
- 🇯🇵 Japan🇵🇭 Philippines
- Mar, Apr, May, Oct, NovBest monthsJan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Dec
- $165A normal day$85
- 14h to TokyoNonstop from London14h to Manila
- Not the drawBeaches and seaExceptional
- ExceptionalCities and cultureNot the draw
- ExceptionalFoodGood
- ExceptionalNature and hikingExceptional
- GoodValue for moneyExceptional
- ExceptionalEasy to get aroundNot the draw
- The best rail network in the world, buy the pass before you arriveGetting aroundDomestic flights and ferries, cheap but often delayed, leave slack
- Golden Week in early May, when the whole country travels at onceWhen to avoidThe typhoon months, roughly August to October
Pick by what you want
🇯🇵 Choose Japan if
you want somewhere that feels genuinely different, you like cities and food, and you want everything to work perfectly.
🇵🇭 Choose Philippines if
you want water and islands above everything else, on a small budget, and you can handle slow travel days.
Full Japan guide →Full Philippines guide →
And what the world thinks
🇵🇭 Philippines leads by 5 votes.
Compare something else
Written and checked by hand. Nothing here about visas or entry rules: those change often and depend on your passport, so check an official source.