🇯🇵 Japan or 🇻🇳 Vietnam
Which one, honestly
Japan leads on getting around and cities. Vietnam leads on value for money and the sea.
A normal day costs about $165 in Japan and $70 in Vietnam.
Side by side
- 🇯🇵 Japan🇻🇳 Vietnam
- Mar, Apr, May, Oct, NovBest monthsMar, Apr, Oct, Nov
- $165A normal day$70
- 14h to TokyoNonstop from London12h to Hanoi
- Not the drawBeaches and seaVery good
- ExceptionalCities and cultureVery good
- ExceptionalFoodExceptional
- ExceptionalNature and hikingExceptional
- GoodValue for moneyExceptional
- ExceptionalEasy to get aroundGood
- The best rail network in the world, buy the pass before you arriveGetting aroundCheap domestic flights and sleeper trains, because the country is long
- Golden Week in early May, when the whole country travels at onceWhen to avoidThe north in January, cold and grey, and the centre during the autumn typhoons
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 Vietnam if
you want the best street food in Asia on the smallest budget, and you do not mind a long thin country that takes time to cross.
Full Japan guide →Full Vietnam guide →
And what the world thinks
Dead even. The next vote breaks the tie.
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.