🇵🇭 Philippines or 🇯🇵 Japan
Which one, honestly
Philippines leads on the sea and value for money. Japan leads on cities, getting around and food.
A normal day costs about $85 in Philippines and $165 in Japan.
Side by side
- 🇵🇭 Philippines🇯🇵 Japan
- Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, DecBest monthsMar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov
- $85A normal day$165
- 14h to ManilaNonstop from London14h to Tokyo
- ExceptionalBeaches and seaNot the draw
- Not the drawCities and cultureExceptional
- GoodFoodExceptional
- ExceptionalNature and hikingExceptional
- ExceptionalValue for moneyGood
- Not the drawEasy to get aroundExceptional
- Domestic flights and ferries, cheap but often delayed, leave slackGetting aroundThe best rail network in the world, buy the pass before you arrive
- The typhoon months, roughly August to OctoberWhen to avoidGolden Week in early May, when the whole country travels at once
Pick by what you want
🇵🇭 Choose Philippines if
you want water and islands above everything else, on a small budget, and you can handle slow travel days.
🇯🇵 Choose Japan if
you want somewhere that feels genuinely different, you like cities and food, and you want everything to work perfectly.
Full Philippines guide →Full Japan 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.