🇯🇵 Japan or 🇵🇹 Portugal
And what the world thinks
Dead even. The next vote breaks the tie.
Which one, honestly
Japan leads on cities, food and nature. Portugal leads on the sea and value for money.
A normal day costs about $170 in Japan and $130 in Portugal.
Side by side
- 🇯🇵 Japan🇵🇹 Portugal
- Mar to May, Oct to NovBest monthsApr to Jun, Sep to Oct
- $170A normal day$130
- 14h to TokyoNonstop from New York6h 50m to Lisbon
- Not the drawBeaches and seaVery good
- ExceptionalCities and cultureVery good
- ExceptionalFoodVery good
- ExceptionalNature and hikingVery good
- GoodValue for moneyVery good
- ExceptionalEasy to get aroundVery good
- The best rail network in the world, buy the pass before you arriveGetting aroundCheap trains along the coast, a car for the wine country
- Golden Week in early May, when the whole country travels at onceWhen to avoidThe Algarve in August, when it fills up and doubles in price
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 Portugal if
you want Europe on a smaller budget, with the ocean, and you do not mind cool water.
Full Japan guide →Full Portugal guide →
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.