Should you visit Japan or South Korea?

The verdict by traveller type

• First visit to the region: Japan, for the density of sights between Tokyo and Hiroshima and how easy it is to move between them.

• Lower budget: South Korea, by a modest margin: about $50 to $90 a day on a budget against $70 to $120 for Japan, per our daily travel budget by country.

• Food: both are excellent. Japan for range and precision (ramen, sushi, kaiseki, convenience store food); Korea for barbecue, stews and markets, with free banchan side dishes at almost every meal. See food in Japan and food in South Korea.

• Fewer crowds: South Korea. Gyeongju and Jeonju are far quieter than Kyoto.

• Nightlife, shopping and K-culture: Seoul.

• Hiking and coast: Korea's Seoraksan, Jeju and Busan's coastline; Japan's Alps around Matsumoto and Takayama.

Cost

Our daily travel budget by country puts Japan at about $70 to $120 a day on a budget and $150 to $250 mid-range, and South Korea at about $50 to $90 on a budget and $85 to $120 mid-range.

In Japan the big costs are long-distance rail and rooms, especially in Kyoto and during cherry blossom season. The weak yen helps visitors paying in dollars, but Kyoto adds a per-night accommodation tax, and Japan's departure tax rose to ¥3,000 (≈ $19.0) on 1 July 2026, built into air tickets. Check whether a rail pass pays off for your route in is the JR Pass worth it.

In Korea, Seoul rooms and KTX tickets are the main costs; meals and buses are cheap with a T-money card. Full trip totals: how much a Japan trip costs and how much a South Korea trip costs.

Entry rules for 2026 and 2027

Japan is visa-free for short tourist stays for US, UK, Canadian, Australian and most European passport holders. Register on Visit Japan Web before you land to speed up immigration and customs. A pre-travel authorisation called JESTA is planned for later in the decade: see Japan JESTA.

South Korea is visa-free for the same nationalities but normally requires a K-ETA. A temporary exemption for 22 countries and regions, including the US, UK and Australia, runs to 31 December 2026. At the time of writing we found no official extension into 2027, so if you are travelling in 2027 check the official k-eta.go.kr site before you fly. Details in our K-ETA 2027 guide and Korea e-Arrival card guide.

Seasons: spring and autumn win in both

Both countries are at their best in spring and autumn. Japan's cherry blossom runs roughly late March to early April in Tokyo and Kyoto, which is exactly when we were there, and autumn colour peaks around mid-November to early December in Kyoto. Those are also the most crowded and expensive weeks. Avoid Golden Week in late April to early May if you can. See best time to visit Tokyo, cherry blossom 2027 forecast and Kyoto autumn leaves.

Korea's cherry blossom comes slightly later in Seoul, around early April, and the Jinhae festival in the south is the big event. Autumn foliage in October and early November, especially at Seoraksan near Sokcho, is the other peak. The summer monsoon, jangma, usually brings heavy rain from late June into July; our June and July route overlapped it. Winter is colder and drier in Seoul than in Tokyo.

Both have a lunar or national holiday rush to plan around: Seollal 2027 in Korea, Golden Week and New Year in Japan.

Getting around

Japan's rail network is the reason a 10-day first trip can cover Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima without stress. Shinkansen fares are high though: see Shinkansen tickets and the JR Pass, and use an IC card day to day (Suica on your phone). Luggage forwarding makes multi-city trips easier.

Korea is smaller. The KTX gets you from Seoul to Busan in under three hours, and intercity buses fill the gaps to places like Jeonju and Sokcho. Jeju is a short domestic flight. One difference to know: Google Maps gives poor walking and driving directions in Korea, so most visitors use Naver Map or Kakao Map instead. See the South Korea eSIM guide for data and apps.

Ten days in each

Ten days in Japan: Tokyo, Hakone or the Alps, Kyoto and Osaka. See Japan itinerary for 10 days, the shorter 7-day first-timer route, or our full 33-day route from Tokyo to Hiroshima.

Ten days in Korea: Seoul, Gyeongju and Busan, with Jeju if you add a few days. See South Korea itinerary for 10 days and our 32-day route. For Seoul alone, read how many days in Seoul.

With two weeks or more, consider both: a week in Korea then a week in Japan, flying Seoul or Busan to Tokyo or Osaka.

Etiquette and practical differences

Japan has more unwritten rules for visitors: quiet trains, no eating while walking in many places, onsen etiquette and tattoos, and few public bins. Japan is still more cash-friendly than Korea; see how much cash to bring to Japan. Korea is close to cashless for most purchases.

Tipping is not expected in either: see tipping in Japan and South Korea. For the full list, read what is considered rude in Japan and in South Korea.

Frequently asked questions