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Barcelona or Tokyo?

Barcelona and Tokyo side by side: recommended length, best time, daily budget, highlights and which one suits whom.

Park Güell in Barcelona

Spain

Barcelona

A street grid, and an evening that starts late.

Country
Spain
Recommended length
4 days
Best time
May and October
Daily budget
80–150 €
Language
Spanish
Currency
Euro

Highlights

  • One Gaudí, with a timed entry
  • An afternoon in Gràcia
  • The sea, as its own slice of the day

Neighbourhoods

  • Eixample — Flat, gridded, close to the Sagrada. Easy to walk.
  • Gràcia — Squares and a smaller rhythm. The evening stretches here.
  • El Born — Narrow streets, a lively night. If you sleep lightly, choose one street back.

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A crowded street of neon in Tokyo

Japan

Tokyo

One district, one day. Only then does the city shrink.

Country
Japan
Recommended length
4–5 days
Best time
Late March and November
Daily budget
120–190 €
Language
Japanese
Currency
Japanese yen (¥)

Highlights

  • A whole day in one district
  • Lunch from a market
  • An evening that ends early

Neighbourhoods

  • Yanaka — Low houses, temple gardens, a slower Tokyo than Shibuya.
  • Shimokitazawa — Records, small bars, secondhand shops. It begins in the afternoon and keeps you through the evening.
  • Asakusa — Beautiful if you go early. By afternoon it turns into souvenirs.

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Which one for whom?

Why Barcelona?

A hill, the sea, a neighborhood. Do not put all three on the same day.

You will not get lost easily in Barcelona. You will get tired easily. The grid keeps you oriented, and the distances deceive you. One metro stop can stand in for a twenty-minute walk.

Why Tokyo?

Cross the famous intersection once. The Tokyo you want starts one street in, and early the next morning.

Fill every day with another famous district and you will remember none of them. Give one day to the east, one day to a single neighborhood, and one day to no plan at all.

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More tools

01Do I need a visa?Where Turkish passport holders go visa-free, with a visa on arrival, or with an e-visa.Open →02Budget calculatorPick days, people and pace; see the group total and the per-person figure.Open →03When to goA month-by-month calendar. Which month for which country, which country for which month.Open →05Trip routesRoutes the editors built day by day, with length, pace and an estimated budget.Open →