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Rome or Tokyo?

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

The arches of the Colosseum against a blue sky

Italy

Rome

Layer upon layer. Hurry, and it all blurs.

Country
Italy
Recommended length
3–4 days
Best time
April and October
Daily budget
110–170 €
Language
Italian
Currency
Euro (€)

Highlights

  • The Colosseum in the first hour
  • One long evening in Trastevere
  • Two streets back from the fountain

Neighbourhoods

  • Monti — Within walking distance of the ancient center, with an evening that breaks into smaller shops.
  • Trastevere — The far bank of the river. Come for dinner, and save the market for the heat of midday.
  • Prati — A sensible base if your day is the Vatican. The night is quieter.

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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 Rome?

Two full days for the ancient city, one afternoon for a single neighborhood. Rome opens with pace, not with a list.

You can love Rome in three days. You cannot finish it. The Colosseum asks for a morning. Stay in the same district all afternoon and you wear out the stone, and yourself.

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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Another comparison

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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 →