The short answer
Choose Japan for precision, design, food culture and the cherry blossom or autumn colours; it rewards travellers who like cities and comfort. Choose Vietnam for landscapes, coastline and a more relaxed pace, at a noticeably lower daily cost. Both are excellent for couples and for families with older children.
Getting there
Japan: nonstop Delhi–Tokyo flights take about eight and a half hours. Vietnam: nonstop Delhi–Hanoi is about four and a half hours and Delhi–Ho Chi Minh City about five, so even a week is worthwhile.
When to go
Japan is at its most famous in late March and early April (cherry blossom) and from mid-November into early December (autumn leaves); both book up months ahead. Vietnam depends on the region: the north is best from October to April, the centre from February to August and the south from December to April. A winter trip from Delhi suits Vietnam's north and south especially well.
Budget
For the same standard of hotel, Vietnam usually costs well under half of Japan per day. Japan's costs come from hotels in Tokyo and Kyoto, bullet trains and ryokan stays; Vietnam's main extras are a night on Ha Long Bay and domestic flights between north, centre and south. We quote both side by side for your dates if you are undecided.
Food for vegetarians and Jains
Vietnam is the easier of the two: Buddhist vegetarian restaurants (look for 'chay') are common in every city. Japan takes more planning because fish stock hides in many dishes; we book vegetarian restaurants and carry food cards in Japanese. Our guide: vegetarian and Jain food in Japan.
Visas
Both are simple online visas for Indians. Japan's eVisa is applied for through VFS Global; Vietnam's e-visa is applied for only at evisa.gov.vn. See our guides: Japan visa for Indians and Vietnam visa for Indians.
Or both
A 14–16 day journey can combine them — for example Tokyo and Kyoto, then a flight to Hanoi, Ha Long Bay and Hoi An. Tell us your dates and we send a day-by-day plan for either country, or both.
