Marco Polo vs Vasco da Gama
How do Marco Polo and Vasco da Gama compare? Here is a side-by-side look at their lives, achievements and historical impact.
| Marco Polo | Vasco da Gama | |
|---|---|---|
| Lifespan | 1254 – 1324 | 1460 – 1524 |
| Born | Venice, Republic of Venice | Sines, Portugal |
| Occupation | Explorer, Merchant, Writer | Explorer, Navigator, Admiral |
| Known for | The Travels of Marco Polo, Journey to Yuan China, Silk Road travel, Court of Kublai Khan | First sea route from Europe to India, Rounding the Cape of Good Hope, Opening the spice trade, Portuguese maritime empire |
| Fields | — | — |
| Influence score | 84/100 | 82/100 |
Marco Polo
Marco Polo was a Venetian merchant and explorer whose travels across Asia to the court of Kublai Khan, recorded in The Travels of Marco Polo, gave medieval Europe its most influential account of the East.
Full biography →Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama was a Portuguese explorer and navigator who opened the first sea route from Europe to India around the southern tip of Africa, transforming global trade.
Full biography →You Might Also Compare
Christopher Columbus
85Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer who, sailing for Spain in 1492, opened sustained European contact with the Americas — a voyage of immense and deeply controversial consequence.
Why A later explorer who carried and annotated a copy of Marco Polo's Travels while seeking a sea route to the East.
Genghis Khan
93Genghis Khan was the founder and first Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, a military genius who united the nomadic tribes of the steppe and forged the largest contiguous land empire in history.
Why Founder of the Mongol Empire whose grandson Kublai Khan hosted Marco Polo.
Zheng He
83Zheng He was a Chinese admiral and explorer of the Ming dynasty who commanded vast treasure fleets on seven voyages across the Indian Ocean, reaching as far as Arabia and East Africa.
Why A Chinese admiral whose later voyages similarly bridged distant civilizations across Asia and the Indian Ocean.
Ferdinand Magellan
86Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer who, in the service of Spain, led the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe, proving the world could be sailed around even though he died midway through the voyage.
Why A later explorer whose age of seaborne discovery was inspired in part by accounts of Asian riches like Polo's.
Christopher Columbus
85Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer who, sailing for Spain in 1492, opened sustained European contact with the Americas — a voyage of immense and deeply controversial consequence.
Why A contemporary explorer who sought a westward route to the Indies while da Gama found the eastward sea route around Africa.
Ferdinand Magellan
86Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer who, in the service of Spain, led the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe, proving the world could be sailed around even though he died midway through the voyage.
Why A fellow Portuguese navigator whose circumnavigation extended the age of oceanic exploration da Gama helped launch.