Which place is cheaper, Khao Yai National Park or Aoraki Mount Cook?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Aoraki Mount Cook or Khao Yai National Park?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Aoraki Mount Cook and Khao Yai National Park. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Aoraki Mount Cook or Khao Yai National Park?
Aoraki Mount Cook
Aoraki Mount Cook National Park is located on the South Island of New Zealand. It was declared a national park in 1953 to protect and preserve the landscape. The park is home to the country's highest peak, Aoraki/Mount Cook. In Maori, Aoraki means, "cloud piercer", and the English name, Mt Cook, refers to the navigator James Cook, who discovered New Zealand in the 18th century. Mt Cook was the training location for Sir Edmund Hillary, who was the first person to summit Everest in 1953. Other peaks in the park include Mount Tasman, Mount Sefton, and Mount Hicks. Not only can you find lush greenery all over the park, but also, glaciers cover 40% of the parks area.
Khao Yai National Park
Adventurous travelers are always in search of new terrain to conquer. At over 2,000 square kilometers, Khao Yai National Park is Thailand's second largest national park, and just full of jungles to trek through. In the southwest of Thailand is a sanctuary of mountains and waterfalls.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in New Zealand, The Best Luxury Tours to New Zealand, The Best Adventure Tours to Thailand, and The Best Eco Tours in Thailand.
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Aoraki Mount Cook Prices
New Zealand PricesKhao Yai National Park Prices
Thailand Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAoraki Mount Cook $124Khao Yai National Park $85
The average daily cost (per person) in Aoraki Mount Cook is $124, while the average daily cost in Khao Yai National Park is $85. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Aoraki Mount Cook and Khao Yai National Park in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAoraki Mount Cook $59Khao Yai National Park $41
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAoraki Mount Cook $118Khao Yai National Park $82
Compare Hotels in Aoraki Mount Cook and Khao Yai National Park
Looking for a hotel in Aoraki Mount Cook or Khao Yai National Park? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Aoraki Mount Cook $27Khao Yai National Park $16
Is it cheaper to fly into Aoraki Mount Cook or Khao Yai National Park?
Prices for flights to both Khao Yai National Park and Aoraki Mount Cook change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayAoraki Mount Cook $46Khao Yai National Park $33
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Aoraki Mount Cook $23Khao Yai National Park $10
Tours and Activities in Aoraki Mount Cook
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Aoraki Mount Cook.
- 45-Minute Mount Cook Ski Plane and Helicopter Combo Tour: $299
- Day Tours from Mount Cook: $120
- Gibbston Valley Wines - Cave Tour : $17
- Guided Tour with Cheese & Wine Pairing: $21
- Half-Day Self-Guided Ride and Wine Bike Tour from Arrowtown: $59
- Moeraki Boulders Self Guided Audio Tour: $5.99
- Mt Cook & Tasman Glacier lookout Small Group Tour from Queenstown: $150
- Mt Cook Small Group Scenic Day Tour from Queenstown: $150
- Mt Cook Tour: Finish at Christchurch, Queenstown or Dunedin: $1,042
- Mt Cook Tour: Finish at Queenstown, Christchurch or Dunedin: $1,040
- Mt Cook to Christchurch One-Way Small Group Tour via Lake Tekapo: $108
- Mt Cook to Lake Tekapo Small Group Tour (one-way): $99
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAoraki Mount Cook $20Khao Yai National Park $13
Sample the Local Flavors in Aoraki Mount Cook
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Aoraki Mount Cook:
- Kinross Winery: Classic Central Otago Wine Tasting Experience: $15
- Gibbston Valley Wine Tour - Self-Guided Audio Tour: $24
- Kinross Winery: Premium Central Otago Wine Tasting Experience: $45
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Aoraki Mount Cook and Khao Yai National Park, we can see that Aoraki Mount Cook is more expensive. And not only is Khao Yai National Park much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Aoraki Mount Cook is in Pacific and Khao Yai National Park is in Asia, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Khao Yai National Park would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Khao Yai National Park and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Aoraki Mount Cook would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Aoraki Mount Cook than you might in Khao Yai National Park.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Aoraki Mount Cook Expensive? and Is Khao Yai National Park Expensive?.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.