A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Masai Mara vs. Hanoi for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Masai Mara or Hanoi?

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 Masai Mara and Hanoi. 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: Masai Mara or Hanoi?

Masai Mara

Masai Mara National Reserve is a beautiful, scenic, nature reserve in southwest Kenya, just west of the capital city, Nairobi. The reserve belongs to the Masai people and was created in order to protect the land and the people and animals living on it. Masai Mara is considered to be one of the best reserves in all of Africa, offering the quintessential African safari experience.

Hanoi

Hanoi is the chaotic capital of Vietnam, and it serves as a great introduction to the country for many travelers. It's the second largest city in the country after Saigon and is an interesting combination of East meets West. There's traditional Vietnamese culture with subtle influences brought by the French. The city continues to grow and change rapidly and it's easy to get lost amidst the chaos.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Safaris in Kenya, The Best Luxury Tours to Kenya, The Best Tours for Seniors to Vietnam, and The Best G Adventures Tours to Vietnam.


Which place is cheaper, Hanoi or Masai Mara?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Masai Mara is $132, while the average daily cost in Hanoi is $57. 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 Masai Mara and Hanoi in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Masai Mara $37
    Hanoi $25
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Masai Mara $74
    Hanoi $50
Compare Hotels in Masai Mara and Hanoi

Looking for a hotel in Masai Mara or Hanoi? 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.

Hotels in Masai Mara


Hotels in Hanoi


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.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Masai Mara Hotel Prices and Hanoi Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Masai Mara $47
    Hanoi $6.54

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Masai Mara

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Masai Mara:

  • Nairobi Airport (NBO) Private Transfer to Nairobi City/Hotels: $17

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Hanoi

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Hanoi:


  • Taxi to Bus Station
    $1.14
  • Shuttle Bus From Airport (for Two)
    $3.03
  • Local Bus Ride (for Two)
    $0.38
  • Short Taxi Ride
    $1.29
  • Short Motorbike Ride (10 Minutes)
    $0.76

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Hanoi

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Hanoi:

  • Hanoi Private Departure Transfer: City Center Hotel to Airport: $8.00
  • Noi Bai Airport Transfer Service: $8.54
  • Private Hanoi Airport (HAN) Transfer to Hotel/Accommodation: $9.00
  • Hanoi Airport Departure Shared Transfer: $10
  • Bus Transfer Hanoi to Halong Bay and Vice Versa : $11
  • One Way Transfer From hotel to airport or vice versal: $13
  • Private Transfer Between Hanoi Airport (han) And Hanoi City Center: $13
  • Private Transfer from Hanoi Noi Bai Airport (HAN) to Hanoi Port: $13
  • Private Transfer from Hanoi Port to Hanoi Noi Bai Airport (HAN): $13
  • Nội Bài International Airport Private Transfer to city centre: $14
  • Ha Noi airport Arrival or Departure By Private car transfers: $15
  • Bus Transfer from Hanoi to Ha Giang: Sleeping - Limousine - Cabin: $15

Is it cheaper to fly into Masai Mara or Hanoi?

Prices for flights to both Hanoi and Masai Mara 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Masai Mara $57
    Hanoi $23

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Masai Mara

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Masai Mara.

  • Carnivore experience Lunch Or Dinner (Optional Bomas of kenya ): $40

Typical Food Prices in Hanoi

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Hanoi:


  • High End Dinner (for Two)
    $11
  • Casual Lunch (for Two)
    $4.17
  • Bowl of Pho
    $0.76
  • Italian Dinner (for Food)
    $5.88

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Hanoi

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Hanoi.

  • Hanoi Cooking Class: Pho/Bun Cha/Banh Xeo...+Free Egg/Salt Coffee: $19
  • Hanoi local street food tour: $20
  • Hanoi food tour-Local street food tour (food&guide included): $22
  • Hanoi Street Food Tour with Train Street Visit: $22
  • Hanoi Street Food Tour: $23
  • Hanoi Street Food Tour with Local Delicacies (3 Hours): $24
  • Best Hanoi Day Street Food Tour with Real Foodie Tastings: $24
  • Hanoi Food Tours: $24
  • Best Seller Hanoi Street Food Tour with Train Street Visit: $25
  • Hanoi Street Food Tour - Best Price: $25
  • Ninh Binh Cooking Class at Buffalo Cave: $25
  • Half Day Street Food Tours in Hanoi: $25

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Masai Mara $60
    Hanoi $8.07

Tours and Activities in Masai Mara

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Masai Mara are as follows:

  • Half Day Giraffe Center,Baby Elephant&Karen Blixxen Guided Tour: $38
  • Nairobi African Shopping Tour: $55
  • Bomas of Kenya cultural Dance and Acrobatic Show Tour: $64
  • Giraffe Center Half-Day Guided Tour from Nairobi: $75
  • Nairobi City Tour and Afternoon Visit to Bomas of Kenya: $80
  • Half Day Private Tour to Lake Nakuru National Park: $80
  • Ngong Hills Adventure from Nairobi: $85
  • Private Day Tour to Nairobi Arboretum and Nairobi National Museum: $109
  • Nairobi Museum KICC Tower Kobe and Bomas of Kenya Day Tour: $115
  • Fairview Coffee Farm Day Tour in Nairobi: $120
  • Amboseli national park full day tour: $160
  • Airport Layover Tour to Nairobi National Park and Giraffe Center: $225

Typical Entertainment Prices in Hanoi

Here are a few typical costs in Hanoi for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:


  • Puppet Theater
    $1.52
  • The Hanoi Hilton Entrance
    $1.52
  • National History Museum
    $1.52
  • Puppet Theater Ticket
    $2.65

Tours and Activities in Hanoi

Here are a few actual costs in Hanoi for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • (Evening) HANOI CUSTOMIZED Walking Tour: $5.00
  • Vietnam Tour Package: Tailored Experiences, No Upfront Payment: $5.00
  • Sightseeing Walking Tour in Hanoi: $5.00
  • Street Food Walking Tour in Hanoi: $5.00
  • Private Walking City Tour in Hanoi : $5.00
  • Half Day Hanoi Old Quarter Private Walking Tour : $5.00
  • Half-day Private Walking Tour of Hanoi's Old Quarter: $5.00
  • Hanoi Old Quarter Private Daily Street Food Experience: $5.00
  • Hanoi Old Quarter Half Day Private Walking Tour : $5.00
  • Iconic Landmarks Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.00
  • Hanoi Private Walking Tour with Egg Coffee Making Experience: $5.00
  • Small-group Hanoi Highlights Weekend Walking Tour: $5.00

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Masai Mara $26
    Hanoi $7.30


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Masai Mara and Hanoi, we can see that Masai Mara is more expensive. And not only is Hanoi much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Masai Mara is in Africa and Hanoi 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 Hanoi would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Hanoi 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 Masai Mara would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Masai Mara than you might in Hanoi.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Masai Mara Expensive? and Is Hanoi Expensive?.