A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Mount Kailash vs. Palawan for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Mount Kailash or Palawan?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Mount Kailash or Palawan? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.

Where Should I go: Mount Kailash or Palawan?

Mount Kailash

The main point of entry to Mount Kailash is a small village called Darchen. Once an important sheep station for nomads and their flocks, the village has now grown to provide for the pilgrims wishing to embark towards Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar. It contains a number of guest houses and restaurants as well as a hotel where pilgrims must get permission from the Public Security Bureau to make the trek around the mountain. Also in the village are a handful of small stores and kiosks, as well as some grounds for camping. It is about 330 km (a one-day bus drive) from the town of Shiquanhe to the northeast, where Gunsa Airport is located, offering flights twice a week to Lhasa and Chengdu.

Palawan

Palawan is an archipelagic province of the Philippines, named for its largest island which measures about 450 kilometers (or 280 miles) long. The island is known as an ecological frontier with plenty of beaches and resorts as well as opportunities to see a diverse array of wildlife and their habitats on land and sea.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to China, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in China, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Philippines, and The Best 2-Week Tours in Philippines.


Which place is cheaper, Palawan or Mount Kailash?

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 Mount Kailash is $90, while the average daily cost in Palawan is $43. 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 Mount Kailash and Palawan in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Mount Kailash $27
    Palawan $13
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Mount Kailash $54
    Palawan $26
Compare Hotels in Mount Kailash and Palawan

Looking for a hotel in Mount Kailash or Palawan? 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 Mount Kailash


Hotels in Palawan


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: Palawan Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Mount Kailash $32
    Palawan $16

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Palawan

Also for Palawan, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • 3day van transportation: airport transfer, city sightseeing van, beach transfers: $120
  • Airport Transfers airport to city center hotel and cruise port: $20
  • Busuanga Palawan Private Airport Transfer to Coron Town: $90
  • Coron Airport Shared Hotel Transfers: $10
  • Coron Ultimate Tour: 7 Destinations with Lunch and Transfer: $47
  • El Nido (Lio) Airport Transfers: $50
  • El Nido Big Lagoon and Tropical Island Private Tour with Transfer: $179
  • El Nido Tour C with Lunch and Transfers: $44
  • El Nido Tour with Lunch and Transfers: $44
  • Private Busuanga Airport to Coron Hotel Transfer: $79
  • Private Transfer from El Nido to Port Barton Palawan: $170
  • Private Transfer from Puerto Princesa to El Nido: $203

Is it cheaper to fly into Mount Kailash or Palawan?

Prices for flights to both Palawan and Mount Kailash 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
    Mount Kailash $43
    Palawan $19

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Mount Kailash $16
    Palawan $5.21

Tours and Activities in Palawan

For Palawan, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Half-day Puerto Princesa City Tour: $15
  • Coron Town Tour with Maquinit Hot Spring: $19
  • City tour of Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines : $20
  • Coron Island Hopping Tour A with Kayangan Lake: $25
  • 2in1 City tour and museum with pick up at hotel or cruise port: $25
  • Half-Day City Tour from Puerto Princesa: $27
  • Coron Island Hopping Tour B with Skeleton Wreck & Barracuda Lake: $32
  • Fullday Coron Island Hopping Tour : $34
  • City Tour of Puerto Princesa sightseeing excursion: $35
  • Coron Island Tour A (Shared Tour): $37
  • Joiners Honda Bay Island Hopping Tour: $38
  • Puerto Princesa: Honda Bay Tour with Lunch: $38

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Mount Kailash $2.80
    Palawan $7.44


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

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