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

Should you visit Mount Kailash or Tauranga?

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

Should I visit Mount Kailash or Tauranga? 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 Tauranga?

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.

Tauranga

Tauranga is a city on the North Island of New Zealand. It is situated on the western side of the Bay of Plenty, which is on the east coast of the island. Its population of 130,000 makes it the fifth largest city in the country. Tauranga is a Maori word translated roughly to 'a sheltered anchorage'. This makes sense as the town is located near a very large harbor and protected by Matakana Island. Mount Maunganui is at the headland of the town and regarded as a suburb of Tauranga. The beach at Mt Maunganui is a surfing hot spot. The climate is mostly warm and dry because of the town's sheltered position.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to China, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in China, The Best Adventure Tours to New Zealand, and The Best Eco Tours in New Zealand.


Which place is cheaper, Tauranga 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 Tauranga is $118. 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 Tauranga in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Mount Kailash $27
    Tauranga $74
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Mount Kailash $54
    Tauranga $148
Compare Hotels in Mount Kailash and Tauranga

Looking for a hotel in Mount Kailash or Tauranga? 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 Tauranga


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: Tauranga Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Mount Kailash $32
    Tauranga $6.75

Is it cheaper to fly into Mount Kailash or Tauranga?

Prices for flights to both Tauranga 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
    Tauranga $37

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Mount Kailash $16
    Tauranga $10

Tours and Activities in Tauranga

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

  • Mount Maunganui Hot Pools Experience: $16
  • Mount Maunganui: Hot Ocean Water Pools Entry Ticket: $16
  • Mount Maunganui Harbour Sightseeing Cruise: $23
  • Tauranga Harbour Scenic One Hour Historical Boat Cruise : $24
  • Waimarino Adventure Park Supreme Pass Entry Ticket: $35
  • Katikati Avocado Adventure: $35
  • TAURANGA City & Scenic Sightseeing 2-hour Local Bus Tour: $47
  • Tauranga City & Scenic Sightseeing 2-hour Tour: $47
  • Tauranga Harbour Cruise: $56
  • Tauranga Shore Excursion: Small-Group Bay of Plenty and Tauranga Tour: $67
  • New Zealand Tauranga Tour with Transportation and Snacks: $75
  • Scenic Short Hike Tour - Papamoa Hills and McLaren Falls: $77

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Mount Kailash $2.80
    Tauranga $10


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

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 Tauranga Expensive?.