A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Pingyao vs. Atami for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Pingyao or Atami?

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 Pingyao and Atami. 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: Pingyao or Atami?

Pingyao

Pingyao is a small city in the Shanxi Province of China, dating back over 2700 years. The city is most famous for their old town, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The old town is one of the best preserved ancient walled cities in the world dating back to the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

The climate in Pingyao is influenced by monsoons, and therefore gets hot and humid summers and chillier springs. Autumn is a great time to visit as temperatures are fairly mild-in the 50-60's Fahrenheit- and you can avoid the heavy rains of summer. Winter is also a pleasant time to visit, especially since temperatures tend not to dip below 30 and there is not much snow or bad weather.

Atami

Sharing a home with the famous Mount Fuji inside the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, Atami is a Japanese city set on the seaside of the Izu Peninsula. With volcanic hills and natural hot springs, visitors are very much drawn to the unique landscape of the place. There are many hot springs resorts that take advantage of the area's natural features, which have been attracting visitors since the 8th century.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Historical Tours in China, The Best 10-Day Tours in China, The Best 10-Day Tours from Tokyo, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Tokyo.


Which place is cheaper, Atami or Pingyao?

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 Pingyao is $69, while the average daily cost in Atami is $108. 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 Pingyao and Atami in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Pingyao $23
    Atami $44
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Pingyao $46
    Atami $88
Compare Hotels in Pingyao and Atami

Looking for a hotel in Pingyao or Atami? 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 Pingyao


Hotels in Atami


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: Atami Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Pingyao $13
    Atami $37
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Pingyao

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


  • Taxi to Train Station
    $1.40

Is it cheaper to fly into Pingyao or Atami?

Prices for flights to both Atami and Pingyao 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
    Pingyao $34
    Atami $43
Typical Food Prices in Pingyao

Some typical examples of dining costs in Pingyao are as follows:


  • Casual Lunch (for 2)
    $5.05
  • Mango Juice
    $0.70

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Pingyao $19
    Atami $7.96
Typical Entertainment Prices in Pingyao

Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Pingyao are as follows:


  • All Day Bike Rental (for 2)
    $2.80
  • Temple Entrance Fee (for 2)
    $7.01
  • Bike Parking Fee (for 2)
    $0.56

Tours and Activities in Pingyao

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

  • Pingyao Ancient City Full-Day Walking Tour: $145
  • Shuanglin Temple Tour or Entry Ticket Only Option: $18

Tours and Activities in Atami

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

  • Experience Tea Ceremony at a Traditional Japanese Inn : $46
  • Japanese Traditional Music Experience: $48
  • Odawara Ramen Crawl Experience: Visit 2 Iconic Shops: $52
  • 2025 1 Day Winter Sumo Official Provincial Tour at Odawara: $104
  • Ninja, Samurai, Odawara Castle Experience: $138
  • Odawara Castle and Town Guided Discovery Tour: $138
  • Odawara to Hakone Scenic Adventure: $172
  • Hakone customized private one day tour: $173

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Pingyao $14
    Atami $5.65


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

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


Which is Bigger, Pingyao or Atami?

Pingyao has a larger population, and is about 3% larger than the population of Atami. When comparing the sizes of Pingyao and Atami, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.