A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Tianjin vs. Aoraki Mount Cook for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Tianjin or Aoraki Mount Cook?

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

Should I visit Tianjin or Aoraki Mount Cook? 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: Tianjin or Aoraki Mount Cook?

Tianjin

Tianjin is a large metropolis on the north east coast of China. This ancient city, which dates back to prehistoric times, is one of five National Central Cities of China and is rich in culture and history. Tianjin is most famous for its beautiful walking streets and history of European concession territories.

Tianjin experiences hot and humid summers, with temperatures reaching 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Winters are cool and dry with temperatures around 15° (F). Spring and Autumn tend to be the best times to visit as weather is a little more mild, although Spring has a tendency to be a little rainy.

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.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Sightseeing Tours in China, The Best Cultural Tours in China, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in New Zealand, and The Best Luxury Tours to New Zealand.


Which place is cheaper, Aoraki Mount Cook or Tianjin?

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 Tianjin is $92, while the average daily cost in Aoraki Mount Cook is $124. 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 Tianjin and Aoraki Mount Cook in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Tianjin $35
    Aoraki Mount Cook $59
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Tianjin $70
    Aoraki Mount Cook $118
Compare Hotels in Tianjin and Aoraki Mount Cook

Looking for a hotel in Tianjin or Aoraki Mount Cook? 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 Tianjin


Hotels in Aoraki Mount Cook


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
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Tianjin $37
    Aoraki Mount Cook $27

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Tianjin

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

  • Cruise Transfer from Tianjin Port to Beijing Hotels : $225
  • Private Round-Trip Transfer: Tianjin Hotels to Mutianyu Great Wall: $212
  • Private Transfer from Tianjin International Airport to Beijing Downtown: $208
  • Private One Way Tianjin Port Transfer to Beijing including Great Wall Sightseeing: $198
  • Tianjin Private Transfer to Gubei Water Town and Simatai Great Wall: $196
  • Private Transfer to Huangyaguan Great Wall from Tianjin City: $178
  • Private Tianjin Port Transfer to Huangyaguan Great Wall: $178
  • Private PEK Airport Departure Transfer from Tianjin with Bullet Train Experience: $168
  • Private Transfer: Tianjin Cruise Port to Great Wall of China with Beijing Drop-Off: $168
  • Private Tianjin Port Transfer: Between Beijing to Tianjin Port: $160
  • Private 1-Way Transfer Between Tianjin Port to Beijing: $138
  • Private One Way Transfer Between Tianjin Port and Beijing: $132

Is it cheaper to fly into Tianjin or Aoraki Mount Cook?

Prices for flights to both Aoraki Mount Cook and Tianjin 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
    Tianjin $36
    Aoraki Mount Cook $46

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Tianjin $10
    Aoraki Mount Cook $23

Tours and Activities in Tianjin

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Tianjin.

  • Private Tour to Uncover Tianjin’s Must-Visit Bucket-List Spots : $248
  • 1 Day Tianjin City Essence Tour from Tianjin Port: $235
  • 4-Hour Tianjin Shore Excursion to Shijia Mansion with Bullet Train Experience: $210
  • 5-Hour Private Tianjin Shopping Tour from Tianjin Cruise Port: $179
  • All-inclusive Day Tour: China House, Five Avenues, Ancient Street & Tianjin Eye: $224
  • All-inclusive Tianjin Day Tour to Qing Emperor's Tomb & Huangyaguan Great Wall : $278
  • Bullet Train Private Tour: Beijing Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City & Great Wall: $239
  • From Beijing: Tianjin Highlights Day Tour by High-Speed Rail: $289
  • Huangyaguan Great Wall Layover Tour from Tianjin Cruise Port: $265
  • Private Great Wall Tour from Tianjin Cruise Port: $248
  • Private Tianjin City Highlight Day Tour: $188
  • Private Tianjin City Night Tour with Haihe River Cruise: $176

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: $297
  • Day Tours from Mount Cook: $119
  • Gibbston Valley Wines - Cave Tour : $17
  • Guided Tour with Cheese & Wine Pairing: $21
  • Middlemarch to Queenstown Small-Group Tour: Scenic Journey: $119
  • Mt Cook & Tasman Glacier lookout Small Group Tour from Queenstown: $149
  • Mt Cook Small Group Scenic Day Tour from Queenstown: $149
  • 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: $107
  • Mt Cook to Lake Tekapo Small Group Tour (one-way): $98
  • Mt Cook to Queenstown Small Group Tour (One-Way): $107

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Tianjin $11
    Aoraki Mount Cook $20

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
  • Kinross Winery: Wild Irishman Wine Tasting Experience: $45


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Tianjin and Aoraki Mount Cook, we can see that Aoraki Mount Cook is more expensive. And not only is Tianjin much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Tianjin is in Asia and Aoraki Mount Cook 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 Tianjin would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Tianjin 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 Tianjin.

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