A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Zagora vs. Cape Town for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Zagora or Cape Town?

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

Should I visit Zagora or Cape Town? 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: Zagora or Cape Town?

Zagora

A small town in southern Morocco, Zagora is a popular base camp for excursions on foot, by camel, or four wheel drive vehicles into the surrounding desert. One of the most famous and historic treks is the ancient caravan route to Timbuktu, marked by a famous sign at the end of town - indicating a journey of "52 days" by camel.

Cape Town

Picture your travel bucket list. Is Cape Town on it? Yes, most people dream of visiting the "Mother City" of South Africa. As one of the most iconic places in the world, Cape Town is a world-class cosmopolitan city full of bustling nightlife, historical backdrops and a large gay community.

Cape Town is the most southern city in Africa with seasons turned upside down. In the southern hemisphere they experience the summer from December to February. During these months days can be hot and dry so be sure to gather in the shade and wear plenty of sunscreen. The winter from June to August is full of rainy days and cold nights.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Morocco, The Best Cultural Tours in Morocco, The Best Camping Tours in South Africa, and The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in South Africa.


Which place is cheaper, Cape Town or Zagora?

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 Zagora is $66, while the average daily cost in Cape Town is $179. 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 Zagora and Cape Town in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Zagora $40
    Cape Town $83
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Zagora $80
    Cape Town $166
Compare Hotels in Zagora and Cape Town

Looking for a hotel in Zagora or Cape Town? 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 Zagora


Hotels in Cape Town


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: Zagora Hotel Prices and Cape Town Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Zagora $1.58
    Cape Town $18

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cape Town

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

  • Cruise Terminal Shuttle Transfer to Cape Town Airport : $18
  • Transfer from Cape Town City Center to Cape Town Airport: $18
  • Cape Town Airport and Hotel Private Transfers: $19
  • Airport Transfer (Cape Town ) Bus: $19
  • Private Transfer from Cape Town Port to Cape Town Airport (CPT): $19
  • Durbanville Wine Valley Group Tour with Transfer: $19
  • Private Transfer from Cape Town Hotels to Cape Town Cruise Port: $22
  • Cape Town Airport Transfers: $24
  • Airport transfers: $24
  • Cape Town Airport Transfers to hotels and Return Transfers, Wi-Fi: $24
  • Cape Town Airport Transfers To and From the Hotels : $24
  • Shopping Mall Transfers: $24

Is it cheaper to fly into Zagora or Cape Town?

Prices for flights to both Cape Town and Zagora 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
    Zagora $25
    Cape Town $77

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Zagora

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

  • Morocco Cooking Class Tour with local market visit : $40

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cape Town

For Cape Town, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • African Cooking with a Chef Founder: $30
  • Private Indonesian & Cape Malay Cultural Cooking Class : $71
  • From African Dinner and Drumming Experience: $72
  • African Dinner Experience from Cape Town: $75
  • Cape Malay/Creole Cooking Class and Local Shopping in Salt River: $77
  • South African Cooking Class in Cape Town with a Local Family: $82
  • Sunset At Signal Hill Constantia Wine Tasting and Dinner: $83
  • Cape Town African Taste-Safari & Live Entertainment Dinner Experience: $88
  • Private Authentic Cape Malay Cooking Class in Manenberg with Locals: $92
  • Food Tour in “Little Mogadishu,” Bellville, Cape Town: $94
  • Half Day Cape Town African Dinner Restaurant with Live Music Show: $98
  • Private Cape Malay Cooking Class in Cape Town with a Local Family: $100

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Zagora $3.16
    Cape Town $25

Tours and Activities in Zagora

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

  • 2 days tour from Zagora to Erg Chegaga: $150
  • Private Day Camel Trekking Tour in Draa Valley from Zagora: $236
  • Zagora to Erg chigaga desert tour & 4x4 (All-inclusive) 2-Days: $180
  • Zagora to Erg chigaga desert tour & 4x4 and camel ride : $192

Tours and Activities in Cape Town

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

  • Cape Peninsula Sightseeing Small Group Tour from Cape Town: $2.65
  • Skip the Line: District Six Museum Admission Ticket: $3.53
  • Half Hour Seal and Harbour Cruise from Cape Town: $4.15
  • Cape Point Flying Dutchman Funicular Ticket (One way Up): $4.70
  • Cape Point Flying Dutchman Funicular Ticket (One way Down): $4.70
  • Sea Point Promenade: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.13
  • Muizenberg to Kalk Bay: Amble along the amazing False Bay Coast on an audio tour: $5.20
  • The Village in the City: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of Bo-Kaap: $5.34
  • Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens: A Self-guided Audio Tour: $5.34
  • Slavery in the Cape: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of Cape Town's Slave History: $5.40
  • Cape Point Flying Dutchman Funicular Return Ticket : $5.68
  • Cape Town Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $5.81

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Zagora -
    Cape Town $22

Sample the Local Flavors in Cape Town

Also in Cape Town, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Stellenbosch Small Group Wine Tasting Tour From Cape Town: $2.65
  • Distillery Tour, rum and gin tasting: $12
  • Experience South African Craft Rum tasting and distillery tour in Cape Town: $14
  • Craft Gin Tasting Experience and Distillery Tour: $14
  • Indigenous Food and Wine Tasting: $26
  • Drumstruck at Silvermist. Live African Drum Show & Wine tasting: $28
  • Urban Wine Tasting: $30
  • Wine Tasting & Storytelling with SA Tapas add-on: $30
  • Cape Town Hop- On Hop -Off Tour and Groot Constantia Wine Tasting: $31
  • Franschhoek, Stellenbosch and Babylonstoren Wine Tour: $38
  • Wine Tour at Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, and Paarl: $46
  • Wine Tour: Paarl, Franschhoek & Stellenbosch incl 3 wineries: $47


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

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


Which is Bigger, Zagora or Cape Town?

Cape Town has a larger population, and is about 100 times larger than the population of Zagora. When comparing the sizes of Zagora and Cape Town, 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.