A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Zhangye vs. Arrowtown for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Zhangye or Arrowtown?

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 Zhangye and Arrowtown. 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: Zhangye or Arrowtown?

Zhangye

Zhangye, China is a city in the Gansu Province in the central north part of the country, close to Mongolia. This ancient city has often been used as a military strong hold, having been the headquarters of General Huo among many others. Zhangye is a fabulous day trip city to visit when staying in larger nearby cities.

Zhangye is privy to beautiful summer weather, with lots of sunshine and temperatures in the high 70's Fahrenheit. The best times to visit are between July and September, when temperatures and sunshine are at their highest. Autumn, Winter, and Spring tend to be a little chillier and rainier.

Arrowtown

Historically, Arrowtown is an old gold mining town that is located on the South Island of New Zealand. The town was established during the Otago gold rush of 1862. It is very close to Queenstown, which is a very popular destination among travelers, and it is definitely worth visiting if you are in the Otago region of New Zealand. It is a very tiny town, with a population of just over 2,000 people. The town has a lot of character and history and is a perfect place to go if you wish to get out of the touristy areas like Queenstown.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Historical Tours in China, The Best 10-Day Tours in China, The Best Contiki Tours to New Zealand, and The Best G Adventures Tours to New Zealand.


Which place is cheaper, Arrowtown or Zhangye?

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 Zhangye is $105, while the average daily cost in Arrowtown is $136. 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 Zhangye and Arrowtown in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Zhangye $39
    Arrowtown $67
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Zhangye $78
    Arrowtown $134
Compare Hotels in Zhangye and Arrowtown

Looking for a hotel in Zhangye or Arrowtown? 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 Zhangye


Hotels in Arrowtown


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: Arrowtown Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Zhangye $39
    Arrowtown $27

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Zhangye

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Zhangye:

  • Private Airport Transfer: Zhangye Hotel to Zhangye Airport (YZY): $59
  • Private Airport Transfer: Zhangye Airport (YZY) to Zhangye Hotel: $59

Is it cheaper to fly into Zhangye or Arrowtown?

Prices for flights to both Arrowtown and Zhangye 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
    Zhangye $45
    Arrowtown $52

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Zhangye $11
    Arrowtown $15

Tours and Activities in Zhangye

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

  • Private day tour to Zhangye Danxia Landform the Rainbow Mountain: $150
  • From 6-Day Private Photography Tour to Dunhuang: $1,099
  • Private Day Tour: Horse Hoof Temple Grottoes and Zhangye Danxia Landform: $299
  • Private Hiking Tour: Binggou Danxia and Zhangye Danxia Geopark from Zhangye: $299
  • Private Hiking Tour: Pingshanhu Grand Canyon and the Horse Hoof Temple Grottoes: $235
  • Private day tour to Zhangye Mati temple & Giant Buddha Temple start from Zhangye: $155
  • Zhangye Danxia Half Day tour: $195
  • Zhangye One Day City Tour: $77
  • Zhangye Rainbow Danxia Private Day Tour: $214
  • Danxia Geopark & Giant Buddha Private Day Tour: $246
  • Mati Temple Grottoes & Giant Buddha Temple Tour: $257

Tours and Activities in Arrowtown

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

  • Queenstown: Arrowtown To Queenstown Biking Adventure: $55
  • From Queenstown: 'Valley of the Vines' Wine and Bike Tour: $87

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Zhangye $7.01
    Arrowtown $13


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

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


Which is Bigger, Zhangye or Arrowtown?

Zhangye has a larger population, and is about 40 times larger than the population of Arrowtown. When comparing the sizes of Zhangye and Arrowtown, 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.