A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Ait Ben Haddou vs. Varenna for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Ait Ben Haddou or Varenna?

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

Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Ait Ben Haddou and Varenna can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Ait Ben Haddou or Varenna?

Ait Ben Haddou

Think of a time when you've seen Jerusalem in a movie. Chances are what you're really looking at is the traditional, mud brick city of Ait Ben Haddou, Morocco. This city on the edge of the High Atlas Mountains has been an UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987, and has also been seen in movies like Lawrence of Arabia, Orson Welles' Sodom and Gomorrah, Jesus of Nazareth, the French version of Cleopatra, Bertolucci's Sheltering Sky, Scorsese's Kundun, Gillies MacKannon's Hideous Kinky, Ridley Scott's Gladiator, Oliver Stone's Alexander the Great, and in some scenes from Game of Thrones.

Varenna

A golden light cascades from the heavens, bathing the misty blue mountains in a honey haze. The shivering waters of Lake Como blend the gentle blues and yellows of the sky to a tea rose pink that sits under white sailboats. A quaint village hustled around lush gardens, Varenna, Italy is an attractive fishing village that dates back to the eleventh century. Founded in 769 AD by fisherman, the town was originally destroyed in 1126 AD by the rival town Como, only to be restored refugees from the Isola Comacina whose town was also destroyed. Located on the eastern shore of the lake in the province of Lecco, Varenna is filled with a romantic air from its old Italian fisherman houses to the picturesque lanes. Unlike the towns of Bellagio or Milan, Varenna holds a particular authenticity to Italian culture without the burdens of tourist-ridden streets and hotel-packed areas. As Lake Como works as the main attraction of Varenna, the village provides its visitors with a wide array of entertainment on its pebbly beaches. Besides this, Varenna is also known for its exquisite gardens of two villas, Villa Monastero and Villa Cipressi. Besides this, Varenna also has museums just waiting to be explored. Take a tranquil retreat to Varenna!

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Tours to Morocco, The Best Luxury Tours to Morocco, The Best Budget Tours to Italy, and The Best Tours for Seniors to Italy.


Which place is cheaper, Varenna or Ait Ben Haddou?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Ait Ben Haddou is $70, while the average daily cost in Varenna is $176. 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 Ait Ben Haddou and Varenna in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Ait Ben Haddou $25
    Varenna $92
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Ait Ben Haddou $50
    Varenna $184
Compare Hotels in Ait Ben Haddou and Varenna

Looking for a hotel in Ait Ben Haddou or Varenna? 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 Ait Ben Haddou


Hotels in Varenna


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: Ait Ben Haddou Hotel Prices and Varenna Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Ait Ben Haddou $29
    Varenna $37

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Varenna

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

  • Varenna : Private transfer to/from Malpensa Airport: $358

Is it cheaper to fly into Ait Ben Haddou or Varenna?

Prices for flights to both Varenna and Ait Ben Haddou 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
    Ait Ben Haddou $23
    Varenna $57

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Varenna

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

  • Cooking Class at a Local's Home: $155

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Ait Ben Haddou $28
    Varenna $36

Tours and Activities in Varenna

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

  • Lake Como Shared Boat Tour: $32
  • Lake Como Sightseeing Cruise (90 minutes): $43
  • Dining Experience at a Local's Home: $112
  • Sunset shared boat tour with aperitif from Varenna: $118
  • Picnic Experience in the Italian Alps: $150
  • Private Luxury Boat Tour of Lake Como with Stops & Drinks: $491
  • Bellagio: Private Tour on Vintage Wooden Boat: $664
  • Lake Como: Grand Private Tour 5 hours Invictus boat: $1,551

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Ait Ben Haddou $6.12
    Varenna $24

Sample the Local Flavors in Varenna

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

  • Wine Tasting and Entry Ticket to Castello di Vezio: $112
  • Wine Tasting and Entry Ticket to Villa Monastero: $134


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

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