A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Ao Nang vs. Royal Chitwan National Park for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Ao Nang or Royal Chitwan National Park?

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

Should I visit Ao Nang or Royal Chitwan National Park? 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: Ao Nang or Royal Chitwan National Park?

Ao Nang

If you're looking for a relaxing beach on the coast of Thailand, it might be time to make a trip to Ao Nang. This developed and "westernized" beach was once the place to be for backpackers, but is now quite popular with package tourist crowds, too, as prices have risen in recent decades. Here you'll find nice hotels, restaurants, and plenty of fun activities at the beach and nearby, too.

Royal Chitwan National Park

The majestic elephant, the silly monkey and dozens of soaring birds call the Royal Chitwan National Park home. At the foot of the Himalayas, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is 932 square kilometers of animal and plant life preservation in Nepal.

Once the favorite hunting ground for Nepal's ruling class, the area began seeing the endangerment of all the area animals. So in 1957, Nepal passed its first conservation law to protect the rhinos and their habitat. At the end of the 1960s, however, DDT had cleared 70% of Royal Chitwan National Park jungles, thousands of people had created moved in on the land and only 95 rhinos were left. By 1977 the park was under complete protection, enlarged to the present-day size and is one of the last refuges of the Bengal tiger.

This park, also known as "the heart of the jungle," provides over 70,000 annual visitors with opportunities to get close and personal with animals they've only seen in movies. Fair warning, however, the weather is quite hot and humid for most of the year.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Tours Under $1000 in Thailand, The Best Budget Tours to Thailand, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Pokhara, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Nepal.


Which place is cheaper, Royal Chitwan National Park or Ao Nang?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Ao Nang is $107, while the average daily cost in Royal Chitwan National Park is $35. 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 Ao Nang and Royal Chitwan National Park in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Ao Nang $52
    Royal Chitwan National Park $11
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Ao Nang $104
    Royal Chitwan National Park $22
Compare Hotels in Ao Nang and Royal Chitwan National Park

Looking for a hotel in Ao Nang or Royal Chitwan National Park? 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 Ao Nang


Hotels in Royal Chitwan National Park


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: Royal Chitwan National Park Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Ao Nang $56
    Royal Chitwan National Park $22

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ao Nang

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

  • Private SUV-Transfer: One-way Krabi to Phuket: $105
  • Private SUV-Transfer: One-way Ao Nang - Downtown, Krabi: $22
  • Private SUV-Transfer: One-way Ao Nang - Bus Statation: $22
  • Private Eco-Transfer: One-way Ao Nang - Downtown, Krabi: $18
  • Private Eco-Transfer: One-way Ao Nang - Bus Station, Krabi: $18
  • Phuket: Speedboat Transfer to Ao Nang or Railay via Ko Yao: $41
  • Krabi:Speedboat Transfer to Phi Phi Islands: $41
  • Aonang : Ferry Transfer from Aonang to Phuket: $31
  • Aonang : Ferry Transfer from Aonang to Ko Lanta: $23
  • Krabi Airport Private One-Way SUV Transfer: $22

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Royal Chitwan National Park

Also for Royal Chitwan National Park, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Chitwan to Kathmandu One Way Transfer by Private AC Car : $75

Is it cheaper to fly into Ao Nang or Royal Chitwan National Park?

Prices for flights to both Royal Chitwan National Park and Ao Nang 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
    Ao Nang $24
    Royal Chitwan National Park $9.44

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Ao Nang

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

  • Krabi: Ya's Cookery Late Afternoon Thai Cooking Class: $39
  • Krabi : Authentic Thai Cooking Class with Market Tour: $40
  • Krabi: Morning/Afternoon Thai Cooking Class at Ya's Cookery: $46
  • Half Day Thai Cooking Class in Ao Nang, Krabi: $50
  • Krabi 7 Island Sunset by Luxury Vintage Boat With BBQ Dinner: $127

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Ao Nang $11
    Royal Chitwan National Park $9.63

Tours and Activities in Ao Nang

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

  • ATV adventure 1hour drive: $43
  • ATV adventure 30 mins drive: $27
  • ATV adventure and achery (1้hour ): $35
  • ATV adventure and shooting range: $57
  • Kayak Tour in Krabi Mangrove Forest with Lunch: $27
  • From Hong Islands Day Tour by Boat with Lunch: $32
  • From Phi Phi Islands Day Tour by Boat with Lunch: $46
  • From Private Gondola Cruise with Lunch and Picnic: $59
  • From Krabi: James Bond Island One-Day Tour by Speedboat: $123
  • Half-Day Krabi Four Islands Tour with Amazing long-tail Boat: $88
  • James Bond Island: Sightseeing Tour by Longtail Boat & Kayak: $42
  • Kayaking klongroot and atv adventure: $32

Tours and Activities in Royal Chitwan National Park

For Royal Chitwan National Park, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • 1 Night 2 Days Chitwan Safari Tour: $118
  • 2 Nights 3 Days Chitwan Jungle Safari Tour : $154
  • 3 Nights 4 Days Comfortable Chitwan Safari Tour: $195
  • Chitwan Jungle Safari Tour: $140
  • Chitwan Safari Tour : $160
  • Chitwan Tour Packages: $200
  • Experience the ride in Lowlands of Nepal: $62

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Ao Nang $15
    Royal Chitwan National Park $6.49


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

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Ao Nang Expensive? and Is Royal Chitwan National Park Expensive?.