Which place is cheaper, Shangri-La or Aoraki Mount Cook?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Aoraki Mount Cook or Shangri-La?
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 Aoraki Mount Cook and Shangri-La. 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: Aoraki Mount Cook or Shangri-La?
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.
Shangri-La
The original Shangri-La existed in the fictional world of James Hilton's novel "The Lost Horizon." It was a hidden paradise, a place so beautiful that it couldn't possibly exist on earth. The Shangri-La that exists in Yunnan, China today was renamed from its former title Zhongdian in 2001 in order to associate the place with the mystical allure created in Hilton's novel. Visitors come to admire the traditional monasteries and temples set against a backdrop of mountain preserves and pristine lakes.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in New Zealand, The Best Luxury Tours to New Zealand, The Best 2-Week Tours from Beijing, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to China.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAoraki Mount Cook $105Shangri-La $46
The average daily cost (per person) in Aoraki Mount Cook is $105, while the average daily cost in Shangri-La is $46. 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 Aoraki Mount Cook and Shangri-La in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAoraki Mount Cook $59Shangri-La $19
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAoraki Mount Cook $118Shangri-La $38
Compare Hotels in Aoraki Mount Cook and Shangri-La
Looking for a hotel in Aoraki Mount Cook or Shangri-La? 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.
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
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Aoraki Mount Cook $27Shangri-La $10
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Shangri-La
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Shangri-La:
- Private Transfer from Shangri-La to Lijiang and Stops at Tiger Leaping Gorge: $160
- Private Transfer from Shangri-la(Diqing) hotel to Lijiang/Shuhe hotel : $149
Is it cheaper to fly into Aoraki Mount Cook or Shangri-La?
Prices for flights to both Shangri-La and Aoraki Mount Cook 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
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Food Meals for one dayAoraki Mount Cook $26Shangri-La $19
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Aoraki Mount Cook $23Shangri-La $16
Tours and Activities in Aoraki Mount Cook
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Aoraki Mount Cook.
- Fox Glacier Nature Tour: $54
- Franz Josef Nature Tour: $54
- Mt. Cook to Queenstown Small Group Tour (1-way) : $106
- From Christchurch: Mount Cook One-Way Discovery Tour: $118
- Mt Cook to Christchurch via Lake Tekapo Small Group Tour 1 way: $120
- Mount Cook to Queenstown Day Tour: $148
- Day Tours from Mount Cook: $151
- Mt Cook Small Group Tour from Queenstown with Optional Activities : $151
- Mt Cook & Hooker Valley Hike Small Group Tour from Queenstown: $151
- (MT) Mount Cook & Lake Tekapo Day Tour from Christchurch: $178
- Gold Hunting Adventures: $223
- 45-Minute Mount Cook Ski Plane and Helicopter Combo Tour: $289
Tours and Activities in Shangri-La
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Shangri-La are as follows:
- 1 Day Shangri-la City Tour with Pudacuo National Park: $209
- 1 day Shangri-La Highlights Mini Private Tour: $117
- 1-Day Shangri-La Private Tour: Potatso National Park and Baiji Temple: $169
- 1-Day Shangri-La Tour to Ganden Monastery, Nixi Pottery Village and Tibetan Town: $185
- 1-Day Shangri-La tour with Ganden Monastery, Napahai Lake and Tibetan Town: $190
- Private tour Songzanlin Monastry & Tibetan lunch from Zhongdian: $199
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAoraki Mount Cook $20Shangri-La $13
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: Valli Wine Tasting Experience: $27
- Kinross Winery: Premium Central Otago Wine Tasting Experience: $45
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Aoraki Mount Cook and Shangri-La, we can see that Aoraki Mount Cook is more expensive. And not only is Shangri-La much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Aoraki Mount Cook is in Pacific and Shangri-La is in Asia, 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 Shangri-La would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Shangri-La 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 Shangri-La.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Aoraki Mount Cook Expensive? and Is Shangri-La Expensive?.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.