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

Should you visit Ayutthaya or Royal Chitwan National Park?

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

Should I visit Ayutthaya 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: Ayutthaya or Royal Chitwan National Park?

Ayutthaya

Once the largest city in the world, Ayutthaya, is the example of an ancient capital within a modern city. Located in the central plains of Thailand, this spot is ideally located between China, India and the Malay Archipelago creating the perfect place for trade in Asia. Eighteenth century maps from Holland and France show golden palaces, large ceremony spots and trading vessels from all over the world. Suddenly, in 1767, Ayutthaya experienced a tragic fall from grace with a Burmese invasion burning much of the city to the ground.

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 Cultural Tours in Thailand, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in 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 Ayutthaya?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Ayutthaya is $62, 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 Ayutthaya and Royal Chitwan National Park in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Ayutthaya $21
    Royal Chitwan National Park $11
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Ayutthaya $42
    Royal Chitwan National Park $22
Compare Hotels in Ayutthaya and Royal Chitwan National Park

Looking for a hotel in Ayutthaya 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 Ayutthaya


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: Ayutthaya Hotel Prices and Royal Chitwan National Park Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Ayutthaya $27
    Royal Chitwan National Park $22
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Ayutthaya

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Ayutthaya are as follows:


  • River Ferry Crossing
    $0.55

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ayutthaya

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Ayutthaya:

  • Transfer from Bangkok: $97

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 Ayutthaya or Royal Chitwan National Park?

Prices for flights to both Royal Chitwan National Park and Ayutthaya 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
    Ayutthaya $20
    Royal Chitwan National Park $9.44
Typical Food Prices in Ayutthaya

Some typical examples of dining costs in Ayutthaya are as follows:


  • Lunch for 2
    $3.82
  • Ice Cream
    $0.82
  • Breakfast for 2
    $3.82
  • Breakfast for 2
    $9.55

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Ayutthaya

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

  • Bangkok: VELA Dinner Cruise Ticket: $19

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Ayutthaya $27
    Royal Chitwan National Park $9.63
Typical Entertainment Prices in Ayutthaya

Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Ayutthaya are as follows:


  • Temple Entrances (2)
    $5.46
  • Wat Entrance
    $1.36

Tours and Activities in Ayutthaya

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

  • AYUTTHAYA : Private Car Rental & Customize Tour with Driver: $49
  • Ayutthaya 1-day Private Tour : UNESCO World Heritage Site: $141
  • Ayutthaya City and Historical Park Bike Tour: $35
  • Ayutthaya’s Heritage Revealed A Day Tour from Bangkok: $632
  • Ancient City Temple Tour: $162
  • Colors of UNESCO Heritage 6 hour Bicycle Tour: $54
  • From Bangkok: Ayutthaya Day Tour Small Group: $57
  • From Bangkok: Ayutthaya Full Day Private Guided Tour: $350
  • From Bangkok: Tour Ayutthaya + Lunch + Spanish guide: $146
  • The Incredible Ayutthaya Ancient Temple Tour: $51

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:

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

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Ayutthaya $18
    Royal Chitwan National Park $6.49


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Ayutthaya and Royal Chitwan National Park, we can see that Ayutthaya 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 Ayutthaya would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Ayutthaya 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 Ayutthaya Expensive? and Is Royal Chitwan National Park Expensive?.