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

Should you visit Bagan or Royal Chitwan National Park?

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 Bagan and Royal Chitwan National Park can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Bagan or Royal Chitwan National Park?

Bagan

Located in central Myanmar (formerly Burma), Bagan is an ancient city best known as the home to the largest and densest concentration of Buddhist temples, pagodas, stupas, and ruins in the world with many dating from the 11th and 12th centuries.

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 One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Pokhara, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Nepal.


Which place is cheaper, Royal Chitwan National Park or Bagan?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Bagan is $30, 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 Bagan and Royal Chitwan National Park in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Bagan $7.36
    Royal Chitwan National Park $11
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Bagan $15
    Royal Chitwan National Park $22
Compare Hotels in Bagan and Royal Chitwan National Park

Looking for a hotel in Bagan 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 Bagan


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.
    Bagan $3.57
    Royal Chitwan National Park $22

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bagan

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bagan:

  • From Bagan City To Mandalay Private Transfer: $150

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 Bagan or Royal Chitwan National Park?

Prices for flights to both Royal Chitwan National Park and Bagan 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
    Bagan $5.95
    Royal Chitwan National Park $9.44

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Bagan

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

  • Romantic Sunset Dinner At Bagan Viewing Tower: $91

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Bagan $57
    Royal Chitwan National Park $9.63

Tours and Activities in Bagan

Here are a few actual costs in Bagan for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Acient Capitals of Myanmar Tour: $149
  • Amazing Bagan, full day tour by car and guide: $90
  • BAGAN TEMPLES FULL DAY GUIDED BY ELECTRIC BIKE ( Private Tour ): $64
  • Bagan Classics Private Temples Tour: $159
  • Bagan Cycling Tour ( Villages & Temples Cycling Explorer) : $129
  • Bagan Horse Cart Ride Tour with Puppet Show: $160
  • Bagan Instagram Photo Tour: $179
  • Bagan and Mount Popa Private Tour (2 Days): $90
  • Best Bagan One Day Tour With Tour Guide: $48
  • Day Cruise Bagan to Mandalay: $31
  • Excellent Private Guided Tour Around Bagan With Lunch: $88
  • Full Day tour In Bagan UNESCO World Heritage: $50

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
    Bagan -
    Royal Chitwan National Park $6.49


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

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