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

Should you visit Cebu or Royal Chitwan National Park?

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

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

Cebu

Cebu Island is an important island in the Visayas region of the Philippines, characterized by its main port at Cebu City as well as many natural features. The most-visited areas include islands of Mactan, Bantayan, Badian, Malapascua and Camotes, all which have resorts and hotels. Scuba diving and snorkeling are common activities along the shoreline, while hiking the mountainous spine of the island is popular inland.

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 10-Day Tours in Philippines, The Best 2-Week Tours in Philippines, 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 Cebu?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Cebu is $65, 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 Cebu and Royal Chitwan National Park in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Cebu $25
    Royal Chitwan National Park $11
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Cebu $50
    Royal Chitwan National Park $22
Compare Hotels in Cebu and Royal Chitwan National Park

Looking for a hotel in Cebu 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 Cebu


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

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Cebu $26
    Royal Chitwan National Park $22

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cebu

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cebu:

  • Transfer Cebu City - Bantayan Island: $70
  • Seamless Transfer from MactanCebu Airport to Your City Hotel: $23
  • Private Day Tour in Bohol from Cebu with Roundtrip Transfers: $152
  • Private Canyoneering in Kawasan falls + meals + Cebu transfer opt: $53
  • Oslob Private Van Transfer between Cebu, Mactan or Mandaue City: $175
  • Oslob Car Hire and Transfers: $150
  • Malapascua: Advance Divers Shark Dive & Optional Transfer: $108
  • Mactan-Cebu Island Hopping Cruise with Lunch & Roundtrip Transfer: $196
  • Mactan Cebu Airport Transfer to City Hotels: $35
  • Mactan Airport - Cebu City Sepoart (Transfer): $20
  • Kawasan Falls Canyoneering w/ Lunch & Transfers from Cebu City: $122
  • Hotel Private Transfer Airport to Cebu, Mandaue, LapuLapu: $25

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 Cebu or Royal Chitwan National Park?

Prices for flights to both Royal Chitwan National Park and Cebu 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
    Cebu $21
    Royal Chitwan National Park $9.44

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cebu

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

  • Private Half Day Ultimate Food Tour in Cebu: $66
  • Cebu City: Historical Street and Food Tour: $67
  • Cebu City Historical Street and Food Tour: $69
  • Panoramic View of Cebu and Dinner with Night View: $89
  • Filipino Vegetarian Cooking Class: $100
  • Traditional Filipino Bamboo Cooking Class: $108
  • Private Panoramic Tour with Dinner: $131

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Cebu $17
    Royal Chitwan National Park $9.63

Tours and Activities in Cebu

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

  • A snorkelling tour to Cebu’s Hilutungan: $130
  • Balamban Uphill Adventure Tour in Cebu: $80
  • Bohol Countryside Day Tour From Cebu City | Lunch at Loboc River Cruise: $145
  • Bohol Countryside Day Tour from Cebu City or Mactan - Best Seller: $155
  • Bohol Countryside Joiners Tour From Cebu City: $144
  • Bohol Countryside Private Tour From Cebu City: $213
  • CEBU Caubian Island Hopping Tour: $185
  • Canyoneering Experience in Kawasan Falls with Lunch: $55
  • Cebu City All Day Tour; An Unforgettable Experience of Cebu.: $60
  • Cebu City Bar Hopping Tour: $81
  • Cebu City Historical & Mountain Tour: $148
  • Cebu City Historical Tour: $92

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
    Cebu $14
    Royal Chitwan National Park $6.49

Sample the Local Flavors in Cebu

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Cebu:

  • Cebu City Light's Pub Crawl: $99


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