A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Da Nang vs. Pingyao for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Da Nang or Pingyao?

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

Should I visit Da Nang or Pingyao? 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: Da Nang or Pingyao?

Da Nang

Halfway between Ho Chi Minh City in the south and Hanoi in the North is the easy-going beach city of Da Nang (or Danang, for some). The third most populated city in Vietnam, Da Nang draws in crowds with its beautiful and calm beaches as well as its history as a French colonial port.

With beaches, mountains, and cityscape, there's bound to be a point of interest for all travelers. Da Nang is also a transit hub to get to the four Vietnamese UNESCO World heritage sites: Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park, Hue, Hoi An, and My Son.

Da Nang experiences wet season from September through March and dry season from April through August with average temperatures of around 80℉.

Da Nang is also known to have some of the friendliest locals, probably due to the peace and quiet and lack of heavy traffic, even in the city.

Pingyao

Pingyao is a small city in the Shanxi Province of China, dating back over 2700 years. The city is most famous for their old town, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The old town is one of the best preserved ancient walled cities in the world dating back to the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

The climate in Pingyao is influenced by monsoons, and therefore gets hot and humid summers and chillier springs. Autumn is a great time to visit as temperatures are fairly mild-in the 50-60's Fahrenheit- and you can avoid the heavy rains of summer. Winter is also a pleasant time to visit, especially since temperatures tend not to dip below 30 and there is not much snow or bad weather.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Hanoi, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Ho Chi Minh City, The Best Historical Tours in China, and The Best 10-Day Tours in China.


Which place is cheaper, Pingyao or Da Nang?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Da Nang is $55, while the average daily cost in Pingyao is $69. 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 Da Nang and Pingyao in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Da Nang $18
    Pingyao $23
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Da Nang $36
    Pingyao $46
Compare Hotels in Da Nang and Pingyao

Looking for a hotel in Da Nang or Pingyao? 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 Da Nang


Hotels in Pingyao


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: Da Nang Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Da Nang $11
    Pingyao $13

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Da Nang

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Da Nang:

  • Transfer from Da Nang Hotel to Airport by Private Car: $5.00
  • Da Nang Airport Transfer to Da Nang Hotel by Private Car: $5.00
  • Hue Transfer Service to/from Hotel, Airport, Train Station: $7.09
  • PRIVATE TRANSFER Da Nang Airport to/from Da Nang & Hoi An hotels: $8.00
  • Danang Private Airport Transfer: $9.50
  • Hue: Private Transfer to Da Nang with Sightseeing Stops: $15
  • Hue: Private Transfer to/from Da Nang via Many Attractions: $15
  • Private transfer Danang airport - Hotels in Danang: $15
  • Hue: Private Transfer to/from Hoi An via Many Attractions: $16
  • Da Nang - Hoi An Airport Transfer: $16
  • Hoi An Transfer to/from Hue by Private Car via Hai Van Pass: $18
  • From Hue: One-Way Shared Bus Transfer to Hoi An: $19

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Pingyao

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Pingyao:


  • Taxi to Train Station
    $1.40

Is it cheaper to fly into Da Nang or Pingyao?

Prices for flights to both Pingyao and Da 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
    Da Nang $27
    Pingyao $34

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Da Nang

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

  • Tasty Dinner Da Nang on Han River Cruise by Yatch & Champa Show: $17
  • Poseidon Cruise with Dinner and Dragon Bridge Show: $17
  • HộiAnTrà Quế farming &Cooking Class-BasketBoat Ride,Crab fishing: $26
  • Eco Cooking Class and Basket boat tour from Da Nang/ Hoi An: $29
  • Da Nang Food Tour Motorbike & Sightseeing By Ao Dai Lady Rider: $38
  • 5 traditional dishes Da Nang cooking class with market trip: $39
  • Seafood dinner, night market, sightseeing by night: $39
  • Happy Cooking Class in Danang : $39
  • Da Nang Evening Food Tour: $47
  • 6-Hour Cooking Class in Danang (JDN1): $50
  • Discover Da Nang by Night on a Private Food Tour: $53
  • Hue Countryside Bike Tour & Cooking Class: $71

Typical Food Prices in Pingyao

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


  • Casual Lunch (for 2)
    $5.05
  • Mango Juice
    $0.70

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Da Nang $13
    Pingyao $19

Tours and Activities in Da Nang

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

  • Dalat Half-Day City Tour With Local Students: $1.30
  • Han River by night on boat cruise in Da Nang: $5.50
  • Day Tour to Bana Hills with Golden Bridge: $7.76
  • Ba Na Hills & Golden Bridge Tour from Da Nang: $8.54
  • Experience Da Nang Han River Local Cruise by Night: $9.00
  • Explore Hue: 3 Highlights Tour then Depart to Hoi An: $11
  • Combo Dragon Cruise by Yatch-Tasty Local Beer & Champa Dance: $17
  • Beautiful Night Cruise Experience in Han River Da Nang: $18
  • Exploring Beautiful Charming Da Nang Show Ticket: $19
  • Full Day Golden Bridge and Ba Na Hills Small Group Tour: $21
  • Marble Mountains - Am Phu Cave - Monkey Mountain Sunset tour : $22
  • Da Nang Street Food Private Tour With Female Tour Guide: $25

Typical Entertainment Prices in Pingyao

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


  • All Day Bike Rental (for 2)
    $2.80
  • Temple Entrance Fee (for 2)
    $7.01
  • Bike Parking Fee (for 2)
    $0.56

Tours and Activities in Pingyao

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

  • Shuanglin Temple Tour or Entry Ticket Only Option: $18
  • Pingyao Ancient City Full-Day Walking Tour: $145
  • From Taiyuan: UNESCO Historic Temples & Grand Mansions Tour: $276

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Da Nang $8.91
    Pingyao $14


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

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Da Nang Expensive? and Is Pingyao Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Da Nang or Pingyao?

Da Nang has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Pingyao. When comparing the sizes of Da Nang and Pingyao, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.