Which place is cheaper, Shangri-La or Da Nang?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Da Nang or Shangri-La?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Da Nang or Shangri-La? 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 Shangri-La?
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.
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 One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Hanoi, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Ho Chi Minh City, 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 dayDa Nang $47Shangri-La $62
The average daily cost (per person) in Da Nang is $47, while the average daily cost in Shangri-La is $62. 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 Shangri-La in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personDa Nang $20Shangri-La $19
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomDa Nang $40Shangri-La $38
Compare Hotels in Da Nang and Shangri-La
Looking for a hotel in Da Nang 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.
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
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Da Nang $12Shangri-La $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Da Nang
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Da Nang:
- Da Nang International Airport Private Transfer: $6.00
- Transfer Airport & Train Stations to Hue, Da Nang and Hoi An: $6.03
- Airport transfer to hotel Da Nang or Hoi An: $6.41
- Private car transfer from Airport to Hoi An hotel: $6.70
- Hoi An: Transfer from Hoi An/ Da Nang hotel to DaNangAirport: $6.79
- From One-Way Shared Bus Transfer to Hoi An: $7.21
- Da Nang Airport Arrival Or Departure Luxury Car Transfers: $7.54
- Round Trip Shared Bus Transfer from Da Nang to Ba Na Hills: $7.60
- Da Nang International Airport Transfer To Da Nang/Hoi An Hotel: $8.00
- From Ba Na Hills Round Trip Shuttle Bus Transfer: $8.30
- From Round Trip Shared Bus Transfer to Ba Na Hills: $8.80
- DA NANG AIRPORT To Da Nang Hotel by PRIVATE TRANSFER: $8.95
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Shangri-La
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Shangri-La:
- Private Transfer from Shangri-la(Diqing) hotel to Lijiang/Shuhe hotel : $149
- Private Transfer from Shangri-La to Lijiang and Stops at Tiger Leaping Gorge: $160
Is it cheaper to fly into Da Nang or Shangri-La?
Prices for flights to both Shangri-La 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
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Food Meals for one dayDa Nang $17Shangri-La $33
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Da Nang
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Da Nang.
- Dragon bridge show and Da Nang local food tour: $4.19
- Explore Ba Na Hill, Golden Bridge in the sunset with dinner: $9.22
- Coffee Making and Cooking Class: $17
- Half Day Ba Na Hills – Golden bridge with Vietnamese Dinner: $21
- Da Nang Family Cooking Class - with Local Family in Da Nang: $23
- Da Nang Cooking: Market tour, farming, cooking and foot bath: $25
- Experience Vegan/Vegetarian Cooking Class in Da Nang : $25
- Vegetarian Cooking class and Basket Boat Riding: $25
- Experience Vegan/Vegetarian Cooking Class in Da Nang : $27
- Private Traditional Cooking Class and Pho with Local Girl : $29
- Da Nang Vegetarian Cooking Class: $29
- Da Nang Street Walking Food Tour : $29
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Da Nang $14Shangri-La $16
Tours and Activities in Da Nang
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Da Nang are as follows:
- Hoi An: Marble Mountain & Monkey Mountain in Afternoon Tour: $4.19
- Da Nang/Hoi An: My Son Sanctuary & Marble Mountain Tour: $4.19
- Sun World Asia Park Ticket: $5.75
- Super cheap and distinguished Ao Dai Experience in 2 hours - Ao dai retal: $6.16
- Han River Local Cruise by Night: $6.28
- Han River Cruise & Cham Dancing by Phu Quy Cruise: $6.29
- Scenic Han River Night Cruise On My Xuan Cruise.: $6.29
- Han River Tour - Da Nang Dragon Cruise: $8.38
- Ao Dai Experience in Da Nang: $10
- Bus to Ba Na, Golden Bridge with Cable Car ticket: $12
- Bus and Cable Car Ticket to Ba Na Hills & Golden Bridge: $12
- Monkey Mountain Paragliding Experience: $13
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 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
- 1 Day Shangri-la City Tour with Pudacuo National Park: $209
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayDa Nang $9.55Shangri-La $13
Sample the Local Flavors in Da Nang
Also in Da Nang, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Hai Van Pass/Son Tra Peak/Marble Mountain & Rice Wine Distillery: $79
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Da Nang and Shangri-La, we can see that Shangri-La 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 Shangri-La would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Shangri-La 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 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.