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

Should you visit Da Nang or Zhangye?

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

Should I visit Da Nang or Zhangye? 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 Zhangye?

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.

Zhangye

Zhangye, China is a city in the Gansu Province in the central north part of the country, close to Mongolia. This ancient city has often been used as a military strong hold, having been the headquarters of General Huo among many others. Zhangye is a fabulous day trip city to visit when staying in larger nearby cities.

Zhangye is privy to beautiful summer weather, with lots of sunshine and temperatures in the high 70's Fahrenheit. The best times to visit are between July and September, when temperatures and sunshine are at their highest. Autumn, Winter, and Spring tend to be a little chillier and rainier.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Vietnam, The Best Eco Tours in Vietnam, The Best Historical Tours in China, and The Best 10-Day Tours in China.


Which place is cheaper, Zhangye or Da Nang?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Da Nang is $46, while the average daily cost in Zhangye is $85. 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 Zhangye in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Da Nang $19
    Zhangye $38
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Da Nang $38
    Zhangye $76
Compare Hotels in Da Nang and Zhangye

Looking for a hotel in Da Nang or Zhangye? 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 Zhangye


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
    Zhangye $38

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Da Nang

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Da Nang:

  • Airport Transfer to Hotel Da Nang city center: $6.15
  • Da Nang International Airport Private Transfer: $6.52
  • Private transfer from Airport Da Nang/ Hoi An hotel: $6.57
  • Private and Shuttle Transfers: Da Nang Airport - Hoi An City: $6.57
  • Da Nang Airport Arrival Or Departure Luxury Car Transfers: $7.39
  • Da Nang Airport transfer to Hoi An/ Hue/ Chu Lai or Quang Ngai: $8.00
  • Transfer from Da Nang to Hoi An: $8.00
  • From Ba Na Hills Round Trip Shuttle Bus Transfer: $9.03
  • Da Nang Airport Private Arrival Transfer: $10
  • DA NANG AIRPORT To Da Nang Hotel by PRIVATE TRANSFER: $10
  • Try find better than us! Airport Transfer in Da Nang HTL-APT (DAD): $10
  • Try find better than us! Airport Transfer in Da Nang APT-HTL (DAD): $10

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Zhangye

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Zhangye:

  • Private Airport Transfer: Zhangye Hotel to Zhangye Airport (YZY): $59
  • Private Airport Transfer: Zhangye Airport (YZY) to Zhangye Hotel: $59

Is it cheaper to fly into Da Nang or Zhangye?

Prices for flights to both Zhangye 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 $16
    Zhangye $25

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: $4.10
  • Home Cooking Class: $22
  • Vegetarian Cooking class and Basket Boat Riding: $25
  • Happy Cooking Class in Danang : $26
  • Cooking Class and tasting Pho with Local Girl: $29
  • Vegetarian Home Cooking Class Da Nang: $29
  • Eco Cooking Class and Basket boat tour from Da Nang city: $29
  • Da Nang Home Cooking Class: $29
  • Da Nang Street Walking Food Tour : $29
  • Basket Boat Riding and Cooking Class from Da Nang City : $29
  • Da Nang Vegetarian Cooking Class: $29
  • Making Lantern & Basket Boat & Happy Cooking Class: $30

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Da Nang $13
    Zhangye $10

Tours and Activities in Da Nang

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

  • The private tour to Golden Bridge and Marble mountain: $2.05
  • Vietnamese Tradition Combo Ao dai Coffee and Banh mi Private Tour: $2.83
  • From Monkey Mountain Hidden Gems Full-Day Tour: $4.10
  • Local Food Private Walking Tour: $4.10
  • Han River by night on boat cruise in Da Nang: $5.50
  • Han River Cruise & Cham Dancing by Phu Quy Cruise: $6.15
  • Scenic Han River Night Cruise On My Xuan Cruise.: $6.15
  • Han River Local Cruise by Night: $6.15
  • Super cheap and distinguished Ao Dai Experience in 2 hours - Ao dai retal: $6.16
  • Han River Cruise Evening Ticket in Danang City: $7.50
  • Da Nang Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $7.65
  • Da Nang Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $7.78

Tours and Activities in Zhangye

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

  • Zhangye One Day City Tour: $77
  • Private day tour to Zhangye Danxia Landform the Rainbow Mountain: $150
  • Private day tour to Zhangye Mati temple & Giant Buddha Temple start from Zhangye: $155
  • Zhangye Danxia Half Day tour: $195
  • Zhangye Rainbow Danxia Private Day Tour: $214
  • Private Hiking Tour: Pingshanhu Grand Canyon and the Horse Hoof Temple Grottoes: $235
  • Private Day Tour: Horse Hoof Temple Grottoes and Zhangye Danxia Landform: $299
  • Private Hiking Tour: Binggou Danxia and Zhangye Danxia Geopark from Zhangye: $299

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Da Nang $9.39
    Zhangye $6.90


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


Which is Bigger, Da Nang or Zhangye?

Da Nang has a larger population, and is about 8 times larger than the population of Zhangye. When comparing the sizes of Da Nang and Zhangye, 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.