A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Datong vs. Te Anau for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Datong or Te Anau?

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

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Datong or Te Anau, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.

Where Should I go: Datong or Te Anau?

Datong

If you're looking for an old world city, with a renovated feel, you might want to spend some time in Datong, China. This city was once walled-in and the newest initiative is to rebuild their great wall to maintain their old world charm. Datong is definitely done a lot to make itself a contender in the world of vacation destinations.

Te Anau

Te Anau is a town on the South Island of New Zealand, best-known as a gateway to Fiordland National Park and Milford Sound. The region is a major destination for ecotourism as it is home to rare species like the endangered flightless takahe bird and natural features like caves, waterfalls, forests, lakes, glacial valleys, and mountains.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Cultural Tours in China, The Best Luxury Tours to China, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in New Zealand, and The Best Adventure Tours to New Zealand.


Which place is cheaper, Te Anau or Datong?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Datong is $56, while the average daily cost in Te Anau is $98. 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 Datong and Te Anau in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Datong $23
    Te Anau $44
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Datong $46
    Te Anau $88
Compare Hotels in Datong and Te Anau

Looking for a hotel in Datong or Te Anau? 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 Datong


Hotels in Te Anau


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: Te Anau Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Datong $12
    Te Anau $27

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Datong

Also for Datong, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Transfer from Datong Railway Stations to Hotels in City Center: $35
  • Private Transfer Service from Yungang Airport to Datong Hotel: $29
  • Private One Way Transfer from Datong to Beijing : $211
  • Dunhuang Private Round Trip Transfer to Jiayuguan and Xuanbi Great Wall : $100
  • Private Round-Trip Transfer to Hanging Temple: $98
  • Datong Yungang Airport Chauffeur Service , to Datong Transfer: $12
  • Datong Hanging Temple Private Transfer from Hotel or Station: $69
  • Chengdu: Private Round-Trip Transfer to Leshan Budda: $128

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Te Anau

Also for Te Anau, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Kepler Water Taxi Transfer across Lake Te Anau: $15

Is it cheaper to fly into Datong or Te Anau?

Prices for flights to both Te Anau and Datong 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
    Datong $20
    Te Anau $27

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Datong $25
    Te Anau $47

Tours and Activities in Datong

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Datong.

  • 1-Day Pingyao tour from Datong and ends of Beijing or Xi'an by Bullet Train: $267
  • 1-Day Private Tour: Datong Highlights with the Lunch: $215
  • 4-8 hours Private Datong Great Wall Tour: $99
  • All Inclusive Datong Private Day Tour to Hanging Temple and Yungang Grottoes : $268
  • All Inclusive Datong Private Tour to Hanging Temple and Yingxian Wooden Pagoda: $238
  • All Inclusive Private Day Tour to Hanging Temple at Hengshan from Datong : $188
  • All-Inclusive Private Day Tour to Wooden Pagoda and Hanging Temple from Datong: $220
  • All-Inclusive Private Tour to Yungang Grottoes and Hanging Temple from Datong: $220
  • Datong Classic Day Tour: $135
  • Datong Day Tour to Yungang Grottoes and Hanging Temple: $203
  • Datong Hanging Temple Wooden Pagoda Self-guided Tour by Car: $95
  • Datong Private Day Tour to Deshengbu and Zhenchuankou Great Wall with Lunch: $190

Tours and Activities in Te Anau

For Te Anau, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Afternoon Te Anau Cruise on Historic Motor Yacht: $87
  • Champagne Sightseeing Cruise on Lake Te Anau: $87
  • Doubtful Sound Wilderness Cruise from Te Anau: $211
  • Doubtful Sound Wilderness Day Cruise from Manapouri: $229
  • Fiordland: Jet Boat & Nature Walk Experience from Te Anau: $106
  • From 1-Day Milford Sound Coach & Cruise: $136
  • From Milford Sound Coach Tour and Cruise: $110
  • From Milford Sound Coach, Cruise, and Walks: $146
  • From Milford Sound Cruise and Coach Day Trip: $122
  • From Milford Sound Tour with Cruise and Lunch: $154
  • From Premium Doubtful Sound Coach & Cruise: $237
  • Full-Day Milford Sound Extraordinaire Tour from Te Anau: $151

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Datong $12
    Te Anau $14


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Datong and Te Anau, we can see that Te Anau is more expensive. And not only is Datong much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Datong is in Asia and Te Anau is in Pacific, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Datong would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Datong 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 Te Anau would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Te Anau than you might in Datong.

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


Which is Bigger, Datong or Te Anau?

Datong has a larger population, and is about 510 times larger than the population of Te Anau. When comparing the sizes of Datong and Te Anau, 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.