A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Halong Bay vs. Yakushima for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Halong Bay or Yakushima?

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

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Halong Bay and Yakushima can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.

Where Should I go: Halong Bay or Yakushima?

Halong Bay

Halong Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the north of Vietnam, near the Chinese border. Known for its thousands of beautiful limestone karsts and stalactite-filled caves, it is one of the most visited destinations in Vietnam. If you appreciate natural scenery and want an adventure at sea, you'll love cruising among more than 1,900 islands in Ha Long Bay.

Yakushima

Yakushima, Japan is a UNESCO World Heritage island located north of Okinawa and off the south east of of Kyushu. The island is well-known to Japanese tourists but not so much to international ones, making it a bit of a hidden gem to international tourists. This also means that English isn't spoken as much as in larger cities, so make sure to brush up on your Japanese and bring a dictionary.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Ho Chi Minh City, The Best 10-Day Tours from Hanoi, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Japan, and The Best Luxury Tours to Japan.


Which place is cheaper, Yakushima or Halong Bay?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Halong Bay is $58, while the average daily cost in Yakushima is $116. 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 Halong Bay and Yakushima in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Halong Bay $28
    Yakushima $59
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Halong Bay $56
    Yakushima $118
Compare Hotels in Halong Bay and Yakushima

Looking for a hotel in Halong Bay or Yakushima? 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 Halong Bay


Hotels in Yakushima


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: Yakushima Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Halong Bay $14
    Yakushima $49

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Halong Bay

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Halong Bay:

  • Bus Transfer from Cat Ba island to Ninh Binh: $13
  • Bus/Private Transfer Cat Ba Island to Ninh Binh/ Ninh binh to Cat Ba: $19
  • Transfer From Halong to Ninh Binh: $25
  • Rosa Eco Bus Luxury Transfer Ha Long to Ha Noi: $27
  • Sunworld Halong theme park ticket with roundtrip transfer: $32
  • Transfer Ha Long to Ha Noi Super Limousine Morning Bus: $33
  • From Hanoi with Expessway Transfer to Halong Bay 1 Day Trip: $42
  • Halong Bay Day Tour Roundtrip Transfer by Expressway 2024 - 2025: $43
  • Small Group Halong Day Tour: Islands, Cave, Kayak. Lunch. Expressway Transfers: $45
  • Private Transfer from Halong Bay Cruise Port to Hanoi hotels: $46
  • Private Transfer from Halong Bay Port to Haiphong city hotels: $46
  • 6 Hours Sailing on Dragon King Cruise From Halong with Transfer: $50

Is it cheaper to fly into Halong Bay or Yakushima?

Prices for flights to both Yakushima and Halong Bay 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
    Halong Bay $16
    Yakushima $28

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Halong Bay

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

  • Ambassador Luxury Dinner Cruise in Halong Bay: $46
  • 1-day private Hanoi city tour with fun and night street walking food tour: $101
  • Luxury Aspira Cruise from Halong with kayaking,cave,cooking class: $175

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Halong Bay $16
    Yakushima $20

Tours and Activities in Halong Bay

Here are a few actual costs in Halong Bay for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • City Sightseeing Ha Long Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour : $19
  • Full Day Boat Tour in Halong Bay, Cat Ba Archipelago & Lan Ha Bay: $24
  • Best love - Full Day Boat Tour to Lan Ha Bay and Ha Long Bay: $26
  • Most favorite full day boat tour with kayaking in Lan Ha bay, Ha Long bay: $26
  • Ha Long Bay Day Tour with Lunch, Cave Explore & Titop Island: $29
  • From Cat Ba island: full day boat tour to Lan Ha bay - Ha Long bay: $32
  • Cruise and kayak on Lan Ha bay Ha Long bay with local experts: $32
  • Full Day Trip to Lan Ha Bay with Kayaking in less tourist Areas: $34
  • Lan Ha Bay Full Day Boat tour from Cat Ba island: $35
  • Lan Ha Bay day tour from Cat Ba Town - Serenity Premium Cruise: $35
  • Lan Ha Bay Full-Day Cruise From Cat Ba Town - Serenity Cruises: $36
  • One Day Lan Ha Bay with Cat Ba Expedition Tour: $37

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Halong Bay $12
    Yakushima $6.38


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

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


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