A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Katoomba vs. Khao Sok National Park for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Katoomba or Khao Sok National Park?

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

Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Katoomba and Khao Sok National Park. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.

Where Should I go: Katoomba or Khao Sok National Park?

Katoomba

Designated an UNESCO World Heritage site in 2000, the Blue Mountains are located just west of Sydney in the highlands of New South Wales, Australia.

This area can be generally expensive, but is on par with other destinations in Australia and around Sydney. Plenty of luxury places can be found here that cost more than average, but plenty of cheaper places to stay can be found here, too. Expect to pay for various activities such as tours and entrance fees, too.

The landscape is sprawling with majestic scenery over a rugged terrain of steep cliffs, forests, waterfalls, and villages. Whether you come to hike, climb, bike, or drive to the scenic viewpoints, a curtain of tranquility falls upon the mountains in a blue haze from which they get their name.

Khao Sok National Park

In the south of Thailand, visitors will find a gorgeous getaway of pure nature. The Khao Sok National Park is a jungle reserve that covers over 700 square kilometers, and described as one of the most beautiful wildlife reserves in the country.

Many say this jungle is over 160 million years old making it one of the world's oldest rainforests. The lush environment of limestone, waterfalls and thickets of vegetation will make any wanderer eager to discover more. Keep your eyes peeled for bears, boars, gaurs, tapirs, gibbons, deer, marbled cats, wild elephants and more. Look to the sky for over 300 species of bird and 38 different types of bats.

You'll find the best time to book is from December to April, better known as the dry season. From June to October there is significantly more rain and the threat of monsoons. Not only does it rain on your parade, but also it causes the leeches to emerge.

To enter the park is a 300 baht fee for foreigners, 150 for children, and 40 for Thai citizens. If someone tries to sell you a ticket for more than that, simply buy one at the park entrance. When planning your stay remember that your entrance fee is only valid for 24 hours. If you're staying multiple days, you'll need to pay up front. Often if you're with a tour, the entrance fee is included in the tour price, but you should inquire about this to make sure.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Australia, The Best 10-Day Tours in Australia, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Thailand, and The Best 10-Day Tours in Thailand.

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

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Katoomba Expensive? and Is Khao Sok National Park Expensive?.

When is the best time to visit Katoomba or Khao Sok National Park?

Katoomba has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Khao Sok National Park experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.

Should I visit Katoomba or Khao Sok National Park in the Summer?

Both Khao Sok National Park and Katoomba are popular destinations to visit in the summer with plenty of activities. The hiking, the small town charm, and the family-friendly experiences are the main draw to Katoomba this time of year. Plenty of visitors come to Khao Sok National Park because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.

In January, Katoomba is generally cooler than Khao Sok National Parkin July. Daily temperatures in Katoomba average around 24°C (74°F), and Khao Sok National Park fluctuates around 28°C (82°F).

It's quite sunny in Khao Sok National Park. The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Katoomba. Katoomba usually receives more sunshine than Khao Sok National Park during summer. Katoomba gets 236 hours of sunny skies, while Khao Sok National Park receives 206 hours of full sun in the summer.

It rains a lot this time of the year in Khao Sok National Park. It's quite rainy in Katoomba. In January, Katoomba usually receives less rain than Khao Sok National Parkin July. Katoomba gets 105 mm (4.1 in) of rain, while Khao Sok National Park receives 284 mm (11.2 in) of rain each month for the summer.

Should I visit Katoomba or Khao Sok National Park in the Autumn?

Both Khao Sok National Park and Katoomba during the autumn are popular places to visit. Many travelers come to Katoomba for the hiking trails, the shopping scene, the small town atmosphere, and the natural beauty of the area. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Khao Sok National Park year-round.

Katoomba is cooler than Khao Sok National Park in the autumn. The daily temperature in Katoomba averages around 18°C (65°F) in April, and Khao Sok National Park fluctuates around 27°C (81°F)in October.

In the autumn, Katoomba often gets around the same amount of sunshine as Khao Sok National Parkin October. Katoomba gets 195 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Khao Sok National Park receives 181 hours of full sun.

Khao Sok National Park gets a good bit of rain this time of year. Katoomba usually gets less rain in April than Khao Sok National Parkin October. Katoomba gets 79 mm (3.1 in) of rain, while Khao Sok National Park receives 351 mm (13.8 in) of rain this time of the year.

Should I visit Katoomba or Khao Sok National Park in the Winter?

The winter attracts plenty of travelers to both Katoomba and Khao Sok National Park. Many visitors come to Katoomba in the winter for the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine. Khao Sok National Park attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.

In the winter, Katoomba is much colder than Khao Sok National Park. Typically, the winter temperatures in Katoomba in July average around 11°C (51°F), and Khao Sok National Park averages at about 27°C (80°F)in January.

People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Khao Sok National Park this time of the year. In Katoomba, it's very sunny this time of the year. Katoomba usually receives less sunshine than Khao Sok National Park during winter. Katoomba gets 208 hours of sunny skies, while Khao Sok National Park receives 287 hours of full sun in the winter.

In July, Katoomba usually receives less rain than Khao Sok National Parkin January. Katoomba gets 34 mm (1.3 in) of rain, while Khao Sok National Park receives 42 mm (1.7 in) of rain each month for the winter.

Should I visit Katoomba or Khao Sok National Park in the Spring?

The spring brings many poeple to Katoomba as well as Khao Sok National Park. Most visitors come to Katoomba for the small town charm and the natural beauty during these months. The warm climate attracts visitors to Khao Sok National Park throughout the year.

In October, Katoomba is generally much colder than Khao Sok National Parkin April. Daily temperatures in Katoomba average around 18°C (64°F), and Khao Sok National Park fluctuates around 29°C (83°F).

The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Khao Sok National Park. People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Katoomba this time of the year. In the spring, Katoomba often gets around the same amount of sunshine as Khao Sok National Parkin April. Katoomba gets 240 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Khao Sok National Park receives 249 hours of full sun.

It's quite rainy in Khao Sok National Park. Katoomba usually gets less rain in October than Khao Sok National Parkin April. Katoomba gets 66 mm (2.6 in) of rain, while Khao Sok National Park receives 157 mm (6.2 in) of rain this time of the year.

Typical Weather for Khao Sok National Park and Katoomba