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

Should you visit Katoomba or Khao Yai 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 Yai 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 Yai 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 Yai National Park

Adventurous travelers are always in search of new terrain to conquer. At over 2,000 square kilometers, Khao Yai National Park is Thailand's second largest national park, and just full of jungles to trek through. In the southwest of Thailand is a sanctuary of mountains and waterfalls.

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 Adventure Tours to Thailand, and The Best Eco Tours in Thailand.

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Katoomba and Khao Yai National Park, we can see that Katoomba is more expensive. And not only is Khao Yai National Park much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Katoomba is in Pacific and Khao Yai 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 Yai National Park would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Khao Yai 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 Yai 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 Yai National Park Expensive?.

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

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

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

Both Khao Yai National Park and Katoomba during the summer are popular places to visit. Many visitors come to Katoomba in the summer for the hiking, the small town charm, and the family-friendly experiences. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Khao Yai National Park year-round.

Katoomba is cooler than Khao Yai National Park in the summer. The daily temperature in Katoomba averages around 24°C (74°F) in January, and Khao Yai National Park fluctuates around 28°C (83°F)in July.

It's quite sunny in Katoomba. In the summer, Katoomba often gets more sunshine than Khao Yai National Parkin July. Katoomba gets 236 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Khao Yai National Park receives 176 hours of full sun.

Khao Yai National Park gets a good bit of rain this time of year. It rains a lot this time of the year in Katoomba. Katoomba usually gets less rain in January than Khao Yai National Parkin July. Katoomba gets 105 mm (4.1 in) of rain, while Khao Yai National Park receives 315 mm (12.4 in) of rain this time of the year.

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

The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Katoomba and Khao Yai National Park. Most visitors come to Katoomba for the hiking trails, the shopping scene, the small town atmosphere, and the natural beauty of the area during these months. Khao Yai National Park attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.

In the autumn, Katoomba is much colder than Khao Yai National Park. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Katoomba in April average around 18°C (65°F), and Khao Yai National Park averages at about 28°C (82°F)in October.

People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Khao Yai National Park this time of the year. Katoomba usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as Khao Yai National Park during autumn. Katoomba gets 195 hours of sunny skies, while Khao Yai National Park receives 206 hours of full sun in the autumn.

Khao Yai National Park receives a lot of rain in the autumn. In April, Katoomba usually receives less rain than Khao Yai National Parkin October. Katoomba gets 79 mm (3.1 in) of rain, while Khao Yai National Park receives 173 mm (6.8 in) of rain each month for the autumn.

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

The winter brings many poeple to Katoomba as well as Khao Yai National Park. The winter months attract visitors to Katoomba because of the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine. The warm climate attracts visitors to Khao Yai National Park throughout the year.

In July, Katoomba is generally much colder than Khao Yai National Parkin January. Daily temperatures in Katoomba average around 11°C (51°F), and Khao Yai National Park fluctuates around 26°C (78°F).

The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Khao Yai National Park. People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Katoomba this time of the year. In the winter, Katoomba often gets less sunshine than Khao Yai National Parkin January. Katoomba gets 208 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Khao Yai National Park receives 276 hours of full sun.

Katoomba usually gets more rain in July than Khao Yai National Parkin January. Katoomba gets 34 mm (1.3 in) of rain, while Khao Yai National Park receives 9 mm (0.4 in) of rain this time of the year.

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

Both Khao Yai National Park and Katoomba are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities. The small town charm and the natural beauty are the main draw to Katoomba this time of year. Plenty of visitors come to Khao Yai National Park because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.

Katoomba is much colder than Khao Yai National Park in the spring. The daily temperature in Katoomba averages around 18°C (64°F) in October, and Khao Yai National Park fluctuates around 30°C (87°F)in April.

It's quite sunny in Khao Yai National Park. The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Katoomba. Katoomba usually receives less sunshine than Khao Yai National Park during spring. Katoomba gets 240 hours of sunny skies, while Khao Yai National Park receives 262 hours of full sun in the spring.

It rains a lot this time of the year in Khao Yai National Park. In October, Katoomba usually receives less rain than Khao Yai National Parkin April. Katoomba gets 66 mm (2.6 in) of rain, while Khao Yai National Park receives 128 mm (5.1 in) of rain each month for the spring.

Typical Weather for Khao Yai National Park and Katoomba