A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Kunming vs. Fiordland National Park for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Kunming or Fiordland 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 Kunming and Fiordland 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: Kunming or Fiordland National Park?

Kunming

Kunming, located in southern China, is the modern capital city of the Yunnan province. It is a transportation hub for visitors entering the region, and good transfer point to just about everywhere else in the province by train or bus. Within the city itself there are many things to see and do with a full range of parks and zoos, museums, temples, theatres, and scenic areas.

Fiordland National Park

One of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites, Fiordland National Park is New Zealand's largest park, as well as one of the largest in the world. Although it may be the largest, it is the least explored park in the country. The park takes up the southwest region of the south island. The Department of Conservation manages the park (like all of the other parks in the country) and they try to keep development minimal in efforts to protect the environment and manage human activity. When visiting the park, prepare for rain as the park as over 200 days of rain per year.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours from Beijing, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to China, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to New Zealand, and The Best Wildlife Tours to New Zealand.


Which place is cheaper, Fiordland National Park or Kunming?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Kunming is $67, while the average daily cost in Fiordland National Park is $97. 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 Kunming and Fiordland National Park in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Kunming $33
    Fiordland National Park $48
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Kunming $66
    Fiordland National Park $96
Compare Hotels in Kunming and Fiordland National Park

Looking for a hotel in Kunming or Fiordland National Park? 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 Kunming


Hotels in Fiordland National Park


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.


Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Kunming $13
    Fiordland National Park $42
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Kunming

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Kunming:


  • Taxi Ride
    $1.52

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kunming

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

  • [Airport Transfer] Kunming Changshui Airport ⇔ Kunming City Transfer ☆ High reputation for service! <Charter charter>: $36
  • Private Transfer from Kunming hotel to Guizhou Xingyi hotel: $240
  • Kunming Private Round Trip Transfer to Fuxianhu Lake: $90
  • Kunming Private Departure Transfer:City Hotel to Railway Station: $22
  • Kunming Changshui Airport Chauffeur Service, Kunming Airport Transfer, Pick up: $71
  • Kunming Airport Private Transfer - Charge by Vehicle: $48

Is it cheaper to fly into Kunming or Fiordland National Park?

Prices for flights to both Fiordland National Park and Kunming 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
    Kunming $22
    Fiordland National Park $23

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Kunming

For Kunming, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Kunming evening food tour with locals: $65
  • Private Kunming Night Tour with Dinner: $78

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Kunming $18
    Fiordland National Park $20

Tours and Activities in Kunming

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

  • 1-Day Self-Guided Stone Forest Geological Park Tour from Kunming: $106
  • 1-Day Stone Forest Geological Park Private Tour with the Lunch from Kunming: $201
  • Kunming Private Day Tour to Jiuxiang Cave with Boat Ride : $209
  • 1 Day Stone Forest & Jiuxiang Cave Tour: $196
  • 1- Day Kunming Short Hiking Tour: $122
  • 1-Day Dinosaur Tour in Kunming: $144
  • 1-Day Dongchuan Red Land Photography Private Tour from Kunming: $269
  • 1-Day Kunming Culture Tour: $156
  • 1-Day Kunming Scenery Tour: $122
  • 1-Day Kunming Temple and Market Tour: $122
  • 1-Day Kunming tour with the Green Lake,Bird & Flower market and Yuantong Temple: $201
  • 1-Day Private Tour:Stone Forest and Western Hill(Dragon Gate) from Kunming: $245

Tours and Activities in Fiordland National Park

For Fiordland National Park, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Te Anau: River Jet Boat and Bike Ride Tour with Local Guide: $130

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Kunming $17
    Fiordland National Park $8.07


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

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