A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Kyoto vs. Royal Chitwan National Park for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Kyoto or Royal Chitwan National Park?

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

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Kyoto and Royal Chitwan National Park 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: Kyoto or Royal Chitwan National Park?

Kyoto

Kyoto is a larger city of Japan, though it is very much set in the old ways. With quiet temples, sublime gardens, colorful shrines, and geisha walking amidst a city surrounded by stunning mountains, Kyoto feels like a world of another time and place. True to ancient Japanese tradition, most aspects of daily life are tied closely with the changing of the seasons.

Royal Chitwan National Park

The majestic elephant, the silly monkey and dozens of soaring birds call the Royal Chitwan National Park home. At the foot of the Himalayas, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is 932 square kilometers of animal and plant life preservation in Nepal.

Once the favorite hunting ground for Nepal's ruling class, the area began seeing the endangerment of all the area animals. So in 1957, Nepal passed its first conservation law to protect the rhinos and their habitat. At the end of the 1960s, however, DDT had cleared 70% of Royal Chitwan National Park jungles, thousands of people had created moved in on the land and only 95 rhinos were left. By 1977 the park was under complete protection, enlarged to the present-day size and is one of the last refuges of the Bengal tiger.

This park, also known as "the heart of the jungle," provides over 70,000 annual visitors with opportunities to get close and personal with animals they've only seen in movies. Fair warning, however, the weather is quite hot and humid for most of the year.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours from Tokyo, The Best 2-Week Tours from Tokyo, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Pokhara, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Nepal.


Which place is cheaper, Royal Chitwan National Park or Kyoto?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Kyoto is $96, while the average daily cost in Royal Chitwan National Park is $35. 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 Kyoto and Royal Chitwan National Park in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Kyoto $63
    Royal Chitwan National Park $11
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Kyoto $126
    Royal Chitwan National Park $22
Compare Hotels in Kyoto and Royal Chitwan National Park

Looking for a hotel in Kyoto or Royal Chitwan 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 Kyoto


Hotels in Royal Chitwan 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.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Kyoto Hotel Prices and Royal Chitwan National Park Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Kyoto $7.55
    Royal Chitwan National Park $22

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kyoto

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Kyoto:

  • Shared Departure Transfer : Kyoto City to Kansai International Airport: $67
  • Private departure transfer from Kyoto city to Kansai International airport: $107
  • Osaka City to/from Kyoto City Private transfer: $221
  • Osaka (Itami) Airport to/from Kyoto City Private Transfer: $136
  • Osaka (Itami) Airport ITM Private Transfer to/from Kyoto: $212
  • One-Way Private Transfer to/from Itami Airport: $316
  • Customizable Private Tour with Hotel Transfers: $504
  • Kyoto Early Bird Half Day Private Tour with Transfer: $292
  • Kansai Intl. Airport KIX Private Transfer to/from Kyoto: $222
  • Kansai Int Airport to/from Kyoto City Private Transfer: $264
  • Kansai Airport (KIX): Private One-Way Transfer to/from Kyoto: $207
  • From Private 1-Way Transfer to Kansai Airport: $316

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Royal Chitwan National Park

Also for Royal Chitwan National Park, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Chitwan to Kathmandu One Way Transfer by Private AC Car : $75

Is it cheaper to fly into Kyoto or Royal Chitwan National Park?

Prices for flights to both Royal Chitwan National Park and Kyoto 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
    Kyoto $24
    Royal Chitwan National Park $9.44

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Kyoto

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

  • Private Cooking Class Udon in Kyoto Japan: $40
  • Japanese Washoku Bento Cooking Class with Lunch: $41
  • Nishiki Market Brunch Walking Food Tour: $45
  • Japanese Home Cooking Lesson with Local Hosts in Peaceful Kyoto Suburb Otsu: $49
  • Kyoto Nishiki Market & Depachika: 2-hours Food Tour with a Local: $59
  • Afternoon Japanese Izakaya Cooking Class: $59
  • Morning Japanese Bento Cooking Class: $59
  • Japanese Cooking Class: $60
  • Japanese Udon and Sushi Cooking Class with Tastings: $62
  • Wagashi(Japanese sweets) Cooking :Kyoto near Fushimiinari: $63
  • Bento Box Cooking Class: $66
  • Izakaya Style Cooking Class: $66

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Kyoto $13
    Royal Chitwan National Park $9.63

Tours and Activities in Kyoto

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

  • Bar Hopping Private Tour in Kyoto: $48
  • Kyoto Private Full-day Walking Tour from Kyoto Station: $149
  • "Unlock Kyoto's Charm: Government-Certified Group Tour: $90
  • 1 Day Hiking Tour in the Mountains of Kyoto: $169
  • 1-Hour Japanese Archery Experience in Kyoto: $38
  • 10 Hrs Full day Kyoto Tour w/Hotel Pick-up: $568
  • 2 Hour Night Walking Tour Throughout Gion in a Small Group: $32
  • 2 Hours Shared Kendo Experience In Kyoto Japan: $116
  • 2-Hour Shopping Tour Plan / private: $126
  • 3 Hour Private Bar Hopping Experience at Kyoto City: $39
  • 3 Hours Kyoto Insider Sake Experience: $84
  • 3-Hour Japanese Sake Breweries Tour in Fushimi Kyoto: $105

Tours and Activities in Royal Chitwan National Park

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

  • Experience the ride in Lowlands of Nepal: $62
  • 1 Night 2 Days Chitwan Safari Tour: $118
  • Chitwan Jungle Safari Tour: $140
  • 2 Nights 3 Days Chitwan Jungle Safari Tour : $154
  • Chitwan Safari Tour : $160
  • 3 Nights 4 Days Comfortable Chitwan Safari Tour: $195
  • Chitwan Tour Packages: $200

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Kyoto $12
    Royal Chitwan National Park $6.49

Sample the Local Flavors in Kyoto

Also in Kyoto, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Japanese Sake Brewery and Fushimi Inari Sightseeing Tour: $18
  • Sake Brewery and Tasting Tour in Fushimi: $80
  • Insider Sake Brewery Tour with Sake and Food Pairing: $83
  • Rural Brewery Town Walk: Half-Day Private Tour Near Kyoto: $97
  • Kyoto Sake Brewery Tour: $153
  • Rural Villages & Brewery Town: Private 1-Day Cycling Near Kyoto: $181
  • Kyoto Sake Bar and Pub Crawl (Food & Sake Tour): $189
  • Kyoto Sake Bar and Pub Crawl (Food & Sake Tour): $195
  • Private Guided Local Bar Crawl Experience in Kyoto: $223
  • Kyoto Nightlife: Local Bar Crawl Experience: $435


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

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