A Travel Price Comparison for China Lhasa vs. Pingyao for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

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Should you visit Lhasa or Pingyao?

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

Should I visit Lhasa or Pingyao? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.

Where Should I go: Lhasa or Pingyao?

Lhasa

Lhasa is the famed capital of Tibet, and is one of the most fascinating cities in the world to visit. It's name means "Land of the Gods" and the city dates back more than 1,300 years. It's elevation is 3,650 meters above sea level, making it one of the highest cities in the world. It sits on the northern slopes of the Himalayan Mountains by the Lhasa River and is the second largest city on the Tibetan Plateau after Xining.

Pingyao

Pingyao is a small city in the Shanxi Province of China, dating back over 2700 years. The city is most famous for their old town, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The old town is one of the best preserved ancient walled cities in the world dating back to the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

The climate in Pingyao is influenced by monsoons, and therefore gets hot and humid summers and chillier springs. Autumn is a great time to visit as temperatures are fairly mild-in the 50-60's Fahrenheit- and you can avoid the heavy rains of summer. Winter is also a pleasant time to visit, especially since temperatures tend not to dip below 30 and there is not much snow or bad weather.

Which city is cheaper, Pingyao or Lhasa?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Lhasa is $59, while the average daily cost in Pingyao is $45. 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 city. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Lhasa and Pingyao in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Lhasa $33
    Pingyao $19
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Lhasa $66
    Pingyao $38
Compare Hotels in Lhasa and Pingyao

Looking for a hotel in Lhasa or Pingyao? 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 Lhasa


Hotels in Pingyao


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: Lhasa Hotel Prices and Pingyao Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Lhasa $2.15
    Pingyao $11

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Lhasa

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

  • Lhasa Private Arrival Transfer: Railway Station to Hotel: $89
  • Lhasa Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Railway Station: $89
  • Lhasa Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Airport: $89
  • Lhasa Kongga Airport Chauffeur Service, Lhasa Airport Transfer, Pickup: $260

Typical Local Transportation prices in Pingyao

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


  • Taxi to Train Station
    $1.45

Is it cheaper to fly into Lhasa or Pingyao?

Prices for flights to both Pingyao and Lhasa 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
    Lhasa $22
    Pingyao $16

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Lhasa

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

  • 4-Day Lhasa City Essential Group Tour including Hotel and Welcome Dinner: $592

Typical Food prices in Pingyao

Some typical examples of dining costs in Pingyao are as follows:


  • Casual Lunch (for 2)
    $5.21
  • Mango Juice
    $0.72

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Lhasa $14
    Pingyao $15

Tours and Activities in Lhasa

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

  • 4 Days Top Lhasa Group Tour: $53
  • Highlight Tibet Potala Palace Tour with Tibet Travel Expert Guide: $95
  • Day Tour: Tibet Ganden Monastery: $178
  • Day Tour: Tibet Drepung and Sera Monasteries: $180
  • Day Tour: Tibet Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple: $237
  • Tibet Entry Permit Plus Jokhang Temple & Barkhor Streets and Sera Monastery Tour: $263
  • Half- Day Potala Palace Tour from Lhasa: $278
  • 2-Day Lake Namtso Experience Small-Group Tour from Lhasa: $353
  • 2-Day Gyantse and Shigatse Tour from Lhasa: $359
  • Lhasa overview tour - 2 days: $360
  • The Best Bet 4 Days Lhasa Tour with Local Tibet Travel Expert: $421
  • 3-Night Essential Lhasa Tour: $474

Typical Entertainment prices in Pingyao

Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Pingyao are as follows:


  • All Day Bike Rental (for 2)
    $2.90
  • Temple Entrance Fee (for 2)
    $7.24
  • Bike Parking Fee (for 2)
    $0.58

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Lhasa $5.79
    Pingyao $11

About these numbers

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

Budget Your Trip

Budget Your Trip has average travel costs for thousands of cities around the world, all provided by other travelers. You can also register to organize your spending by category and location with graphs, maps, charts, and tables.
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Lhasa vs. Pingyao Travel Comparison

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