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

Should you visit Mount Kailash or Fiordland National Park?

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

Should I visit Mount Kailash or Fiordland National Park? 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: Mount Kailash or Fiordland National Park?

Mount Kailash

The main point of entry to Mount Kailash is a small village called Darchen. Once an important sheep station for nomads and their flocks, the village has now grown to provide for the pilgrims wishing to embark towards Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar. It contains a number of guest houses and restaurants as well as a hotel where pilgrims must get permission from the Public Security Bureau to make the trek around the mountain. Also in the village are a handful of small stores and kiosks, as well as some grounds for camping. It is about 330 km (a one-day bus drive) from the town of Shiquanhe to the northeast, where Gunsa Airport is located, offering flights twice a week to Lhasa and Chengdu.

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 Family-Friendly Tours to China, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in 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 Mount Kailash?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Mount Kailash is $71, 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 Mount Kailash and Fiordland National Park in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Mount Kailash $27
    Fiordland National Park $48
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Mount Kailash $54
    Fiordland National Park $96
Compare Hotels in Mount Kailash and Fiordland National Park

Looking for a hotel in Mount Kailash 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 Mount Kailash


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.
    Mount Kailash $31
    Fiordland National Park $42

Is it cheaper to fly into Mount Kailash or Fiordland National Park?

Prices for flights to both Fiordland National Park and Mount Kailash 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
    Mount Kailash $24
    Fiordland National Park $23

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Mount Kailash $15
    Fiordland National Park $20

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
    Mount Kailash $2.76
    Fiordland National Park $8.07


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

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