A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Mount Kailash vs. Fraser Island for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Mount Kailash or Fraser Island?

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

Should I visit Mount Kailash or Fraser Island? 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 Fraser Island?

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.

Fraser Island

Fraser Island, located off Australia's eastern Queensland coast, is the world's largest sand island. It is best known as a camping and ecotourism destination, with a number of panoramic viewpoints, beaches, lakes, and freshwater pools. Hervey Bay, a beachside city on the nearby mainland, is a primary gateway to the island.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to China, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in China, The Best Water Sports Tour Packages in Australia, and The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Australia.


Which place is cheaper, Fraser Island 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 Fraser Island is $206. 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 Fraser Island in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Mount Kailash $27
    Fraser Island $102
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Mount Kailash $54
    Fraser Island $204
Compare Hotels in Mount Kailash and Fraser Island

Looking for a hotel in Mount Kailash or Fraser Island? 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 Fraser Island


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
    Fraser Island $92

Is it cheaper to fly into Mount Kailash or Fraser Island?

Prices for flights to both Fraser Island 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
    Fraser Island $47

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Mount Kailash $15
    Fraser Island $44

Tours and Activities in Fraser Island

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Fraser Island are as follows:

  • 2 Hours Hervey Bay Funset Cruise: $52
  • Hervey Bay Ultimate Whale Watching Cruise: $72
  • Hervey Bay: Best Value Half Day Whale Watching Cruise : $79
  • Hervey Bay Whale Watching Cruise: $98
  • Hervey Bay: Half Day Whale watching & Island Stop Tour: $109
  • Remote K'gari (Fraser Island) & Whale Experience: $164
  • Remote Fraser Island Experience: $164
  • K'gari (Fraser Island) Day Tour: $180
  • K'gari/2-Day Tagalong Tour from Hervey Bay: $340

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Mount Kailash $2.76
    Fraser Island $20


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Mount Kailash and Fraser Island, we can see that Fraser Island 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 Fraser Island 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 Fraser Island would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Fraser Island 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 Fraser Island Expensive?.