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

Should you visit Mount Kailash or Yaeyama Islands?

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

Should I visit Mount Kailash or Yaeyama Islands? 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 Yaeyama Islands?

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.

Yaeyama Islands

The Yaeyama Islands is a cluster of islands located in the southwestern part of Japan, close to Taiwan. There are nine different islands, varying from small islets to large holiday resort islands. The Yaeyama Islands are one of the most popular destination in Japan due to their beautiful beaches and underwater ruins. Yaeyama is also known for having their own language and writing system. For the most part, everyone on the Islands speak Japanese, but you'll often find the Yaeyama writing on T-shirts in souvenir shops or scattered around Yaeyama.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to China, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in China, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Tokyo, and The Best 10-Day Tours from Tokyo.


Which place is cheaper, Yaeyama Islands 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 Yaeyama Islands is $93. 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 Yaeyama Islands in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Mount Kailash $27
    Yaeyama Islands $54
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Mount Kailash $54
    Yaeyama Islands $108
Compare Hotels in Mount Kailash and Yaeyama Islands

Looking for a hotel in Mount Kailash or Yaeyama Islands? 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 Yaeyama Islands


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: Yaeyama Islands Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Mount Kailash $31
    Yaeyama Islands $19

Is it cheaper to fly into Mount Kailash or Yaeyama Islands?

Prices for flights to both Yaeyama Islands 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
    Yaeyama Islands $28

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Mount Kailash $15
    Yaeyama Islands $8.62

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Mount Kailash $2.76
    Yaeyama Islands $6.28


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Mount Kailash and Yaeyama Islands, we can see that Yaeyama Islands is more expensive. And not only is Mount Kailash much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. 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 Yaeyama Islands would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Yaeyama Islands 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 Yaeyama Islands Expensive?.


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