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

Should you visit Pai or Mount Aspiring National Park ?

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

Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Pai and Mount Aspiring National Park. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.

Where Should I go: Pai or Mount Aspiring National Park ?

Pai

As the lush green mountains adorn the blue horizon amidst its creamy clouds, Pai, in northern Thailand, works as one of the many hubs for some of the world's most exciting cultural adventures and natural wonders. Within this small town just north of the Mae Hong Son Province, near the Myanmar border, Pai lays on the Pai River and holds a population of no more than 2,500. Despite its geographical insignificance, this town attracts a wide array of tourists. From breathtaking waterfalls to relaxing hot springs, you will find yourself astonished at how much this little city holds within its borders.

Mount Aspiring National Park

Mount Aspiring National Park is located within the Southern Alps on the South Island of New Zealand in the Otago region. The park is named after one of New Zealand's highest peaks, Mt Aspiring, and is one of the best places to hike in the country. It is part of the Southwest New Zealand World Heritage Area and one of the many locations of filming for the Lord of the Rings movies. The closest towns to this park are Haast, Makarora, Wanaka, and Glenorchy. One of New Zealand's great walks is located in this park, the Routeburn track, and is very popular among travelers heading to New Zealand for long hikes through the beautiful scenery.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best G Adventures Tours to Thailand, The Best 3-Day Tours from Phuket, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in New Zealand, and The Best 2-Week Tours in New Zealand.


Which place is cheaper, Mount Aspiring National Park or Pai?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Pai is $64, while the average daily cost in Mount Aspiring National Park is $109. 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 Pai and Mount Aspiring National Park in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Pai $14
    Mount Aspiring National Park $59
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Pai $28
    Mount Aspiring National Park $118
Compare Hotels in Pai and Mount Aspiring National Park

Looking for a hotel in Pai or Mount Aspiring 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 Pai


Hotels in Mount Aspiring 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: Pai Hotel Prices and Mount Aspiring National Park Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Pai $37
    Mount Aspiring National Park $49

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Pai

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

  • Pa Pae Meditation: Private Car transfer to/from Chiang Mai: $70
  • Chiang Mai Private Car transfer to or from Pai(Mae Hong Son): $107
  • Chiang Mai Hotel Transfer: to/from Pai Hotel: $132
  • Chiang Mai City to/from Pai Hotel: Private Transfer: $132
  • Chiang Mai Hotel Transfer: to/from Pai Hotel: $149
  • Transfer and Tour to Pai / Chiang Mai: $149

Is it cheaper to fly into Pai or Mount Aspiring National Park ?

Prices for flights to both Mount Aspiring National Park and Pai 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
    Pai $21
    Mount Aspiring National Park $18

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Pai $40
    Mount Aspiring National Park $29

Tours and Activities in Pai

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

  • Jungle Tipsy Tubing Experience with Shots: $6.76

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Pai $13
    Mount Aspiring National Park $5.09


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

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