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

Should you visit Palawan or Mount Aspiring National Park ?

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

Should I visit Palawan or Mount Aspiring 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: Palawan or Mount Aspiring National Park ?

Palawan

Palawan is an archipelagic province of the Philippines, named for its largest island which measures about 450 kilometers (or 280 miles) long. The island is known as an ecological frontier with plenty of beaches and resorts as well as opportunities to see a diverse array of wildlife and their habitats on land and sea.

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 2-Week Tours in Philippines, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Philippines, 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 Palawan?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Palawan is $36, 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 Palawan and Mount Aspiring National Park in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Palawan $13
    Mount Aspiring National Park $59
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Palawan $26
    Mount Aspiring National Park $118
Compare Hotels in Palawan and Mount Aspiring National Park

Looking for a hotel in Palawan 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 Palawan


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: Palawan Hotel Prices and Mount Aspiring National Park Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Palawan $16
    Mount Aspiring National Park $49

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Palawan

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

  • Arrival Airport transfers from Puerto Princesa Airport to Hotels: $7.50
  • Shared Busuanga Airport to Coron Hotel Transfer: $10
  • Private Transfer From El Nido Lio Airport To El Nido Hotels: $20
  • Arrival airport transfer-Private airport to hotel in central area: $20
  • Private Puerto Princesa Airport Transfers: $29
  • El Nido (Lio) Airport Transfers: $50
  • Private Busuanga Airport to Coron Hotel Transfer: $79
  • Puerto Princesa - El Nido | Private Van Transfer: $149
  • Private Van Transfer : From El Nido to Puerto Princesa Palawan: $150
  • Private Transfer from El Nido to Port Barton Palawan: $150
  • Private Transfers Puerto Princesa To Elnido: $260

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

Prices for flights to both Mount Aspiring National Park and Palawan 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
    Palawan $11
    Mount Aspiring National Park $18

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Palawan

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

  • Puerto Princesa Fireflies Watching with Dinner: $40

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Palawan $5.24
    Mount Aspiring National Park $29

Tours and Activities in Palawan

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

  • 2in1 City tour and museum with pick up at hotel or cruise port: $15
  • Half-day Puerto Princesa City Tour: $15
  • Coron Town Tour with Maquinit Hot Spring: $16
  • Flyfish ride and Clear Kayak Experience in Coron: $17
  • City tour of Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines : $19
  • Coron Town Tour: $20
  • Coron Island Hopping Tour A with Kayangan Lake: $25
  • Joiners Puerto Princesa City Tour: $27
  • El Nido Tour D Full Day w/ Beach Lunch: $28
  • Coron Island Hopping Tour B with Skeleton Wreck & Barracuda Lake: $32
  • Coron Island Tour B: $34
  • firefly watching tour : $35

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Palawan $7.49
    Mount Aspiring National Park $5.09


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

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