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

Should you visit Palawan or Royal Chitwan National Park?

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

Should I visit Palawan or Royal Chitwan 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 Royal Chitwan 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.

Royal Chitwan National Park

The majestic elephant, the silly monkey and dozens of soaring birds call the Royal Chitwan National Park home. At the foot of the Himalayas, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is 932 square kilometers of animal and plant life preservation in Nepal.

Once the favorite hunting ground for Nepal's ruling class, the area began seeing the endangerment of all the area animals. So in 1957, Nepal passed its first conservation law to protect the rhinos and their habitat. At the end of the 1960s, however, DDT had cleared 70% of Royal Chitwan National Park jungles, thousands of people had created moved in on the land and only 95 rhinos were left. By 1977 the park was under complete protection, enlarged to the present-day size and is one of the last refuges of the Bengal tiger.

This park, also known as "the heart of the jungle," provides over 70,000 annual visitors with opportunities to get close and personal with animals they've only seen in movies. Fair warning, however, the weather is quite hot and humid for most of the year.

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 from Pokhara, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Nepal.


Which place is cheaper, Royal Chitwan 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 Royal Chitwan National Park is $35. 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 Royal Chitwan National Park in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Palawan $13
    Royal Chitwan National Park $11
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Palawan $26
    Royal Chitwan National Park $22
Compare Hotels in Palawan and Royal Chitwan National Park

Looking for a hotel in Palawan or Royal Chitwan 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 Royal Chitwan 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 Royal Chitwan National Park Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Palawan $16
    Royal Chitwan National Park $22

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Palawan

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

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

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Royal Chitwan National Park

Also for Royal Chitwan National Park, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Chitwan to Kathmandu One Way Transfer by Private AC Car : $75

Is it cheaper to fly into Palawan or Royal Chitwan National Park?

Prices for flights to both Royal Chitwan 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
    Royal Chitwan National Park $9.44

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
    Royal Chitwan National Park $9.63

Tours and Activities in Palawan

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

  • El Nido Full Day Tour C with Buffet Lunch : $43
  • 2in1 City tour and museum with pick up at hotel or cruise port: $15
  • 3D2N El Nido Experience: $250
  • 3dayTour Underground river honda bay citytour w/ airport pick up: $125
  • 5D4N Puerto Princesa & El Nido Experience: $299
  • City Tour of Puerto Princesa: $35
  • City tour of Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines : $19
  • Coron Calauit Safari Tour E: $89
  • Coron Culion Island Escapade Private Tour: $132
  • Coron Island Escapade Group Tour with Island Lunch: $48
  • Coron Island Escapade Tour (Shared Tour): $50
  • Coron Island Escapade Tour C: $43

Tours and Activities in Royal Chitwan National Park

For Royal Chitwan National Park, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • 1 Night 2 Days Chitwan Safari Tour: $118
  • 2 Nights 3 Days Chitwan Jungle Safari Tour : $154
  • 3 Nights 4 Days Comfortable Chitwan Safari Tour: $195
  • Chitwan Jungle Safari Tour: $140
  • Chitwan Safari Tour : $160
  • Chitwan Tour Packages: $200
  • Experience the ride in Lowlands of Nepal: $62

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Palawan $7.49
    Royal Chitwan National Park $6.49


When comparing the travel costs between Palawan and Royal Chitwan National Park, we can see that Palawan is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Asia, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.

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