Which place is cheaper, Shangri-La or Royal Chitwan National Park?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Royal Chitwan National Park or Shangri-La?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Royal Chitwan National Park or Shangri-La, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Royal Chitwan National Park or Shangri-La?
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.
Shangri-La
The original Shangri-La existed in the fictional world of James Hilton's novel "The Lost Horizon." It was a hidden paradise, a place so beautiful that it couldn't possibly exist on earth. The Shangri-La that exists in Yunnan, China today was renamed from its former title Zhongdian in 2001 in order to associate the place with the mystical allure created in Hilton's novel. Visitors come to admire the traditional monasteries and temples set against a backdrop of mountain preserves and pristine lakes.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Pokhara, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Nepal, The Best 2-Week Tours from Beijing, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to China.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayRoyal Chitwan National Park $35Shangri-La $46
The average daily cost (per person) in Royal Chitwan National Park is $35, while the average daily cost in Shangri-La is $46. 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 Royal Chitwan National Park and Shangri-La in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personRoyal Chitwan National Park $11Shangri-La $19
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomRoyal Chitwan National Park $22Shangri-La $38
Compare Hotels in Royal Chitwan National Park and Shangri-La
Looking for a hotel in Royal Chitwan National Park or Shangri-La? 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.
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: Royal Chitwan National Park Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Royal Chitwan National Park $22Shangri-La $10
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Shangri-La
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Shangri-La:
- Private Transfer from Shangri-la(Diqing) hotel to Lijiang/Shuhe hotel : $149
- Private Transfer from Shangri-La to Lijiang and Stops at Tiger Leaping Gorge: $160
Is it cheaper to fly into Royal Chitwan National Park or Shangri-La?
Prices for flights to both Shangri-La and Royal Chitwan National Park 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
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Food Meals for one dayRoyal Chitwan National Park $9.44Shangri-La $19
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Royal Chitwan National Park $9.63Shangri-La $16
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:
- Experience the ride in Lowlands of Nepal: $62
- 1 Night 2 Days Chitwan Safari Tour: $118
- Chitwan Jungle Safari Tour: $140
- 2 Nights 3 Days Chitwan Jungle Safari Tour : $154
- Chitwan Safari Tour : $160
- 3 Nights 4 Days Comfortable Chitwan Safari Tour: $195
- Chitwan Tour Packages: $200
Tours and Activities in Shangri-La
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Shangri-La are as follows:
- 1 Day Shangri-la City Tour with Pudacuo National Park: $209
- 1 day Shangri-La Highlights Mini Private Tour: $117
- 1-Day Shangri-La Private Tour: Potatso National Park and Baiji Temple: $169
- 1-Day Shangri-La Tour to Ganden Monastery, Nixi Pottery Village and Tibetan Town: $185
- 1-Day Shangri-La tour with Ganden Monastery, Napahai Lake and Tibetan Town: $190
- Private tour Songzanlin Monastry & Tibetan lunch from Zhongdian: $199
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayRoyal Chitwan National Park $6.49Shangri-La $13
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Royal Chitwan National Park and Shangri-La, we can see that Shangri-La is more expensive. And not only is Royal Chitwan National Park much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Royal Chitwan National Park would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Royal Chitwan National Park 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 Shangri-La would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Shangri-La than you might in Royal Chitwan National Park.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Royal Chitwan National Park Expensive? and Is Shangri-La Expensive?.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.