A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Saint Thomas vs. Yosemite National Park for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Saint Thomas or Yosemite National Park?

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

Should I visit Saint Thomas or Yosemite 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: Saint Thomas or Yosemite National Park?

Saint Thomas

Saint Thomas is a beautiful island in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Together with St. John, St. Croix, and Water Island, it forms the unincorporated territory of the United States. The island is also home to the territorial capital and port of Charlotte Amalie. The island's population is just over 50,000, which is slightly less than half of the territory's total population.

Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park is located in east-central California in the Sierra Nevada mountains. It's one of the most famous and popular parks in the country and is known for its breathtaking granite cliffs, dramatic waterfalls, clear streams, and giant sequoia groves. The park covers 750,000 acres, or 1,200 square miles, and includes thousands of lakes and ponds and an impressive range of biodiversity. There are 800 miles of hiking trails within the park as well. Yosemite National Park is the third most visited park within the United States with an average annual visitation of almost 4 million people.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Luxury Tours to United States of America, and The Best Tours for Seniors to United States of America.


Which place is cheaper, Yosemite National Park or Saint Thomas?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Saint Thomas is $218, while the average daily cost in Yosemite National Park is $129. 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 Saint Thomas and Yosemite National Park in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Saint Thomas $131
    Yosemite National Park $64
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Saint Thomas $262
    Yosemite National Park $128
Compare Hotels in Saint Thomas and Yosemite National Park

Looking for a hotel in Saint Thomas or Yosemite 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 Saint Thomas


Hotels in Yosemite 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: Yosemite National Park Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Saint Thomas $37
    Yosemite National Park $41
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Saint Thomas

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Saint Thomas are as follows:


  • Scooter Rental
    $65
  • Taxi Ride
    $5.00

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Saint Thomas

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

  • Private Transfer from Charlotte Amalie Port to Charlotte Amalie: $28
  • Cyril E. King Airport STT to Charlotte Amalie Arrival Transfer: $49
  • Charlotte Amalie to Cyril E. King Airport(STT)-Departure Transfer: $49
  • St Thomas to St Thomas Airport Private Departure Transfer: $109
  • St Thomas Airport to St Thomas Arrival Private Transfer: $109
  • Cyril E.King Airport (STT) to St.Thomas-Arrival Private Transfer : $109
  • St.Thomas island to Cyril E. King Airport(STT)-Departure Transfer: $109
  • PARADISE TAXI & TOURS USVI-St.Thomas-Airport Transfer to Marriott Frenchman Cove: $110
  • Paradise Taxi & Tours USVI-St.Thomas-Airport Transfer Bluebeard’s / Yacht Haven: $110
  • Vi Top Taxi -St.Thomas Airport Transfer to Marriott Frenchman Cove : $110
  • Vi Top Taxi &Tours -Airport Transfer Bluebeard's/Yacht Haven : $110
  • Vi Top Taxi & Tours -Airport Transfer to Bolongo Bay/ Limetree: $110

Is it cheaper to fly into Saint Thomas or Yosemite National Park?

Prices for flights to both Yosemite National Park and Saint Thomas 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
    Saint Thomas $54
    Yosemite National Park $40

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Saint Thomas

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

  • Sunset & Harbor Lights Dinner Sail from the Marriott's Frenchman's Cove: $109
  • Afternoon Snorkel, Pizza & Sunset Tour departing from St. Thomas & St. John: $110
  • Flavors of St Thomas Walking Food Tour : $111
  • St. John Dinner Sail to Lovango with Open Bar and Hors d'Oeuvres - Westin: $119
  • Cruz Bay - PiZZA Pi Snorkel Sail: $159
  • St. Thomas Dinner Sail to Lovango w/ Open Bar and Hors D'oeuvres - Ritz-Carlton: $159
  • PiZZA Pi Snorkel Sail from Frenchman's Reef: $169
  • Waterfront Harbor Dinner Sail from Frenchman's Reef: $209
  • St Thomas Legends Luxury Dinner Sail from the Ritz Carlton: $209
  • Swim w/Turtles at St. John, Pizza Pi & Snorkel a shipwreck. : $250

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Saint Thomas $60
    Yosemite National Park $19

Tours and Activities in Saint Thomas

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Saint Thomas.

  • Unforgettable Charlotte Amalie: Self-Guided Audio Tour: $15
  • Nature and Sightseeing Tour at Phantasea Tropical Botanical Garden: $16
  • Scavenger Hunt Adventure in the US Virgin Islands: $27
  • Coral World Ocean Park General Admission Ticket: $29
  • Admission Ticket to Coral World Ocean Park & Coki Beach: $35
  • Admission Ticket to Coral World & Coki Point Beach with Snorkeling: $40
  • Cruise Ship Port Shuttle to St John Ferry : $44
  • Cruise Ship Suttle to Ferry going to St. John: $45
  • Sunset Kayak Tour in the Mangrove Lagoon, St Thomas: $49
  • Paradise Taxi & Tours USVI - St. Thomas, Virgin Islands- Island Scenic Tour: $49
  • Saint Thomas Half-Day Shopping and Sightseeing Tour: $55
  • Two-Hour Sightseeing Excursion : $58

Tours and Activities in Yosemite National Park

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Yosemite National Park are as follows:

  • Big Trees Hike & Riverside Cookout Adventure: $180
  • Family Fun Private Half Day Fly Fishing Adventure: $215
  • Full-Day Small Group Yosemite & Glacier Point Tour Including Hotel Pickup: $169
  • Private Guided Hiking Tour in Yosemite: $293
  • Semi Private Yosemite Tour with Ahwahnee Lunch and Hotel Pickup: $250
  • Waterfalls of Yosemite: Customizable Private Tour: $495
  • Yosemite Full Day Small Group High Country / Mariposa Tour: $299
  • Yosemite Highlights Small Group Tour: $200
  • Yosemite National Park Audio Driving Tour: $11
  • Yosemite Panorama Trail Self-Guided Audio Tour: $15
  • Yosemite Self-Guided Audio Tour: $14
  • Yosemite Valley & Glacier Point Adaptive Tour: $180

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Saint Thomas $27
    Yosemite National Park $11

Sample the Local Flavors in Saint Thomas

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Saint Thomas:

  • Wine Tasting with Fine Art Downtown Experience: $60


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

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