Should you visit South Lake Tahoe or Hood River?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between South Lake Tahoe or Hood River, this travel cost comparison can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
South Lake Tahoe
South Lake Tahoe is the largest town on the famous Lake Tahoe that straddles the California-Nevada border in the Sierra Mountain Range. Located just south of Reno, Nevada and about 2 hours east of Sacramento, the Lake Tahoe area is easily accessible to many visitors.
Lake Tahoe is known for skiing and other winter sports, as well as plenty of warm weather activities such as hiking, swimming, boating, mountain biking, and more.
South Lake Tahoe has plenty of accommodations, restaurants, bars, and shopping. This is a good town to base yourself if you're looking to explore the area, as it has a large number of amenities.
Located on the Nevada side of South Lake Tahoe is the town of Stateline. Here you can find some casinos, as gambling is legal in Nevada.
If you're looking to go skiing or snowboarding, the Heavenly Ski Resort can be found on the southern edge of the town of South Lake Tahoe. Naturally, more ski resorts are located around the lake as well.
As swimming is also popular, several beach areas are on the southern section of the lake including the Regan Memorial City Beach, Lakeside Beach, Pope Beach, Emerald Bay State Park, and the Edgewood Resort area (on the Nevada side).
Hood River
The city of Hood River is the seat of Hood River County, Oregon, United States. It is a port on the Columbia River, and is named for the nearby Hood River. The dynamic town of Hood River is one of the best windsurfing and kiteboarding destinations in the world. Strong river currents, prevailing westerly winds and a vast body of water provide the perfect conditions for these wind sports, attracting sometimes hundreds of photogenic enthusiasts who zip back and forth across the wide Columbia River.
Which city is cheaper, Hood River or South Lake Tahoe?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in South Lake Tahoe is $94, while the average daily cost in Hood River is $116. 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 city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for South Lake Tahoe and Hood River in more detail.
Accommodation
A hotel room in South Lake Tahoe is about $86 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
An average hotel room with basic furnishings costs about $124 in Hood River For the most convenient locations and nicer amenities you can expect to pay a bit more.
Local Transportation
The average price of local transportation around South Lake Tahoe is $20 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Hood River than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $37 on transportation in Hood River on average per day.
Is it cheaper to fly into South Lake Tahoe or Hood River?
Prices for flights to both Hood River and South Lake Tahoe 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
On average, meal and food prices in South Lake Tahoe cost around $30 per person, per day. While this price can vary widely by location, the type of restaurant, and the amount of food ordered, a typical meal often costs around $12.
In Hood River travelers spend around $32 a day on food. You can save money by choosing casual restaurants or food stalls, or you can spend plenty more by dining in nicer restaurants at every meal.
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Food
Meals for one day
South Lake Tahoe $30
Hood River $32
Entertainment
South Lake Tahoe's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $45 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
Sightseeing expenses in Hood River, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $14 per day, per person.
Tours and Activities in South Lake Tahoe
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for South Lake Tahoe are as follows:
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2 Hour Small Group Sailing Cruise Lake Tahoe:
$99
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Emerald Bay Helicopter Tour of Lake Tahoe:
$94
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Full-Day Lake Tahoe Circle Tour including Squaw Valley:
$62
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Lake Tahoe Helicopter Tour: Circle the Lake:
$392
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Lake Tahoe Ultimate Photography Scenic Half-Day Tour in Small-Group:
$179
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Tahoe Helicopter Tour: Lakes and Waterfalls:
$265
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Tahoe's Sand Harbor Helicopter Tour:
$265
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Zephyr Cove Helicopter Tour:
$180
Tours and Activities in Hood River
For Hood River, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Hood River Scavenger Hunt Walking Tour:
$29
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Oregon Wine Country Experience - All-Inclusive Tour by Bike or Shuttle:
$184
Alcohol
The average person spends about $28 on alcoholic beverages in South Lake Tahoe per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Typically, people visiting Hood River spend on average $15 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between South Lake Tahoe and Hood River, we can see that Hood River is more expensive. And not only is South Lake Tahoe much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to South Lake Tahoe would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in South Lake Tahoe 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 Hood River would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Hood River than you might in South Lake Tahoe.
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