A Travel Price Comparison for United States of America South Lake Tahoe vs. Hood River for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

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Should you visit South Lake Tahoe or Hood River?

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

If you're trying to decide where to visit between South Lake Tahoe or Hood River, 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: South Lake Tahoe or Hood River?

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. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for South Lake Tahoe and Hood River in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    South Lake Tahoe $43
    Hood River $62
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    South Lake Tahoe $86
    Hood River $124
Compare Hotels in South Lake Tahoe and Hood River

Looking for a hotel in South Lake Tahoe or Hood River? 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 South Lake Tahoe


Hotels in Hood River


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: South Lake Tahoe Hotel Prices and Hood River Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    South Lake Tahoe $20
    Hood River $37

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
  • Food Meals for one day
    South Lake Tahoe $30
    Hood River $32

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    South Lake Tahoe $45
    Hood River $14

Tours and Activities in South Lake Tahoe

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for South Lake Tahoe are as follows:

  • 2 Hour Small Group Sailing Cruise Lake Tahoe: $99
  • Emerald Bay Helicopter Tour of Lake Tahoe: $94
  • Full-Day Lake Tahoe Circle Tour including Squaw Valley: $62
  • Lake Tahoe Helicopter Tour: Circle the Lake: $392
  • Lake Tahoe Ultimate Photography Scenic Half-Day Tour in Small-Group: $179
  • Tahoe Helicopter Tour: Lakes and Waterfalls: $265
  • Tahoe's Sand Harbor Helicopter Tour: $265
  • 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:

  • Hood River Scavenger Hunt Walking Tour: $29
  • Oregon Wine Country Experience - All-Inclusive Tour by Bike or Shuttle: $184

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    South Lake Tahoe $28
    Hood River $15

About these numbers

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.

Budget Your Trip

Budget Your Trip has average travel costs for thousands of cities around the world, all provided by other travelers. You can also register to organize your spending by category and location with graphs, maps, charts, and tables.
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South Lake Tahoe vs. Hood River Travel Comparison

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