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

Should you visit Surabaya or Royal Chitwan National Park?

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

Should I visit Surabaya 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: Surabaya or Royal Chitwan National Park?

Surabaya

Surabaya, also known as the "city of heroes," is the capital of East Java and the second largest city in Indonesia, following Jakarta. While it doesn't highlight as many typical tourist monuments as other cities, Surabaya serves as a takeoff point or a landing base for travelers visiting Mount Bromo and Bali.

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 Hiking & Trekking Tours in Indonesia, The Best 10-Day Tours in Indonesia, 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 Surabaya?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Surabaya is $63, 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 Surabaya and Royal Chitwan National Park in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Surabaya $37
    Royal Chitwan National Park $11
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Surabaya $74
    Royal Chitwan National Park $22
Compare Hotels in Surabaya and Royal Chitwan National Park

Looking for a hotel in Surabaya 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 Surabaya


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: Surabaya Hotel Prices and Royal Chitwan National Park Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Surabaya $2.76
    Royal Chitwan National Park $22

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Surabaya

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Surabaya:

  • Private 1-Way Transfer to/from SUB Airport: $27
  • Airport Private Transfers to Your Destinatination: $27
  • Surabaya & Malang: Private Transfer To The Hotels or Airport: $68
  • Surabaya & Malang: Private Hotel or Airport Transfer: $67
  • Private airport transfer surabaya: $21
  • Private Transfer from Waru to Surabaya Airport (SUB): $32
  • Private Transfer from Tanggulangin to Surabaya Airport (SUB): $50
  • Private Transfer from Taman to Surabaya Airport (SUB): $32
  • Private Transfer from Surabaya City to Surabaya Airport (SUB): $32
  • Private Transfer from Surabaya Airport (SUB) to Waru: $32
  • Private Transfer from Surabaya Airport (SUB) to Tambak Sawah: $32
  • Private Transfer from Surabaya Airport (SUB) to Surabaya City : $32

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 Surabaya or Royal Chitwan National Park?

Prices for flights to both Royal Chitwan National Park and Surabaya 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
    Surabaya $22
    Royal Chitwan National Park $9.44

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Surabaya $4.74
    Royal Chitwan National Park $9.63

Tours and Activities in Surabaya

Here are a few actual costs in Surabaya for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • 1 Day Bromo Private Tour with Madakaripura Waterfall: $118
  • 1 Day Private Malang / Surabaya Bromo Sunrise Tour: $98
  • 1 Day Tour - Wonderful Sunrise Mount Bromo From Surabaya: $136
  • 1Day - Bromo Madakaripura Day Tour: $128
  • 1Day - Bromo Sunrise Tour via Surabaya (Private Tour): $132
  • 2Days - Bromo Family Tour via Surabaya: $163
  • 2Days - Bromo Sunrise Ijen Tour via Surabaya: $199
  • 3 Days - Mt Bromo & Ijen Experience from Surabaya or Malang: $263
  • 3 Days Bromo Ijen Tour From Surabaya: $170
  • 3 Days Private Tour in Bromo and Ijen from Surabaya: $275
  • 3Days - Adventure Bromo Ijen via Surabaya: $245
  • 3Days - Adventure Bromo Ijen via Surabaya or Malang (Hotel Stay): $265

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

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Surabaya -
    Royal Chitwan National Park $6.49


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Surabaya and Royal Chitwan National Park, we can see that Surabaya 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 Surabaya would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Surabaya 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 Surabaya Expensive? and Is Royal Chitwan National Park Expensive?.