Which place is cheaper, Te Anau or Tiger Leaping Gorge?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Tiger Leaping Gorge or Te Anau?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Tiger Leaping Gorge and Te Anau. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Tiger Leaping Gorge or Te Anau?
Tiger Leaping Gorge
One of the deepest gorges in the world, Tiger Leaping Gorge gets its name from legend, where a tiger used a great rock in the center of the gorge as a stepping stone to leap from one side to the other. It is surrounded by stunning mountain scenery on either side with the Yangtze River rushing down through its center. Visitors come to Tiger Leaping Gorge to hike and witness its natural beauty.
Te Anau
Te Anau is a town on the South Island of New Zealand, best-known as a gateway to Fiordland National Park and Milford Sound. The region is a major destination for ecotourism as it is home to rare species like the endangered flightless takahe bird and natural features like caves, waterfalls, forests, lakes, glacial valleys, and mountains.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Beijing, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Lhasa, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in New Zealand, and The Best Adventure Tours to New Zealand.
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Tiger Leaping Gorge Prices
China PricesTe Anau Prices
New Zealand Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayTiger Leaping Gorge $54Te Anau $118
The average daily cost (per person) in Tiger Leaping Gorge is $54, while the average daily cost in Te Anau is $118. 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 Tiger Leaping Gorge and Te Anau in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personTiger Leaping Gorge $13Te Anau $44
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomTiger Leaping Gorge $26Te Anau $88
Compare Hotels in Tiger Leaping Gorge and Te Anau
Looking for a hotel in Tiger Leaping Gorge or Te Anau? 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: Te Anau Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Tiger Leaping Gorge $17Te Anau $27
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Te Anau
Also for Te Anau, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Lake Marian Guided Hike with Transfers, Lunch & Morning Tea: $184
- Te Anau to Invercargill Small Group Transfer: $53
- Kepler Water Taxi Transfer across Lake Te Anau: $18
Is it cheaper to fly into Tiger Leaping Gorge or Te Anau?
Prices for flights to both Te Anau and Tiger Leaping Gorge 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 dayTiger Leaping Gorge $28Te Anau $46
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Tiger Leaping Gorge $15Te Anau $47
Tours and Activities in Te Anau
For Te Anau, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Glowworm Caves Guided Tour: $76
- Te Anau Glow Worm Caves Tour: $76
- Evening Champagne Cruise on Historic 1935 Motor Yacht.: $85
- Scenic Cruise & Guided Walk on Historic Motor Yacht Lake Te Anau: $86
- Scenic Cruise & Guided walk on Historic Motor Yacht Lake Te Anau: $86
- Champagne Sightseeing Cruise on Lake Te Anau: $98
- From Milford Sound Coach Tour and Cruise: $108
- Fiordland: Jet Boat & Nature Walk Experience from Te Anau: $114
- Milford Sound Coach & Cruise Tour from Te Anau : $122
- Award Winning Milford Sound Full Day Tour & Cruise from Te Anau: $128
- From Milford Sound Cruise & Scenic Coach Tour: $128
- From Milford Sound Cruise and Coach Day Trip: $129
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayTiger Leaping Gorge $6.46Te Anau $14
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Tiger Leaping Gorge and Te Anau, we can see that Te Anau is more expensive. And not only is Tiger Leaping Gorge much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Tiger Leaping Gorge is in Asia and Te Anau is in Pacific, 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 Tiger Leaping Gorge would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Tiger Leaping Gorge 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 Te Anau would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Te Anau than you might in Tiger Leaping Gorge.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Tiger Leaping Gorge Expensive? and Is Te Anau 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.