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

Should you visit Ubud or Royal Chitwan National Park?

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 Ubud and Royal Chitwan National Park. 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: Ubud or Royal Chitwan National Park?

Ubud

Made popular by the film Eat Pray Love, Ubud is located in the uplands of Bali, Indonesia. Beautiful Hindu temples and iconic rice fields are the sight to see in this popular cultural, artistic and religious hub on the island.

Though Ubud is hot and humid during the day, it is still cooler than coastal areas. Still, temperatures linger between mid-70's and low 90's year-round, so it is likely you'll experience warm weather, regardless of when you visit.

Ubud's wet season is from November to June, which makes it an unpopular time for travelers. January and February are when Ubud experiences the heaviest rainfall, so it may be wise to avoid visiting at this time, especially since weather will limit activities, bring out insects, and cause landslides and possible flooding.

Dry season runs from July through October, which is high season for travel. Even during dry season, Ubud is extremely humid, so pack lightweight clothing that breathes and lots of sunblock.

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 Romantic Tours for Couples in Indonesia, The Best Budget Tours to 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 Ubud?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Ubud is $150, 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 Ubud and Royal Chitwan National Park in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Ubud $133
    Royal Chitwan National Park $11
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Ubud $266
    Royal Chitwan National Park $22
Compare Hotels in Ubud and Royal Chitwan National Park

Looking for a hotel in Ubud 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 Ubud


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

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Ubud $1.82
    Royal Chitwan National Park $22

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ubud

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Ubud:

  • Whitewater Rafting Ayung River with Return Transfer In Ubud Bali: $55
  • White Water Rafting Ubud Bali With Hotel Transfer: $24
  • White Water Rafting Adventure with Lunch and Return Transfer Including: $36
  • Waterbom Bali Tickets with Private Transfers: $70
  • Waterbom Bali Day Pass With Hotel Transfer: $55
  • Warm Stone Massage For 2 hours Including Transfers: $70
  • Vip Airport Transfer : $32
  • Quad Bike ATV Guided Tour with Transfer: $38
  • 1 Hour Beach Horse Riding with Transfer: $61
  • Ubud to Bali (DPS) Airport Private Transfer: $20
  • Ubud Transfers: Best Ubud Ground Transport: $35
  • Ubud Transfer Service: $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 Ubud or Royal Chitwan National Park?

Prices for flights to both Royal Chitwan National Park and Ubud 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
    Ubud $12
    Royal Chitwan National Park $9.44

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Ubud

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Ubud.

  • Canggu: Drag Show with Dinner: $10
  • Jimbaran Bay Sunset Dinner with Discount Voucher and Return Transport : $12
  • Munduk authentic cooking class & banyumala waterfall: $19
  • Uluwatu Sunset & Romantic Dinner: $20
  • Balinese Traditional Cooking Classes with Market Tour: $22
  • Balinese Traditional Cooking Class with Market Tour: $22
  • Ubud Cooking : All Inclusive Cooking Class: $23
  • Balinese Cooking Class and Market Tour with Transfers: $23
  • Cooking Class with Transfers and Optional Market Visit: $23
  • Balinese Cooking Class with Hotel Transfers: $26
  • Best of Ubud with Cooking Class Experience: $26
  • Jimbaran Beach Candle Light Dinner : $26

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Ubud $10
    Royal Chitwan National Park $9.63

Tours and Activities in Ubud

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

  • 1 DAY Valley Trekking at Hidden Canyon Bejiguwang + Sightseeing/Private Tour 8 Hours/English/Japanese Driver Included: $37
  • All Inclusive Tour in Nusa Lembongan Islands : $145
  • BALI INSTAGRAM TOUR Private Tour with Wifi onboard: $87
  • Bali : Best Private Day Tour with Private Driver : $26
  • Bali : Customized Tour Sekumpul Waterfalls & Handara gate Heaven: $36
  • Bali : Mount Batur Sunrise Jeep 4WD Experience: $38
  • Bali PrivateTanahlot Sunset Tour: $110
  • Bali Royal palaces (observe tour): $88
  • Barong Dance and Waterfall tour in Bali: $35
  • Best Ubud Tours -All inclusive with private driver: $35
  • Best of Ubud Tours with Jungle Swing ( All Inclusive ): $83
  • Gate Of Heaven Lempuyang Temple Tours with Blue Lagoon Snorkeling: $35

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
    Ubud $6.88
    Royal Chitwan National Park $6.49


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