A Travel Price Comparison for China Yangshuo vs. Pingyao for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Yangshuo or Pingyao?

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

Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Yangshuo and Pingyao can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Yangshuo or Pingyao?

Yangshuo

A county of the city, Guilin, Yangshuo is located in a region famous for its karst topography. Surrounded by jagged mountain peaks and bordered on one side by the Li River, Yangshuo has become a popular home base for tourists looking to explore the region's natural wonders. Backpackers and tourists, both foreign and domestic, come to Yangshuo every year making it a city of many cultures. Most locals are even able to speak English, which is fairly uncommon for Chinese cities.

Pingyao

Pingyao is a small city in the Shanxi Province of China, dating back over 2700 years. The city is most famous for their old town, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The old town is one of the best preserved ancient walled cities in the world dating back to the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

The climate in Pingyao is influenced by monsoons, and therefore gets hot and humid summers and chillier springs. Autumn is a great time to visit as temperatures are fairly mild-in the 50-60's Fahrenheit- and you can avoid the heavy rains of summer. Winter is also a pleasant time to visit, especially since temperatures tend not to dip below 30 and there is not much snow or bad weather.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Tours to China, The Best Tours for Seniors to China, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Beijing, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Lhasa.


Which place is cheaper, Pingyao or Yangshuo?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Yangshuo is $72, while the average daily cost in Pingyao is $54. 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 Yangshuo and Pingyao in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Yangshuo $25
    Pingyao $23
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Yangshuo $50
    Pingyao $46
Compare Hotels in Yangshuo and Pingyao

Looking for a hotel in Yangshuo or Pingyao? 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 Yangshuo


Hotels in Pingyao


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.


Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Yangshuo $43
    Pingyao $13

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Yangshuo

Also for Yangshuo, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Private Transfer from Yangshuo(Xingping) Train Station to Yangshuo Hotel: $21
  • Private Transfer from Yangshuo hotel to Guilin hotel: $37
  • Private Airport Transfer: Yangshuo Hotel to Guilin Liangjiang Airport: $45
  • Private Transfer from Yangshuo Train Station to Yangshuo Hotel: $48
  • Private Transfer from Xingping hotel to Guilin hotel: $64
  • Yangshuo Via Ferrata with Round way private transfer from Xingping hotel: $67
  • Private Impression Sanjie Liu Evening Show with Hotel Transfer: $88
  • Private Yangshuo Transfer from Hotel to Longji terraces Hotel: $96
  • Visit 100% primitive cave with Transfer: $97

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Pingyao

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Pingyao:


  • Taxi to Train Station
    $1.39

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Pingyao

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Pingyao:

  • Private Round-Trip Transfer Service to Wutaishan from Pingyao: $190
  • Privater Transfer from Datong to Pingyao with driver: $115
  • Private Transfer Servcie to Mianshan (Mian Mountain) from Pingyao: $60

Is it cheaper to fly into Yangshuo or Pingyao?

Prices for flights to both Pingyao and Yangshuo 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
    Yangshuo $19
    Pingyao $20

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Yangshuo

For Yangshuo, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Full-day Cultural Experience: Taichi, Cooking & Painting Lessons: $100
  • Yangshuo Full Day Tour: Cooking class, River boat, Light Show: $259

Typical Food Prices in Pingyao

Some typical examples of dining costs in Pingyao are as follows:


  • Casual Lunch (for 2)
    $5.00
  • Mango Juice
    $0.69

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Yangshuo $23
    Pingyao $19

Tours and Activities in Yangshuo

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Yangshuo.

  • Impression Sanjie Liu Show Ticket: $45
  • Yangshuo Impression Liusanjie Show Ticket: $45
  • Yangshuo Ruyi peak & round way cable car ticket: $55
  • Half/Full-Day Yangshuo Countryside Moderate Cycling and Sightseeing Private Tour: $60
  • One Day Xianggong Hill Xingping Bamboo Boat West Street Tour : $79
  • 1 Day - Yangshuo Bike Tour: $80
  • Xingping Parasailing Experience Ticket: $89
  • Yangshuo Parasailing Experience Ticket: $89
  • Yangshuo Classic Private Day Tour: $106
  • Half-day Tour: Largest Tea Plantation & Amazing Xianggong Hill: $107
  • Half-Day Private Tour: Yangshuo Sidecar Tour from Yangshuo hotel: $117
  • Private Tea Picking Tour and Taste in Yangshuo: $120

Typical Entertainment Prices in Pingyao

Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Pingyao are as follows:


  • All Day Bike Rental (for 2)
    $2.78
  • Temple Entrance Fee (for 2)
    $6.95
  • Bike Parking Fee (for 2)
    $0.56

Tours and Activities in Pingyao

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Pingyao are as follows:

  • 1-Day Pingyao Ancient Town Sightseeing Walking Tour: $113
  • 1-Day Pingyao tour to Wang Family's Compound and Zhangbi Ancient Fortress : $206
  • 2-Hour Guided Private Bike Tour to see the Hidden Pingyao & Tea Break: $60
  • 3-Hour Private Walking Tour of Pingyao Highlights: $125
  • All Inclusive Pingyao Private Tour to Qiao Family Compound and Shuanglin Temple: $142
  • Half Day Private Pingyao Ancient Town Walking Tour: $70
  • Half-Day Private Walking Tour of Pingyao Ancient City: $59
  • Mian Mountain Private Day Tour From Pingyao: $188
  • One Day Tour Exploration of Pingyao Old Town and Wang Family Mansion: $183
  • Pingyao Day Tour: Wang Family Mansion and Zhangbi Ancient Castle: $120
  • Pingyao Food Walking Tour : $67
  • Pingyao Private Tour: Shuanglin Temple And Wang's Compound: $213

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Yangshuo $33
    Pingyao $13


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Yangshuo and Pingyao, we can see that Yangshuo is more expensive. And not only is Pingyao much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Pingyao would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Pingyao 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 Yangshuo would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Yangshuo than you might in Pingyao.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Yangshuo Expensive? and Is Pingyao Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Yangshuo or Pingyao?

Yangshuo has a larger population, and is about 7 times larger than the population of Pingyao. When comparing the sizes of Yangshuo and Pingyao, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.