A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Yellowstone National Park vs. Vancouver for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Yellowstone National Park or Vancouver?

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

Should I visit Yellowstone National Park or Vancouver? 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: Yellowstone National Park or Vancouver?

Yellowstone National Park

The world's first national park, Yellowstone National Park was established in 1872. The area is famous for its many geysers, hot springs, and thermal areas. It also has a wide diversity of wildlife and stunning beauty, making it one of the most impressive places you can visit in the United States. The national park takes up an area of about 3,472 square miles and is mostly located within the state of Wyoming. It also touches the states of Idaho and Montana.

Vancouver

Vancouver is a beautiful and cosmopolitan city in Western Canada. It is also the largest city in British Columbia, and is dramatically positioned between the coast and mountains. It's a very international city, with a high level of energy and countless activites that you can enjoy while you're in town. In addition to offering all of the activities and entertainment of a modern city, it is also in jumping off distance to any number of outdoor activities.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Los Angeles, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from New York City, The Best 10-Day Tours from Vancouver, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Canada.


Which place is cheaper, Vancouver or Yellowstone National Park?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Yellowstone National Park is $147, while the average daily cost in Vancouver is $141. 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 Yellowstone National Park and Vancouver in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Yellowstone National Park $74
    Vancouver $87
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Yellowstone National Park $148
    Vancouver $174
Compare Hotels in Yellowstone National Park and Vancouver

Looking for a hotel in Yellowstone National Park or Vancouver? 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 Yellowstone National Park


Hotels in Vancouver


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: Yellowstone National Park Hotel Prices and Vancouver Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Yellowstone National Park $37
    Vancouver $12

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Vancouver

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Vancouver are as follows:


  • SkyTrain from Airport
    $6.35
  • Taxi from Airport to Downtown
    $21
  • 15 min Taxi Ride
    $8.71
  • SkyTrain DayPass
    $6.53

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Vancouver

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

  • Arrival Private Transfer from Vancouver YVR or Cruise Port to Vancouver by SUV: $120
  • Arrival Private Transfer: Vancouver Airport YVR to Vancouver in Luxury Car: $163
  • Canada Place Cruise Port to Vancouver Airport (YVR) - Departure Private Transfer: $93
  • Canada Place Cruise Port to Vancouver hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $93
  • Canada Place Cruise Port to Vancouver hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $186
  • Canada Place Cruise Port: Transfer to Vancouver hotels: $425
  • Canada Place Port to Vancouver Airport(YVR) - Departure Transfer : $55
  • Departure Private Transfer: Vancouver to Vancouver Airport YVR in Luxury Car: $163
  • Departure Private Transfer: Vancouver to Vancouver Airport YVR in Luxury SUV: $133
  • Maximize Your Cruise Adventure: Vancouver Tour & Transfer: $292
  • Mount Washington to Vancouver Airport (YVR) - Departure Transfer: $93
  • Private Departure Transfer to Vancouver Airport (YVR): $32

Is it cheaper to fly into Yellowstone National Park or Vancouver?

Prices for flights to both Vancouver and Yellowstone National Park 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
    Yellowstone National Park $46
    Vancouver $31

Typical Food Prices in Vancouver

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Vancouver:


  • All You Can Eat Sushi Lunch
    $8.80

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Vancouver

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

  • A Wok Around Food Tour of the Granville Island Public Market: $84
  • The Gastown Experience Walking Food Tour: $85
  • Gastown Historic Walking Food Tour: $100
  • Vancouver Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours: $100
  • North Vancouver Shipyards Food Tour: $108
  • Vancouver Authentic Chinese Food Tour: $134
  • VIP Granville Island Market Vancouver - Walking Food Tour: $138
  • Authentic Asian Eats Walking Food Tour: $142
  • 3-Hour Bowen Island Boat Cruise with Dinner: $153
  • Vancouver Evening Dinner Cruise: $157
  • Granville Island Uncorked Walking Food Tour: $161
  • Bowen Island Dinner and Zodiac Boat Tour by Vancouver Water Adventures: $163

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Yellowstone National Park $34
    Vancouver $36

Tours and Activities in Yellowstone National Park

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

  • West Thumb Geysers Self-Guided Walking Audio Tour: $9.99
  • 5-Day Winter Yellowstone Wildlife Tour: $3,349
  • 6-Mile Geyser Hiking Tour in Yellowstone with Lunch: $182
  • E-Bike Tours in Yellowstone National Park: $200
  • Early Morning Guided Kayak Tour: $125
  • Full-Day Guided Yellowstone Day Tour: $269
  • Grand Prismatic Self-Guided Walking Audio Tour: $9.99
  • Lake Yellowstone Half Day Kayak Tours Past Geothermal Features : $135
  • Lamar Valley Safari Hiking Tour with Lunch: $182
  • Self-Guided Grand Teton National Park Driving Tour: $8.99
  • Small-Group Sunset Kayaking Tour on Lake Yellowstone : $150
  • Yellowstone 3-day Tour Round-trip From Salt Lake City: $1,088

Tours and Activities in Vancouver

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

  • Vancouver self-guided tour App - multilingual AudioGuide: $4.28
  • Self-Guided Smartphone Walking Tour of Gastown: $4.74
  • Self-Guided Smartphone Walking Tour of Gastown: $4.82
  • Discover Stanley Park with a Smartphone Audio Walking Tour: $5.11
  • Fort Langley: a Film & Television Smartphone Audio Walking Tour: $5.19
  • Discover Stanley Park with a Smartphone Audio Tour: $5.19
  • Cycling the Seawall: A Self-Guided Audio Tour Along the Stanley Park Seawall: $5.46
  • Historic Walking Tours of Vancouver with Then & Now Images!: $6.68
  • Walking Tour Along Stanley Park's Seawall: $6.68
  • Vancouver Downtown: Espionage Adventure Outdoor Escape Game: $6.94
  • Self-Guided Smartphone Tour of Stanley Park: $7.30
  • Self-Guided Smartphone Walking Tours of Stanley Park: $7.42

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Yellowstone National Park $19
    Vancouver $16

Sample the Local Flavors in Vancouver

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Vancouver:

  • Vancouver - Granville Pub Crawl ROUTE B: $18
  • Gastown Pub Crawl: $22
  • Vancouver - Granville Pub Crawl: $26
  • 3.5-Hour Craft Brewery Tour: $84
  • Fraser Valley Wine Tour with a light Lunch from Vancouver: $134
  • Vancouver Wine Tour (Fraser Valley): $134
  • From Half-Day Fraser Valley Wine Tour: $138
  • Taste of the Valley Wine Tour: $148
  • Stawamus Chief Hike and Local Brewery Tasting: $164
  • Fraser Valley & White Rock Premium Public Wine Tour: $166
  • Stawamus Chief Hike & Local Brewery Tasting : $167
  • Full-Day Private Fraser Valley Wine Tour from Vancouver: $189


When comparing the travel costs between Yellowstone National Park and Vancouver, we can see that Yellowstone National Park is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in North America, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.

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