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

Should you visit Yosemite National Park or Jasper National Park?

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

Should I visit Yosemite National Park or Jasper 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: Yosemite National Park or Jasper National Park?

Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park is located in east-central California in the Sierra Nevada mountains. It's one of the most famous and popular parks in the country and is known for its breathtaking granite cliffs, dramatic waterfalls, clear streams, and giant sequoia groves. The park covers 750,000 acres, or 1,200 square miles, and includes thousands of lakes and ponds and an impressive range of biodiversity. There are 800 miles of hiking trails within the park as well. Yosemite National Park is the third most visited park within the United States with an average annual visitation of almost 4 million people.

Jasper National Park

An UNESCO World Heritage Site, Jasper National Park, located in Canada's Alberta Province, is one of a few national and provincial parks that showcase the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Luxury Tours to United States of America, The Best Tours for Seniors to United States of America, The Best Luxury Tours to Canada, and The Best Tours for Seniors to Canada.


Which place is cheaper, Jasper National Park or Yosemite National Park?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Yosemite National Park is $129, while the average daily cost in Jasper National Park is $82. 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 Yosemite National Park and Jasper National Park in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Yosemite National Park $64
    Jasper National Park $45
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Yosemite National Park $128
    Jasper National Park $90
Compare Hotels in Yosemite National Park and Jasper National Park

Looking for a hotel in Yosemite National Park or Jasper 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 Yosemite National Park


Hotels in Jasper 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: Yosemite National Park Hotel Prices and Jasper National Park Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Yosemite National Park $41
    Jasper National Park $19

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Jasper National Park

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Jasper National Park are as follows:


  • Park Pass
    $14

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Jasper National Park

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Jasper National Park:

  • Jasper Thermal Resorts to Calgary Airport YYC Departure Transfer: $170
  • Jasper Thermal to Edmonton Airport (YEG) Departure Transfer: $170

Is it cheaper to fly into Yosemite National Park or Jasper National Park?

Prices for flights to both Jasper National Park and Yosemite 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
    Yosemite National Park $40
    Jasper National Park $23

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Jasper National Park

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Jasper National Park.

  • Half-Day Jasper Culture Food Tour: $107
  • Peak Nic - A hike and an outdoor cooking lesson: $119
  • 4-Hours E-Bike Food Tour : $201

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Yosemite National Park $19
    Jasper National Park $7.75

Tours and Activities in Yosemite National Park

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Yosemite National Park are as follows:

  • Yosemite National Park Audio Driving Tour: $11
  • Yosemite Self-Guided Audio Tour: $14
  • Yosemite: Audio Driving Tour: $15
  • Yosemite Panorama Trail Self-Guided Audio Tour: $15
  • Yosemite: Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour: $15
  • Yosemite Valley Tour with Transport from Oakhurst: $130
  • Full-Day Small Group Yosemite & Glacier Point Tour Including Hotel Pickup: $169
  • Big Trees Hike & Riverside Cookout Adventure: $180
  • Yosemite’s High Country Adaptive Tour: $180
  • Yosemite Valley & Glacier Point Adaptive Tour: $180
  • Yosemite Winter Highlights Small Group Tour: $190
  • Yosemite Highlights Small Group Tour: $200

Tours and Activities in Jasper National Park

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

  • Icefields Parkway Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour: $17
  • Live Theater Show Ticket 'From Jasper with love': $24
  • From Jasper: Jasper National Park Wildlife Discovery Tour: $53
  • Planetarium and Telescope Combo Tour : $54
  • Maligne Canyon Hiking Tour: $60
  • Morning Jasper National Park Wildlife Tour: $64
  • Jasper Evening Wildlife Tour: $64
  • Winter Wildlife Discovery Tour: $64
  • Jasper National Park Tour: Maligne Valley, Medicine Lake and Spirit Island: $64
  • Maligne Lake Cruise: $67
  • Jasper Wildlife and Waterfalls Tour with Maligne Lake Hike: $72
  • Class 3 Sunwapta River Rafting Adventure in Jasper: $94

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Yosemite National Park $11
    Jasper National Park $11


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

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