A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Zagora vs. Cape Town for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Zagora or Cape Town?

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

Should I visit Zagora or Cape Town? 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: Zagora or Cape Town?

Zagora

A small town in southern Morocco, Zagora is a popular base camp for excursions on foot, by camel, or four wheel drive vehicles into the surrounding desert. One of the most famous and historic treks is the ancient caravan route to Timbuktu, marked by a famous sign at the end of town - indicating a journey of "52 days" by camel.

Cape Town

Picture your travel bucket list. Is Cape Town on it? Yes, most people dream of visiting the "Mother City" of South Africa. As one of the most iconic places in the world, Cape Town is a world-class cosmopolitan city full of bustling nightlife, historical backdrops and a large gay community.

Cape Town is the most southern city in Africa with seasons turned upside down. In the southern hemisphere they experience the summer from December to February. During these months days can be hot and dry so be sure to gather in the shade and wear plenty of sunscreen. The winter from June to August is full of rainy days and cold nights.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Morocco, The Best Cultural Tours in Morocco, The Best Camping Tours in South Africa, and The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in South Africa.


Which place is cheaper, Cape Town or Zagora?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Zagora is $65, while the average daily cost in Cape Town is $191. 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 Zagora and Cape Town in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Zagora $39
    Cape Town $89
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Zagora $78
    Cape Town $178
Compare Hotels in Zagora and Cape Town

Looking for a hotel in Zagora or Cape Town? 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 Zagora


Hotels in Cape Town


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: Zagora Hotel Prices and Cape Town Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Zagora $1.56
    Cape Town $19

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cape Town

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

  • AIRPORT Transfer to and from Cape Town City: $17
  • Cape Town Cruise Terminal to and from Hotels Transfer: $20
  • Airport Transfer (Cape Town ) Bus: $20
  • Private Transfer from Cape Town Hotels to Cape Town Cruise Port: $21
  • Private Transfer from Cape Town Cruise Port to Cape Town hotels: $21
  • Private Airport Transfers:Cape Town Airport | 4-13 Seater Minibus: $22
  • Transfer from Cape Town International Airport to Cape Town Areas: $22
  • Cruise Terminal Transfer to Airport: $23
  • City Center Shuttle Transfer to Airport: $23
  • Hotel to airport transfers from Cape Town to Cape Town International Airport: $25
  • Cape Town Airport–City Hotels Transfer One Way.: $25
  • Cape Town Airport Transferes: $28

Is it cheaper to fly into Zagora or Cape Town?

Prices for flights to both Cape Town and Zagora 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
    Zagora $24
    Cape Town $82

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Zagora

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

  • Morocco Cooking Class Tour with local market visit: $48

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cape Town

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

  • From African Dinner and Drumming Experience: $62
  • Authentic African Cuisine Cooking Experience: $63
  • Private Indonesian & Cape Malay Cultural Cooking Class: $75
  • South African Cooking Class in Cape Town with a Local Family: $82
  • African Dinner Experience from Cape Town: $86
  • Sunset At Signal and Dinner Privat: $88
  • Cruise and Dine Dinner / Sunset Champagne Cruise and 3-Course Dinner: $97
  • Cape Town Historic Centre Food Tour with 15 Local Dishes and Wine: $97
  • Half Day Cape Town African Dinner Restaurant with Live Music Show: $100
  • Private Cape Malay Cooking Class in Lorette’s Cape Town Home: $100
  • Cape Town Best Street Food Tour With A Local Guide: $102
  • Cape Malay/Creole Cooking Class and Local Shopping in Salt River: $113

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Zagora $3.11
    Cape Town $26

Tours and Activities in Zagora

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

  • 2 Day Erg Chigaga Desert Tour from Zagora: $178
  • 2 Days 1 Night Desert Tour to Erg Chigaga from Zagora: $189
  • 2 days tour from Zagora to Erg Chegaga: $149
  • From Agadir 4 Days 3 nights Sahara Tour to Marrakeche: $1,348
  • Zagora to Erg chigaga desert tour & 4x4 and camel ride: $190

Tours and Activities in Cape Town

For Cape Town, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Skip the Line: District Six Museum Admission Ticket: $4.06
  • Cape Point Flying Dutchman Funicular Ticket (One way Up): $4.96
  • Cape Point Flying Dutchman Funicular Ticket (One way Down): $4.96
  • Kirstenbosch Gardens: An Audio Tour by Botany Expert: $5.00
  • Half Hour Seal and Harbour Cruise from Cape Town: $5.00
  • Sea Point Promenade: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.13
  • Muizenberg to Kalk Bay: Amble along the amazing False Bay Coast on an audio tour: $5.20
  • The Village in the City: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of Bo-Kaap: $5.34
  • Cape Town's original shoreline: a self-guided audio tour: $5.40
  • Slavery in the Cape: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of Cape Town's Slave History: $5.40
  • Cape Town live guided Urban Safari: Inner City Tour: $5.62
  • Cape Town Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $5.81

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Zagora -
    Cape Town $23

Sample the Local Flavors in Cape Town

Also in Cape Town, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Experience South African Craft Rum tasting and distillery tour in Cape Town: $14
  • Craft Gin Tasting Experience and Distillery Tour: $15
  • Urban Wine Tasting: $31
  • Cape Town Hop- On Hop -Off Tour and Groot Constantia Wine Tasting: $34
  • Indigenous Food and Wine Tasting: $38
  • Cape Point, Penguins & Wine Tasting In Constantia Full Day Tour: $47
  • Cape Town Hostel Pub Crawl & LinkUps: $53
  • Wine Tour: Paarl, Franschhoek & Stellenbosch incl 3 wineries: $56
  • Uncork the Cape : Stellenboch Half Day Wine Tour: $56
  • From CapeTown: Stellenbosch Half Day Wine Tour: $58
  • Full-Day Stellenbosch Wine Tasting Tour: $60
  • Wine Tasting, Lion Park and Giraffe House Tour: $65


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

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


Which is Bigger, Zagora or Cape Town?

Cape Town has a larger population, and is about 100 times larger than the population of Zagora. When comparing the sizes of Zagora and Cape Town, 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.