Regardless of where you go, the price of travel will fall on a spectrum. You can choose to keep costs low by traveling in the off-season, staying in hostels, picnicking and self-entertaining. Or you can splurge on private villas, spas, private drivers and first-class tickets. But in a handful of places, you can expect costs to surge no matter how you travel. In these expensive destinations, you’ll need to be more strategic when booking if you want to save money.
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Antarctica
Antarctic tourism is right on the verge of accessibility: There are more options to step foot on the continent than ever before, but you’ll pay dearly for the privilege. The average cruise starts at around $1,000 per person, per day for an entry-level stateroom, but paying double or triple that is not uncommon. If you’re flying in, you can expect to pay even more: A five-hour trip from Punta Arenas, Chile to King George Island (off the coast of the Antarctic peninsula) with the chance to see penguins and icy landscapes via a zodiac ride, costs $6,660.
Using miles to save. You won’t be able to use points or miles to book a trip to Antarctica directly, so travelers will want to redeem cash back to reimburse independent travel plans. When booking, look for cards that offer bonus earnings on travel purchases to help you earn points or miles for use on a future trip. You might also be able to redeem frequent flyer miles to book trips to Buenos Aires or Ushuaia, Argentina or Punta Arenas, Chile, from where many Antarctic packages depart.
Botswana
All African safaris are expensive, but Botswana tops this list with a plethora of luxury camps and specialty experiences that cost a pretty penny. A week-long circuit visiting the most popular parks and reserves can sometimes be found for around $5,000 per person—though you could easily spend quadruple that for a top-of-the-line trip. On top of that, simply arriving in Botswana is a major budget item. There’s nothing cheap about flying to Maun or Gabarone, two popular launch points for safaris.
Using miles to save. Award flights to Botswana can be hard to come by, but you’ll have more options if you book to Johannesburg and buy a separate ticket for the final segment from there. Consider booking with Aeroplan points: Air Canada partners with European and Middle Eastern airlines that provide logical routings, some without fuel surcharges.
Dubai
Glittery Dubai doesn’t have to be expensive, but for most travelers, it ends up that way. Assuming you want to stay in the center of town, hit the typical attractions and eat at over-the-top locales, you’ll need to pack your favorite credit card (or two). Indulge in white-truffled pizza, caviar dumplings or add edible gold-leaf to a humble biryani. And that’s all before you go shopping, where brands like Bulgari, Cartier and Tiffany & Co. are standard.
Using miles to save. Dubai’s hotel rates drop significantly in the summer. Before you write it off for high temperatures, keep in mind that pools and indoor amenities can keep you comfortable. This can be an ideal time to use American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts credits since you’ll get a steal on the room plus a credit to use toward on-site dining, spa treatments or other incidentals.
French Polynesia
Tahiti, Bora Bora, Moorea and the other French Polynesian islands are legendary for their ultra-high prices, made worse by travelers’ desires to book a stereotypical luxury experience there. You can expect to pay at least $1,000 per night for an overwater bungalow in Bora Bora—though it may be possible to find a rare deal if you’re lucky—and sadly, these prices are not all-inclusive. Island hopping adds to your bottom line: Flying is the most common way to get around, especially if you’re heading to the outer isles.
Using miles to save. Consider splitting your time between overwater bungalows at the InterContinental Bora Bora Le Moana Resort and a more traditional room at the InterContinental Resort Tahiti to save on costs in either dollars or points. Holders of the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card are eligible to get their fourth night free when paying with points—and yes, if you book two sets of four nights, you’ll get two nights free.
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
The IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card is a must-have for road warriors shelling out big bucks on IHG properties. The complimentary Platinum status boosts the rewards on IHG purchases to stratospheric heights, and the free night and other perks easily justify the annual fee. For those who aren’t IHG fans, we suggest looking elsewhere.
- Earn up to 26 points per dollar spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts, 5 points on travel, gas stations, and restaurants and 3 points on all other purchases
- Free night award every account anniversary
- Fourth night free on point redemption stays
- Automatic Platinum Elite status
- No worthwhile redemption options outside of IHG properties
- Low overall point value
- Earn 140,000 Bonus Points
- Enjoy an Anniversary Free Night at IHG Hotels & Resorts. Plus, enjoy a fourth reward night free when you redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG® hotel stay.
- Earn up to 26 total points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts
- Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, at gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Automatic Platinum Elite status as long as you remain a Premier cardmember
- Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS Statement Credit of up to $100 ($120 starting 10/1/24) every 4 years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card
- IHG One Rewards Bonus points are redeemable at Hotels & Resorts such as InterContinental®, Crowne Plaza®, Kimpton®, EVEN® Hotels, Indigo® Hotels & Holiday Inn®
- Member FDIC
Japan
Americans have the advantage when it comes to the exchange rate right now, with the Yen strikingly low compared to the United States dollar. Though you might expect the favorable exchange rate to take the sting out of things, the weak Yen has increased travel demand, keeping costs high. Travel essentials like a JR rail pass and city-center hotels will still put high pressure on your travel budget.
Using miles to save. Using miles to fly to Japan can help you save more of your money for costs once you arrive. A favorite way to get there in style is by using Virgin Atlantic rewards to fly on its Tokyo-based partner All Nippon Airways. It’ll cost 145,000 miles to fly round trip in first class from the West Coast to Japan. You can transfer credit card points to Virgin Atlantic from American Express, Bilt, Capital One, Chase and Citi if needed.
Maldives
The Maldives have a reputation for attracting anyone looking for a holiday focused on romance or relaxation, but it comes at a cost. International airfare is a sizable expense and new airport taxes introduced in 2024 only make that worse. Being trapped on your resort’s private island also means you’re held captive when it comes to restaurant and tour prices—and even floatplane transfers that can run in the hundreds of dollars. Luckily, there’s one ray of sunshine: You’ll be in one of the most beautiful places on earth.
Using miles to save. The Le Méridien Maldives Resort & Spa is one of the best values for hotel redemptions, with many nights available for as low as 40,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night. Some Marriott credit cards also provide free night certificates, which you could redeem toward your trip.
Maui
In general, Hawaii can be an expensive vacation, but Maui takes the cake, with average hotel rates over $500 per night as of August 2024—before taxes, resort fees, parking or other extras. It doesn’t help that travelers also want to do it all; adding in the cost of tours or activities jacks up the total price. A half-day snorkel trip, for example, costs around $150 per person. Multiply that by seven days and a family of four, and we understand the pain you might feel.
Using miles to save. Some credit card travel portals allow you to redeem points for activities in addition to typical travel bookings. For example, Chase Travel℠ offers tours and experiences in Maui with redemption rates of 1 to 1.5 cents per point, depending on which card you have.
Monaco
Unless your luck at the casino is extraordinary, plan on saving up in advance to afford a trip to Monaco. After all, it has the world’s highest density of wealthy residents—over 40% of the Mediterranean principality’s residents are millionaires. Given the high cost of real estate, you may be surprised to find that hotel rooms are somewhat reasonable. It’s the Michelin-star restaurants, elegant spas and haute couture shopping that will cost you.
Using miles to save. Staying in Nice, France, and commuting by train can save you a ton (and is very realistic, at about $6 for the 20-minute journey). The Ibis Nice Center Gare is right next to the station and can be booked with ALL-Accor Live Limitless points, a Citi ThankYou® Points and Capital One miles partner.
St. Barts
St. Barts is popular among the wealthy—and the wannabe wealthy, if you’re willing to sacrifice your everyday spending to save for a glamorous trip. The flight from Miami alone will set you back several hundred dollars, and you should expect to budget another $900 per night, on average, for a hotel room. Though a day at the beach could be entirely free, meals most definitely are not. While you can find food on a budget, if you’re after the glam experience, you should budget accordingly.
Using miles to save. If you just want to say “been there, done that,” you can day trip to the island from nearby St. Martin with a 15-minute flight or 45-minute ferry. Then, you’ll have plenty of options to redeem travel credits from premium cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® or Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (rates & fees) toward a modest hotel.
Switzerland
Nothing about Switzerland is cheap, but at least it’s easy enough to budget for lodging and transport in advance. In Europe, prices with all taxes and fees are clearly displayed. Meals, though, sneak up on you. On average, a meal in Switzerland costs about $32. That’s almost $100 per person, per day. Those costs add up quickly, and that’s before factoring in any other expenses.
Using miles to save. Given the cost of meals, this is one time when hotel elite status pays off. Hilton Honors™ Gold and Diamond members get free breakfast internationally and may be provided access to a property’s executive lounge, if available. Lounges often offer snacks and beverages in the evening, which can substitute for (or at least supplement) a dinner out.
Travel Credit Cards To Use
Travel credit cards make a big difference when traveling to expensive destinations, in part due to the benefits they provide and partially for the opportunity to earn or redeem rewards.
Hotel credit cards almost always bestow elite status to the cardholder, which can lead to on-site perks like complimentary room upgrades, free breakfast and late checkout. Some hotel cards also offer free night certificates, which will save you the cost of a one-night stay. For example, the Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express* offers an Annual Free Night Reward with almost no restrictions.
Flexible rewards cards can be the best option if your goal is to book an award flight. Since award availability fluctuates constantly, the opportunity to earn transferable credit card currencies allows you to save up your points and wait to convert them to a specific airline’s loyalty program once you’ve confirmed award flights are available for your specific trip. Citi ThankYou Points, accessible with the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card, partners with over 12 airlines.
Lastly, if you intend to pay for your vacation without using miles or points, you may as well earn rewards with every purchase. The best credit cards for large purchases, like a deluxe trip, outearn the competition when you expect high bills. It can also be a fantastic opportunity to look for credit card spending bonuses on your card. For example, The World of Hyatt Credit Card earns a free night certificate eligible at Category 1 to 4 hotels when spending $15,000 in a calendar year, along with earning tier-qualifying night credits.
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Bottom Line
If you have your heart set on going to one of the most expensive places to vacation, you might not be out of luck. Smart thinking and planning ahead can help you find affordable alternatives or at least set fair expectations to save accordingly. However, with these 10 expensive destinations, you’ll have to try a little harder and pad your wallet a little extra.
