20 Low Budget Trip Destinations To Help You Relax.
The world awaits — enjoy the high life at a fraction of the cost. Here’s the list low budget trip ideas that have to be on your bucket list.
Intrepid travelers really ought to look beyond the standard beach resorts and timeframes to discover a world of luxury at a fraction of the usual price. There’s plenty of low budget trip picks to be had: if you know where to look.
Here are 20 of the cheapest holiday destinations to hit for those of us whose holiday dreams are decidedly bigger than our budgets.
On The Hunt For Low Budget Trip Destinations? Look No Further.
1. Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Laid to waste during the Bosnian War (1992–1995), the historical city of Mostar still smarts from wounds suffered long ago — but things are changing. Numerous buildings in the Old City, developed as a 15th-century Ottoman frontier town, have been rebuilt or restored in the 25 years since the Dayton Peace Accords established calm in the western Balkans.
Visit through April to October when the weather is at its most welcoming. Be sure to visit the aptly named Old Town (perfect for souvenirs) and drop by the Kravice falls!
2. Portugal
Quaint villages, captivating cities and miles and miles shimmering, golden coast: the Portugal experience can be absolutely whatever you make it — including blessedly cheap. History, great food and stunning views: what more could you want out of one of the best low budget places to travel in the world?
3. Colombia
Despite what one-too-many reruns of Narcos may have led you to believe, Colombia isn’t all cocaine cartels and guerilla warfare — it’s one of the best low budget vacation ideas out there.
The fourth-largest country in South America, it’s got lofty mountains, tropical forests and glittering lakes
– the Andes and the Sierra Navada de Santa Marta, the world’s highest coastal mountain range – and a whopping 33 vast national parks teeming with spectacular, stunning wildlife.
We recommend starting with Bogota, Columbia’s bright, beautiful capital city where there are plenty of festivals for travelers to attend and lots else to write home about.
Low Budget Trips To Take In Europe:
4. Romania
From beautiful, historically-rich Bucharest to the intimidating, knife-point Carpathian Mountains looming in the distance, this enthralling country manages to somehow be exactly what you expected and entirely alien. Whether you’re traipsing along the coast of Europe’s second-longest river, the Danube, or seeking out darkly-magical Gothic towns and haunted castles, Romania’s got a lot to offer — all at an affordable price point, making it a solid addition to anyone’s list of low budget places to travel.
Here’s a tip: don’t gape at the farmers carrying pitchforks when you’re out walking and hiking – chances are they are simply baling hay rather than hunting old Count Dracula.
5. Hungary
One of Europe’s lesser-known gems, Hungary is a hiker’s dream of meandering trails and winding walking-routes.
The richly-layered and sophisticated capital, Budapest, on the Danube, is a smaller (cleaner!) Paris with majestic cathedrals, beautiful marble boulevards, old-fashioned opera houses and elegant cafes. Make the most of your low budget international trip and don’t leave without paying a visit to its historical parliament house and fortressed castle district.
Elsewhere, there are old cities and busy vineyards to the north that are more than worth seeing, as are the steamy spas and bathhouses present all over.
6. Telc, Czechia
With grandiose Italian Renaissance architecture, it’s unsurprising that the small Czechia town of Telc is sometimes referred to as the Czech Republic’s Florence. Positioned midway between Prague to the north and Vienna to the south, today, this child’s picture-book of a town is an excellent low budget international trip but it began life as century as a crossroads on the popular trading routes bisecting Bohemia, Moravia, and Austria.
Imposing stone walls and a marvelously efficient network of man-made fish ponds helped protect Telč’s historic town center, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Low Budget Places To Travel Everywhere Else:
7. Sao Paulo
With its inimitable, frenzied energy, thrilling nightlife and rich-culture, the Brazil is the perfect setting for your low-budget international trip!
And its beautiful, electrifying capital is the best place to start! The sheer magnitude of Sao Paulo is staggering to behold: it takes a long time to fly in over the spread of the city. Flying in, you’ll zip so close to the skyscrapers you might even be able to peer in some of the windows. Sao Paulo feels like the very center of the universe — and there’s always something going on. From seedy clubs to sophisticated museums: Sao Paulo’s got it all.
8. Abu Simbel, Egypt
Fancy yourself a private audience with a mummy? Abu Simbel is the place to be.
Tourism to Egypt has really been on the up and up in recent years — it’s largely managed to recover from its steep decline in the wake of the 2011 Arab Spring revolution.
That’s not to say that it doesn’t still proffer the sense of solitude the sense of solitude most modern day travelers are after. Alone-ness abounds at Abu Simbel, deep in the south of Egypt near its border with Sudan. Originally cut into a rock cliff by the Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II (ca. 1303–ca. 1213 b.c.), the temples at Abu Simbel are at once archaeological treasures and wonders of contemporary engineering.
9. Thailand
While Thailand’s southern beaches are littered with upscale resorts and high-end spas, there’s a lot on offer for the more budget-conscious traveler, too, making this exactly the sort of low budget place to visit you’ve been looking for.
Thailand’s eastern islands offer the beauty, unspoilt beaches and intimacy that’s otherwise hard to come by in the more-touristy areas, and with accommodation starting from as little as $20 a night, they’re mighty affordable, too! Forget Phuket’s crowded, developed beaches — head on down to Koh Chang and enjoy some well-earned peace and quiet at its small, mostly-family owned guest houses and hotels.
10. Cape Verde
Cape Verdeans are very proud of their islands and they’ve every right to be – this sunny little archipelago, is for the most part, a singularly beautiful and unsullied destination. The interior of Santiago is lush and craggy with mountains, a diverse landscape of soaring peaks and fertile valleys with spice plantations and papaya trees. There’s fabulous hiking to be had, turquoise waters to be snorkeled and, of course, tons of sun.
This is the sunny island getaway you’ve been dreaming about.
11. Vietnam
Visit Vietnam for an adventurous getaway like no other — all without breaking the bank.
This incredible island paradise is a veritable cornucopia of things to do; from relaxing along the blanched-sand coast to taking trips to discovering the countries rich history and fascinating culture.
Begin your trip with a tour of Vietnam’s vibrant capital, Hanoi and be enthralled by the unique blend of French colonial influenced heritage with South East Asian culture. A trip to Vietnam is not complete without a boat-ride around Ha Long Bay just east of Hanoi.
12. The Baltics
Sure, the water’s a little colder, but with its opulent, glamourous resorts, wild islands and blanched beaches, these northerly shores are a great alternative to the far more expensive Mediterranean. Definitely one of the best low budget international trips you’ll ever go on. Explore lush countryside, trek vast, wide-open national parks, and swim the glittering coasts — the Baltics are brimming with things to do and places to see.
If it’s culture you’re in search of, you’ll find plenty of it here: with street art, sculpture, incredible architecture, and fascinating historical sites, you’ll have your finger right on the Baltics’ galloping pulse.
13. Laos
If you like your beaches wild, your forests dense and your fun cheap, Laos is the place to be.
Landlocked, strung like a necklace with limestone and gilded temples, dotted with caves and brimming with rare wildlife, Laos has long been a favorite of particularly adventurous travelers. They love its languid atmosphere, friendly locals and comparative lack of tourists.
Spend some time exploring sleepy Luang Prabang, Laos’ Unesco-protected poster city, exploring its historic sights and vibrant craft scene — then make your way north-west for rare wildlife spotting and heart-thumping trekking tours.
14. Argentina
It’s easy to imagine oneself losing a week in a city like Buenos Aires, Argentina’s capital but the country itself is a little bigger than that – the eighth largest in the world, just below India – and its stunning vistas are a sirens-call to adventurous explorers in search of some budget-friendly fun.
To the south lies a vast, jagged expanse of ice, Patagonia: perfect for those who want to see huge glaciers, do some hiking, perhaps camp a little, and go whale-watching off the Atlantic coast. The hub cities of El Calafate and Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego are a shopaholic’s dream of boutiques and resorts, with a new one cropping up every week. For something less consumerist, the Welsh valleys of Chubut are well-suited to spending a languid few weeks lounging by the sun; in 2021 the community will celebrate its 156th anniversary – expect fiestas and fireworks a-plenty.
For avowed city-slickers, Buenos Aires is just one of those picture-book metropolises’ you’ve got to see. It’s the slickest, most European, hedonistic city on the continent, and recent trends in food and drink make it more of a blast than ever. This is one low budget international trip you don’t want to miss.
15. Cambodia
Stunning archaeological sites, remote, mysterious colonial towns and beautiful, bleached beaches – Cambodia is an alluring and cheap getaway for travelers on the hunt for a destination slightly off the beaten track!
Though infrastructure in Cambodia isn’t quite as well-developed in Vietnam and Thailand, and flooding and poor roads make getting around a right hassle during the monsoon, from May through October, the cheap public transport, a more-than-solid domestic airline and friendly locals make travelling here an adventure. Low budget travel countries don’t get a whole lot better.
16. The Philippines
Their tourist board proclaims: “It’s more fun in the Philippines!” and you’ll quickly discover that they’re not exaggerating. Filipinos are a wonderfully jolly sort, and their easy-going demeanor helps to make visiting this gorgeous country delightfully fun.
Some of Asia’s most attractive islands and beaches can be reached in less than an hour from the cities of Manila and Cebu – and airfare is gloriously cheap.
From the prehistoric charms of the island of Palawan to Metro Manila’s high-end boutiques and electric nightlife: the Philippines has got it all.
17. Sri Lanka
Named the best country to visit by the Lonely Planet in 2019, ten years after a long and brutal civil war – Sri Lanka is a country come to life again.
Woefully short of admirers, more and more travelers are taking notice of this stunning little island nation. Take a train journey unlike any other right into the heart of Sri Lanka’s undulating tea plantations to discover the birthplace of Ceylon tea. Visit the awe-inspiring Horton Plain National Park and go whale- watching, or enjoy a lazy day spent beachside on its glittering golden coast — few countries in Asia can proffer so much to do all within same ZIP code, or are as easily navigable by public transport– or even riding around in your own little tuk-tuk.
18. Taiwan
For anyone visiting “the Orient” for the first time, Taipei – and indeed Taiwan – is a great introduction.
There’s world-class art. The cavernous National Palace Museum is home to one of the greatest collections of Chinese art. When Chiang Kai-shek fled to Taiwan in 1949 having lost China’s civil war, he brought with him 600,000 pieces from the Imperial collection. There’s 9 national parks. Taroko, YangmingShan, Kenting — you can hike from one coast to the other. Plus, a high-speed rail network, fantastic food scene and hot springs.
Oh, and it’s blessedly cheap, too.
19. Panama
From crystal-clear waters to lush coffee plantations and the loud, vibrant forests of Chiriquí, Panama can be as lax or as thrilling as you make it! Low budget tour, here we come!
20. Georgia
Why Georgia isn’t a more popular budget travel destination we’ll never know — it’s one of the most beautiful places on Earth.
Blessed with valleys carpeted in lush vineyards, ancient monasteries and friendly, hospitable locals, the supposed birthplace of wine is far, far less crowded than you’d expect: though maybe not for very long.
Here is another great article or two.
Images of fun things I’ve been doing
Enjoy your traveling. We would love to hear your ideas. Leave a comment.
Thanks for reading.
