The average price of a 7-day trip to California is $1,599 for a solo traveler, $2,872 for a couple, and $5,384 for a family of 4. California hotels range from $53 to $240 per night with an average of $76, while most vacation rentals will cost $120 to $580 per night for the entire home. Average worldwide flight costs to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) are between $695 and $1,191 per person for economy flights and $2,181 to $3,737 for first class. Depending on activities, we recommend budgeting $32 to $89 per person per day for transportation and enjoying local restaurants.
See below for average, budget, and luxury trip costs. You can also look up flight costs from your airport for more tailored flight pricing.
The Cheapest Times to Visit California, MD, US
On average, these will be the cheapest dates to fly to DCA and stay in a California hotel:
- January 15th to March 18th
- August 6th to December 9th (except the week of November 26th)
The absolute cheapest time to take a vacation in California is usually mid to late September.
Average California Trip Costs
Average Solo Traveler
The average cost for one person to visit California for a week is $1,101-$2,355($157-$336 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $32 to $89 per day for one person’s daily expenses
Flights: $421 to $1,048 for economy
Lodging: $76 to $89 per night for one 2 or 3-star hotel room
or $94 to $114 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental
Average Couple’s Trip
The average cost for a couple to visit California for a week is $2,294-$4,312($328-$616 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $64 to $178 per day for two people’s daily expenses
Flights: $842 to $2,096 for economy
Lodging: $76 to $89 per night for one 2 or 3-star hotel room
or $94 to $114 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental
Average Family Vacation
The average cost for 4 people to visit California for a week is $3,426-$7,752($489-$1,107 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $128 to $356 per day for four people’s daily expenses
Flights: $1,684 to $4,192 for economy
Lodging: $152 to $178 per night for two 2 or 3-star hotel rooms
or $141 to $160 per night for a 2-bed vacation rental
Traveling Cheap to California
How cheap can you make a vacation to California? The cheapest trip to California is about $120 per person per day for travelers willing to take standby flights, deal with inconvenience, and otherwise limit travel expenses. About 1% of rentals are available in the $0 to $100 range for an entire place, and vacation rentals can be booked for as low as $60 per night. These inexpensive rentals must be booked as early as possible and may not be in the most desirable areas. 1-star hotels are more likely to be available, with rooms starting at around $47.
Even cheaper trips are possible depending on where you live and whether you can drive. Check the cheapest times to fly for more saving ideas.
Budget Solo Traveler
The lowest cost for one person to visit California for a week is $843-$1,868($120-$267 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $20 to $40 per day for one person’s daily expenses
Flights: $421 to $1,048 for economy
Lodging: $47 to $53 per night for one 1-star hotel room
or $60 to $90 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental
Budget Couple’s Trip
The lowest cost for a couple to visit California for a week is $1,404-$3,196($201-$457 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $40 to $80 per day for two people’s daily expenses
Flights: $842 to $2,096 for economy
Lodging: $47 to $53 per night for one 1-star hotel room
or $60 to $90 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental
Budget Family Vacation
The lowest cost for 4 people to visit California for a week is $2,808-$6,176($401-$882 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $80 to $160 per day for four people’s daily expenses
Flights: $1,684 to $4,192 for economy
Lodging: $94 to $106 per night for two 1-star hotel rooms
or $96 to $144 per night for a 2-bed vacation rental
Overall it is possible but not easy to travel to California cheaply.
The Cost of a Luxury California Trip
There is no true ceiling on the cost of a luxury trip, so our estimates are based on what most people do in California.
Luxury Solo Traveler
The high-end price for one person to visit California for a week is $2,198-$11,499($314-$1,643 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $67 to $169 per day for one person’s daily expenses
Flights: $1,015 to $3,008 for first class
Lodging: $119 to $240 per night for one 4 or 5-star hotel room
or $580 to $1,218 per night for a preferred vacation rental
Luxury Couple’s Trip
The high-end price for a couple to visit California for a week is $3,682-$15,690($526-$2,241 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $134 to $338 per day for two people’s daily expenses
Flights: $2,030 to $6,016 for first class
Lodging: $119 to $240 per night for one 4 or 5-star hotel room
or $580 to $1,218 per night for a preferred vacation rental
Luxury Family Vacation
The high-end price for 4 people to visit California for a week is $7,364-$26,994($1,052-$3,856 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $268 to $676 per day for four people’s daily expenses
Flights: $4,060 to $12,032 for first class
Lodging: $238 to $480 per night for two 4 or 5-star hotel rooms
or $928 to $1,705 per night for a preferred vacation rental
California Hotel Prices
The cost of staying in California is about average than the average city. On average hotels are less expensive than vacation rentals. Luxury vacation rentals are more expensive in California due to very high property costs. The graphs below show how much cost can vary depending on the type of experience you’re looking for.
California Lodging Cost by Star Status
The average price for the class of hotel is on the (y) axis. The hotel class (out of 5 stars) is on the (x) axis.
Key
Prices are based on California hotel averages and may not reflect current prices. In some cases, we extrapolate prices to estimate costs, and hotels with your desired star rating may not be available.
Vacation Rental Prices
The percent of vacation rentals in the price range is on the left (y) axis. Price range is on the bottom (x) axis.
Key
There are a healthy amount of vacation rentals serving all budgets in California.
Flight Costs to California
Averaging flights around the world, prices go from a high of $1,191 average in early January to a low of $695 in mid to late September. Median flight price is $767. These prices are based on millions of flights. For California our data includes 1,228 originating airports, and 151 airlines. The area has more variance in price compared with other locations. Flying to California from an airport like Supadio (PNK) in Pontianak (Indonesia) for an average $8,797 trip fare will obviously cost a lot more than from an airport like LaGuardia (LGA) in New York, NY (the United States) at an average of just $146.
Average Flight Cost by Season
Key
Average Flight Cost by Day of Week
Key
The cheapest day to fly in is typically Tuesday, and the cheapest day to fly back is usually Tuesday. Click here to see data for the cost of flights from your airport. In California, the difference between the cheapest and the most expensive week is about $496, so you can easily save about 71% simply by using our free flight guides and booking in advance.
Daily Expenses Budget
Daily vacation expenses vary more based on what you’re interested in doing. A fine dining restaurant with drinks around California can easily cost $300 per person or more, while a standard nice meal might be about $20 per person. Private tours can cost $599 per day, but self-guided tours to see the outdoor sights can be free. Costs vary wildly, so recommendations are made based on the cost of living and averages we see for this type of vacation.