Aspen has been named as the most expensive vacation destination in the US, with a week-long trip costing $5,330 per person.
At the other end of the scale, Outer Banks, North Carolina – at $1,237 per person – was the cheapest of the 100 popular places considered in the study. study by Optimos Travel.
Looking at the cost for a family of four, that’s a whopping $13,691 in the luxury ski resort, but only $3,247 in the archipelago off the Atlantic Ocean. The price per family member is lower than for individuals, as they share accommodation.
To coincide with the tens of millions of Americans looking to book summer vacations, research has looked at the costs of food, transportation, lodging and attraction fees.
While Aspen became world famous in the 1960s and 1970s as a quiet and peaceful haven for hippies and writers like Hunter S Thomson, it is now known as a favorite haunt of the mega-rich.
Scroll down to see a chart showing the top ten and ten most expensive destinations.
Aspen has become famous as a vacation spot for the mega-rich
The wealthy resort is frequented by celebrities, Wall Street financiers, real estate magnates and tech founders (photo: luxury hotel The Little Nell)
Outer Banks, North Carolina, was ranked as the least expensive of the top 100 U.S. vacation destinations
The wealthy resort, frequented by celebrities, Wall Street financiers, real estate moguls and tech founders, counts more than 100 billionaires among its homeowners.
The daily cost for one person in the luxury ski town – which is also a popular destination for hikers in the summer – is a whopping $761.39, according to Optimos Travel.
It found that hotels or rental properties in Aspen cost an average of $494.56 per night, and meals cost travelers $100 per day.
The survey shows that Park City, Utah, is the second most expensive vacation destination in the US, with an individual daily cost of $710 and a seven-day trip for a family of four costing a whopping $12,632.
Located east of Salt Lake City, Park City is known for its rugged natural beauty, world-class skiing and snowboarding, and hiking trails.
Maui, Hawaii, ranked as the third most expensive, followed by Montauk, New York and Santa Monica, California.
Maui has the highest lodging costs: $534.11 per night per person, while New York City, which ranks eighth, has the highest meal costs: $142.50 per person.
Key West, Florida, also ranked in the top 10 most expensive vacation destinations, joining Charleston, South Carolina, Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts and Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Kim Kardashian at Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen earlier this year
Aspen has been named as the most expensive vacation destination in the US, with a week-long trip costing more than $5,000 per person
Optimos Travel took into account the costs of food, transport, accommodation and attraction costs in 100 of the country’s most popular holiday destinations
Pyramid Peak and the Maroon Bells, Aspen, Colorado
A ski lift in Aspen
Santa Monica in Los Angeles costs $4,448 per person – one of the most expensive travel destinations of the 100 popular places examined in the study
Long road leading to Monument Valley as seen from Forrest Gump Point, Utah. Monument Valley is one of the least expensive in the survey at $1,529 per person
At $1,447, Cape Cod is one of the best value vacation destinations in the US
Meanwhile, Outer Banks, North Carolina was ranked as the cheapest travel destination among the 100 popular spots examined in the study.
A week’s stay on the archipelago off the Atlantic Ocean costs $1,237 per person – or $3,247 for a family of four.
The second least expensive destination is Charleston, West Virginia, located in the heart of Appalachia.
For a week, it would cost a family of four an average of just under $3,000.
Georgia is home to two of the most affordable destinations, with Helen at number three and Tybee Island at number four.