6 Summer Travel Destinations You Can Visit for $500 or Less

This summer, travelers hitting the road plan to sightsee without breaking the bank. According to a May 2024 GOBankingRates survey, 51% of Americans going on vacation said the impact of ongoing inflation means they’re taking a more affordable vacation this year. 

A budget-friendly vacation doesn’t mean you can’t have fun exploring a whole new city or region, though! From lively airboat tours in Florida to one popular New York state park you might not realize is free to visit, check out these six summer travel destinations you can visit for under $500.

Is it possible to visit Yosemite National Park and enjoy hiking, biking and bird-watching for under $500? Yes, although you will likely want to plan ahead for this trip to know all of the park’s various price points before you go.

According to the Yosemite website, each guest must obtain a Standard Pass ($20 to $35), Annual Pass ($70) or America the Beautiful Pass (cost ranges from free depending on your eligibility to $80) to be allowed entry.

Those planning to stay at a campground must also review their options to see which are open, where they need to make reservations, and where they would be allowed (or not) to take RVs and/or trailers. A camping stay at Yosemite Valley’s Upper Pines is $36 in daily fees and requires reservations, which open up five months in advance. Camp 4 requires reservations, which are released one week in advance, for the dates of April 13 through October 27 and is $10 per person. However, it is for walk-ins and tents only, with no RVs or trailers allowed on the campground site.

Sequoia National Park is home to the General Sherman Tree and has tons of activities to engage in, like day hiking the trails and stargazing at night. And it is possible to pull off a visit to Sequoia National Park with some careful number-crunching.

Much like making a trip to Yosemite, visiting Sequoia National Park requires an entrance pass to be allowed entry. These passes must be the Standard Pass, Annual Pass or the America the Beautiful Pass, all priced at the same amounts as noted for entry into Yosemite.

Camping fees depend on the number in your party. Daily fees for a standard campsite, up to six people, are $32, while a midsize group campsite costs $50 daily. 

Visitors must also be mindful of fees associated with some of the activities you can engage in at Sequoia National Park. Many of these fees are priced per person or even by the hour, the latter of which it’s important to watch out for to stay within your $500 budget.

The “Wonders of the Night Sky” hike, for example, is a one-hour tour where visitors may stargaze and costs $10 to $15 per person. Going on the Sequoia Adventure Tour, on the other hand, is a private group adventure to explore the Giant Forest and is priced at $125 per hour.

Travel blogger Tim Schmidt is a longtime South Florida resident who highly recommends visiting the Florida Everglades during the summer wet season. Schmidt said there are two aspects of the trip not to miss out on: taking an airboat tour and going camping. 

Travelers looking for affordable airboat tour options are recommended by Schmidt to visit the Everglades Alligator Farm. The purchase of a Summer Savings Pass, priced at $67.99 for adults and $56.99 for children ages 3 to 11, allows visitors to enjoy one airboat ride per day and watch an exciting alligator show.

For those who want to go camping, Schmidt said to check out the Flamingo Campground. Guests can stay at the Flamingo Campground, which offers nonelectric and electric campsite fees and where the campgrounds include bathrooms, dump stations, picnic tables and grills.

Fees per night for those staying at a nonelectric campsite, for example, are $33 Monday through Thursday, $38.50 Friday through Sunday and $60 for group sites. (The Long Pine Key Campground, another campground on the site, is open only from November 1 through April 30.)

Frugal travelers planning a vacation in the New York state area, rejoice! According to the Niagara Falls website, Niagara Falls State Park is open 365 days a year, free to walk into and always allows guests views of its stunning, natural beauty.

Where costs might add up is overnight lodgings outside the park. However, there are plenty of hotels, motels, and bed and breakfast spots in the surrounding area for under $150 a night.

There’s plenty of American history to discover at Colonial Williamsburg. Just a handful of the things you can do and see are walking through arboretums and gardens, taking a carriage ride, and exploring historical sites, such as the residence of Virginia’s royal governors. 

Small families or friends looking to keep costs minimal might consider opting for the single-day ticket. For adults, this is priced at $49.99 per person. Tickets for youth ages 6 to 12 are $28.99 apiece.

For travelers who want to go to Texas this summer but don’t have enough in the budget to afford a major metro like Austin, Hans Mast, travel agent at Golden Rule Travel, has just the recommendation for you. Check out Waco, an under-the-radar, inexpensive Texas destination.

What’s there to do? Fans of HGTV’s Chip and Joanna Gaines are recommended by Mast to check out the Shops at the Silos. Not pictured within these six shops, Mast said, are the free yard games that provide dads and kids unlimited entertainment while moms shop (or window shop, if you want to keep the trip extra inexpensive). 

For group activities, Mast said to check out the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, which offers a variety of ways to enjoy an African safari experience. A few ticket options to choose from include the self-guided drive, which costs $29.95 for guests ages 12 and older and $24.95 for children ages 3 to 11, and a public guided tour, where tickets cost $44.95 per person for guests ages 3 and older.

If you need to stay at a hotel, Mast said there are many highly rated, inexpensive two-star hotels in the area.

Methodology: GOBankingRates surveyed 999 American women aged 18 and older from across the country on between May 3 and May 7, 2024, asking 22 different questions: (1) What will you spend the most on this summer?; (2) Has inflation impacted your summer vacation or travel plans this year?; (3) If you’re going on a vacation, how do you plan to travel? (select all that apply); (4) If you’re going on a vacation, where do you plan to stay? (select all that apply); (5) How much do you expect to spend on vacation this summer?; (6) What’s the best way to save money on vacation costs?; (7) If you are a parent, how much will you spend on summer activities/camps for your child(ren)?; (8) If you are a parent, how much will you spend on weekly child care costs this summer?; (9) Which retailer do you shop at most for your summertime needs?; (10) Which retailer do you think has the worst deals on summertime essentials?; (11) If you shop at Dollar Tree, what’s your summertime must-buy? (select all that apply); (12) If you shop at Costco, what’s your summertime must-buy? (select all that apply); (13) If you celebrate Memorial Day, how much money do you plan to spend?; (14) If you celebrate the Fourth of July, how much money do you plan to spend?; (15) If you celebrate Labor Day, how much money do you plan to spend?; (16) If you’re shopping during Memorial Day weekend, what are you planning to buy? (select all that apply); (17) If you’re shopping during the Fourth of July, what are you planning to buy? (select all that apply); (18) If you’re shopping during Labor Day weekend, what are you planning to buy? (select all that apply); (19) Do you plan on working a side hustle this summer to cover expenses?; (20) What are some ways you plan to save extra money this summer? (select all that apply); (21) How do you plan to build your wealth this summer? (select all that apply); and (22) Which summer purchase is worth every penny, in your opinion? (select all that apply). GOBankingRates used PureSpectrum’s survey platform to conduct the poll.