The 5 Priciest Vacation Destinations In The U.S. Are Sure To Surprise You

When planning a vacation, one of the most crucial elements to consider is how much you're willing to spend. You have to consider not only travel costs, such as gas and airfare, but also hotel rates, dining options, and entry fees for attractions. While the total cost of a vacation can depend on multiple factors, naturally, some places are going to be pricier than others. Cities like New York, LA, and Orlando might initially come to mind, but actually, they're not even among the top five most expensive U.S. vacation destinations. 

According to data analyzed by GoBankingRates in 2025, only one of the top five is in California, and the rest are in Colorado, Maine, and Alaska. The financial advising company looked at the top U.S. vacation destinations, averaging the costs of hotels, airfares, meals, and goods in each destination. As you might imagine, these factors could fluctuate for longer vacations (e.g., discounted rates for longer-term apartment rentals), and they don't take into consideration attraction costs, such as national park entry fees. And regardless of how expensive your destination is, there are always ways for travelers to save on hotels and flights and splurge elsewhere on their vacation. 

That said, the results of this study speak for themselves. So if you're looking to throw caution (and your wallet) to the wind on your next trip, you might want to explore one of these five vacation destinations, which are considered the most expensive in the U.S. according to this 2025 analysis. 

No matter how you break it down, Aspen, Colorado, is an expensive city, a celeb-ridden alpine playground with luxe charm and year-round fun. If any place is luxurious enough to attract wealthy elites and celebrities, it's probably a tad more expensive than your average town.

Some of the main drivers of Aspen's high prices include limited space for properties and an exclusive atmosphere that drives prices up. This problem is evident when looking at the city's cost of living, which is substantially higher than the national average. According to Best Places, the cost of living in Aspen is about 120% more expensive than that of the average U.S. city (220 total), although much of that reflects Aspen's high housing costs. But even restaurants and grocery stores tend to be pricier in Aspen, so you'll be spending more no matter what your housing situation turns out to be.

Is Aspen worth it? Well, if you're a fan of skiing and mountain towns, it should be. The alpine scenery here is unmatched, even relative to other gorgeous parts of Colorado. Moreover, because the city attracts many wealthy residents who (hopefully) pay taxes, it has ample funds to spend on cleaning and beautifying public spaces. This means that the human-made aspects of Aspen — its streets, parks, and public buildings, for example — sparkle as much as their natural surroundings do. Another bonus is that since celebrities often come by to ski and sightsee, you never know who you might run into while you're exploring the downtown area.

When it comes to Southern California destinations, Santa Barbara may not be as well known as places like Los Angeles and San Diego. But if you manage to find yourself in the city, you'll understand why it's the country's second most expensive vacation spot and also why it's lovingly referred to as the the "American Riviera," with its Spanish-inspired aesthetic. The city's chic style, coupled with its lack of housing options have made it an expensive place for both travelers and residents. According to Go Banking Rate, hotel and food costs are also very high (higher even than Aspen's), helping to push Santa Barbara into the second spot. Overall, though, Santa Barbara's cost of living is only 54% above the national average compared to Aspen's 120%.

Santa Barbara's proximity to Los Angeles and its suburbs — which would be expected to have a much wider range of accommodation options given their larger area — could help you mitigate the high costs of visiting. Rather than forking out cash to rest your head in a luxury Santa Barbara resort overlooking the ocean, stay in a more moderately priced hotel in an L.A. suburb and drive north when you want to spend time in Santa Barbara, which has some of the best parks and beaches in SoCal. Furthermore, because the weather is almost always nice in this part of California, it doesn't matter when you visit.

When thinking about luxurious and expensive vacation destinations, Anchorage, Alaska, might not come to mind. After all, it's the most depressing city in America during winter, thanks to its endless nights. However, if you visit during the summer, Anchorage is surprisingly pleasant and attractive, particularly if you're into outdoor activities.

The reason Anchorage makes the top five priciest vacation destinations is because it costs so much to get there. According to Go Banking Rates, the average flight to Anchorage for a couple costs over $1,000, making it more expensive than L.A., New York, and other locales in the lower 48. As with Aspen, the fact that Anchorage is off the beaten track makes it harder to reach, even though it's practically a chic modern metropolis by Alaskan standards.

But is Anchorage worth the cost of a ticket? Again, if you're into the great outdoors and want to experience the rugged wilds of the Last Frontier, it definitely is. The city sits along a bay next to the 495,000-acre Chugach State Park, and it's only two hours away from Kenai Fjords National Park, the distinctly shaped icy wonderland that must be Alaska's most breathtaking park. For those who love serious hiking and wildlife watching, then, Anchorage might just be the perfect vacation destination, no matter what the price.

By now, there should be a pretty obvious pattern emerging in this list of the priciest vacation destinations in America. Although Bar Harbor is considered the tourism capital of Maine, it's certainly not as popular as cities like Orlando or Myrtle Beach. But thanks to its more remote location, it is slightly more expensive than these better-known holiday spots. That said, there's a bit of a discrepancy with this entry. According to Go Banking Rates, Bar Harbor is the fourth most expensive city to vacation in, the main drivers of the high costs being airfare and meals, leading to a total vacation price tag of $2,224. However, according to U.S. News and World Report, the city is one of America's most affordable vacation destinations, complete with endless lobster. 

What we do know is that Bar Harbor is the gateway to Acadia National Park, which occupies the southern half of Mount Desert Island (among other nearby islands). And one of the best reasons to visit this Maine city is to explore it — New England's only national park. That said, summer is the busiest season here, which can make lodging and airfare more expensive. This may be why Go Banking Rates ranked it in the top 5.

Beyond visiting the national park, Bar Harbor is one of the best cities for indulging in Maine lobster, with numerous seafood restaurants to choose from. If your vacation budget is on the generous side, you might as well take advantage by indulging in some lobster and freshly caught seafood. One swanky option is Stewman's Lobster Pound, which features dishes like local Maine oysters, a shellfish tasting of crab, oysters, lobster, and shrimp, and lobster bisque. You can even pick your own lobster and have it steamed for you. A slightly more affordable yet still posh restaurant is Geddy's, which has a wider variety of fish options. 

The fifth most expensive vacation destination in the United States is the remote city of Fairbanks, Alaska, the third most populous city in the Last Frontier. As with Anchorage, much of the costs associated with this location are related to getting there, with airfare routinely costing more than $1,100 per couple, even though lodging and food might not be as pricey as those in other expensive destinations. While getting to Fairbanks may be on the expensive side, it does have its own international airport, which can certainly make arrivals and departures more convenient. 

What makes it such a prime travel locale is that it's one of the best places to see the Northern Lights in the fall. If you're trying to see the lights but don't want to explore the frigid and empty Arctic Circle, Fairbanks is a much better option. The city is also just two hours from Denali National Park, so if you love hiking and want to see some of the most spectacular wilderness in the entire country — which includes North America's highest mountain and an amazing wildlife like bears, wolves, and moose — you can easily add the park to your Fairbanks itinerary.