Orca Travel Guides
Every number below comes from an official survey, a published rate card or a named industry source, with the date we checked it. Where nobody publishes a number, we say unknown instead of guessing.
Facts checked as of Oct 25, 2026 (PT)
Napa's own survey: average overnight visitor spend (2025)
$771 per day
Visit Napa Valley doesn't say whether this is per person or per travel party. Average stay: 4.4 nights.
Sources:Visit Napa Valley — 2025 visitor profile & economic impact
| Item | Budget | Mid | Luxury | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel room per night (room, not per person) | $163 (Santa Rosa / Sonoma federal benchmark) | $423.82 (Napa County average daily rate, 2025) | Unknown | |
| Tasting fee per person | $47 (Sonoma average standard) | $79 (Napa average standard) | $125 (Napa average reserve) | |
| Meals per person per day | $86 (federal meals allowance, Santa Rosa) | $92 (federal meals allowance, Napa) | Unknown | |
| Tip for the tasting host (per couple) | $10–$15 (bar) | $15–$20 (seated) | $20+ (boutique) |
Budget
$261.50
Mid
$461.91
Luxury
Unknown
Per person: half a shared room + two tastings + the federal meals allowance. Budget = Sonoma; mid = Napa. Luxury is unknown because there's no published average for top-end resort rooms.
Worth it when
If you're the kind of person who'll remember the wine, the place and the people — a seated tasting with a good host is one of the best-value luxuries in California.
Not worth it when
If you're only there to drink: two Napa standard tastings average $158 per person before tip. Sonoma averages $47 a tasting. And don't drive between tastings.
Our tip
Do two or three tastings a day, not five. Go in November, December–February or March–May for fewer crowds.
Peak walk-up lift tickets, 2026-27
Vail $374 · Park City $369 · Deer Valley $349 · Breckenridge $332 · Snowbird $239
Off-peak and advance tickets are cheaper. Big Sky, Palisades, Snowmass, Jackson Hole and Mammoth peak prices: unknown.
Sources:TownLift — 2026-27 peak window ticket prices (Sep 4, 2026)
| Item | Budget | Mid | Luxury | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lift access per day | $124.14 (Epic Local $869 spread over 7 days) | $374 (Vail peak walk-up) | $374 (same lift ticket — luxury is lodging, lessons and service) | |
| Hotel room per night, Dec–Mar (room) | $296 (Breckenridge federal benchmark) | $417 (Vail federal benchmark) | Unknown | |
| Meals per person per day | $92 (federal meals allowance) | $92 | Unknown | |
| Private lesson tip | — | $50 half-day / $100 full day | $100 full day, or 15–25% of the lesson | |
| Lessons, rentals | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Budget
$364.14
Mid
$674.50
Luxury
Unknown
Per person: lift access + half a shared room + the federal meals allowance. Budget = Breckenridge on Epic Local over 7 days; mid = Vail walk-up. Park City walk-up works out at $710.50.
Worth it when
If you'll ski 3–4+ days at Vail, Park City or Breckenridge on Epic, or 5+ at Deer Valley on Ikon, a pass beats peak walk-up tickets. Bought in time, it's the single biggest saving in skiing.
Not worth it when
Walk-up at peak is the worst deal in travel: the Alps list big-area day tickets around €75–€85 (Tignes €75, Arlberg €85, season not stated) against $332–$374 at the priciest US resorts.
Our tip
See the pass math on /ski/passes. Avoid Christmas–New Year, MLK and Presidents' Day weekends if your pass has blackouts.
State survey: average visitor spend per person per day (2025)
Statewide $260 · Maui $305 · Kauaʻi $282 · Hawaiʻi Island $246 · Oʻahu $238
All spending, lodging included. Average stay: 8.66 days.
| Item | Budget | Mid | Luxury | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel room per night (statewide average, 2025) | $215.87 (midscale & economy) | $328.06 (upper upscale) | $862.82 (luxury class) | |
| Hotel per person (room shared by two) | $107.94 | $164.03 | $431.41 | |
| December premium | — | Statewide average $449.12 in Dec 2025 vs $366.66 for the year | Luxury $1,220.62 in Dec 2025 vs $862.82 | |
| Beach fees (examples) | Hanauma Bay $25 non-resident entry | Kamaʻole (Maui) parking $10/day non-resident | — |
Budget
Unknown
Mid
$260 (state average, all-in)
Luxury
Unknown
We don't publish a sample day for Hawaiʻi beyond the state's own survey because meal costs by band aren't published.
Worth it when
The beach fees we found are small (Hanauma Bay $25, Kamaʻole parking $10 a day). A midscale room at $215.87 a night versus a luxury-class room at $862.82 is the real decision.
Not worth it when
December and luxury-class rooms ($1,220.62 average in Dec 2025) — you're paying for the holiday and the brand, not better water.
Our tip
Match the shore to the season: north shores in summer, south and west in winter. Check the /beaches/hawaii guide.
Per golfer, per round — green fee + caddie, no lodging
See lines below
Lodging is separate. Prices are each course's published 2026 rates.
Sources:Pebble Beach — Golf Links rates
| Item | Budget | Mid | Luxury | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green fee | $258 weekday (Torrey Pines South, non-resident) — twilight $156 | $375 (Bandon Dunes, Jun–Sep, resort guest) / $475 (Kapalua Plantation) | $695 (Pebble Beach Golf Links) + $60 cart if not a resort guest | |
| Caddie fee | — | $125 per bag (Bandon) plus gratuity | $175 single bag (Pebble) | |
| Caddie tip | — | Not stated by Bandon | $100+ per bag single caddie (Pebble's suggestion) | |
| Lodging per night (room) | $208 (San Diego federal benchmark) | Unknown | Up to $2,300 (top of Bandon Dunes' published lodging range) |
Budget
$308 (Torrey South weekday + $50 advance booking fee)
Mid
$500 + caddie tip (Bandon peak + caddie)
Luxury
$1,030 (Pebble: fee + cart + caddie + suggested tip)
One round per golfer, lodging not included.
Worth it when
A bucket-list course once — with a caddie — is worth it for most serious golfers. The caddie is often the best part.
Not worth it when
If you're playing for score or exercise, Pebble's $1,030 round costs about four times Torrey Pines South on a weekday ($258). And Bandon in June–September costs nearly three times December ($375 vs $130).
Our tip
Book shoulder months — Bandon April ($260), Scottsdale April–May.
Caribbean crewed catamaran, median week (2026, high season)
$31,500 all-inclusive
Middle half: $25,000–$43,000. Motor yachts: $118,800 median with APA folded in.
Base rate
The boat and crew for the week. Every other number is a percentage of this.
APA (Advance Provisioning Allowance)
Paid up front for fuel, food, drinks, berths: typically 25–35% of the base for sailing yachts and catamarans, 35–40% for motor yachts on MYBA terms. Unused APA is refunded. Caribbean catamarans are usually all-inclusive instead.
VAT (Greece)
13% standard for crewed charters, cut to 5.2% (unlimited navigation) or 6.5% (limited navigation). Static charters and those under 48 hours: 13% per SOS Yachting — one broker says 24%. Ask yours.
Tip
Brokers advise 5–20% of the base fee, lower in the Med and higher in the US and Caribbean; the Caribbean custom is 15–20%. MYBA's 2026 guidelines no longer give a figure.
$31,500 + 15–20% tip ($4,725–$6,300)
Per person per day: $562.50 before tip; $646.88–$675 with tip
Sources:Vital Charters — Caribbean yacht charter cost 2026Vital Charters — How to tip yacht crew (2026): the custom, and what MYBA says
$46,000–$48,000 landed
Per person per day: $821.43–$857.14
Sources:Vital Charters — Yacht charter costs explained (rates, APA, add-ons) 2026
$98,400–$101,400 landed
Per person per day: $1,757.14–$1,810.71
Sources:Vital Charters — Yacht charter costs explained (rates, APA, add-ons) 2026
$178,000 all-in, including the $20,000 crew tip → $158,000 for the charter itself (base + APA + VAT, including fuel)
Estimated base fee: $99,371–$114,493. Formula: base = $158,000 ÷ (1 + APA + VAT). Low end: APA 35% + VAT 24% → $158,000 ÷ 1.59 = $99,371 (APA $34,780, VAT $23,849). High end: APA 25% + VAT 13% → $158,000 ÷ 1.38 = $114,493 (APA $28,623, VAT $14,884).
Per person per day: Unknown
Estimate, not an invoice. Assumes APA of 25–35% of the base fee and Greek VAT of 13% or 24% charged on the base fee only (VAT doesn't apply to APA or the tip). The $178,000 includes the $20,000 tip, so the charter itself was $158,000. A crewed charter longer than 48 hours is normally taxed at 13% or less, so 24% is the worst case and the true base is more likely toward the high end. Per-person cost depends on guests and nights, which we haven't published.
Sources:HELM — What is an APA?George Yachts — Greek yacht charter VAT explained (2026)IYC — Charter taxes & VATSOS Yachting — VAT in GreeceEthan Bixby, founder — first-hand account
Worth it when
Split 8 ways, a crewed Caribbean catamaran is about $560–$680 per person per day with food, drinks and crew — and you wake up somewhere new.
Not worth it when
For two people, or anyone who gets seasick or wants nightlife every night. Plus-expenses motor yachts in the Med add 25–40% APA, VAT and a tip on top of the headline rate.
Our tip
Ask the broker for the landed total — base + APA + VAT + tip — before you compare boats.