Cheap Summer Vacation Ideas Under $1,500 (2027)

For many destinations, summer is one of the most expensive seasons to travel, and it is the one most of us have to travel in. School calendars, work vacations, and long weekends all point at June, July, and August, so airlines and hotels price accordingly. The good news is that a real summer trip for under $1,500 per person is still very doable, if you pick places where summer is not peak season, or where the big costs (the bed, the food) stay low even when everyone else is traveling. This guide is for couples, families, solo travelers, and friends planning summer 2027. Planning as a college student with a tighter budget? We have a separate guide for cheap summer trips for college students, and a broader list of cheap vacation ideas under $1,000 that runs year-round.

How we figured these numbers. Every cost below is a rough planning estimate per person, assuming two people share a room, flights from a typical US hub (or gas for the drive-in trips), and a mid-range-to-frugal style: simple hotels or rentals, a mix of cheap meals and a couple of good ones, and one or two paid activities. Ranges are wide on purpose, because your home airport, your exact dates, and your booking timing move the number more than anything else. These are not fares or quotes, and Jettova does not hold inventory, so check live prices for your dates before you commit. The cheap end of each range assumes flexible dates and booking early.

1. Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee and North Carolina: about $540-$910 per person for 5 nights (drive-in). The cheapest national park trip in the country for anyone within a day's drive. The park itself has no entrance fee, but you need a parking tag if you park for more than 15 minutes: $5 a day or $15 a week.[1] A cabin or condo in Townsend, Gatlinburg, or Bryson City split four ways runs roughly $50-$80 per person per night, which is $250-$400 for five nights. Add $80-$150 for your share of gas, $150-$250 for food (cook breakfast and lunch), and $60-$110 for tubing, rafting, or a distillery tour. Best weeks: early June and the last two weeks of August. Caveat: July and fall-foliage season are the crowded, pricey weeks, and Cades Cove can back up for hours. Money tip: the free waterfalls and the Roaring Fork loop beat most paid attractions in town.

2. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina: about $770-$1,330 per person for 6 nights (drive-in or cheap fare). The classic budget beach week. A double-occupancy oceanfront condo or hotel room runs about $130-$220 a night on summer weekdays, which is $390-$660 each for six nights. Add $80-$160 for gas, $240-$360 for food, and $60-$150 for a mini-golf-and-boardwalk-level activity budget. Best weeks: late May through mid June, and after mid August when school starts in much of the South. Caveat: July is the most expensive month, Saturday-to-Saturday rentals cost more than midweek stays, and August and September are the busiest stretch of hurricane season. Money tip: book a condo a few blocks off the beach, not on it, and take the free beach access.

3. Las Vegas, Nevada: about $780-$1,360 per person for 4 nights. Summer is Vegas's off-season because of the heat (triple digits are normal), so rooms are often cheaper than in spring or fall. Flights run roughly $220-$380 from most of the country. A room runs about $90-$170 a night before the resort fee and tax, which can add 30 percent or more, so budget about $140-$230 all-in and split it two ways: $280-$460 each. Add $200-$320 for food (a buffet or a cheap off-Strip diner beats a celebrity chef) and $80-$200 for a show or a Hoover Dam day trip. Best weeks: Sunday-to-Thursday stays in June and late August. Caveat: the July 4 stretch spikes hard, outdoor time is a morning-and-evening activity, and always read the resort fee before you click. Money tip: stay midweek, since Friday and Saturday nights cost far more.

4. Chicago, Illinois: about $870-$1,370 per person for 4 nights. Summer is Chicago at its best and its priciest, but the best parts are free: the lakefront path, the beaches, Millennium Park, and the free outdoor concerts and festivals that run all summer. Flights run roughly $200-$350. Hotels in June through August are about $180-$260 a night for a double, so $360-$520 each for four nights. Add $220-$320 for food (deep dish is a two-meal order, so split it), $60-$150 for an architecture river cruise or a ballgame, and about $30 for transit. Best weeks: early June and the last full week of August. Caveat: big-event weekends (July 4 and the early-August music festival weekend) can double hotel prices. Money tip: stay near an L line stop outside the Loop and skip the rental car.

5. Black Hills and Badlands, South Dakota: about $910-$1,340 per person for 4 nights. The road-trip national parks and monuments trip with the least crowding: Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, Badlands National Park, and Wind Cave in one loop out of Rapid City. Flights into Rapid City run roughly $350-$500, so this is the stretch of the budget. A shared rental car is about $120-$180 each for four days, lodging is $220-$320 each, food is $160-$220, and park fees and a scenic drive or two are $60-$120. Best weeks: early to mid June and late August. Caveat: the big motorcycle rally in early August sends hotel prices up sharply across the region, and many properties require multi-night minimums, so check the rally dates before you pick yours, and the Badlands in July afternoons can be very hot. Money tip: an America the Beautiful pass can pay for itself if you visit several fee parks in a year, but compare the fees first.

6. Traverse City and Sleeping Bear Dunes, Michigan: about $650-$1,060 per person for 4 nights (drive-in). Lake Michigan beaches, dune climbs, cherry orchards, and wineries within an hour of town. For anyone in the Midwest this is a drive, and gas runs $60-$120 for your share. Lodging is the big cost in peak summer, roughly $180-$280 a night for a double, so $360-$560 each. Food runs $180-$260 and activities and park fees $50-$120. Flying in adds roughly $250-$350 to the total and can still fit under budget. Best weeks: mid June and late August after the peak crowds thin. Caveat: July, and especially festival weeks, is the most expensive and the most crowded. Money tip: stay in a smaller town 20 minutes out and drive in for the day.

7. Denver and Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado: about $940-$1,470 per person for 4 nights. Cooler mountain air in the park, though Denver itself runs hot. Flights are roughly $200-$380, Denver hotels run about $170-$250 a night in summer, so $340-$500 each. A shared rental car for three days plus gas is $120-$150 each, food is $220-$300, and activities (a Red Rocks show, park entry) are $60-$140. This is the tightest-fitting trip in the US list, so it works best with flexible dates. Best weeks: mid June and late August. Caveat: Rocky Mountain National Park has required timed-entry reservations in recent summers, so check the current rules and book your slot on Recreation.gov before you plan the days around it.[2] Afternoon thunderstorms are routine at altitude, so hike early. Money tip: stay in Denver or Boulder, since Estes Park rooms run high in summer.

8. Portland, Oregon: about $930-$1,410 per person for 4 nights. Summer is the one reliably dry, sunny season in the Pacific Northwest, and Portland at its best has free hiking, food carts, bookstores, and breweries. Flights from the East Coast are roughly $350-$500 (less from the West). Hotels run about $150-$220 a night, so $300-$440 each. Food runs $220-$320 (the food cart pods are the best deal in the city) and activities and a Columbia River Gorge day trip run $60-$150. Best weeks: June and early September. Caveat: late July and August can bring wildfire smoke to the region, so keep dates flexible and check air quality before you go. Money tip: the Forest Park trails are free, and many Gorge trails are too, but check permit and parking rules and budget for a car or shuttle.

9. Montreal, Canada: about $680-$1,150 per person for 4 nights. A European-feeling city in North America, with an exchange rate that has recently favored US dollars (check the current rate). Flights from the Northeast run roughly $200-$380 (or drive or take the train and pay less). Lodging in a Plateau or Old Montreal rental runs about $120-$190 a night, so $240-$380 each. Food runs $180-$260 and activities, bike share, and Metro passes run $60-$130. You need a passport. Best weeks: early June and late August. Caveat: the big festival weeks and any major race weekend push hotel rates up, so check the calendar before you pick dates. Money tip: the Bixi bike share and the Metro cover almost everything for a few dollars a day.

10. San Juan, Puerto Rico: about $840-$1,390 per person for 4 nights. No passport for US citizens, no currency exchange, and summer is the low season, so fares and hotels both soften. Flights from the East Coast run roughly $250-$450. Hotels and condos in Condado or Old San Juan run $130-$210 a night, so $260-$420 each. Food runs $200-$280, rideshares and a day trip run $50-$90, and a bioluminescent bay tour or El Yunque visit adds $80-$150. Best weeks: June and early August. Caveat: this is Atlantic hurricane season, which runs June 1 through November 30 with the peak building from late August, so buy flexible fares and consider travel insurance.[3] Afternoon heat and humidity are strong. Money tip: Old San Juan, the beaches, and the forts are free or low-cost.

11. Cancún and the Riviera Maya, Mexico: about $860-$1,460 per person for 5 nights at an all-inclusive. Summer is the low season for Mexico's Caribbean coast, so the same resorts that cost a fortune in February come down to roughly $90-$150 per person per night, which is $450-$750 for five nights. Flights run roughly $330-$520, transfers about $20-$40, and extras (tips, one excursion) are $60-$150. Best weeks: early June and early August. Caveat: it is hot and humid, check the State Department advisory for Quintana Roo, it is hurricane season, and seaweed on the beaches can be heavy in some summers, so look at recent beach reports and consider an inland cenote day. Money tip: compare an all-inclusive against a hotel with cheap local meals; for two people over five nights the all-inclusive usually wins, for solo travelers it often does not.

12. Mexico City, Mexico: about $790-$1,370 per person for 6 nights. One of the best city values in the world, and a summer-friendly one: high altitude keeps the daytime highs mild, often in the 70s Fahrenheit, though afternoon rain is common in the wet season. Flights run roughly $320-$520. A boutique hotel or rental in Roma Norte or Condesa runs about $35-$60 each per night, so $210-$360. Food is $150-$270 (street tacos and market lunches are the point), activities (a Teotihuacán day trip, the museums, Xochimilco) are $80-$160, and local transport is $30-$60. Best weeks: June and August. Caveat: carry a light rain jacket, take the first day easy for the altitude, and check the State Department travel advisory for any region you plan to visit.[4] Money tip: eat the big meal at lunch, when the set-menu comida corrida is cheapest.

13. Medellín, Colombia: about $820-$1,390 per person for 7 nights. Spring-like weather all year, a walkable neighborhood scene in El Poblado and Laureles, and costs well below most of the US. Flights from Miami or New York run roughly $380-$600, with the high end in the June and July holiday weeks. Lodging is about $25-$45 each per night ($175-$315 for the week), food is $155-$265, a Guatapé day trip or a city tour is $80-$150, and local transport is $30-$60. Best weeks: late August and early June. Caveat: afternoon showers are common, Colombian school holidays in June and July and the early-August flower festival fill hotels, and you should check the current State Department advisory and stick to well-traveled areas and be cautious with meeting strangers from dating apps, a known tourist safety issue.[4] Money tip: the Metro and the cable cars are cheap and double as sightseeing.

14. Lisbon, Portugal (the stretch pick): about $1,285-$1,490 per person for 5 nights, only with a good fare and frugal choices. Europe is hard to fit under $1,500 in summer because transatlantic fares often run $800 or more in peak weeks, so be skeptical of any list that says otherwise. Lisbon works when you catch a fare near $700-$750, which is most plausible in early June or from late August into September. Lodging in a guesthouse or a hostel private room runs about $70-$110 each per night, so $350-$550. Food runs $175-$275, and transit and a day trip to Sintra or Cascais run $60-$120. With mid-range choices the total climbs to roughly $1,700, so treat this as a fare-alert trip, not a plan-first trip. Caveat: June has big city festival weekends with higher prices, and July and August can be very hot. Money tip: a long lunch menu and the free miradouro viewpoints cost far less than a tourist-zone dinner.

How to cut summer prices on any of these. First, move the dates, not the destination. The first half of June and the last two weeks of August are often noticeably cheaper than July, because many schools are still in session in some regions and families are done in others. Second, fly midweek: Tuesday and Wednesday departures are often cheaper than Friday and Sunday, and a Saturday-to-Saturday week is usually the priciest shape. Third, book early for peak weeks. Summer fares and rentals tend to rise as dates get close, so most travelers do best setting a price alert two to four months out and booking when the price dips. Fourth, avoid the holiday weekends (Memorial Day, Juneteenth, July 4, Labor Day) unless the holiday is the point. Fifth, pick the right trip shape for your group: families and groups often save the most with a rental where they cook breakfast, while couples and solo travelers often do better in a small hotel or guesthouse.

Summer problems to plan for. Heat is the big one in Las Vegas, the Southwest, and the South. Plan outdoor time for early morning and evening, and keep a flexible midday indoor option. Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, with the highest risk late in summer, so for Caribbean and Gulf trips book flexible fares or refundable lodging and consider insurance. Crowds peak in July, so the same destination in early June is often cheaper and less packed. And wildfire smoke can affect parts of the West in late summer, so keep an eye on air quality and leave room to adjust.

The fastest way to find out whether one of these actually fits your budget is to build it. Drop a destination, your dates, and a $1,500 cap into Jettova and it drafts a day-by-day plan around estimated flight and stay prices, so you can compare two or three of these side by side before you book anything. Traveling with a group? Start a room and let everyone vote, and each person books their own flight from their own city.