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The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
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5 ways to use Chase Points on vacation (beyond flights and hotels)
Stephanie Stevens is an associate writer with TPG's credit cards team. She focuses on creating timely credit cards content for TPG readers.
June 18, 2026 • 10 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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Quick summary
Chase points can be redeemed for a wide range of vacation expenses beyond flights and hotels, including tours, attraction tickets, rental cars, cruises and dining experiences through the travel portal.
Redemptions for experiences, car rentals and attractions typically yield a fixed value of about 1 cent per point, which is lower than the value achieved by transferring points to airline or hotel partners.
These options are best for offsetting out-of-pocket travel costs, especially when award availability for flights or hotels is limited or when you want to cover additional trip expenses.
Travelers can browse and book these experiences directly through the travel portal, with availability varying by destination.
What to consider
Transferring points to airline or hotel partners generally provides higher value, with TPG's June 2026 valuation placing points at 2.05 cents each.
Redemptions through the travel portal for non-flight and non-hotel expenses are straightforward but may deliver about half the value of partner transfers.
Some travel cards offer primary rental car coverage when booking through the portal, but travelers should review their card's benefits and requirements.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed walkthrough of how to compare point redemptions for experiences, rental cars and cruises versus traditional travel bookings to maximize your vacation value.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
For many travelers, Chase Ultimate Rewards points are synonymous with flights and hotel stays. And while those can certainly be some of the most valuable ways to redeem points, they're far from the only options available.
If you've built up a stash of Chase points, you may be surprised by how many vacation expenses you can cover beyond airfare and lodging. Through the Chase Travel℠ portal, eligible cardholders can redeem points for everything from guided tours and attraction tickets to rental cars and cruises.
Whether you're looking to reduce out-of-pocket costs or splurge on a bucket-list experience, here's how to use Chase points to help enhance your next vacation.
Bike Tour on AmaWaterway's Rhone River cruise. AMA WATERWAYS
By comparison, Chase Travel redemptions for experiences, rental cars, cruises and attraction tickets often provide around 1 cent per point. That makes them easy to understand — a $100 activity will cost around 10,000 points — but it also means you may be getting significantly less value than you would from a high-value transfer partner redemption.
TPG’s June 2026 valuation pegs Chase Ultimate Rewards points at 2.05 cents apiece, so redeeming at around 1 cent per point effectively gives you about half of that value.
In other words, these redemptions are best viewed as a way to offset travel costs rather than maximize the value of your points.
That doesn’t mean these are bad redemptions. They can still make sense if you want to reduce out-of-pocket travel costs, have a large stash of Chase points or are struggling to find award availability for flights and hotels.
They can also be useful for budget-conscious travelers who want to cover as many trip expenses as possible — including attractions, rental cars and tours — even if they aren’t fully maximizing their value.
Here are four top cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points:
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card(see ): Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see ): Earn 100,000 points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (see ): Earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ (see ): Earn 200,000 bonus points after spending $30,000 on purchases in the first six months from account opening.
Welcome offers on these cards can be one of the fastest ways to build a Chase points balance, but before redeeming, compare the points price with the cash price to make sure the redemption makes sense for your trip.
How to book vacation experiences through Chase Travel
Before diving into specific redemption options, it's worth understanding where to find them.
In addition to flights and hotels, the Chase Travel portal offers tours, sightseeing excursions, attraction tickets and other travel experiences that can be booked with cash or Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
CHASE
To browse available options, log in to your Chase account and navigate to the Chase Travel portal. From there, select the tab you’d like to search and enter your destination and travel dates.
Availability varies by destination, but major tourist hubs, such as Hawaii, London and New York, often offer hundreds of bookable experiences ranging from guided tours and museum tickets to food experiences and outdoor adventures.
Use points for tours and excursions
Tours and excursions can be some of the most memorable parts of a vacation — and they're also among the many travel experiences you can book with Chase points. Depending on your destination, options may range from guided sightseeing tours to outdoor adventures and specialty experiences.
For example, while searching for activities in Kauai, Hawaii, I found options including a Secret Falls kayak-and-hike excursion for approximately 13,500 points, a boat tour of the Nā Pali Coast for 22,629 points and a private helicopter tour over waterfalls and canyons for roughly 44,990 points (prices are per person).
STEPHANIE STEVENS/THE POINTS GUY
At the time of my search, the cash rate for the Secret Falls excursion was $135 (compared to 13,500 points), while the Nā Pali Coast boat tour cost $227 (or 22,629 points). In both cases, redeeming points provided roughly 1 cent per point in value, which is typical of many Chase Travel redemptions.
While that can help offset travel costs, it's not necessarily the highest-value use of Chase points. Cardholders will generally get more value by transferring points to airline or hotel partners. However, using points for tours and excursions may still make sense for travelers who have already booked their flights and hotels with points and want to offset additional vacation costs without spending cash.
Redeem points for attraction tickets
While helicopter tours and other once-in-a-lifetime experiences can be an exciting way to use Chase points, not every redemption needs to be a splurge. Chase points can also help cover everyday sightseeing costs.
Many destinations offer attraction tickets, museum admissions and city sightseeing passes through Chase Travel, allowing travelers to offset expenses they may have otherwise paid out of pocket.
For example, a search for activities in Chicago surfaced options including architecture river cruises, admission to the Skydeck at Willis Tower, museum tickets and multi-attraction city passes.
CHASE
As I researched attractions for an upcoming trip to Paris, I found everything from a Seine River sightseeing cruise for 1,977 points (or $20) to a hop-on hop-off tour for 4,530 points (or $46) and a guided tour of the Louvre starting around 8,600 points.
While not the strongest value of Chase points, these redemptions can be especially useful for families or travelers planning busy sightseeing itineraries. Instead of spending cash on multiple attraction tickets throughout a trip, you can use points to cover some or all of those expenses in advance.
These types of redemptions can also stretch a relatively small points balance. Many attractions cost only a few thousand points, making them accessible even if you don't have enough points for a flight or hotel redemption.
Cover rental cars
After flights, hotels and activities, transportation is often one of the biggest remaining vacation expenses.
Depending on your destination, you might be able to redeem Chase points for rental cars. This can be particularly valuable in places where having a car is essential, such as Hawaii, national park destinations or smaller cities with limited public transportation.
For example, when searching for Maui rentals for July 1-4, I found options ranging from an intermediate Kia K4 from Thrifty for $267 or 26,692 points to a Nissan intermediate SUV for $313 or 31,294 points.
GRADYREESE/GETTY IMAGES
In both examples, points offset the rental cost at a fixed-value rate. These redemptions make sense for travelers who want to offset a major vacation expense and preserve cash for other parts of their trip.
(You'll still need to present the eligible Chase card at the rental counter to cover any incidental holds or fees. Check your card's guide to benefits for complete details, terms and exclusions.)
Cruises are another travel expense that can be booked through Chase Travel using points.
Because cruises are notoriously difficult to book with traditional airline and hotel points, some travelers may find value in using Chase points to offset these costs directly.
CHASE
For example, cruise options available through Chase Travel ranged from a seven-night Northern Europe sailing for about 57,000 points per person to a 14-night Italy and Adriatic itinerary aboard Cunard's Queen Victoria for roughly 130,000 points per person.
While this isn't the most lucrative way to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points, it may appeal to travelers who want to reduce the out-of-pocket cost of a cruise or use points for a travel expense that can otherwise be difficult to cover with rewards.
Use points for dining and entertainment experiences
Depending on your destination and travel dates, Chase Travel may offer food tours, culinary experiences, cultural events and entertainment options that can be booked using points.
Travelers can also find opportunities to use points for select event tickets and special experiences, helping offset costs that might otherwise come out of pocket.
ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY
While researching activities for a trip to Paris with my mom this fall, I found a variety of food and entertainment experiences available through Chase Travel that could be booked with points. Available options included bakery tours in Paris for about 11,000 points and dinner cruises along the Seine starting at 15,700 points.
These redemptions may make sense for travelers looking to offset the cost of a special meal, cultural experience or entertainment activity without spending additional cash.
Through Chase Travel, cardholders can redeem points for everything from sightseeing tours and attraction tickets to rental cars, cruises and other vacation experiences. While these redemptions often provide less value than transferring points to airline and hotel partners, they can be a practical way to offset travel costs and make a trip more affordable.
Before booking, compare the points cost with the cash price and consider whether another redemption option offers better value. But if using points helps you take the trip you want — or enjoy a few extra experiences along the way — it can still be a smart redemption.
