Many travelers think of Chase Ultimate Rewards points only for flights and hotels, but the points portal offers several other practical ways to cut vacation costs. If you have a stash of Chase points, you can use them for tours, attraction tickets, rental cars, cruises and food or entertainment experiences — all through the Chase Travel portal.
Know the trade-off
Before you book, understand the value trade-off. Transferring Chase points to airline and hotel partners often unlocks the best value, especially for premium-cabin tickets and aspirational hotel stays. Redemptions through Chase Travel for experiences, cruises, rental cars and attraction tickets typically run about 1 cent per point. That makes a $100 activity cost roughly 10,000 points. By comparison, TPG’s June 2026 valuation placed Chase Ultimate Rewards at about 2.05 cents apiece, so portal redemptions can be roughly half the potential value of high-value partner transfers.
That said, 1-cent redemptions are straightforward and useful for offsetting out-of-pocket costs, covering many small expenses across a trip, or when you don’t find award availability with transfer partners. They’re practical rather than purely value-maximizing.
How to access these options
You must have an eligible Chase card that earns Ultimate Rewards to use the portal. Log into your Chase account and go to the Chase Travel portal to search for flights, hotels, tours, activities, rental cars and cruises. Availability varies by destination, but major tourist hubs tend to offer many bookable experiences.
Top cards to earn Ultimate Rewards
Some popular cards for building a Chase balance include:
– Chase Sapphire Preferred: a solid option for consumers, often with a large welcome offer after meeting a minimum spend.
– Chase Sapphire Reserve: higher annual fee and premium perks, plus strong transfer flexibility.
– Ink Business Preferred: good for business spending with a large welcome bonus and category bonuses.
– Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business: another business-focused card with a substantial welcome offer.
Welcome offers remain one of the fastest ways to grow your points balance, but always compare points and cash prices before you redeem.
Five ways to use Chase points beyond flights and hotels
1) Tours and excursions
Guided tours, outdoor adventures and specialty excursions are widely available in the portal. For example, in Kauai you might see a kayak-and-hike trip to Secret Falls for roughly 13,500 points, a Nā Pali Coast boat tour for about 22,600 points, or a private helicopter tour for around 45,000 points per person. These typically price out near the 1-cent-per-point mark and are a convenient way to prepay memorable experiences.
2) Attraction tickets and city passes
You can book museum admissions, observation decks, sightseeing cruises and hop-on hop-off passes using points. In Paris, for instance, a Seine river cruise might cost about 2,000 points, a hop-on hop-off bus tour roughly 4,500 points, and guided Louvre tours around 8,600 points. These smaller redemptions are especially helpful for families or travelers planning busy sightseeing days, and they let you use a modest points balance to cover multiple tickets.
3) Rental cars
Transportation can be a big trip expense, and Chase Travel lets you pay for rental cars with points. Examples have included intermediate cars in Maui priced around 26,000–31,000 points for multi-day rentals. If you have a Chase card that offers primary rental coverage (for example, the Sapphire cards), booking through the portal and paying with points or the eligible card can also preserve that coverage — though you must present the card at the counter. Always check your card’s benefit guide for details and exclusions.
4) Cruises
Cruise bookings are often difficult to cover with airline or hotel points, so using Chase points through the portal can be appealing. Listings have ranged from weeklong Northern Europe sailings for roughly 57,000 points per person to longer itineraries reaching six digits in points. Again, the cents-per-point value is typically lower than transfers, but these redemptions help offset a large, otherwise cash-heavy trip cost.
5) Dining, cultural and entertainment experiences
Chase Travel also lists food tours, culinary classes, theater and special-event tickets in many destinations. For example, bakery tours in Paris might be around 11,000 points and Seine dinner cruises from about 15,700 points. These options are a good way to cover special meals or cultural activities without tapping additional cash.
How to decide whether to use points
– Compare cash price versus points price before booking. If the portal rate equals roughly 1 cent per point and you value your points higher via potential transfers, consider saving them for a transfer partner redemption.
– Use portal redemptions when you want simplicity, lack award availability, or want to avoid out-of-pocket spending on multiple smaller expenses.
– Portal bookings work well for families or travelers with limited time who prefer to prepay experiences rather than hunt award inventory.
Bottom line
Flights and hotels often deliver the best Chase Ultimate Rewards value, but the Chase Travel portal gives you practical, flexible options to use points for tours, attraction tickets, rental cars, cruises and dining or entertainment experiences. These redemptions generally offer around 1 cent per point, so treat them as a way to offset costs and simplify trip planning rather than as the absolute highest-value choices. If using points helps you take the trip you want or adds a few memorable experiences, it can be a perfectly smart use of your balance.
