7 Days Tropical Fun: Boracay – Cebu – Palawan (Self-Launched)
7 days · Philippines
H AND H HOLIDAYS TRAVEL AND TOURS charges £1,340
No-markup version: ~£456 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched, solo-friendly version of H and H Holidays' 7-day island hopper: Boracay's White Beach and island-hopping day, Cebu's whale sharks and waterfalls in Oslob, then Palawan's Underground River. You book your own domestic flights, hop on local bangkas, buses and shared vans, and stay in hostels and budget guesthouses — doing the same headline experiences for a fraction of the US$1,700 group price. Note that Manila is only a transit hub here; the tour itself starts at Caticlan (Boracay) and ends in Puerto Princesa, so you'll need to add your own international flights to and from Manila.
Day-by-day
Fly in to Caticlan and settle onto White Beach
Boracay, Aklan
Fly Manila → Caticlan (Godofredo P. Ramos Airport) with Cebu Pacific or AirAsia — book 3-6 weeks ahead for fares around £35-50 one way. From the airport take a tricycle to Caticlan Jetty Port (₱100 / ~£1.50), pay the environmental and terminal fees (roughly ₱300 / £4 total) and take the 10-15 minute bangka ferry across to Caticlan Jetty Port on Boracay (₱50-100 / £1-2). Tricycles on the island run ₱20-100 per ride. Check into a Station 2 or Station 3 hostel or budget guesthouse, then walk White Beach for sunset — no entry fee and the best free show on the island. Dinner at D'Talipapa wet market: pick your seafood and have it cooked, around £4-6.
🚌Flight Manila–Caticlan (~£40) + tricycle ~£1.50 + ferry & fees ~£6 + island tricycles ~£1
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse near Station 2/3, Boracay (dorm £8-14, private budget room £16-25)
- →Fly Manila to Caticlan
- →Bangka ferry to Boracay
- →Sunset walk on White Beach
- →Seafood dinner at D'Talipapa market
DIY Boracay island hopping by shared bangka
Boracay, Aklan
Skip the operator's private boat and join a shared island-hopping bangka trip from Station 1 or 3 — book at the beach the day before for around £12-18 per person including boat, lunch and entrance fees, or book a small-group tour via Klook/GetYourGuide. The standard loop covers Puka Beach (shell-sand, quieter), Ilig-Iligan or Balinghai Beach, Coral Garden and Crocodile Island snorkelling (mask hire ~£3), Crystal Cove (small entrance fee ~£1.50) and Magic Island for cliff jumping (entrance ~£2). A beachside buffet lunch of grilled fish, chicken adobo and rice is normally included. Back on the main beach by late afternoon — grab a £1.50 mango shake and watch the sunset from a paraw sailboat if you fancy it (~£6 for a 30-minute ride).
🚌Walk + tricycle to boat station (~£1)
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse near Station 2/3, Boracay (dorm £8-14, private budget room £16-25)
- →Shared island-hopping bangka trip: Puka Beach, Ilig-Iligan, Coral Garden, Crocodile Island
- →Snorkelling (mask rental)
- →Crystal Cove and Magic Island cliff jumping
- →Optional sunset paraw sail
Fly to Cebu City — base for the south coast
Cebu City, Cebu
Morning ferry or flight out: the fastest option is Caticlan → Cebu direct with Cebu Pacific or via Manila (roughly £45-65 booked ahead); a longer budget alternative is the bangka back to Caticlan, bus to Kalibo/Iloilo and a ferry, which is cheaper but eats most of a day — not worth it on a 7-day trip. Land in Cebu, take the MyBus or a Grab from Mactan Airport to the city centre (~£1.50-4). Check into a budget hotel or hostel in Cebu City. Spend the afternoon doing the free-ish city walk: Magellan's Cross, Basilica del Santo Niño, Fort San Pedro (₱30) and a sunset stroll along the SM Seaside baywalk. Eat lechon at a local carinderia or Zubuchon — around £5 for a proper feed.
🚌Flight Caticlan–Cebu (~£50) + airport bus/Grab ~£3
🛏Budget hotel or hostel in Cebu City, e.g. around Fuente Osmeña or IT Park (dorm £8-12, private room £18-28)
- →Fly to Cebu City
- →Magellan's Cross and Basilica del Santo Niño
- →Fort San Pedro
- →Lechon dinner and baywalk sunset
Oslob whale sharks, Tumalog Falls and Simala — DIY day trip
Oslob & South Cebu
The big day. Leave Cebu City around 3-4am: take a Ceres bus from South Bus Terminal to Oslob (Bato via Oslob, ~3 hours, ₱155-200 / £2.50-3) and be at the whale-shark briefing centre by 6-7am before the crowds. Whale shark interaction is ₱1,000 for foreigners (~£14) plus ₱100-200 environmental fee — arrive early as slots fill up and it is strictly regulated. From the whale-shark centre hire a habal-habal (motorbike taxi) for the day, ~£10-12 for the driver to take you to Tumalog Falls (entrance ~£1, short motorbike shuttle), Cuartel Ruins in Oslob, and back. If you want Simala Church in Sibonga, either add it on the return journey by bus (free entry, donations welcome) or swap it in instead of Cuartel. Stop in Carcar on the way back for the public market — Carcar lechon and ampaw (puffed rice) are the local souvenirs. Back in Cebu City by evening.
🚌Ceres bus to Oslob ~£3 + return ~£3 + habal-habal day hire ~£11
🛏Budget hotel or hostel in Cebu City (dorm £8-12, private room £18-28)
- →Oslob whale shark swimming (₱1,000)
- →Tumalog Falls
- →Cuartel Ruins
- →Simala Church or Carcar market stop
Fly to Puerto Princesa, Palawan
Puerto Princesa, Palawan
Morning flight Cebu → Puerto Princesa with Cebu Pacific or Philippine Airlines (about £35-55 booked in advance, ~1h20). From the airport take a tricycle to the city centre (~£1). Check into a budget guesthouse or hostel — the Rizal Avenue / city proper area is cheapest and walkable. Spend the afternoon gently: the Palawan Heritage Center and Plaza Cuartel are free or nearly free, and the Baywalk promenade at sunset is the local ritual. Book your Underground River permit for tomorrow today (see day 6) — either at the city tourism office or through your guesthouse, since daily visitor numbers are capped. Dinner at a local eatery: tamilok and lato (seaweed) if you're brave, grilled fish and rice for under £4.
🚌Flight Cebu–Puerto Princesa (~£45) + tricycle ~£1
🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel in Puerto Princesa city proper (dorm £7-11, private room £15-22)
- →Fly to Puerto Princesa
- →Palawan Heritage Center and Plaza Cuartel
- →Baywalk sunset
- →Book Underground River permit
Puerto Princesa Underground River by shared van
Sabang, Puerto Princesa, Palawan
Join a shared day tour or do it independently: a shared van from Puerto Princesa to Sabang takes ~1.5-2 hours and costs around £5-7 one way (or book a Klook/GetYourGuide day tour for roughly £22-30 which bundles transport, permit and lunch). The Underground River permit itself is ₱500 (~£7) plus ₱100 audio guide; numbers are limited daily, which is why you booked yesterday. You get a 45-minute paddle-boat ride into the cave with a boatman-guide, plus the Sabang boardwalk and a walk on the beach — watch for monitor lizards and macaques. Lunch is a buffet at a local restaurant in Sabang (often beef stew, grilled fish, rice and fruit — about £5 if paid separately). The bonus for solo travellers: the shared-van route is where you'll actually meet other independent travellers. Back in Puerto Princesa by late afternoon.
🚌Shared van Puerto Princesa–Sabang return ~£11-14
🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel in Puerto Princesa city proper (dorm £7-11, private room £15-22)
- →Puerto Princesa Underground River paddle-boat tour
- →Sabang boardwalk and beach
- →Buffet lunch
- →Wildlife spotting
Departure from Puerto Princesa
Puerto Princesa, Palawan
Breakfast at a local bakery (pan de sal and coffee, £1), then a last wander through the city market for cashew nuts, dried mango and honey as souvenirs — much cheaper here than at the airport. Tricycle to Puerto Princesa International Airport (~£1) for your onward flight. Note the group tour included a return flight to Manila (they slash $70pp if you skip it), so add roughly £25-40 for a Puerto Princesa → Manila flight if you need to connect internationally — better still, book a multi-city routing home and skip backtracking entirely.
🚌Tricycle ~£1 + optional flight Puerto Princesa–Manila ~£30
- →City market souvenir shopping
- →Airport transfer
- →Optional onward flight to Manila
Self-launched vs. H AND H HOLIDAYS TRAVEL AND TOURS
| This itinerary (self-launched) | H AND H HOLIDAYS TRAVEL AND TOURS | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£456 | £1,340 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £884 per person (66%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more H AND H HOLIDAYS TRAVEL AND TOURS-style trips? Check them out here.~£456
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does 7 Days Tropical Fun: Boracay – Cebu – Palawan (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £456 per person for 7 days in Philippines. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with H AND H HOLIDAYS TRAVEL AND TOURS?+
Yes — H AND H HOLIDAYS TRAVEL AND TOURS charges around £1,340 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £456 — a saving of roughly £884 (66%) per person.
How long is the Philippines trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 day-by-day stops through Philippines.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, beaches, backpacker trip through Philippines, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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