Self-Launched Best of the Philippines: Manila to El Nido
10 days · Philippines
G Adventures charges £1,100
No-markup version: ~£451 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A DIY version of G Adventures' 10-day Philippines route — Manila's walled city and Chinatown, an Indigenous Dumagat community day at Mount Purro, the Puerto Princesa Underground River, firefly watching in Iwahig, and island hopping from Port Barton to El Nido. All done independently using local flights, vans, bangka boats, and self-bookable day tours. Costs are approximate per-person backpacker/budget rates in GBP.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Manila
Manila
Land at NAIA and settle into a hostel in Makati or Malate. Grab a local SIM (Globe or Smart, ~£5 for data), withdraw pesos, and find a cheap dinner — try a nearby karinderya or the food courts at Greenbelt or Robinson's. Rest up for a full city day tomorrow.
🚌Airport taxi/Grab to hostel (~£4-6)
🛏Hostel dorm in Makati/Malate (~£10-14)
- →Arrival admin: SIM card and cash
- →Evening stroll and street food
Intramuros walking tour and Binondo food crawl
Manila
Walk the walled city of Intramuros on foot or self-guided: Fort Santiago (£1.50), Manila Cathedral, Casa Manila (£1.50). In the afternoon, take a jeepney (under £0.30) into Binondo, the world's oldest Chinatown, and eat your way around — lumpia, siopao, hopia, and a proper bowl of beef mami. Consider a pay-what-you-want Old Manila Walks guided tour if you want context.
🚌Jeepney and Grab around the city (~£3)
🛏Hostel dorm in Makati/Malate (~£10-14)
- →Intramuros and Fort Santiago entry (~£3)
- →Binondo street food crawl (~£6)
- →Casa Manila museum
Mount Purro Nature Reserve and Dumagat community day
Mount Purro / Antipolo
Book a day trip or join a community programme at Mount Purro Nature Reserve (about 1.5-2 hrs from Manila). Spend the day light hiking with the Dumagat Indigenous community, learning Indigenous food and culture, joining a cooking demonstration, building the fire, and making sinigang cooked in bamboo. Return to Manila in the afternoon. Book direct with the reserve or via Klook.
🚌Shared van or hired car round trip (~£12-15)
🛏Hostel dorm in Makati/Malate (~£10-14)
- →Dumagat community visit and light hike (~£18-22)
- →Indigenous cooking demonstration and shared meal
Fly to Puerto Princesa, firefly watching
Puerto Princesa
Fly Manila to Puerto Princesa (Cebu Pacific/AirAsia, book early for ~£25-40). Afternoon at leisure — walk the baywalk, or take a trisikad to Baker's Hill and Plaza Cuartel. In the evening join the Iwahig Firefly Watching Tour on the river (book via Klook/GetYourGuide, ~£15-18).
🚌Flight Manila-Puerto Princesa (~£30)
🛏Guesthouse in Puerto Princesa (~£12-18)
- →Baywalk stroll
- →Iwahig firefly watching tour (~£16)
Underground River, then transfer to Port Barton
Puerto Princesa to Port Barton
Morning trip to the UNESCO-listed Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park — boat through the cave system (book a shared tour or DIY with a permit; ~£22-28 including transfer). After lunch, take a shared van down the coast to Port Barton (3-4 hrs, ~£7-10).
🚌Shared van Puerto Princesa to Port Barton (~£8)
🛏Beach hostel/guesthouse in Port Barton (~£12-18)
- →Underground River boat tour (~£25)
- →Beach sunset at Port Barton
Port Barton island hopping
Port Barton
Join a standard Port Barton island hopping bangka tour (Group A or B — book at the beach the day before, ~£16-20 including lunch). Snorkel the German Island and Aquarium reefs, look for sea turtles, and relax on sandbars. Free evening back in the village.
🚌Local bangka boat
🛏Beach hostel/guesthouse in Port Barton (~£12-18)
- →Port Barton island hopping tour with snorkelling and lunch (~£18)
Transfer to El Nido, Sibaltan heritage and weaving
El Nido
Shared van Port Barton to El Nido (3-4 hrs, ~£7-9). Settle in, then head north to Sibaltan to visit the heritage house and meet the local community — cooking demonstration and tasting with local women, Cuyonon songs, dances, and artisan weaving. Arrange direct with Sibaltan community tourism or your El Nido hostel.
🚌Shared van Port Barton to El Nido (~£8)
🛏Hostel/guesthouse in El Nido town (~£14-20)
- →Sibaltan heritage house visit (~£12)
- →Cooking demo, tasting, and Cuyonon weaving demonstration
El Nido island hopping (Tour A or C)
El Nido
Full day on the water with a shared bangka island hopping tour — book Tour A (Big Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, Seven Commandos) or Tour C (Hidden Beach, Matinloc Shrine, Helicopter Island). Includes lunch on board; ~£20-26 with the eco-development fee and lagoon fees paid separately at the pier.
🚌Bangka island hopping boat
🛏Hostel/guesthouse in El Nido town (~£14-20)
- →El Nido Tour A or C island hopping (~£24)
- →Snorkelling, swimming, and lagoon entries
Free day in El Nido
El Nido
Second full day — options include a second island hopping tour (Tour B or D), a kayak day in the Bacuit Archipelago, a Nacpan Beach trip north of town, or simply beach time and a sunset from Las Cabanas. Book any activity the day before via your hostel or at the town's tour offices.
🚌Tricycle around town (~£2-4)
🛏Hostel/guesthouse in El Nido town (~£14-20)
- →Optional second island hopping tour (~£24)
- →Nacpan Beach trip or kayaking (optional, ~£10-20)
Departure from El Nido
El Nido
Depending on flight times, either fly out of El Nido Lio Airport (small planes to Manila/Cebu) or take a van south to Puerto Princesa for a cheaper departure flight. Allow plenty of buffer for weather delays.
🚌Tricycle to airport and onward flight (~£40-60)
🛏Not included
- →Departure
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£451 | £1,100 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £649 per person (59%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£451
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.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched Best of the Philippines: Manila to El Nido cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £451 per person for 10 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 G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £1,100 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £451 — a saving of roughly £649 (59%) per person.
How long is the Philippines trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 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 backpacker, beaches, culture 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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