Solo-ish Philippines: Self-Launched Manila to El Nido Adventure
11 days · Philippines
G Adventures charges £1,620
No-markup version: ~£700 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
An 11-day self-launched version of G Adventures' Solo-ish Philippines trip, running from Manila to El Nido for independent solo travellers. You'll eat your way through Manila's street food, day-trip to the Dumagat Indigenous community at Mount Purro Nature Reserve, hike the mossy canyon of "Avatar Gorge", explore Intramuros by jeepney, fly to Palawan for the Puerto Princesa Underground River and a firefly river cruise, then finish with two days of island-hopping and snorkelling in El Nido. Everything the group tour does is bookable directly — local guides, shared vans, public boats and budget guesthouses replace the private coach and hotels, at a fraction of the advertised price.
Day-by-day
Arrive Manila — Street Food Walking Tour
Manila
Land at NAIA and take a Grab or metered taxi to your hostel in Makati or Malate (£4-6). Settle in, then join a small-group evening food walk through Binondo (Chinatown), the world's oldest Chinatown — book via GetYourGuide or Klook for around £20-25. Taste lumpia, siopao, fresh lumpia and hopia, then finish with a beer in Poblacion. This replaces the tour's included welcome dinner and gives you the same instant crew of fellow travellers if you book a shared walking tour.
🚌Grab/taxi from NAIA to city (~£4-6)
🛏Hostel dorm in Makati/Malate (£10-14)
- →Binondo street food walking tour
- →Poblacion bar hop
Mount Purro Nature Reserve & Dumagat Community Day
Mount Purro, Rizal
Book a day trip to Mount Purro Nature Reserve directly with the reserve (they run community-based eco-tours) or join a shared van from Manila. Spend the day with the Dumagat Indigenous community — light forest hiking, an Indigenous cooking demonstration, fire-building and making sinigang cooked in bamboo. Includes lunch. Arrange your own shared van or join via Klook (~£35-45 including transfers, guide and lunch). Back to Manila for the night.
🚌Shared van to Rizal and back (~£12-15 return)
🛏Hostel dorm in Makati/Malate (£10-14)
- →Dumagat Indigenous community visit
- →Light forest hike
- →Indigenous cooking demo & bamboo sinigang lunch
Avatar Gorge Canyon Trek
Montban, Rizal
Head north of Manila to the moss-covered canyon known as 'Avatar Gorge'. Book directly with local guides in Montban or via Klook/GetYourGuide — the trek involves wading through water, scrambling over rocks and there's a rope-assisted section. Bring quick-dry shoes and a dry bag. Return to Manila in the afternoon. Group tour substitutes: a shared van or van hire split between travellers instead of a private vehicle.
🚌Shared van to Montban and back (~£12-15 return)
🛏Hostel dorm in Makati/Malate (£10-14)
- →Avatar Gorge guided canyon trek
- →Water wading & rock scrambling
Intramuros Heritage Walk by Jeepney
Manila
Take a classic jeepney (£0.20) to Intramuros and join a walking tour of the walled city — book a small-group Intramuros heritage walk via GetYourGuide (~£15-20) covering Fort Santiago, San Agustin Church and Casa Manila. Afternoon free: wander Makati or Binondo on your own, or take the free San Agustin Museum option. Jeepney back to your hostel.
🚌Jeepney and Grab around Manila (~£3)
🛏Hostel dorm in Makati/Malate (£10-14)
- →Intramuros guided walking tour
- →Fort Santiago
- →San Agustin Church
- →Jeepney ride
Fly to Puerto Princesa — Firefly River Cruise
Puerto Princesa, Palawan
Fly Manila to Puerto Princesa (book a budget fare on Cebu Pacific or AirAsia, ~£35-50). Check into a guesthouse or hostel. In the evening, take a shared van to Iwahig for a firefly-watching river cruise along the Iwahig River — book locally or via Klook (~£15-18 including transfers). A magical evening of thousands of synchronised fireflies in the mangroves.
🚌Flight Manila–Puerto Princesa (~£35-50); shared van to Iwahig (~£6)
🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Puerto Princesa (£8-12)
- →Iwahig firefly river cruise
- →Palawan arrival
Puerto Princesa Underground River
Sabang, Palawan
Take the early shared van to Sabang (2 hrs, ~£8) for the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park — a UNESCO site. Permits must be booked in advance (the park limits daily visitors) — book through a local operator or Klook including van, permit, boat and paddle-boat guide (~£35-45). Cruise the underground river by paddle boat, then enjoy the Sabang beach and mangrove paddle trail. Return to Puerto Princesa for the night.
🚌Shared van to Sabang and back (~£8 return)
🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Puerto Princesa (£8-12)
- →Underground River paddle-boat cruise
- →Sabang mangrove paddle trail
- →Sabang beach time
Travel to El Nido
El Nido, Palawan
Take a shared van or the public bus from Puerto Princesa to El Nido (5-6 hrs). Shared van vans run all day (~£8-10), or the cheaper public bus (Roro) takes a little longer. On arrival, settle into a beachside guesthouse or hostel in El Nido town or Corong Corong. Sunset at Las Cabañas beach.
🚌Shared van or bus Puerto Princesa–El Nido (~£8-10)
🛏Beachside hostel/guesthouse in El Nido (£12-18)
- →Scenic overland transfer to El Nido
- →Sunset at Las Cabañas Beach
El Nido Island-Hopping Tour A
Bacuit Bay, El Nido
Join the classic El Nido Island-Hopping Tour A (book with a local boat operator or via Klook, ~£22-28 including lunch). Stops typically include the Big Lagoon, Small Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, Seven Commandos Beach and Shimizu Island — with snorkelling gear included. Small-group bangka boats mean you'll be on the water with a handful of other travellers rather than a large tour group. Rent kayaks for the lagoons (£8 optional).
🚌Bangka boat tour (included in tour price)
🛏Beachside hostel/guesthouse in El Nido (£12-18)
- →Island-hopping Tour A
- →Big Lagoon & Small Lagoon kayaking
- →Snorkelling
- →Secret Lagoon
El Nido Snorkelling Tour C (Hidden Beaches)
Bacuit Bay, El Nido
Another full day on the water with Island-Hopping Tour C (~£22-28), hitting Hidden Beach, Star Beach, Matinloc Shrine, Secret Beach and Helicopter Island — arguably the best snorkelling and beaches of all the tours. Book directly at the El Nido beachfront or via Klook/GetYourGuide. Dinner at a beachfront grill in the evening.
🚌Bangka boat tour (included in tour price)
🛏Beachside hostel/guesthouse in El Nido (£12-18)
- →Island-hopping Tour C
- →Hidden Beach & Secret Beach
- →Snorkelling at Matinloc
- →Matinloc Shrine
Nacpan Beach & El Nido Town
El Nido, Palawan
Rent a scooter (£6-8/day) or take a tricycle to Nacpan Beach — 4km of white sand and a laid-back beach-bar scene, one of the best in Palawan. Return to El Nido for a final sunset, street-food dinner and a drink at a rooftop bar overlooking Bacuit Bay. Optional early-morning hike to Taraw Cliff viewpoint (£10 with guide) for the bay panorama.
🚌Scooter hire or tricycle (~£8)
🛏Beachside hostel/guesthouse in El Nido (£12-18)
- →Nacpan Beach day trip
- →Taraw Cliff viewpoint hike (optional)
- →Scooter rental
Depart El Nido
El Nido / Manila
Depending on your onward plans, fly out of El Nido's Lio Airport (AirSwift) to Manila or Cebu (from ~£45), or take a shared van back to Puerto Princesa for a cheaper flight. If flying home, budget a buffer day in Manila before your international departure. Say goodbye to your fellow travellers — most people swap numbers and half the group ends up meeting up later in the trip.
🚌El Nido–Manila flight (~£45) or shared van to Puerto Princesa (~£8)
🛏N/A (departure day)
- →Departure transfer
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£700 | £1,620 |
| Duration | 11 days | 11 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £920 per person (57%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£700
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 Solo-ish Philippines: Self-Launched Manila to El Nido Adventure cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £700 per person for 11 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 £1,620 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £700 — a saving of roughly £920 (57%) per person.
How long is the Philippines trip?+
This itinerary runs 11 days, covering 11 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 beaches, adventure, 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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