Philippines Days 1-5 same as 5-day. Day 6: Bantayan Island 1-night (4h drive + 1h ferry to white-sand hidden Boracay-alternative). Day 7: Bantayan return + Mactan farewell + departure. Optional Malapascua extension for divers.
A full week is enough to actually understand Cebu. Three days for the major districts, three days for nearby regions, and one day for the offbeat neighborhoods most tourists miss. The back half of the trip is more about texture than checking landmarks — your photos get more diverse and you walk away with a three-dimensional sense of the city.
7-Day Total Budget at a Glance
Budget
$660
Per person, flights excl.
Mid-Range
$1,220
Per person, flights excl.
Luxury
$2,460
Per person, flights excl.
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Day-by-Day Detailed Schedule
Mactan Arrival + Lechon
ArrivalActivities
- 12:00 CEB Airport + Mactan resort check-in 2 hours
Grab $5-8 / 15 min.
Cost: Grab $5-8 TIP: Klook airport transfer $20. - 14:00 Mactan resort beach + pool 3 hours
Shangri-La / Crimson / Movenpick / Plantation Bay / JPark.
Cost: Resort included TIP: Reef-safe SPF 50+ mandatory. - 17:30 Mactan western sunset + cocktails 1.5 hours
Beach bar happy hour 17:00-19:00.
Cost: $6-15 TIP: Honeymoon-photo time. - 19:30 Zubuchon (Bourdain lechon) 1.5 hours
Iconic Cebu first dinner.
Cost: $7-15 TIP: Reservation. Order by weight.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Inbound flight
Inbound · Variable
Flight meal.
Lunch
Resort buffet
Mactan · Included or $15-30
Easy first-meal.
Dinner
Zubuchon
Mactan · $7-15
Iconic Cebu lechon.
Grab CEB → Mactan $5-8.
DAY 1 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Oslob + Kawasan Combo
Signature adventureActivities
- 04:00 Combo day tour pickup 15 hours
15-hour Korean-tourist canonical adventure circuit.
Cost: $120-150 TIP: Pre-book Klook. - 06:30 Oslob whale shark 30-min 1.5 hours
Guaranteed encounter.
Cost: Included TIP: No touching. Reef-safe SPF. - 13:00 Kawasan canyoneering 4 hours
3-tier turquoise + cliff jumps.
Cost: Included TIP: Water shoes. - 19:00 Larsian BBQ light dinner 1.5 hours
Locals' open-air canonical.
Cost: $4-8 TIP: Cash only.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Tour-included
Pre-dawn · Included
Coffee + pandesal.
Lunch
Tour-included
En route · Included
Adobo + rice.
Dinner
Larsian BBQ
Cebu City Fuente · $4-8
Locals' BBQ canon.
Combo van pickup 04:00 + return 19:00.
DAY 2 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Cebu City Heritage + Sutukil
Spanish heritage + Mactan seafoodActivities
- 09:00 Magellan's Cross + Santo Niño + Fort San Pedro + Carbon 3 hours
Spanish heritage walk.
Cost: Free + ₱30 TIP: Cover shoulders + knees. - 13:00 CnT Lechon (local-favorite) 1.5 hours
Cebuano-local alternative.
Cost: $6-12 TIP: Walking from Carbon. Cash preferred. - 15:00 10,000 Roses Café Cordova sunset 2 hours
LED Instagram stop.
Cost: $3-7 TIP: Sunset 17:30-19:00. - 18:00 STK ta Bay Sutukil dinner 2 hours
Mactan canonical seafood.
Cost: $15-30 TIP: Reservation Fri-Sat.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Resort buffet
Mactan · Included
Try danggit.
Lunch
CnT Lechon
Cebu City V. Rama · $6-12
Local-Cebuano lechon.
Dinner
STK ta Bay
Mactan Lapu-Lapu · $15-30
Sutukil canonical.
Grab between sites.
DAY 3 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Bohol Day Tour
Bohol canonicalActivities
- 06:00 Bohol day tour pickup 14 hours
Ocean Jet ferry + Chocolate Hills + Tarsier + Loboc + Blood Compact + Baclayon.
Cost: $95-120 TIP: Pre-book Klook. - 20:00 Casa Verde Brontosaurus Ribs 1.5 hours
Family-shareable.
Cost: $10-25 TIP: Reservation weekends.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Hotel + ferry
Cebu Pier 1 · $5-10
Pandesal + coffee.
Lunch
Loboc River floating
Bohol Loboc · Included
Filipino buffet + music.
Dinner
Casa Verde
Cebu City IT Park · $10-25
Filipino + Western fusion.
Bohol day tour package $95-120 inclusive.
DAY 4 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Moalboal Sardine Run OR Mactan Spa
Marine adventure OR relaxationActivities
- 07:00 Moalboal day tour OR Mactan spa day 8 hours OR 6 hours
Choose: marine adventure (Moalboal sardine run + Pescador) OR resort spa + pool + beachfront relaxation.
Cost: $60-90 OR resort + $40-100 spa TIP: Pre-book either via Klook or resort. - 18:00 The Pig and Palm (modern Filipino) 2 hours
Chef-couple Jason + Pam Atherton modern-Filipino tasting menu.
Cost: $25-55 TIP: Reservation 3-5 days. Smart casual.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Resort or Moalboal route
Mactan or Moalboal · Included or $10
Resort breakfast.
Lunch
Moalboal local or resort
Moalboal or Mactan · $8-15 or Included
Filipino beachside or resort.
Dinner
The Pig and Palm
Crossroads IT Park · $25-55
Modern Filipino chef pick.
Moalboal day tour or Mactan stay. Grab to The Pig and Palm $7.
DAY 5 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Bantayan Island 1-Night Escape
Hidden Boracay-alternativeActivities
- 06:00 Cebu → Hagnaya port → Bantayan ferry 5 hours
4-hour drive from Cebu/Mactan to Hagnaya port + 1-hour ferry to Bantayan Island. Round-trip ferry $8. Less touristy than Boracay, 30km of powder-white sand.
Cost: Drive + ferry $20-30 TIP: Pre-arrange rental car with driver $80-120/day round trip. Or air-con bus from Cebu North Bus Terminal ₱200 each way. - 12:00 Bantayan Sugar Beach arrival + check-in 3 hours
Sugar Beach is the canonical Bantayan stretch — powder sand, calm shallow water, far fewer tourists than Boracay. Kota Beach Resort ($60-150/night), Anika Island Resort ($80-180), Marlin Beach Resort ($40-100). Check-in + lunch + beach.
Cost: Hotel + lunch $20-50 TIP: Pre-book hotel 1 week ahead. Most Bantayan hotels have on-site Filipino restaurants. - 15:00 Hilantagaan Island snorkel boat trip 3 hours
1-hour boat to Hilantagaan Island — clear water + coral reefs + tropical fish. Local outrigger boat with snorkel gear. ₱1,500 ($30) per person.
Cost: $30 TIP: Bring reef-safe SPF + own mask + snorkel. Local boatman + flexible departure. - 18:00 Bantayan sunset + Filipino seafood dinner 2 hours
Atmospheric beachfront sunset + local Filipino seafood dinner — pompano + tanigue grilled + Filipino sides ₱300-800 ($6-16).
Cost: $6-16 TIP: Pair with cheap San Miguel beer. Most Bantayan restaurants on Sugar Beach.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Mactan early or travel snack
En route · $5-10
Pre-departure resort breakfast.
Lunch
Bantayan beachfront
Bantayan Sugar Beach · $8-15
Local Filipino seafood.
Dinner
Bantayan sunset seafood
Bantayan · $6-16
Beachfront grilled fish + sunset.
Cebu/Mactan → Hagnaya port (4h drive) → Bantayan ferry (1h). Rental car with driver $80-120 round trip, or bus + ferry $15 round trip.
DAY 6 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Bantayan Return + Mactan Farewell
Final return + sunset farewellActivities
- 08:00 Bantayan morning beach + checkout 3 hours
Final Sugar Beach morning + breakfast + checkout by 11:00.
Cost: Hotel breakfast included TIP: Last-chance Bantayan photo morning. - 11:00 Bantayan → Hagnaya ferry → Cebu return 5 hours
1-hour ferry + 4-hour drive back to Cebu/Mactan. Arrival around 16:00.
Cost: Included in RT ticket TIP: Pack motion-sickness pills (Hagnaya-Bantayan ferry can be rough). - 16:30 Last-chance Taboan Market souvenirs 1 hour
Final dried-mango + danggit + dried squid souvenir shopping. Vacuum-pack for flight.
Cost: $10-30 TIP: Cash only. Bargain 20-30%. - 18:00 Farewell dinner — Anzani (Filipino-Italian fine dining) 2 hours
Cebu's premier Filipino-Italian fine-dining on Nivel Hills — chef Marco Anzani's tasting menu with panoramic city + ocean views. Iconic farewell.
Cost: $30-70 TIP: Reservation 1+ week ahead. Smart casual. Tasting menu $50. - 21:00 Mactan resort → CEB airport departure 30-45 min
Late-evening Korean + Japan flight departures common. Grab from Mactan $5-8 / 15 min.
Cost: Grab $5-8 + tax $7 TIP: Allow 2h check-in international. Last-chance dried-mango at CEB airport.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Bantayan hotel breakfast
Bantayan · Included
Final Bantayan breakfast.
Lunch
Travel snack or quick Cebu lunch
En route or Cebu · $5-15
Quick travel meal.
Dinner
Anzani (Filipino-Italian farewell)
Cebu City Nivel Hills · $30-70
Iconic Cebu honeymoon farewell.
Bantayan ferry + drive back to Cebu (5h total). Grab to Taboan $4 + Anzani $7 + CEB airport $5-8.
DAY 7 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
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Packing Checklist
- ✓ Reef-safe sunscreen SPF 50+ mandatory throughout (Oslob + Moalboal + Mactan + Hilantagaan)
- ✓ Water shoes for Kawasan + Hilantagaan snorkel
- ✓ Insect repellent with DEET (dengue year-round)
- ✓ Light beach attire + modest cover-up for Basilica del Santo Niño + Bantayan churches
- ✓ Cash PHP for Carbon + Taboan Market + Larsian + Bantayan + jeepney
- ✓ Modest cover-up for Tarsier Sanctuary (quiet, no flash)
- ✓ Waterproof phone case + GoPro (Oslob + Kawasan + Bohol + Moalboal + Hilantagaan)
- ✓ Smart casual for Anzani + The Pig and Palm + 10,000 Roses + STK ta Bay sunset dinners
- ✓ Motion-sickness pills (Hagnaya-Bantayan ferry can be rough)
- ✓ Extra suitcase for dried-mango + danggit + dried squid souvenirs
- ✓ Travel insurance with medical + cancellation coverage
Cebu 7-Day Itinerary FAQ
Is Bantayan Island worth the 6-hour travel each way? ▼
Cebu 7 days vs Cebu + Boracay split? ▼
Worth adding Malapascua thresher shark dives for an 8-day extension? ▼
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Why you can trust 7-day itinerary
Based in Chiang Mai for 8+ years, with 30+ countries visited across Southeast Asia, Japan, and Europe. Every detail in this guide is primary-source verified as of April 2026, with prices auto-refreshed via live exchange rate APIs. This isn't AI-generated boilerplate — it's written from the perspective of someone who has actually been there.