Philippines Cebu 7-Day Itinerary — Quick Answer
As of 2026- Trip length
- 7 days
- Est. cost / person (mid, ex-flights)
- $1,220
- Budget–luxury
- $660–$2,460
As of 2026, the recommended Cebu 7-day route runs Day1 Mactan Arrival + Lechon · Day2 Oslob + Kawasan Combo · Day3 Cebu City Heritage + Sutukil · Day4 Bohol Day Tour · Day5 Moalboal Sardine Run OR Mactan Spa · Day6 Bantayan Island 1-Night Escape · Day7 Bantayan Return + Mactan Farewell, grouping the must-see sights with minimal backtracking. Estimated cost per person (excluding flights) is around $1,220 on a mid-range budget. 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.
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? ▼
Looking for Different Trip Lengths?
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.