Dea MarianoThe island province of Cebu is definitely a destination worth visiting over and over again! Beyond question, Cebu is nothing short of a wondrous masterpiece with its countless natural attractions, exciting adventures, insta-worthy places, unique food experiences, great people, and more! That’s why it’s not surprising that Cebu has been in the international spotlight as it once again made it to the list of the World’s Best Islands!
Just recently, we took the opportunity to revisit Cebu when my sis-in-law (who just passed the Architecture licensure exams and wanted to celebrate) requested to see Whalesharks up-close and personal. A great chance also for us to cover some places we haven’t been to yet! This trip is semi-spontaneous — we only had roundtrip plane tickets booked online and a draft itinerary that only got altered right on the spot (because of delayed flight!).
We were supposed to go straight to Oslob for whaleshark watching at 9 am (it is until 12 noon only). Since our flight got delayed, we decided to start with Badian, then Moalboal, then Oslob, before we head back to Cebu City.
Now, let me share you our actual itinerary. This is exactly how our trip went!
South Cebu DIY Itinerary 3D2N
DAY 1
(Travel to Cebu; Badian Canyoneering; Kawasan Falls)
| 04:30 AM | Flight from Manila to Cebu |
| 06:00 AM | Arrive at Mactan Airport |
| 06:30 AM | Arrive at South Bus Terminal |
| 06:45 AM | Depart from South Bus Terminal |
| 11:15 AM | Arrive at Badian; iCanyon Cebu Canyoneering Group |
| 11:30 AM | Lunch at iCanyon |
| 12:30 PM | Start Badian Canyoneering to Kawasan Falls |
| 04:30 PM | Arrive at Kawasan Falls Main Level; Explore and photo-ops |
| 05:30 PM | End of tour; Walk from Kawasan Falls to iCanyon |
| 06:00 PM | Back at iCanyon; Quick rest and merienda |
| 06:30 PM | Depart from iCanyon via habal-habal |
| 07:00 PM | Arrive at Moalboal; Check-in at Moalboal Backpacker Lodge; Wash-up |
| 09:00 PM | Dinner at Lola's Bar Moalboal |
| 10:00 PM | Lights off |
You can also read full details of our Badian Canyoneering to Kawasan Falls here.
Watch our canyoneering experience!
Book your Canyoneering tour via Klook!
- Badian Canyoneering Admission and Guided Experience
- Badian Canyoneering in Cebu and Kawasan Falls Tour
DAY 2
(Moalboal Tour; Sunset at Sumilon Island Oslob)
| 05:00 AM | Wake-up call; Prep for Panagsama tour |
| 06:00 AM | Meet-up Kian Tours; Start Panagsama Tour: Sardines Run, Pawikan Chasing |
| 07:30 AM | End of Panagsama Tour; Buy souvenirs |
| 08:00 AM | Check-out Moalboal Backpackers Lodge; Leave Panagsama |
| 08:30 AM | Arrive at White Beach Moalboal; Breakfast |
| 09:00 AM | Explore White Beach |
| 10:30 AM | Depart from White Beach Moalboal |
| 10:45 AM | Arrive at Bus Terminal; Ride Bus to Bato |
| 12:15 PM | Arrive at Bato |
| 02:15 PM | Arrive at Oslob; Check-in at Bangcogon Resort & Restaurant |
| 02:45 PM | Boat ride to Sumilon Island via Bangcogon Resort |
| 02:55 PM | Arrive at Sumilon Island; Explore sandbar |
| 04:00 PM | Depart from Sumilon Island |
| 04:10 PM | Arrive at Bangcogon Resort; Wash-up; Rest |
| 07:00 PM | Dinner by the beach at Bangcogon Resort |
| 10:00 PM | Lights off |
Read more about our Moalboal Day Tour here.
Watch our Moalboal Day Tour!
Day 3
(Oslob Whaleshark Watching; Sirao Flower Farm; Pasalubong; Travel to Manila)
| 05:00 AM | Wake-up call; Prep for Whaleshark watching |
| 06:00 AM | Orientation; Boat ride to the whaleshark site |
| 06:30 AM | Start Whaleshark Watching/snorkeling/swimming |
| 07:00 AM | End of tour; Back to Bangcogon Resort |
| 07:30 AM | Wash-up; Quick Breakfast |
| 09:15 AM | Depart from Oslob |
| 02:15 PM | Arrive at Cebu City (South Bus Terminal); Charter Taxi to Sirao Garden |
| 03:00 PM | Arrive at Sirao Garden; Explore and photo-ops |
| 04:45 PM | Depart from Sirao Garden |
| 06:15 PM | Arrive at Mactan (Pasalubong Center) |
| 07:00 PM | Arrive at Airport; Dinner |
| 08:30 PM | Boarding Time |
| 09:00 PM | Flight back to Manila |
More about our Oslob tour here.
Watch our Oslob tour!
Read about Sirao Garden tour here.
Note: This was our second time in Cebu. I will also write a post for first timer’s guide about best places to visit in Cebu with itinerary and travel guide soon!
Let me also share with you our original (draft) itinerary. If there was no delay in our flight, this could have happened:
Day 1: Oslob Whaleshark | Sumilon Island
Day 2: Kawasan Canyoneering | Moalboal Sardines Run | Pawikan Site | White Beach
Day 3: Sirao Garden | Temple of Leah
In short, we only missed Temple of Leah because of delayed flight. Not that bad though.
Breakdown of Expenses
| Item | Cost per person | Total Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Taxi from Mactan Airport to South Bus Terminal | 150 | 450 |
| Breakfast bought from South Bus Terminal (Chorizo de Cebu + rice) | 53 | 160 |
| Ordinary Bus Fare to Badian | 194 | 582 |
| Canyoneering Package from iCanyon Cebu Canyoneering Group | 1,500 | 4,500 |
| Snacks and drinks | 90 | 270 |
| Choco Donut at Kawasan Falls (this is 20 each only, we offered to treat our guides) | 33 | 100 |
| Tip | 100 | 300 |
| Habal-habal from iCanyon to Moalboal Backpacker Lodge | 133 | 400 |
| Overnight stay at Moalboal Backpacker Lodge (AC room with own CR for 3pax) | 467 | 1400 |
| Dinner at Lola's Bar Moalboal | 378 | 1,135 |
| Panagsama Beach tour (Sardines Run + Pawikan Site) via Kian Adventure | 500 | 1,500 |
| Tricycle from Panagsama to White Beach then to Bus Terminal (kontrata) | 167 | 500 |
| White Beach Tourist Pass | 25 | 75 |
| White Beach Entrance Fee | 10 | 30 |
| Breakfast at White Beach (shanghai, bbq, eggs, rice) | 45 | 135 |
| Snacks at White Beach (banana-q, bottled water) | 18 | 55 |
| Ligo fee at White Beach | 10 | 30 |
| Bus fare Moalboal to Bato | 95 | 285 |
| Bus fare Bato to Oslob | 40 | 120 |
| Boat fee to Sumilon Island | 600 | 1,800 |
| Lunch + Dinner at Bangcogon Resort and Restaurant Oslob | 767 | 2,300 |
| Overnight stay at Bangcogon Resort and Restaurant Oslob (AC Room w/CR for 3pax) | 833 | 2,500 |
| Whaleshark Watching fee | 500 | 1,500 |
| Bus fare (Ceres AC) from Oslob to Cebu City (South Bus Terminal) | 277 | 831 |
| Taxi from South Bus Terminal to Sirao Garden then to Airport (kontrata) | 667 | 2,000 |
| Dinner (Rico's Lechon Takeout + Jollibee Airport) | 227 | 680 |
| TOTAL | 7,879 | 23,638 |
Note: This is not a pocket-friendly trip. You can lower down the cost significantly by opting for cheaper accommodations like Fan Rooms (our li’l sis can’t sleep without AC), and by not opting for chartered tricycles and taxis (our li’l sis brought her whole bedroom in her maleta 😂 so we had to lessen the hassle of commuting). Another factor is that a group of 3 people is not the best number for travels like this (a habal-habal is for 2pax, a taxi for 4pax, a tricycle for 4pax). Also, we felt like splurging a little bit for food in this trip (for an unknown reason 😅), so take that also into consideration. You can still use this budget breakdown as reference.
I did not include the roundtrip plane tickets because we differ in cost. Diane’s ticket is in regular rate (around 4,200 roundtrip), and for me and Jec we used our Cebu Pacific vouchers that were about to expire (we spent around 6,000 roundtrip for 2pax).
South Cebu Itinerary
And that’s it for this guide! Hope it inspired you to visit Cebu soon and help you plan your travel!
Stay tuned for more posts about our Cebu trip!
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