Epic Philippines: Island Hopping Adventure (Self-Launched)
13 days · Philippines
G Adventures charges £945
No-markup version: ~£835 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A do-it-yourself version of G Adventures' 13-day Manila-to-Coron island hopping trip: jungle homestay and Indigenous-led cooking at Mount Purro, the Puerto Princesa Underground River, El Nido lagoon hopping, and a 3-day/2-night bangka boat expedition through the Sulu Sea with beach camping under the stars. You book the same hostels, boats and guides directly — no group markup, your own pace.
Day-by-day
Arrive Manila — settle into Makati or Malate
Manila
Land at NAIA and take a Grab (ride-hailing app, ~£4-6) or the airport bus to a hostel in Makati or Malate. Spend the afternoon wandering your neighbourhood — Malate is walkable to the bayfront and cheaper for food. Book your Puerto Princesa flight and El Nido boat expedition online tonight so the rest of the trip is locked in. No group welcome meeting to rush back for — grab dinner at a carinderia (local eatery) for ~£3.
🚌Grab from NAIA ~£5
🛏Hostel dorm, Makati or Malate (~£12)
- →Grab transfer from NAIA to hostel
- →Explore Malate or Makati neighbourhood
- →Book Puerto Princesa flight and Sulu Sea boat trip
Manila to Mount Purro Nature Reserve
Mount Purro
Take a Grab or bus south to Antipolo/Barangay Calawis and check into Mount Purro Nature Reserve — the same community-run reserve the tour uses, which you can book directly through their website (day visit or overnight cottage). Afternoon jungle hike and river swim on the reserve trails. In the evening ask the reserve staff about the Dumagat community bonfire cooking experience — they run bamboo rice and Filipino tom yum-style soup sessions over the fire for small groups.
🚌Grab or bus Manila–Antipolo ~£8
🛏Mount Purro Nature Reserve jungle lodge/cottage dorm (~£18)
- →Jungle hike and swim on reserve trails
- →Dumagat Indigenous community bonfire cooking (book via reserve)
Sunrise ridge hike, back to Manila
Mount Purro / Manila
Set an alarm for the pre-dawn hike up the reserve ridge for sunrise views over the Sierra Madre — it's a short, steep 45-minute climb and free with your stay. Breakfast at the reserve, then head back to Manila late morning. Afternoon free in the city; catch sunset along Roxas Boulevard or the Makati skyline from a rooftop bar.
🚌Grab Antipolo–Manila ~£8
🛏Hostel dorm, Manila (~£12)
- →Sunrise ridge hike at Mount Purro
- →Evening walk along Manila Bay
Intramuros and Chinatown food crawl
Manila
Morning self-guided walk through Intramuros — Fort Santiago entry is around £3, plus Manila Cathedral and Postigo del Palacio nearby. In the afternoon take a jeepney (₱13-15, under £1) to Binondo, the world's oldest Chinatown, and eat your way down Ongpin Street: lumpia, hopia, dumplings and Chinese-Filipino fusion. A DIY food crawl here costs a fraction of a guided one.
🚌Grab + jeepney ~£3
🛏Hostel dorm, Manila (~£12)
- →Fort Santiago and Intramuros walk
- →Jeepney ride to Binondo
- →Binondo Chinatown street food crawl
Fly to Puerto Princesa
Puerto Princesa
Cheap morning or early-afternoon flight to Puerto Princesa (Cebu Pacific/AirAsia, book well ahead for ~£35-50 one way). Settle into a guesthouse near Rizal Avenue, then explore on foot — the Immaculate Conception Cathedral and Baker's Hill are both easy to reach by tricycle (~£1-2). Eat at the baywalk seafood stalls for dinner.
🚌Flight ~£40; tricycles ~£2
🛏Guesthouse/hostel dorm, Puerto Princesa (~£11)
- →Flight Manila–Puerto Princesa
- →Immaculate Conception Cathedral
- →Baker's Hill
- →Baywalk seafood dinner
Underground River, then El Nido
Puerto Princesa / El Nido
Book the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park day trip directly through any Sabang operator or your guesthouse (~£25-30 including permits, boat and transfers, excluding the small environmental fee). Early pick-up gets you into the cave river before the crowds. After returning to town, take an afternoon or early-evening van to El Nido (5-6 hours, ~£9-12) and check into a hostel in town or Corong Corong.
🚌Underground River tour transport included; van Puerto Princesa–El Nido ~£10
🛏Hostel dorm, El Nido (~£13)
- →Puerto Princesa Underground River boat tour
- →Van transfer to El Nido
El Nido island hopping — Tour A lite or DIY
El Nido
Book a bangka island hopping tour (Tour A or C) directly at El Nido's beachfront kiosks or via Klook — ~£20-25 per person including lunch, kayak and snorkel gear. Expect Big Lagoon, Small Lagoon, Secret Beach and Hidden Beach, plus snorkelling stops. If you want the quieter version, hire a private bangka with a skipper at Bacuit Bay for ~£30-40 total and split it with other travellers you meet at the hostel.
🚌Bangka boat, included in tour
🛏Hostel dorm, El Nido (~£13)
- →Bangka island hopping tour (Big Lagoon, Secret Beach, Hidden Beach)
- →Snorkelling and kayaking
Free day in El Nido
El Nido
Hike Taraw Peak for the classic view over Bacuit Bay — it's a steep, rope-assisted climb, entry around £4, best started at 6am. Alternatively hire a motorbike (~£8/day) to Kuyawyaw Falls or Nacpan Beach, or simply rent a kayak and paddle the calm inlets. Book your 3-day Sulu Sea expedition for tomorrow and pack a dry bag.
🚌Motorbike rental ~£8 or tricycle ~£2
🛏Hostel dorm, El Nido (~£13)
- →Taraw Peak hike
- →Kuyawyaw Falls or Nacpan Beach by motorbike
- →Kayaking
Sulu Sea expedition — Day 1
Sulu Sea
Join a 3-day/2-night El Nido–Coron boat expedition (operators like Tao Philippines and several El Nido-based copycat outfits run the same route — book directly or via Klook, ~£150-200 per person including all meals, camping cabins, snorkel gear and boat crew). Depart El Nido harbour mid-morning, cruise past karst cliffs and hidden coves, stop for snorkelling, and camp in traditional beach huts on a secluded island with a bonfire and grilled dinner.
🚌Bangka boat expedition
🛏Rustic beach hut camp, Sulu Sea (included in expedition)
- →3-day/2-night island hopping expedition
- →Snorkelling stops
- →Beach bonfire and barbecue
Sulu Sea expedition — Day 2
Sulu Sea
Wake on the sand and continue north — the expedition crew handles the route, usually including stops at reef sites where turtles, rays and the occasional whale shark are spotted. Lunch is cooked on board or fireside. Second night camping on another deserted beach, again with huts and a bonfire.
🚌Bangka boat expedition
🛏Rustic beach hut camp, Sulu Sea (included in expedition)
- →Reef snorkelling
- →Beach camping and bonfire
- →Wildlife spotting from the boat
Arrive Coron
Coron
Final morning on the boat before landing at Coron Town in the early afternoon. Check into a guesthouse in town, shower off the salt, then walk up to Coron Pier for sunset and a cheap seafood dinner. Happy hour on the waterfront is obligatory.
🚌Boat arrival included in expedition; walking
🛏Guesthouse/budget hotel, Coron (~£13)
- →Arrive Coron Town
- →Coron Pier sunset
- →Waterfront dinner
Mt Tapyas and Maquinit Hot Springs
Coron
Climb Mt Tapyas' 700-plus steps in the early morning (free, before the heat) for views across Coron Bay and the Calamian Islands. Then take a tricycle (~£3) to Maquinit Hot Springs, a natural saltwater pool at ~40°C — entry around £6. Spend the afternoon on a half-day Coron island tour if you have energy (Kayangan Lake and Twin Lagoon, ~£20 via Klook or a beachfront kiosk), then a final night out on Coron's main strip.
🚌Tricycle to hot springs ~£3
🛏Guesthouse/budget hotel, Coron (~£13)
- →Mt Tapyas sunrise hike
- →Maquinit Hot Springs
- →Optional Kayangan Lake and Twin Lagoon boat tour
Depart Coron
Coron
Fly out from Francisco B. Reyes (Busuanga) Airport — tricycles and shared vans run from town, ~£3-5. Manila, Cebu and Clark connections are all cheap if booked ahead. If you have a late flight, spend the morning swimming at CYC Beach or grabbing a last mango shake.
🚌Tricycle/van to airport ~£4; onward flight ~£45
🛏None (departure day)
- →Transfer to Busuanga Airport
- →Optional CYC Beach swim
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£835 | £945 |
| Duration | 13 days | 13 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £110 per person (12%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£835
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 Epic Philippines: Island Hopping Adventure (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £835 per person for 13 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 £945 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £835 — a saving of roughly £110 (12%) per person.
How long is the Philippines trip?+
This itinerary runs 13 days, covering 13 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 adventure, beaches, 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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