Island Hopping itineraries

This self-launched version of TruTravels' popular Bali Experience covers the same iconic route — Canggu, Ubud, and Gili Trawangan — at a fraction of the price. Swap the guided group tour for independent travel using local transport, self-bookable activities via GetYourGuide and Klook, and budget-friendly hostels and guesthouses. You'll surf Kuta Beach, explore Ubud's rice terraces, cook a Balinese feast, island-hop the Gilis, and cycle around car-free Gili T — all on your own terms. Estimated cost is approximately £280–£330 per person for 10 days, excluding flights, compared to ~£450 for the guided group tour.

Travel Crew

~£310

Discover the magic of the Enchanted Islands on this self-launched version of Exodus's classic island-hopping adventure. Explore four of the Galápagos' great islands — San Cristóbal, Floreana, Isabela and Santa Cruz — at your own pace, guided by local Naturalist guides who are mandatory for the national park. Snorkel with sea lions from La Lobería, spot blue-footed boobies at Isla Lobos, see sharks at Las Tintoreras, walk the Wall of Tears, meet giant tortoises at the Charles Darwin Research Station and take a full-day excursion to one of the uninhabited islands. DIY the logistics — budget flights, local speedboat transfers between islands, and affordable guesthouses instead of tour hotels — and save thousands versus the full guided group package.

Travel Crew

~£1,050

Recreate Exodus' 8-day Dodecanese island-hopping hiking adventure entirely on your own. Base yourself in Rhodes town, then hop ferries to the photogenic harbour island of Symi and the unspoilt, eco-minded island of Tilos. Follow the same gentle coastal and inland trails — up the Kali Strata staircase to Chorio, past the Roukouniotis Monastery through pine forest to the sea, along Tilos' coast to the ghost village of Mikro Chorio, and up to the capital Megalo Chorio — while dipping into Greek food and wine yourselves. With budget hotels, public ferries and local buses replacing the guided minibus and group meals, expect to save well over half the Exodus price while keeping the same classic Greek-island experience.

Travel Crew

~£545

Hop between four of Greece's most iconic islands — Mykonos, Santorini, Crete and Rhodes — exactly as the private-tour version does, but entirely self-launched. Take public ferries or budget flights between islands, stay in clean 3-star hotels and boutique guesthouses with the same sea views, and book your own day cruises to Delos, the Santorini hot springs and the Acropolis at Lindos. With a fraction of the planning cost and zero group markup, you keep the freedom to linger over sunset in Oia or skip straight to the beach whenever you like.

Travel Crew

~£1,390

A self-launched version of the classic Palawan & Coron island-hopping route. Kayak through El Nido's limestone lagoons, snorkel WWII shipwrecks in Coron, camp on a remote island in the Sulu Sea and cycle the walled city of Intramuros — all independently, at your own pace and a fraction of the tour cost. This DIY equivalent swaps boutique hotels and guided logistics for well-reviewed guesthouses, direct bookings with local boat operators, public ferries and domestic flights between the same must-see islands.

Travel Crew

~£465

A self-launched version of Travel Zone's 11-day semi-guided Greek island-hopping tour, covering Athens, Mykonos, Paros, Naxos and Santorini. Instead of a packaged group tour with private transfers, you book your own Blue Star/Seajets ferries, stay in well-located hostels and budget guesthouses, and pick up activities à la carte (volcano boat trip, island tours). Same islands, same experiences — roughly a third of the price.

Travel Crew

~£730