If you’re like me and the most number of leaves you can take from work is two consecutive days, then plan your Cebu trip like how I did mine. Even with just three full days in Cebu, you will have plenty of time to have a jampacked vacation. Here’s how my 4D3N Cebu itinerary looked like:
4D3N Cebu Itinerary
Day 1: City Tour
9:00 am. ETD Mactan Airport
9:30 am. Catch a taxi to the Mactan Shrine
10:00 am. Take a jeepney to the Parkway Mall. At Parkway Mall, take the 01K jeepney to the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral.
11:00 am. Start the tour of the following churches:
- Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral
- Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño
11:45 am. Check out the small Sto. Niño Museum beside the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño.
12:00 pm. Visit the Magellan’s Cross behind the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño. Experience being prayed for by the dancing-praying ladies.
12:30 pm. Walk towards the Plaza Independencia and pay a visit to the Fort San Pedro.
1:15 pm. Have lunch. Afterwards, hire a taxi and check-in at your hotel.
2:30 pm. Hire a taxi and head out to the Taoist Temple.
3:30 pm. Go to the Crown Regency Hotel and try the Sky Experience Adventure. Tip: do the Sky Walk at night for some awesome cityscape.
4:30 pm. Have a snack at the Mooon Café (yes, there are three o’s) at Robinson’s Gateway.
7:00 pm. Do the Sky Walk and the Edge Coaster and challenge yourself.
7:30 pm. Have dinner at the buffet.
8:30 pm. Head back to the hotel.
Read more: Cebu City Tour: Churches and Old Houses.
Magellan’s cross
Day 2: Oslob – Sumilon Island Tour
3:15 am. Leave hotel and take a taxi to the South Bus Terminal
4:00 am. ETD from the terminal.
6:30 am. ETA at George’s and Jimmy’s Resort and Restaurant. Take care of rental of snorkling gear and boat rental
7:00 am. DENR orientation on how to properly behave during the Oslob whale shark encounter.
7:30 am. Start of the butanding/whale shark encounter.
8:00 am. End. Try to have breakfast.
9:00 am. Opening of the nearby Tumalog Falls.
10:30 am. Head back to the beach and go to the Bluewater Sumilon Resort. Book for a day trip.
11:00 am. Boat to Bluewater Sumilon Resort.
11:30 am. Arrival at Bluewater Sumilon Resort. Set lunch. Then, have fun at the beach!
3:45 pm. ETD from Bluewater Sumilon Resort.
4:15 pm. ETA at the highway to catch a bus back to Cebu City.
8:10 pm. ETA at the South Bus Terminal. Take a taxi back to the hotel or have dinner at Zubuchon or Casa Verde at the Ayala Terraces.
Read more: Swimming with the butanding
Tumalog Falls
Day 3: Bantayan Island Tour
3:20 am. Take a taxi to the North Bus Terminal.
3:50 am. ETD North Bus Terminal.
6:35 am. ETA Hagnaya Port. Book a ticket at the ferry counter. Travel time can vary from 30 minutes to an hour.
8:00 am. ETA Bantayan Island. Select a resort and chill.
1:45 pm. ETD of the ferry from the Bantayan Port.
2:45 pm. ETA Hagnaya Port. Eat the barbeques at the eateries.
4:30 pm. ETD Hagnaya Port. Take the Ceres bus once again.
8:30 pm. ETA North Bus Terminal. Take a taxi to the AA Barbeque.
Read more: How Bantayan made me feel uncomfortable.
Sta. Fe beach, Bantayan Island
Day 4. See you, Cebu!
12:00 pm. Hotel check out.
*Optional Tour: Casa Gorordo Museum.
4D3N Cebu Budget (good for two):
- Accommodations (3N in Islands Stay Hotel): P3705
- Transportation (taxis, buses, boats, tricycle, multicab): P3,395
- Activities (Crowne Regency Combo 3, whale watching, Bluewater Sumilon day tour, etc.): P7830
- Food (includes tips in restos): P1265
- Pasalubong (dried mangos, otaps, etc.): P1306.75
- Miscellaneous (restroom fees, etc.): P125.75
Total: P17,627.50
4D3N Cebu Travel Tips
1. For this itinerary to be effective, traveling light is a must.
2. Experience local life by taking jeepneys instead of opting for taxis. Note however, that taxi drivers are nice and get perplexed when you don’t have exact fare or small bills.
3. Make sure to have your taxi wait at the Taoist Temple parking lot. The temple is located inside a subdivision and taxis do not usually frequent that area.
4. Visit Casa Gorordo to gain some precious insight on how the local bourgeoisie lived in the classical times. It’s actually more fascinating than the Taoist Temple.
5. Do not stay up too late because this action-packed itinerary demands very early wake up times: 3am.
6. Get some sleep on the bus but make sure to have the conductor wake you up at your destination.
7. Try canyoneering at the Matutinao Falls instead of chilling at the Bluewater Sumilon Resort.
8. Bring a waterproof camera or waterproof your phone so you could take photos of your whale shark experience.
9. Try local the local food. Best places to eat are: AA Barbeque, Zubuchon and Casa Verde.
10. Have fun and believe in this itinerary. It may be tiring but it’s totally doable. 🙂
