Countryside Adventures in the Philippines: Cebu City, Moalboal & Bohol Island - 7 Days

Day 1: Arrive in Cebu City, Free Time

Welcome to the Philippines! After arriving at Mactan Cebu International Airport, you'll be taken on a quick 30-minute private transfer into the heart of Cebu City, one of the most populous cities in the country and the capital of Cebu Province. Check in at your hotel and take a little time to relax before deciding how you want to spend the rest of your day.

Day 2: FISH Visayas Visit & Heritage Tour

Your first full day in the Philippines begins with a private drive to the headquarters of the AFOS Foundation, the organization behind the FISH Visayas Project, a great initiative that aims to increase and make sustainable incomes for local fishermen throughout the Central Visayas region of the Philippines. For lunch, you can visit a local restaurant to try some traditional Filipino food before enjoying a deep dive into local history with a guided heritage tour in the afternoon.

The tour begins at the Cebu Heritage Monument, a beautiful mixed-media sculpture crafted by local artists, depicting a range of scenes and moments from Cebu's past. Next, you'll tour an old home of Jesuit priests, before continuing to the 17th century Yap San Diego House, filled with antique decor and furnishings. Moving on, your guide will take you to two of the city's most famous religious buildings, Basilica del Santo Nino and the Cebu Cathedral, learning about the city's spiritual past and present.

Then, you'll be taken to Magellan's Cross, an old stone kiosk and cross monument placed by the earliest European settlers in the area. The Carbon Market, Cebu's busy fresh produce market, is your next stop before the tour comes to a close at the city's historic Fort San Pedro, a vast military structure built by the Spaniards in the 17th century.

Day 3: Transfer to Moalboal, Free Time

Time to leave the big city behind. Today, you'll depart Cebu and be taken on a three-hour journey with your own private driver to the coastal community of Moalboal. Located on the southwest coast of the island, Moalboal is a tiny resort with excellent diving and beautiful beaches. After checking in, take some time to relax at your accommodation, or get out and stroll to the nearest beach.

Day 4: Pescador Island Tour

Day four begins bright and early as you meet your private driver and get ready for a tour of Pescador Island. Situated just a short 30-minute boat ride from the coast of Cebu, Pescador is renowned as a world-class diving site with its pristine coral reefs and multitude of marine species.

You'll be taken by boat over to the island and given the chance to see some of the area's prettiest coral reefs, admiring the tropical fish that call these waters home. And the wildlife fun doesn't stop there, as you'll also get to swim with the sardines and get up close and personal with sea turtles on a dive near Panagsama Beach.

Day 5: Transfer to Bohol Island, Free Time

The adventure continues with an early-morning drive back to Cebu City. You'll be taken to the port directly from Moalboal on an approximately three-hour journey before boarding a ferry over to Bohol Island. Bohol is the 10th-largest island in the Philippines, offering a mixture of human-made marvels and scenic natural spaces for visitors to explore. As soon as you arrive, you'll be met by a new private guide, ready to take you to Panglao, southwest of the main island of Bohol. 

With free time for the rest of the day, it's up to you what to do next. You could consider an island-hopping tour, visiting local neighboring islands like Balicasag and Virgin Island to see some of the soft, sandy beaches and prime diving spots the area is famed for. Or, you could take to the water on a dolphin-watching tour, feel the thrill of an adrenaline rush on a guided zipline tour, or simply relax at your resort, swimming in the pool and dining at a local restaurant.

Day 6: Tarsier Sanctuary, Chocolate Hills & River Cruise Tour

Day six is all about the best bits of Bohol. You'll enjoy a full-day guided tour, starting off at the Philippine Tarsier and Wildlife Sanctuary in Corella, a small town in southwest Bohol. Renowned for their distinctive large eyes, tarsiers are small, adorable primates, and during your time at the sanctuary, you'll get the chance to spot these notoriously shy creatures in their natural habitat.

Next stop: the Chocolate Hills. So-called due to their covering of grass that turns brown each year during the dry season, these hills are one of the most famous landmarks in Bohol, with their dome-like shapes almost making them look like massive mounds of cocoa powder jutting out across the landscape.

The tour concludes with a Loboc River cruise. The Loboc runs across Bohol, and your cruise will take you through some of the island's most scenic natural spaces, with plenty of time to admire local wildlife along the riverbank as you sail along. Then, when the ride finally comes to an end, you'll be escorted back to your hotel, ready to rest.

Day 7: Transfer to Cebu City, Depart

Your Philippines adventure will finally come to an end today. First, you'll need to transfer to the port and take the ferry from Bohol back to Cebu City. There, a driver will be waiting to transfer you back to the city's airport, where you can catch your flight home. Safe travels!