The Philippines
The stunning archipelago is truly a natural wonder: With its famed islands and beach destinations, its stunningly beautiful nature as far as the eye can see, and the Philippine’s historical and cultural heritage, there is much to be discovered. The Philippines await you with its heart-warming hospitality and an abundance of natural and cultural attractions only waiting for you to start exploring. Join us!
About this trip
Join us in our unique and personal small tour trip through Cebu and Bohol and experience the Philippines with a local tour host. We have curated a beautiful itinerary for you that explores the islands Cebu and Bohol. Get a taste of this stunning archipelago and enjoy its many natural, historical, and cultural attractions — there are plenty to enjoy!
-
4 - 11 December 2024 (closes on 13 November)
8 - 15 January 2025 (closes on 18 December)
5 - 12 February 2025 (closes on 15 January)
5 - 12 March 2025 (closes on 12 February)
3 - 10 December 2025 (closes on 12 November)
*Tour bookings close 3 weeks prior to scheduled start of the tour.
-
2 travellers minimum, 7 maximum
1 tour host to accompany you
-
2.300 EUR per person regular price
2.200 EUR for newsletter subscribers
-
This tour starts and ends in Cebu City, the Philippines.
Our itinerary
-
Muhabay! Welcome to the Philippines!
Your trip with us starts in Cebu City, where you will be welcomed and greeted by our tour host at the airport, who will accompany you to the accommation for the next two nights. Put your suitcase down and decompress from your travels. Enjoy the amenities of the hotel and your accommodation. Once all of your fellow travellers have arrived, we will meet again with your host for a welcome drink and your first dinner in Cebu City. Meet and get to know your fellow travellers and your tour host and toast to the trip!
Included: transportation from airport, accommodation, welcome drink, dinner -
Cebu City — Heritage & Highlands Tour
Good morning! Enjoy your breakfast and meet your fellow travellers, before leaving for a cultural tour exploring Cebu’s heritage and highlands. At lunch time, we will rest over lunch, and rest our feet for a bit. Leave some room as we will continue our tour and sample local street food, where you will get a taste of local delicacies. We will continue our island tour, visiting two very distinct temples and enjoy the famous and endearing flower garden, one of the locals favourite sites in the upland area of Cebu City. Upon our return to the city, we take in the panoramic view from high up overlooking Cebu City.
The evening is yours to spend. Enjoy some free time and have a relaxing evening.
Included: breakfast, accommodation, transport, private driver, street food experience, lunch, snacks, entry tickets -
Cebu City — South-East and South-West Cebu
After having enjoyed your breakfast, we pack our day bags and head towards the south of the island. Don’t forget your sunscreen and your bathing suite! In the south-east we will explore Cebu’s beaches, the impressive sandbar and waterfalls. Relax by the beach and enjoy Cebu’s pristine white sand beaches. We continue to the south-west of the island and some lunch on the beach. Have you snorkeled with sardines and turtles yet? If you would like to, we can go for a swim together. Enjoy the mesmerising beach and its blue-turquoise water and take the view in completely – it is stunning! We return to Cebu City, where you will have free time and the evening to spend to yourself.
Included: breakfast, accommodation, transport, private driver, lunch, snorkeling -
Cebu > Bohol
Enjoy your breakfast in the hotel, before we check out of the hotel and leave for the ferry to the neighbouring Bohol, a two-hours ride from Cebu. Once we got off the ferry, we stop for lunch and check in to our hotel accommodation for the next four nights. Here, you can enjoy the calm environment and the amenities in midst of sublime nature and decompress.
Included: breakfast, accommodation, transport and ferry, private driver, lunch -
Bohol — Countryside tour
Good morning! Today after breakfast, we will leave for a tour around Bohol’s countryside, stopping at the famous Chocolate Hills, unusually shaped hills located in the middle of the island of Bohol in Philippines. Explore the area on ATV, as you admire this nature’s wonder and enjoy the tranquil atmosphere. We continue our tour to see Tarsier, the famous tiny animal with its big eyes calls the Philippines his home. On our way to lunch, we will visit other attractions that Bohol has to offer, like the Butterfly Garden and a manmade forest or the snake farm (no worries!). We enoy a river cruise on the scenic Loboc River, where we give our feet a rest for a while. Upon returning to our accommodation, you will have time to rest and enoy the evening to yourself.
Included: accommodation, breakfast, snacks and refreshments in van, lunch, tickets -
Free day
Have a lie-in and enjoy your breakfast, and the amenities of our hotel accommdation. Today is a free day for you to relax and sun bathe or reminisce with your fellow travellers. We are very happy to book any activities in your hotel for you (please advise your host upon arrival), please note that these are on your expense.
Included: accommodation, breakfast -
Island Panglao
This morning after breakfast, we leave to the neighbouring island Panglao, where you will have plenty of time to enjoy its lovely beaches. So, bring your bathing suit and a hat! We will break our day and have lunch at the beach, taking in the stunningly beautiful surroundings. For this evening, we have picked a special spot for our last evening together. A perfect scenario to thank you for coming on tour with us. Let’s reminisce and toast!
Included: accommodation, breakfast, lunch, tickets, dinner, drink -
Bohol > Cebu City airport
Today is departure day, the day of goodbyes sadly. Our tour ends here, but your host will be here for you until your departure. We leave together for Cebu City, but please note that we are happy to guide you to your alternative point of travel, too, if your travels continue. Please just let your tour host know.
We hope you leave inspired and relaxed and have enjoyed your trip with us and this glimpse into the Filipino culture you have perienced over these past days, and return home feeling invigorated by its beauty. Thank you for coming on tour with us, it was a pleasure to have you on tour! Stay in touch, safe travels home!
Included: Breakfast, transfer to airport
About
our services
-
Transportation to and from the airport in Cebu City
A host accompanying you, who doubles as a photographer, personal driver included
Boutique style accommodation exuding local charm
All activities listed in your itinerary for this trip
Breakfasts, lunches, dinners, drinks were noted in our complete itinerary
-
Flights to and from Cebu City, the Philippines
Mandatory travel insurance, visa
Alcohol except when it is noted
Incidental costs and expenses in your free time
Tips that you would like to leave for guides
-
Tailor-made tour
Would you like to travel independently from our small group tour and solo or with your preferred company and your local host, on a budget and timeline that works for you? Let us customise your perfect adventure to the Philipines.
Contact us here or send us your inquiry here.
-
Small and limited group tour
Do you prefer travelling with fellow travellers and your personal local host, while you explore the beauty of the Philippines together? We are looking forward to welcoming you in one of our set tours. Come and join us and escape the winter with us.
Book your spot in one of our limited small group tour here.
5 interesting facts about the Philippines:
The Philippines is a land of 7,641 enchanting islands, each of them offering a unique adventure waiting to be discovered, making it one of the largest archipelagos worldwide. Surprisingly, more than 5,000 of these islands remain unnamed on most international maps.
The largest and most expensive pearl in the world was found in Palawan, the Philippines, weighing an incredible 34 kilo grams and valued at an astonishing $100 million.
The archipelago features an incredible linguistic diversity. Since 2987, the official language is Filipino and based on Tagalog, there are over 170 dialects spoken, reflecting the nation’s vibrant cultural mosaic.
The Philippines has the longest underground river, located in Puerta Princesa Subterranean River National Park.
One of the world’s smallest primate, the Tarsier, can only be found and admired in the Philippines. The small animal is known for its enormous eyes relative to its body size and calls the Philippines his home.
FAQs
-
Hi, thank you for being here and for taking us into consideration, we feel truly honored. We are aware that there is a lot of fantastic choices for you to pick for your next trip.
At tova travel, we have curated small group round trips for you that show you a country from a local and personal perspective. We prefer slow travel even though we move around quite a bit, it’s more the mindset. We want you to immerse yourself in the culture, learn from locals, taste the food, smell the air, sip the drinks and the hidden gems of every country and of every place with your local guide who knows best. We are not visitors - we live and breathe a culture.
For each trip to all of our offered itineraries, we have decided to travel in small groups of minimum 2 travellers (plus a host) and maximum 7 travellers (plus one host). Some of the small group trips are even smaller, please see all country pages. This allows us to be present for you, and you to be part of a group as opposed to be part of an anonymous tour. Also, the idea of a small group is much more accessible for locals than larger groups.
Please read more about our philosophy here. -
Please note that your flights are not included, we kindly ask to book separately and please let us know your arrival and departure details prior to your touch down, so that we can arrange your pick up and departure at the airport.
All travellers and participants must be 18 years of age or older to travel with us unless it is stated otherwise, in which case a minor under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an authorized adult. We ask you for written proof of that.
We also ask you to send us a copy of your travel insurance - it is mandatory for all of our trips.
Please get your visa or check visa regulations for your country, it is mandatory to enter the country.
Please also check your vaccinations in case you need to refresh those.
Any questions or need some clarifications? Let us know, drop us a message. -
Are you curious and adventurous and want to squash in the most of your time into your trip to fully grasp the respective culture? Are you perhaps travelling solo but would want to be in a small group that feels like a group of friends travelling, sharing food and drinks around the table and many experiences on the road, rather than greeting strangers at the breakfast table? (Don’t worry, we have included flex time as well to charge those social batteries if you need to.) Do you want to connect with the local culture? Do you like balance, to lay your head in a stylish boutique hotel but also sample street food? Do you know that abroad things might work differently?
At tova travel, we want to make sure that you get the best experience and best time when coming on a tour with us. We believe in transparency, so we would like to lay out our values and the values you have when travelling with us, so you can decide that our tours fit your idea of how you want to spend your holidays. Read on our and your values here.
If you are still unsure, and would like to speak to us first, please reach out and send us a message. We are also happy to talk via zoom with you. Please just let us know :) -
Payment can be made via PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay and all accepted Credit Cards.
If you wish payment via bank transfer, please contact us before proceeding with your booking at tovatraveltours@gmail.com. Thank you.Please check our Booking Terms and Conditions for more details on our 3-step payment schedule we have decided for to allow easier budgeting for you.
-
Yes, absolutely. We understand that you need some time on your own, to unwind and charge your social batteries. When we curated the tours for you, we integrated free time for you as well, which you can spend however you feel like it.
If you do not feel like doing a specific experience on the trip with us, and would like to spend the time for yourself, you can of course let us know and opt out. Kindly understand that these experiences are non-refundable.
Please always entrust your trip host with your needs, we will always make sure you feel comfortable. -
For our Philippines tour, we have chosen activities for you that allow you to experience its spectacular nature and its intriguing culture. Depending on the season, we might have to change the activities to adjust to the season, but we will inform you ahead and readjust the itinerary. Please note that there may be reasons for this that are beyond our control.
Generally speaking, most of the tours in our itinerary are private tours, and you will have your private driver, so it will just be you and your host and your guide if needed. Other activities, for instance, a performance at the theatre or a boat ride will be open to the public, hence you will be sharing.
We generally embrace and support the local culture, and also work with local guides, who are the ultimate experts on their culture. Our aim is to bring you closer to the local culture and give you personal and unique insights. -
The Philippines is a very tropical country and torrential downpours can happen at any time, which keeps the archipelago nicely green.
The dry season is from December - May with temperatures around 30 degrees, and around 23 at the lowest. The rainy season is from June - November.
Contact
If you have questions about this trip or about the booking process, please contact us at anytime either via the contact form here or drop us a message directed at tovatraveltours@gmail.com
Monday — Friday: 9 am - 5 pm CET
Please allow 48 hours for our reply.
Katharina
-
Hi, I’m Katharina and I’m the founder of tova travel tours.
In February 2024 I founded and created tova travel. Here, I accompany your booking process, and I am also the tour host for our Mexico trip!
If you have any questions, please reach out to me. I'll be contacting you as quickly as possible.
Stephanie
-
I am a thrill-seeker with a zest for life! Fueled by my adventurous spirit, I love to travel and explore new places. My hardworking nature ensures I can make your travel dreams a reality. And to top it all off, I bring a fun and positive energy that makes me a fantastic companion on any adventure.