Pairing Dumaguete's laid-back university-town charm with Siquijor's waterfalls, white-sand beaches, and centuries-old churches makes for one of the most efficient short trips in the Visayas — the two are separated by little more than an hour's ferry ride. Because the itinerary mixes flights, boat fares, and island-hopping-style day tours, first-time visitors often either overbudget out of caution or underbudget by forgetting fees like Siquijor's new departure charge. Here's a realistic, line-by-line 3-day budget based on current 2026 fares.
A 3-day, 2-night Dumaguete-Siquijor trip costs roughly ₱6,500 to ₱11,000 per person for accommodation, ferry fares, food, and a full-day Siquijor scooter tour, or about ₱10,000-₱16,000 total once you add a round-trip Manila flight.
- A realistic 3-day Dumaguete-Siquijor trip runs roughly ₱6,500-₱11,000 per person excluding flights, or ₱10,000-₱16,000 including a round-trip Manila flight
- OceanJet and other ferry operators run Dumaguete-Siquijor crossings every few hours, with fares from about ₱120-₱460 one way depending on the operator and boat class
- Siquijor now collects a ₱50 tourism ecological fee from every visitor upon departure, in effect since February 1, 2026
- Scooter rental in Siquijor runs ₱350-₱550 a day, the most practical way to cover the island's spread-out waterfalls, beaches, and heritage sites in a single day
- Round-trip flights from Manila to Dumaguete start around ₱5,700-₱6,300 (roughly -2) when booked in advance on Cebu Pacific or Philippine Airlines
Getting to Dumaguete: Flight Costs from Manila
Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines both fly directly from Manila to Sibulan-Dumaguete Airport, with round-trip fares starting around $92-$102 (roughly ₱5,700-₱6,300) when booked several weeks ahead, though prices climb noticeably closer to weekends and holidays. Flight time is about 1 hour 20 minutes. Travelers coming from Cebu City can also fly Dumaguete directly or take a combination of a Cebu-Dumaguete ferry and land transport, though flying from Manila is the more common route for a short 3-day trip.
Getting from the Airport to Dumaguete Port
Sibulan-Dumaguete Airport sits across the strait from Dumaguete proper, so most travelers take a short tricycle ride directly to Dumaguete Seaport to catch a Siquijor-bound ferry the same day — this special tricycle ride runs about ₱100-₱200 depending on negotiation and time of day. If you're spending your first night in Dumaguete city instead of heading straight to Siquijor, the same tricycle ride into the city center costs roughly the same.
The Dumaguete-Siquijor Ferry Crossing
Four main operators run the Dumaguete-Siquijor route — OceanJet, Montenegro Lines, Aleson Shipping, and Super Shuttle Ferry — with departures roughly every 4 hours between around 6:20 AM and 7:10 PM daily. Slower RORO-style ferries (Aleson, Montenegro) charge fares starting around ₱120-₱425 for a 1.5-2 hour crossing, while the faster OceanJet fastcraft charges ₱455-₱754 depending on seat class for a roughly 1-hour crossing. Add a small terminal fee (around ₱15-₱30) at both ports on top of the ticket price. Buying tickets in person at the pier on the morning of travel is common, though booking OceanJet online ahead of a weekend trip avoids the risk of a sold-out sailing.
Where to Stay: Dumaguete vs. Siquijor Accommodation Costs
Budget hostels in Dumaguete, like dorm-style guesthouses near Silliman University, run as low as ₱250-₱400 a night for a shared room with breakfast included, while a private budget hotel room in the city runs ₱1,200-₱2,000. On Siquijor, budget beachfront cottages and guesthouses near San Juan or Paliton Beach typically run ₱800-₱1,800 a night for a fan or air-conditioned double room, with mid-range beach resorts running ₱2,500-₱4,500. Given the short trip length, most travelers spend one night in Dumaguete and one night in Siquijor, or skip Dumaguete accommodation entirely by taking an early flight and heading straight to the ferry.
Getting Around Siquijor: Scooter Rental and Tour Costs
Siquijor's attractions — Cambugahay Falls, the Enchanted Balete Tree, Salagdoong Beach, Lazi Church, and Paliton Beach — are spread across the island, so renting a scooter is the most practical way to see them in a single day. Automatic scooter rental runs ₱350-₱550 per day depending on the model, with a valid driver's license typically required by the rental shop. Travelers who'd rather not drive can book a habal-habal (motorcycle taxi) island tour or a van/multicab tour for roughly ₱1,000-₱1,500 per person for a full-day guided loop, inclusive of driver and fuel but not entrance fees.
Entrance Fees and Siquijor's New Tourism Ecological Fee
Since February 1, 2026, the Siquijor provincial government collects a ₱50 Tourism Ecological Fee from every visitor upon departure from the island, with a discounted ₱40 rate for senior citizens and students, and children aged 6 and below exempted — check current details through the Provincial Government of Siquijor's official site. On top of this island-wide fee, individual attractions charge their own small entrance fees — Cambugahay Falls, Salagdoong Beach, and the Enchanted Balete Tree each typically charge ₱20-₱50 per stop, adding up to roughly ₱150-₱300 total for a full sightseeing loop.
Food Budget for 3 Days
Local carinderias and beachfront eateries in both Dumaguete and Siquijor serve full Filipino meals for ₱100-₱200, while Dumaguete's well-known Rizal Boulevard food strip and Siquijor's beach resort restaurants run ₱250-₱450 for a more substantial seafood or grilled meal. Budgeting ₱600-₱900 per day for three meals plus snacks and drinks is realistic for a comfortable (not fine-dining) trip, bringing total food costs for the 3-day trip to roughly ₱1,800-₱2,700 per person.
Sample 3-Day, 2-Night Budget Breakdown
Here's a realistic per-person total excluding the Manila flight, assuming one night in a Dumaguete budget guesthouse and one night in a Siquijor beachfront cottage:
- Airport-to-port tricycle: ₱150
- Dumaguete-Siquijor ferry (round trip): ₱900-₱1,500
- Accommodation (2 nights): ₱2,000-₱4,500
- Scooter rental (1 day): ₱450
- Attraction entrance fees: ₱200
- Siquijor tourism ecological fee: ₱50
- Food (3 days): ₱1,800-₱2,700
- Ground total: roughly ₱5,550-₱9,550 per person
Add the ₱5,700-₱6,300 round-trip Manila flight and the full trip realistically lands between ₱11,250 and ₱15,850 per person, or less if traveling with a companion who can split the scooter rental and accommodation cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
Including a round-trip Manila flight, a realistic 3-day, 2-night trip runs roughly ₱11,000-₱16,000 per person for a comfortable but non-luxury itinerary covering accommodation, ferry fares, a full day of scootering around Siquijor, and meals. Traveling with a companion to split scooter rental and room costs, or skipping a separate Dumaguete hotel night, can bring this down closer to ₱9,000-₱11,000 per person.
You take a ferry from Dumaguete Port to Siquijor Port, with four operators — OceanJet, Montenegro Lines, Aleson Shipping, and Super Shuttle Ferry — running departures roughly every 4 hours between 6:20 AM and 7:10 PM daily. Fares range from about ₱120-₱425 for the slower 1.5-2 hour RORO ferries up to ₱455-₱754 for the faster 1-hour OceanJet fastcraft, plus a small terminal fee at each port.
Since February 1, 2026, the Siquijor provincial government has collected a ₱50 Tourism Ecological Fee from every visitor when they depart the island, with senior citizens and students paying a discounted ₱40 and children aged 6 and below exempted. The fee funds environmental and cultural heritage preservation efforts on the island, and is collected at the port rather than on arrival.
Yes, for most travelers — Siquijor's main attractions like Cambugahay Falls, Salagdoong Beach, and the Enchanted Balete Tree are spread across different towns, and scooter rental at ₱350-₱550 a day gives you the flexibility to cover them all in one full day. Travelers without a driver's license or who prefer not to drive can instead book a habal-habal or van tour for roughly ₱1,000-₱1,500 per person, which includes a driver and fuel but not entrance fees.
Most travelers on a 3-day trip spend one night in a Dumaguete budget guesthouse (from ₱250-₱400 for a dorm bed) and one night on Siquijor near San Juan or Paliton Beach (from ₱800-₱1,800 for a private room), which balances seeing Dumaguete's Rizal Boulevard and Silliman University campus with maximizing beach time on Siquijor. Travelers short on time sometimes skip the Dumaguete overnight entirely by taking an early morning flight and heading straight to the ferry.
Round-trip fares on Cebu Pacific or Philippine Airlines typically start around $92-$102 (roughly ₱5,700-₱6,300) when booked several weeks in advance, with flight time around 1 hour 20 minutes direct to Sibulan-Dumaguete Airport. Prices rise noticeably for weekend departures, long weekends, and peak holiday periods, so booking early is the main way to control this part of the budget.
Budgeting ₱600-₱900 per day for three meals plus snacks and drinks is realistic for a comfortable trip, covering local carinderia meals at ₱100-₱200 in both towns and the occasional seafood or grilled dinner at ₱250-₱450 in a beachfront restaurant. Over a 3-day trip, this totals roughly ₱1,800-₱2,700 per person, not counting alcoholic drinks at beach bars, which can add a noticeable amount if you're not tracking it.
Most individual attractions charge a small separate entrance fee on top of the island's ₱50 tourism ecological fee — Cambugahay Falls, Salagdoong Beach, and the Enchanted Balete Tree typically charge ₱20-₱50 each. Across a full-day sightseeing loop hitting 4-6 stops, budget roughly ₱150-₱300 total in entrance fees, in addition to any guide or life-jacket rental fees at the waterfalls if you plan to swim or cliff-jump.
Conclusion
Dumaguete and Siquijor pack a surprising amount of variety — university-town cafes, waterfalls, centuries-old churches, and beach cliff-jumping — into a trip short enough for a long weekend. Budget roughly ₱11,000-₱16,000 per person all-in from Manila, factor in Siquijor's new ₱50 departure fee, and book your OceanJet crossing a day or two ahead if you're traveling on a weekend to avoid a sold-out sailing.
