Dumaguete Iterinary - The City of Gentle People

Suggested Itinerary

New to Dumaguete? Don’t worry, we will guide you along the way on how you’ll truly enjoy your stay in the city and make it a remarkably memorable one. We will be posting a suggested itinerary along with the estimated prices to suite your budget and need.

There are so many things that you can do in Dumaguete and you got to know where you should start your adventure. Whether you are with your barkada, family, or your sweetheart, the places and activities that we are suggesting for you to experience will be the best that you’ll ever have. Expect the splash of the beaches, the kiss of the mountain breeze, witness the dance of the ripples of the lakes, the sweet serenade of The Boulevard under the soft night stars, the warmth of the hot morning tsokolate, and many more things only Dumaguete can give you.

Here are the list of the things that you can do in Dumaguete :

DAY 1
7am – 10am Arrival. If you arrive via a ferry boat, you should arrive as early as 4:30am and via plane, as early as 8am to 10am.
10am – 12am Looking for an accommodation. There are many hotels in the city for you to stay and the rates does vary. There are also lodging houses for cheaper rates. Bethel Guest House, Hotel Palwa, Obdulia’s Business Inn, Florentina Homes, CocoGrande Hotel, Honeycomb Tourist Inn, Hotel Nicanor, Go Hotel, and others. For cheaper rates : Gazebo Hotel, Negros Lodge, and others. Loosen up. Catch a breath.
12pm – 1pm Have a lunch at Foodnet Downtown. 2 viands, 2 cups of rice and a bottle of softdrink will cost you less than Php 100.
1pm – 1:30pm Have a stroll at downtown Dumaguete. Though it’s hot during this time of the day, the tall buildings will provide you a shade. Visit the Campanario de Dumaguete and the St. Catherine of Alexandria Church
1:30pm – 3:30pm Head over to Silliman University. There are many things of interest at Silliman. Get a tour inside the campus or visit Silliman’s Anthropology Museum, Silliman Church, Biological Museum, Claire McGill Luce Auditorium, Library Complex, the Center for Tropical Studies (CENTROP) which is located beside Silliman Ball field at Daro, and the Marine Laboratory at Bantayan beach.
3:30 – 4pm Have some snacks! Albertos (which is located near Silliman University) can offer you great snacks and other tasties. And if you want to have some pizza, then Dexter’s pizza is definitely for you or your troop!
4pm – 4:30pm Go back to your hotel and get your swimming attire. You’ll surely need this later.
4:30pm – 6pm The best way to witness the sunset of Dumaguete is to watch it from above. Tierra Alta Residential Resort in Valencia is the best place to go. Aside from that, the “Rush” Zipline awaits you to experience the thrill of the ropes trailing the side of cliff where Tierra Alta sits. After dumping your adrenaline, relax and watch the sun crawls back to its feet as it retires from the day.
6pm – 7pm Have a relaxing “hot” bath at Ocean 24. It’s a small pool at Ticala, Valencia with water sourced from a natural hot spring. The warm water and the peaceful environment will surely give you the most relaxing time of the day. Ocean 24 also has a kiddy pool and cottages.
7pm – 8pm Dinner time. If you want a taste of dining with class, then the restaurant at Tierra Alta will be your choice. However, there are other restaurants for you to enjoy like KRI, City Burger, Dimsum Diner, Qyosko, Howyang, and many others.
8pm – 8:30pm Go back to your lodge and gear up! Get ready to go social!
8:30pm – 10pm There are many bars and restaurants to hop in. One of the best lies along the stretch of the Rizal Boulevard and also at Piapi beach. Notable places to hang out are Why Not! Disco, Honey Comb, Coco Amigos, Blue Monkey Grill, Garahe, and many others.
10pm - Hop to other bars or go back to your lodge and have a rest for another day’s adventure.

DAY 2
5:30am – 6:30 am Get up early and have a walk at the Rizal Boulevard and see the beauty of Dumaguete sunrise.
6:30am – 7am Have some hot “puto” and “tsokolate” at the Painitan. It’s located at the Public Market of Dumaguete.
7am – 7:40am Have a swim at public pool Aqua Center, located near Governor Perdices Gymnasium. Bring in your personal stuff like your towel, soap, shampoo, and other necessary things.
7:40am – 8:30am Go back to your lodge and prepare for a nature trip to the lakes of Sibulan. Get your binoculars and camera ready. Don’t forget to bring with you an extra shirt if you want to go for a little hike.
8:30am – 11:30am An adventure to the twin lakes Danao and Balinsasayao in Sibulan. Go enjoy kayaking, fishing, do picnic or merrily taste the delightful preparation of the restaurant. It is best to get a private vehicle than a chartered ride. The trip going to the lakes may be a little bumpy and nauseating to some but all is a sure worthwhile.
11:30am – 1pm After having a great time at the lakes, you may want to get heavy for lunch. Jo’s Chicken in Sibulan should be your best choice. They have fresh seafood menus and other interesting preparations.
1pm – 3:30pm Whale and dolphin watching! About 40 minutes away from the heart of the city of Dumaguete is the home of the whales and dolphins in the seas between Bais and Manjuyod. Visit the sand bar of Manjuyod and go dolphin watching as well.
3:30pm – 4:30pm Head back to Dumaguete and get to relax at Bo’s Coffee or Mooon Cafe while enjoying the sea breeze of the Boulevard.
4:30pm – 5:30pm Go to the old stone Church of Bacong and see the oldest and the only Pipe Organ in Dumaguete. You may also want to see the stone works and other collectibles of produced by Negros Oriental Arts and Heritage (NOAH).
5:30pm – 6:30pm Late in the afternoon, you may want to sit and enjoy the warm balut and tempura while watching the sun sink to the seas’ horizon. Dumagueteños love to eat and that’s why Dumaguete is a haven for all foodies.
6:30pm – 7:20pm Take a stroll at the the Freedom park which is located in from of the Provincial Capitol of Negros Oriental. The wide grounds are perfect to walk dogs too.
7:20pm – 8:20pm Have dinner and enjoy the sumptuous food at the Kamalig restaurant.
8:20pm – 8:40pm Get back to your lodge and prepare your evening to get social.
8:40pm – 10pm Go and enjoy your cold beer at Hayahay Treehouse Bar And Viewdeck, Barefoot, or at El Camino Blanco. Labeled and Destino are the other bars that you can spend your night away.
10pm - Hop to another bar or retire to your lodge.

DAY 3
6am – 6:30am Take your morning shower. Prepare your backpack for a trip after breakfast.
6:30am – 7:30am Have your breakfast at Cafe Felomina, a restaurant at Bethel Guest House.
7:30am – 10am Now we are ready go to the famous Antulang beach resort at Siit bay Siaton. The travel will require about 40 minutes to reach the site. Antulang is one of the beach resorts in the Philippines. Enjoy the beauty of the sea and nature Siit bay has to offer.
10am – 11am Going back to Dumaguete. If you are lucky to have your trip scheduled on a Wednesday, Malatapay Livestock and Fish market is open and you are welcome to attend and call for a bid. You can have cheap and healthy lunch of fresh “Tinolang Mamsa” or “Sinugbang Dalupapa”. Alternatively, going to Tambobo bay is a very good option as well. Tambobo bay has been the stopover of yachts from around the world trying to circumnavigate the globe.
11pm – 1:30pm Lake adventure at Balanan. Have a great time paddling kayaks, have picnic, go fishing, hiking, and swimming in the waters of Lake Balanan. They have cottages, a restaurant, rentals, and other amenities for you. Balanan lake is getting more attention of being the top tourist destination in Negros Oriental.
1:30pm – 2:30pm After your adventure at Balanan, Head back to Dumaguete and with a chartered motorcycle, you can go to the Japanese Shrine at Palinpinon, Valencia. Feel the mountain breeze and the listen to the rustles of the leaves and the songs of the endemic birds.
2:30am – 4:30pm Chase the waterfall. One of the most beautiful in Negros Oriental, the Casaroro falls is a famous attraction in Dumaguete that attracts many tourists both local and from abroad. Don’t miss to bring with you a camera and just a bit of a warning, climbing down the over hundred steps to the foot of the cliff where Casaroro displays it’s beauty is really a challenge. And also, many of the locals of the area says that that place is guarded by enchanted beings – so keep your voices low and just enjoy the beauty of the majestic Casaroro falls.
4:30pm – 5pm After your trip from the Casaroro falls in Valencia, you may want to have some pizza at Neva’s. You can find Neva’s at crossing Hibbard and Amigo in Piapi. This little pizza shop is famous for its “Kuripot” pizza.
5pm – 6pm After your great nature tripping, you may want to pamper yourself by having a foot or body massage at grand Royal Spa. Spa is located in RM Building, East Rovira Road, Bantayan Dumaguete.
6pm – 7pm The massage will definitely starve you! Have a dinner at Sans Rival Bistro at the Boulevard. There are other restaurants for you to choose or perhaps go for fast food if you want.
7pm - Take some an early sleep or if you want to go social again, you may want to check out Tiki Bar at Piapi beach or at Hayahay to sip some cold beer and or other drinks.

DAY 4
6:30am – 7am A hot sticky rice (puto) and chocolate (tsokolate) at the “Painitan” of the Public Market of Dumaguete is highly recommended. Though there are other restaurants for you to have your breakfast like at Casablanca, Bogart’s, Why Not?, Kabayoan, and others, having puto and tsokolate early in the morning will always makes one feel good throughout the day.
7am – 9:30am Going out for another adventure! The Pulangbato falls in Valencia is another great attraction that most visitors would want to see. It is called “Pulangbato” because of the reddish-brown coloration of the stones due to the rich dissolved iron content in the water. Bath in the cold waters of Pulangbato falls and feel how refreshing it truly is.
9:30am -11:30am Let’s go fishing! Prepare to go fishing at Wuthering Heights. Buy some fishing lines and hooks at Sailmart at the Public Market. Don’t forget to buy fish bait like small shrimp or prawns. Wuthering height is located at San Jose and the place is so relaxing and family friendly too. They have a warf where you can have fishing or snorkeling.
11:30am – 12:30pm After hunting for your biggest catch at Wuthering Heights, you may want to catch a big meal at Lab-as Seafood restaurant. The restaurant is located in in Piapi and will give you a perfect view of Tañon Strait while having a delicious meal.
12:30pm – 4pm Island hopping. The famous island of Apo is known for diving worldwide. Would you miss this chance to see Apo Island (diver’s paradise)? Go snorkeling at the sanctuary to see rich coral formations, sea turtles, eels, and other sea creatures. Don’t miss to see the lighthouse and the view of the whole island on the highest point of the island.
4pm – 4:30 As you get back to Dumaguete downtown, you may want to cool down for a fried ice ream from Panda. The famous fried ice cream is popularized by Panda and you should never miss to try it!
4:30pm – 5:30pm Ready to buy some pasalubong for your inaanak and friends back at home? Well, Sidlakan Village at Piapi has a lot of chums and nick nacks that you can give as pasalubong. Handuman Gifts also sells great items as pasalubong. But one thing that many visitors would not want to miss, is buying a box or two of Silvannas by Sans Rival and their others sweets and cakes. Sans Rivals treats is truly “No other”.
5:30pm – 7pm Let’s have early dinner. Gabby’s Bistro at Florentina Homes, Bantayan is the place to be. They got ice cream parlors, a pool, and other amenities. It’s very European with a touch of modern country theme.
7pm - Going back to the lodge. Prepare things for tomorrow’s departure. But you may want to take some glimpse at the Rizal boulevard – like bidding good bye to love one whom you’ll be leaving for a while – because we know you will always come back here in Dumaguete City!

DAY 5
7am Preparing for a departure via plane or boat.