Just book that flight and go wherever you want to go in the Philippines! And for us, we booked that flight to Zamboanga to explore both Zamboanga City and Basilan.
Sharing with you our 3-day Zamboanga City itinerary with a day tour in Basilan. If you want to explore Basilan, check out our DIY Guide to Basilan. Other suggested trips from Zamboanga City would be going to Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, can’t wait to explore those islands too!
Affordable Flight with Cebu Pacific
We flew from Manila to Zamboanga City then took a ferry to Isabela de Basilan. My foodie friends, ever the resourceful foodies used their remaining CebPass. As for me, I booked my flight through Cebu Pacific, the same flight as theirs for only Php 4,901. It was already a good deal given that I booked my flight a month before our trip.
Budget Friendly Accommodation
We spent a total of 4 days in Zamboanga City and 1 day in Basilan. We stayed at Isteraha Haven Inn for the whole duration of this trip. A comfortable and budget-friendly accommodation located at Tetuan, Zamboanga City which costs us Php 500 per person per night only.
We arrived before check-in time so we decided to avail their early check-in for one room so that we could leave our bags while we stroll around the city.
How to Get Around Zamboanga City
The Zamboanga International Airport is conveniently located within the city and you can easily go around Zamboanga City using different transportation options:
From the airport:
- Grab: This would be your best option when arriving in Zamboanga City if you don’t want to haggle the fare price as most of the other transportation options are much more expensive.
- Taxi: There are also taxis upon exiting the airport but they pretty much ask for a fixed price rather than using the meter.
- Tricycle: We opted for this option and tried to haggle the price but we still pretty much got the same price with Grab fares. @wheretonix asked Isteraha how much our fare should be but we still didn’t manage to get it at that price point. Make sure to negotiate the fare before hopping in or might as well, stick with Grab.
- Private Vehicles: there are also private vehicles offering rides upon exiting the airport but we opted not to choose those for safety purposes.
Going Around Zamboanga City:
All the major transportation are also available in Zamboanga City:
- Jeepneys: the best option if you are on a tight budget however, jeep routes tend to be longer and you will need to hop from one jeep to another just to get to your destination. We asked the locals there and they were pretty much very helpful and kind but they were teaching us different routes which was kind of confusing. Also, jeep routes will make you walk from the jeep stop to your destination.
- Tricycles: For us, since we are a group of 5, this was the best option. Faster and we will not need to use Google Maps or ask for directions from the locals as the tricycle drivers will just drop us to our destination. Much more expensive than a jeepney but much more convenient. The standard fare is Php 20 and with Php 100 to Php 150, we were able to go to most of our destinations. A lot of people warned us that tricycle drivers might give us a much higher price but good thing we did our research and asked the locals how much is the fare price.
Zamboanga Itinerary
Here’s our Zamboanga City itinerary but please take note that we went on this trip last, March 2024 and it was scorching hot during that time. When planning on exploring Zamboanga itinerary, please consider the time and weather as the weather can be hot so you might want to consider going somewhere cool like a mall or restaurant/cafe with aircon or go to the beach!
Day 1: Arrival and City Tour
We’re supposed to dine in at the main branch of Dennis Coffee Garden but it was closed. Good thing they have another branch located at KCC Mall. It was also very hot that day so we decided to stay at the mall to cool off. Since it was very hot, we also decided not to go to the Yakan Weaving Village and went back to our accommodation earlier than planned so we can freshen up before dinner.
@teybolforwan_ Sharing our Zamboanga itinerary! Chill lang ito kasi sobrang init din nung araw na yan kaya tumambay kami saglit sa mall at bumalik agad sa accomms namin. #zamboanga #itinerary #travelph ♬ Days Like This – In Paradise
- 8:30 am – Arrival at Zamboanga International Airport
- 9:30 am – Early check-in at Isteraha Haven Inn
- 10:00 am – Masjid Al Islamia or popularly known as Rainbow Mosque
- 11:12 am – Dennis Coffee Garden
- 1:30 pm – Fort Pilar
- 2:00 pm – Fort Pilar Museum
- 5:30 pm – Early dinner at Alavar Seafood Restaurant
Day 2: Sta. Cruz Island
When going to Sta. Cruz Island make sure not to bring any single-use plastics as they will not allow it. Bring reusable containers instead like tupperwares, water jugs or tumblers and brown paper bags. Also, you can only go to the island between 7:00 am to 2:00 pm only.
Upon arrival, we took some photos on the island and then went on the Mangrove Tour and the Vinta experience.
If you want to have lunch here, make sure to look for the people selling food. I did not see them but my friends told me that someone approached them earlier. Since they are busy taking photos, they told them that we will get food later. After our tour, we went to find food but unfortunately, they were already sold out. So, we decided to head back earlier instead of our scheduled 12 nn boat ride back to Zamboanga City. Good thing, the boat was available so we’re able to go back earlier and have lunch at Kape Zambo, which was totally unplanned. But we guess what? We had one of the best meals there, so we would highly recommend that you try it, especially their baked clams! Also, don’t forget to get the Knickerbockers!
@teybolforwan_ Went to the Pink Beach! May pink sa sand niya but forgot to take a closer video kasi ang init? 😅 Also, you can have your lunch in the island but naubusan kami kasi nag-tour kami agad pagdating. Medyo konti yung food options so better to bring your own food in reusable containers as they don’t allow single use plastics on the island. You can only stay in the island until 2pm so come earlier! #zambales #travelph #pinkbeach ♬ love maybe nightcore – kpop speed up songs
- 6:30 am – Depart accommodation
- 7:00 am – Port at Paseo del Mar (orientation)
- 7:40 am – Arrival at Sta. Cruz Island (Pink Beach)
- 11:00 am – Depart Sta. Cruz Island
- 12:00 nn – Lunch at Kape Zambo
- 2:00 pm – Freshen up at accommodation
- 5:30 pm – Iya Cafe (walked to the cafe)
- 7:30 pm – Dinner at Blazing Sizzlers (near our accommodation)
Day 3: Malamawi Island in Basilan
Check our full Malamawi Island itinerary with budget here.
- 7:30 am – breakfast then travel to Zamboanga Port
- 9:30 am – Ferry to Isabela de Basilan
- 11:00 am – James Stong Boulevard at Isabela de Basilan
- 12:00 nn – Malamawi Island
- 3:00 pm – Depart Malamawi Island
- 6:00 pm – Arrival at Zamboanga Port
- 8:00 pm – Dinner at Palmeras
Day 4: Barter Day and Departure
We started our day with breakfast at Jimmy’s Sati Haus for breakfast. It was definitely a good way to experience Zamboanga’s cuisine, but we realized that satti is not for us due to personal food preference.
After having breakfast, we walked a bit to go to the barter nearby. We found it but the place was a quite small so we decided to stick with our original plan and head to Canelar. We continued walking and stumbled upon the Zamboanga City Hall then ride a tricycle going to the Canelar Barter Trade Center.
Obviously, we loved Dennis Garden so we decided to go back and try their Tausug dishes for lunch.
@teybolforwan_ Chill day on our last day in Zamboanga while exploring famous Zamboanga dishes and of course, hindi mawawala ang barter day to buy pasalubong/souvenirs! #zamboangacity #travelph #lovethephilippines @Kim Lambert @Nix Jasmin @Glenn The Adventures of Jogpen @Francis Garrido 🔵 ♬ Feel It – d4vd
- 7:00 am – Breakfast at Jimmy’s Sati Haus
- 8:00 am – Zamboanga City Hall
- 8:30 am – Buy pasalubong at Canelar Barter Trade Center
- 10:00 am – Coffee at Tom n’ Toms
- 12:00 nn – Lunch at Dennis Coffee Garden at KCC Mall Tetuan
- 1:30 – Travel to Zamboanga International Airport
- 3:35 pm – Flight back to Manila
- 5:25 pm – Arrival in Manila
Zamboanga and Basilan Budget
- Accommodation – Php 1,500 per person for 3 nights
- Tricycle Fare – 300 approx. per person
- Sta. Cruz Island Expenses
- Sta. Cruz Island Entrance Free, Environmental Fee and Terminal Fee – Php 30 per person
- Private boat to Sta. Cruz Island (max of 10 pax) – Php 1000
- Boat Transfer to Sandbar – Php 200
- Tour Guide in Sandbar – Php 100
- Vinta Rental – Php 300 (for 5 pax)
- Basilan – Php 1,000
- Food – approx. Php 2,000 to 3,000 per person
- Pasalubong – Php 2,000
Estimated Total Expenses
Overall, we spent approximately Php 12,000 each including flight expenses.
Things to Know Before Going to Zamboanga
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- Best time to visit is during dry season, from January to May but be prepared for high humidity especially at noon.
- Zamboanga City is generally safe but still exercise caution and respect their culture.
- It is best to avoid wearing revealing clothes as Zamboanga City has a significant Muslim population.
- Wearing swinsuits at the beach are totally acceptable but make sure to dress modestly when outside the beach area.
- When visiting the Pink Beach, make sure not to bring any single-use plastics as is it is strictly prohibited. Only brown paper bags and disposables like tupperwares are allowed. Bringing in water bottles are also not allowed, bring reusable water bottles instead. Water is also available in island but availability is a bit limited.
- When visiting mosque, make sure to dress modestly by covering your arms and legs — below the knee and no sleeveless.
- When dining at Alavar Seafood Restaurant, make sure to ask them first if curacha is available otherwise, you might end up getting crabs.
Disclaimer: Information on this Zamboanga-Basilan itinerary may change over time so, make sure to double-check all information before going to Zamboanga City and Basilan.
Also, don’t forget to check more travel guides here!