I want to share our recent experience in Intramuros, Manila, to warn other tourists about misleading tricycle tour pricing.
We were approached by a tricycle tour guide who offered us a tour of Intramuros for ₱350 per person. We specifically understood that this was the price for the entire tour, so we agreed.

The tour lasted approximately three hours, during which we visited the free attractions and three different paid museums. We even paid for the tour guides’ museum entrance fees out of our own pockets.

Here’s where things went wrong.
After the tour ended, we were suddenly told that the price was actually ₱350 per person for EVERY 30 MINUTES!

For two people, the total came to ₱4,200 instead of the ₱700 we had agreed to!
At no point during the tour did they explain that we were being charged every 30 minutes. Nobody informed us that the charges were accumulating or asked whether we wanted to continue at an additional cost.

We felt completely misled and taken advantage of. We were visiting Intramuros to enjoy its history and culture, not to be surprised with an outrageous bill at the end.
What makes this even more upsetting is that we were generous enough to cover their entrance fees to three museums, only to be treated this way afterward.

I have a photo of one of the individuals involved, but I’m more interested in warning others and finding out whether this has happened to anyone else.

My advice to anyone visiting Intramuros:
- Get the TOTAL tour price in writing before agreeing.
- Ask whether the rate is per person, per hour, or per 30 minutes.
- Do not assume the quoted amount covers the entire tour.
- Never agree to pay a guide’s museum entrance fees without clarifying the arrangement.
- Consider using officially accredited tour guides.

We paid ₱4,200 for what we understood would be a ₱700 tour. That’s ₱3,500 more than the agreed price, not including the museum admission fees.

This experience left us extremely disappointed. Intramuros is a beautiful historical destination, and tourists should be able to enjoy it without worrying about dishonest pricing practices.

Has anyone else experienced this same ₱350 tricycle tour pricing scheme in Intramuros? Did you report it, and were you able to get your money back?

I would also appreciate recommendations on where to file an official complaint so this doesn’t happen to other visitors.

Yung Davao to Siargao, Gensan to Cebu pumapalo ng 7k to 8k per pax, balikan na yun; Same din sa Gensan to Manila.

Kung mag by land and sea travel, same gastos din, pagod at hulas ka pa.

Grind na lang and team bahay muna for next year. Sadt.

I booked a domestic flight thru Agoda and filled up all of our information (there's 5 of us), and when I input my mom's name, Idk what happened it kinda automatically filled it up as she was the last I typed, and booked it, but then when I checked the confirmation email, I realized her middle name is actually the same as my Dad's middle name, her first and last name is okay tho, would that be an issue upon boarding? I tried correcting it through AirAsia's website in the AskBo (automated asst.) but it can only change the first and last name, and on Agoda's chat supp too it just redirected me again to airasia, our flight is next week too. My dad and even other ppl I asked said it won't be a problem since it is a domestic flight plus as long as mom brings a valid ID and that her first and last name is ok, nothing to worry about. Pls help!!

Looking for reliable local tour operators in the Philippines for a family trip

Hi everyone!

I'm planning a family trip to the Philippines for a group of 9 people — 6 adults (including 2 seniors) and 3 kids around 10 years old.

Our tentative itinerary includes Manila, Cebu, Moalboal, Bohol, and Oslob, so we'll have quite a bit of travel between destinations. We're looking for a reliable local tour operator who can help us coordinate the trip end-to-end, including:

Airport transfers and intercity ground transportation

Local sightseeing tours and activities

Ferry transfers and other inter-island logistics

Hotel bookings

Family-friendly itineraries that are comfortable for seniors and kids

One important consideration: Most of our group is vegetarian, so we'd ideally like to work with an operator who has experience catering to Indian travelers and understands vegetarian dietary requirements.

If you've used a local operator in the Philippines and had a good experience, I'd really appreciate your recommendations, along with any contact details or websites.

Also happy to hear about operators to avoid or tips on whether it's better to book everything through one operator or arrange transportation, hotels, and tours separately.

Thanks in advance!

Hi! Do you have travel agency recommendations for our Vietnam trip? Puro matatanda kasi kasama namin so sana yung maayos na group tour and hindi na rin hassle sa process.