The Ultimate Philippines Itinerary

White sand beaches, crystal clear waters, and palm trees for miles. Sounds like a dream right? The Philippines is made up of over 7000 beautiful islands, all of them unique and offer a different kind of adventure for every traveler! This is the first place we have ever visited in Asia, and we can’t wait to go back. We stayed for 3 weeks total. Below we have given you everything that you need to know to prepare you for your adventure to The Philippines!

Overview of our Itinerary

How To Get To The Philippines

The first step to your adventure is getting there! The most common airport to fly into from an international flight is Manila. Manila is the capitol of the Philippines and is a bustling city on the island of Luzon. We were supposed into fly here, however the Taal Volcano erupted the day before our flight so we were rerouted to Cebu City! Cebu City is located in the Province of Cebu and is a small island in the southern part of the Philippines. This island has a lot to offer and is a great place to start your adventure. They also offer direct flights to many of the small surrounding islands!

Travel Tip: We always use Skycanner and Expedia to book our flights!

Coron 2-3 DAYS

We started our Philippines adventure in Coron! From Cebu City, we took a domestic flight to Busuanga Island Airport. It is about a 20 minute ride to the center of Coron Town from the airport itself. Our accommodations had a passenger van that was waiting for us when we landed! There are very few taxis in the Philippines so ensure that you speak with your hotel regarding pick up arrangements.

Where TO STAY

Where we stayed: We stayed on the Paolyn Houseboats! These houseboats are set in a small lagoon about a 20 minute speedboat off the main shore. From these houseboats you are a quick kayak ride away from Twin Lagoons, which is one of the most famous lagoons in Coron! You also have the ability to see some of the most sought after lagoons and lakes without any other tourists.

Want to read more about our stay on The Paolyn Houseboats and how to book a stay there? You can read our blog post all about them here!

Budget: Bakawan Hostel is a top rated hostel that has a great atmosphere! They have free wifi, a terrace and their front desk will help you set up tours! You can book that hostel here!

Mid-Range: The Funny Lion is a boutique resort that is located in the center of Coron Town. It offers some incredible views of the sunset, has an outdoor pool for relaxing in, and a bar with specialty drinks! There is also a concierge to help you book tours! Check out their link here!

Luxury: The Paolyn Houseboats are definitely more expensive than the usual hotel in the Philippines. However, it is a once in a lifetime opportunity to have such a unique experience like this! There are a range of room sizes for most budgets, they offer custom tours without any other tourists and is located in the most serene spot! Check out their link here!

What TO DO

There are so many things to do in Coron! One of the most popular things to do is island hopping! There are so many lagoons and lakes to see, with some of the clearest water in the world! We did a boat tour that visited Kayangan Lake, Banul Beach, Twin Lagoons and Barracuda Lake through the houseboats we were staying on! However, there are many boat tours that you can book in person if you are staying in Coron Town! They offer private and group tours for all budgets.

Mt. Tapyas is an amazing lookout point in Coron. It is 750 steps to the top and offers some incredible views of the ocean. It is also a fantastic place to watch the sunset!

Maquinit Hot Springs is a great place to relax after a long day of island hopping or even exploring the city itself! These are natural hot springs that are salt water! They overlook the ocean and offer a great view of the sunset. There is a small entrance fee of about $4 USD.

El Nido 2-3 Days

El Nido was one of our favorite cities that we visited in the Palawan region of the Philippines! We had such an incredible time here. The landscapes are beautiful, the people are so friendly and there are so many adventures to have here!

How to Get TO El Nido

Since we visited El Nido right after Coron, we took one of the fast ferries that run between both cities! The fast ferry takes anywhere from 3.5-5 hours depending on the weather. There are currently a few ferry companies that run at various times to suit all schedules. You can buy tickets in person at one of the ferry offices in Coron Town or El Nido!

If you arriving via plane, you will likely be landing at the Puerto Princesa Airport. This town is located approximately a 5-6 hours drive away from El Nido. The best way to be transported between both cities is via a passenger van! We payed 200php per person, the van was air conditioned and relatively spacious. You can also take a coach bus from the transit terminals which are more cost efficient! However, some have air conditioning and some do not.

Where to Stay

Budget: Spin Designer Hostel is located in the downtown area of El Nido. They have a free wifi, a continental breakfast as well as a shared kitchen and BBQ area for all guests! They also offer services to help you plan your activities during your stay in El Nido. Check out their link here!

Mid-Range: Cuna Hotel is located just a short walk away from the main downtown area of El Nido! This hotel offers comfortable rooms with air conditioning. They also have a rooftop infinity pool along with one of the most highly rated rooftop restaurants in El Nido! This is where we stayed and we loved it there. Check out their link here!

Luxury: Panorama Resort is a luxury oceanfront property offering stunning villas that give off major Bali vibes! This resort has free wifi, continental breakfast, free airport transfers and a pool. This place was sold out when we were in EL Nido and we are super bummed we didn’t get to stay here! Check out their link here!

What TO DO

The most popular activity in El Nido is island hopping! There are places to book island hopping tours all over the downtown area. There are four different tours in El Nido all cleverly named A, B, C, D. We chose to do a private island hopping tour and it was the best experience and the best island hopping tour we did in the Philippines! We have an entire blog post that breaks down each tour as well as a guide on how to book a private tour like we did! Check out that link here!

Duli Beach is a 2km pristine white sand beach. This beach is relatively unknown and isn’t packed with a lot visitors. This beach is excellent for relaxing and catching a tan, and also great for beginner surfers! There is a 1 USD entrance fee to this beach.

Hiking Taraw Peak Cliff was one of the highlights of our trip to the Philippines. We woke up at 4am to hike this cliff in complete darkness to watch a beautiful sunrise. This is not a hike that can be done without a guide as it can be very dangerous without proper equipment. We have an entire blog post on everything you need to know about Taraw Peak and it includes who we used as a guide and how to get a hold of him! You can check that out here.

Nacpan Beach is 4 kilometer long white sand beach that is lined with stunning palm trees. This is about a 45 minute scooter ride from town but is well worth the travels! This beach is so beautiful and is a must visit spot in El Nido.

Las Cabanas is the most developed of the beaches in El Nido and one of the busiest. Although it is busy, it is one of the most incredible beaches to watch the sunset at in El Nido!

Where to Eat

Art Cafe is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner! We ate here for breakfast and dinner and both were amazing! This restaurant is doing amazing things for El Nido. El Nido continues to have problems with their drinking water and ArtCafe is developing a system to be able to filter their drinking water! They also have an organic farm to be able to provide fresh ingredients to their restaurant and are hopping to have enough to provide the city with some in the future as well! We highly recommend this restaurant!

Happiness Beach Bar is serving up delicious food and drinks right across from the beach. They also have a happy hour that is serving 2 for 1 margaritas! This place is a must visit.

Cafe Athena was recommended by some fellow travelers and it did not disappoint! This Greek restaurant is located right along the beach and serves up some amazing lunch and dinner dishes!

Scape Skydeck is the restaurant located on the rooftop of Cuna Hotel. We ate here for dinner and watched the sunset! We highly recommend the wood-fire pizzas!

Cebu City 1 day

Cebu City is located in the Cebu province of the Philippines. We flew into Cebu City airport from Puerta Princesa and decided to spend a day here before we traveled to the southern part of the province!

Where to stay

Budget: Mad Monkey Cebu City is a hostel located near the city centre. It offers an indoor pool, free wifi and has a restaurant and bar on site! Check out their link here!

Mid-Range: Capital O 261 Rumah Highlands Hotel is a hotel that is located just outside of the city centre! This is where we stayed. This hotel has an outdoor pool, a spa and a rooftop restaurant and bar! We highly recommend this place! Check out their link here!

Luxury: Quest Hotel & Conference Center is one of the most highly recommended hotels in Cebu City! They have an outdoor swimming pool and a fitness center. It is also in close proximity to a lot of the shopping and restaurants in Cebu City! They also have an airport shuttle. Check out their link here!

What to DO

Sirao Flower Garden is a small garden just north of Cebu City. They have an expanse of different flowers and interesting structures that are make for the perfect photo opportunities! We highly recommend it!

Temple of Leah is a small temple just north of the city. This beautiful place is just before you reach the Sirao Flower Garden and is worth the visit! This temple was built in 2012 as a mans gesture of his undying love for his wife! The temple is gorgeous and the lookout point is phenomenal!

Where to EAt

Because we stayed for such a short time, we did not get the chance to explore all of the great restaurants Cebu City had to offer. We ate at the restaurant located in the hotel and the food was reasonably priced and delicious!

Moalboal 2-3 days

From Cebu City, we took a van transfer which takes 4.5-5 hours depending on the traffic. Moalboal is located on the southern tip of Cebu island and is the perfect hub for some of the best activities on the island!

Where to stay

Budget: Chief Mau Moalboal Cebu is located in downtown Moalboal and is a short walk away from all of the best tourist spots! It has free wifi, comfortable rooms and free breakfast! Check out their link here!

Mid-Range: Blue Orchid Resort is located on White Beach. This is where we stayed! This resort offers a restaurant and bar onsite. They also have free wifi, an outdoor pool, and diving lessons! This resort is a ways from town, but they do offer motorbike rentals! Check out their link here!

Luxury: Dolphin House Resort is located on White Beach in Moalboal. This resort is beachfront and has a beautiful outdoor pool, free wifi and a restaurant and bar onsite! Check out their link here!

What to do

Canyoneering Kawasan Falls is one of the most popular activities to do in Moalboal. This 5 hour journey takes you cliff jumping, climbing and swimming your way to one of the most spectacular waterfalls in Cebu! You can book this tour through your hotel or various booths in Moalbaol! It typically costs about $30 USD and includes experienced guides, helmets and life jackets!

Kawasan Falls is the most spectacular waterfall in Cebu and is extremely popular! We chose to visit this waterfall at 7am before any of the tourist crowds arrived. We took a “chasing waterfalls tour” organized by our hotel. This waterfall is about a 45 minute motorbike ride from Moalboal. Entrance fees are $1 USD.

Note: There are no bamboo rafts here anymore as a tourist hurt themselves cliff jumping and landing on one!

Dao Waterfall is a small trek through beautiful canyons leading to a stunning waterfall! This waterfall was also a part of our chasing waterfall tour organized by our hotel. The entrance fee is about $1.20 USD. We loved this waterfall and highly recommend visiting it!

Aguinid Falls the best adventure that you will have in Moalboal! This was our favorite waterfall that we visited. It was a part of our chasing waterfalls tour organized by our hotel! We arrived and were given helmets and water shoes! Two guides brought us through multiple levels of multiple waterfalls. It involves some climbing, jumping and swimming! The entrance fee is $3 USD. We highly recommend this waterfall!

Sardine Run Moalboal is a natural phenomenon that occurs about 25 meters off of shore. You will need snorkel gear and can rent them from a few shops right along the coast line for about $4 USD. You can enter this area for free or take a tour that includes other activities in the area!

Where to eat

Some of the best food that we ate in the Philippines was at our resort in Moalboal! Unfortunately we did not get the opportunity to venture away for any meals!

Socorro 2 days

Socorro is a small, remote island about an hour and a half boat ride from Siargao!

where to stay

Club Tara is one of the resorts on this island. They offer garden view rooms and over the water bungalows! They have a restaurant and bar onsite. We booked this hotel despite some of the reviews that we read online. However, after staying at this resort we can definitely tell you that the reviews are true. The rooms are old and dirty. The doors do not close and lock in the over the water bungalows and at times we had multiple lizards in our room and many bugs! The food at the restaurant is mediocre. The complimentary breakfast included with rooms is a hot dog and an egg. This resort allows for some beautiful photos and for that reason we are glad we stayed there. However, we ask that you take all of this into consideration before booking this hotel.

Siargao 6 days

Ah the surfing capitol of the Philippines. Siargao was one of our favorite islands that we visited while we were here! It is a perfect mix of North Shore Oahu and Tulum! However, this island offers so much more than just amazing surf breaks! There is so much adventure to be had here. We had an amazing time exploring every inch of this island

When is the best time to visit?

Siargao’s peak season is pretty much the exact opposite of the Palawan region and Cebu! The best time to go is from March to October! However, we visited during January and only had a few hours of rain while we were there.

How to get to Siargao

Siargao has an airport located in the city of Del Carmen! You can fly here directly from Cebu, or fly through Cebu from another island!

Once you have arrived at the airport, there are tourist vans waiting in the parking lot if you want to share a ride to General Luna! They cost 200 php (usd) per person!

You can also arrange a private van transfer which typically costs around 2500 php!

Where to stay

General Luna is considered the main area of the island as this is where the majority of visitors decide to stay! This town is so full of life. There is a long stretch of amazing restaurants, bars and shops to explore! This area also is the hub for island hopping tours and houses Cloud 9 Beach!

Budget: Tropical Bungalows are small stand alone bungalows located a few streets over from the main tourism road in General Luna! We stayed here for 1 night and definitely recommend it! Check out their link here.

Mid Range: Bulan Villas are some incredible rooms located near the Cloud 9 surf area. Their mid-range stays offer double beds with a shared bathroom area. This hotel has an incredible pool space and great restaurant on site! We stayed here for the rest of our time in Siargao and highly recommend this hotel!

Luxury: Bulan Villas also have some higher end suites with balconies!

Luxury: Nay Palad Hideaway is a luxury resort that is oceanfront. There are some gorgeous rooms here, an incredible beach and an outdoor pool! They also offer paddle boarding, kayaking, surfing, island hopping and cycling. As well as a billiard room and tennis courts!

Where to eat

Breakfast

Shaka Cafe is an insanely busy spot for breakfast and it is so easy to see why! They are serving up some of the best smoothie bowls we have ever had! Located near Cloud 9 Beach on the north end of General Luna, you can take a tricycle here, a motorbike or walk! It is located along the beach and has some beautiful views! When we visited, they had a special of a smoothie bowl of your choice and a choice of coffee for 300 php!

Crepes is located in the heart of General Luna. This restaurant serves up delicious crepes and a variety of different breakfast toasts as well! We had the Nutella and Banana Crepe and we highly recommend it. Crepes also has a pizzeria and bakery for lunch and dinner. Although we did not eat the pizza here, we did try their homemade brownies and they were delicious!

Kooks Cafe is a cute little cafe located in the heart of General Luna serves an all day breakfast and has some amazing baking as well! This restaurant is completely indoors which is very different from most, as the majority of restaurants are open air! This cafe also has decent wifi and is air conditioned! We visited here a few times for a break from the sun and to have some of their delicious cappuccinos!

Lunares Cafe is a cafe that is open exclusively for breakfast and lunch! They have a variety of yummy pastries as well as breakfast dishes and sandwiches for lunch. This is one of the only places on the island we found avocado toast and it was really good. Definitely a very cute cafe, it felt very European!

Lunch and Dinner

Buddha’s Thai Restaurant was one of our favorite places in General Luna! So much so, we ate here twice! The food is delicious, the prices are good and they have great wifi! Try the Fried Spring Rolls and the Chicken Pad Thai, you will thanks us later!

Kermit’s Restaurant is located in Kermit’s Resort. This restaurant has some amazing Italian food and makes some very good wood fire pizzas! Every time we went here, it was packed and there was a wait to get in! This place is worth the wait! If you want to get there early, they have a happy hour of two for one drinks! They start serving pizzas at 5pm and Dinner at 6pm!

Bravo is a restaurant that is located beachside and within the Bravo Resort Complex! They have some incredible food and it is always very busy here! There is a small pool in the sun, and shaded and outdoor seating available! We had the Peri-peri Chicken and the Tacos Pablanos and they we both out of this world! Also, try the hummus. Oddly some of the best hummus we have ever had!

Bulan Villas restaurant was hands down the best pizza on the island of Siargao! We read everywhere that Kermit has the best, but after taste testing we can confirm that is not true! This restaurant is very small so make sure to either make a reservation or get there early. We spoke with the manager and she explained that they use the best ingredients possible, and have a much larger variety than many other restaurants on the island. You have to try this place, the food is amazing!

Sushi Nori is a little restaurant smack in the middle of General Luna and it serves up some incredible sushi! We had a great experience and would definitely recommend this place!

Warung Indonesian restaurant is attached to Siargao Beach Villas! This very cute open air restaurant in the sand is serving up delicious, authentic Indonesian dishes! We ate lunch here and were very happy with the dishes we got! They also have one of the best beach fronts we saw, and it is just a short walk from the restaurant.

What to do

Cloud 9 Beach and Pier: Take some surfing lessons from local experts or simply rent a board if you are an experienced surfer! This is the surfing capitol of the Philippines!
The beach itself is a little rocky and isn’t like the white sand beaches with crystal clear waters like we had seen on other islands! This area has a bit of seaweed just off the shore line, however a lot of people were still diving in to cool off here!
The pier overlooks the ocean and is a great place to watch the sunrise.
There are also local shops and small cafes along the beach as well. The entrance fee to the beach and pier is 50 php per person for 1 days use!

Island Hopping Tour: There are many different island hopping tours to take part in through many companies with booking offices located in General Luna. We visited Naked Island, Guyam Island and Daku Island along with Sugba Lagoon included. If we can give you any piece of advice it would be to book those tours separately! It is approximately a 2 hour boat ride there and back and we only got 15 minutes on each of the islands at the very end of the day. We were very disappointed with our tour and the tour company, do not make the same mistakes we did!

Rent a Motorbike and Explore: You can rent a motorbike for 250-500 pesos a day (some include helmets, some make you pay extra for helmets). This is the best way to explore the island at your own pace. We got to see so many different places and meet some incredible local people this way. We highly recommended it!

Take a Land Tour: Looking to see some of the main attractions on Siargao Island but you don’t want to drive yourself? Many of the tour companies that do boat tours also offer land tours! An air conditioned passenger van will take you to some of the most popular tourist destinations around the inner portion of the island!

Maasin River Swing: Although not entirely what we expected, this place was so much fun! We drove here via motorbike, however most land tours will take you here as well! It is 20 php per person to have unlimited swings on this leaning palm tree! You can also have a boat tour down the river and back for 300 php, and it fits up to 3 people! If you want pictures on the bamboo raft in front of the swing itself, it is an extra 20 php per person! We highly recommend making your way here, we had an absolute blast and spent about an hour here! One of our favorite memories in the Philippines.

Coconut Road: This is the perfect example of how Instagram can make things appear much different than in real life! We actually drove right through it and didn’t realize it! We got lost trying to find this place, stopped and asked some locals and that’s when they told us we passed it! It is the straight stretch of road right before you hit the Maasin River swing! Although it wasn’t what we were expecting, it offered some very cool photo opportunities and gave us some awesome drone footage!

Coconut Lookout: This lookout is about a 25 minute drive from General Luna via motorbike! You will drive right through it on your way to Coconut Road and the Maasin River! This lookout point was breathtaking! Palm trees for miles. This is a great place to catch the sunset also.

Pacific Beach: If you are willing to make the trip, it is well worth it! This beach is beautiful. If you rent a motorbike, it will take you about 1 hour and 45 minutes to reach here. There are some great local restaurants, shops and ice cream bars here to enjoy too!

Alegria Beach : Although we never made it here, this beach is about 30 more minutes north from Pacifico Beach!

Magnupuko Tide Pools: We did not get to visit here as this area was closed for environmental restoration while we were in Siargao! However, we will have to come back because this place looks amazing! You can reach this place by motorbike. From General Luna it took us about 45 minutes to get there! This place is also usually part of the land tours offered by multiple tour companies in General Luna.

Sugba Lagoon: This is another gorgeous spot that we did not get to visit, as it was also closed for environmental restoration! We love that many places in the Philippines does this! You can visit this lagoon via boat, and it is actually a part of most land tours offered by multiple companies!

final Thoughts

The Philippines is hands down our best adventure that we have had yet! This trip was life changing in so many ways. We met so many incredible people, ate some amazing food and had so many fantastic experiences. Whether you are looking for a place to soak up the sun, embrace your inner Tarzan and Jane or hop from beautiful island to beautiful island, the Philippines really does have something for everyone. We hope that this guide helps you plan the most epic trip! If you have any questions make sure to message us on Instagram @theglobewanderers or in the comments below!

Happy Travels! – The Globe Wanderers 🙂

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