Philippines 14-Day Itinerary and Best Destinations

 

Trying to prepare your Philippines itinerary? See here how to spend 2 weeks in the Philippines, covering the best destinations in the country. With incredible beaches, mountains and city attractions, this 14-day Philippines itinerary has plenty to keep you busy.

As most people probably know already, The Philippines is an amazing hidden gem. Most of the country is not touristy or well-developed like its Southeast Asian counterparts – which is both a blessing and a curse. Information about the country is not readily available and should often be taken with a grain of salt. So, it means a lot of careful research is needed beforehand.

That said, the upside of picking the Philippines as your next travel destination seriously outweighs the cost. It’s hard to not get excited when you hear this place is like what popular tourist spots in Asia (such as Bali or Thailand for example) used to be like 30 years ago. If you are a nature lover and would love to have a paradise-like setting for your next holiday, then this country might be exactly what you are looking for!

To help us figure out how to approach this Philippines itinerary, and be able to provide my readers with solid information, I have enlisted the help of Joe from YGD Travel. Joe has been living in the Philippines for 6 years now and is one of the owners of this travel agency. As far as I could tell, they are the only ones who are both located in the country itself, and focus on international visitors and not domestic ones.

While I don’t normally advocate using a travel agent (prefer the DIY style normally), the Philippines might be a good place to make an exception to this rule. As mentioned, the information you find online is often missing or misleading so when doing research, I found it hard to get a solid understanding of what’s going on. It’s by no means impossible though, just requires more work and has a greater risk of something going wrong. If you are planning an important holiday such as a honeymoon, for example, it might be worth it to play it safe this time around. So, here is our Philippines 14-day itinerary.

Philippines 14-day itinerary: When to go and how long should you stay?

The rainy season officially begins on May 31st and ends on October 1st. During that time, you can expect cloudy skies pretty much every day, with rain and storms coming in at least a few times a week. In reality, the rain keeps falling pretty consistently all the way up to February. So, if your priority is spending a day at a sunny beach, the best time to come would be between March and May.

While visiting during the high season guarantees good weather and allows for much more flexibility in terms of islands you choose to visit, it also has some minor downsides. Naturally, everything is more crowded and also much more expensive (low season rates are lower by roughly 30%). Then, there’s also this fact which apparently almost no online guide tells you – which is that in some islands the seasons are actually reversed!

I will get into a specific location later on as I start breaking down the recommended itinerary. But it’s useful to know that islands such as Siargao and Camiguin for example, actually have BETTER weather during the “rainy” season. Other places, like Cebu and Bohol, don’t really feel the effect of the rainy season either all that much, and are quite safe to visit even during that time.

As far as how long your vacation should be – the sky is the limit! The Philippines has more than 7000 islands in it, and at the very least several dozens of those are amazing and definitely worth a visit. Unfortunately, what this means for most us is that many painful compromises will be made. Typically, people visit the Philippines for periods of between 2 and 3 weeks. This should give you plenty of time to see the most beautiful locations, and mix in some relaxation along with travelling between islands and enjoying some excursions and activities.

Manila (2 nights) – the start of your Philippines adventure

What to do in Manila?

First off, it’s worth noting that if you don’t find this city appealing at all, you can simply skip it by booking a direct flight to Cebu instead. International flights to Cebu are available on a daily basis from most Asian countries: Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Korea and more.

However, it is highly recommended to land in Manila instead and take at least a day or two to try and figure what this crazy city is all about. Manila is not only an extremely fascinating city but also a gateway to many exciting adventures nearby. It provides a great contrast to the island vibe you’ll experience everywhere else.

Manila city tour

There are many options for an organized tour of Manila, but Joe says this one is much better done on your own. The guides on tours just take you around between places and don’t offer enough added value anyway to warrant the cost. It’s also much more fun to explore on your own and manage your own time without being tied down to a group.

The main point of interest is Intramuros – the Spanish old town. It’s a fairly small area so 2 hours should be enough to see everything it has to offer. Most notable attractions include the Manila Cathedral, the old Spanish prison, and Casa Sugbo – a museum established in a colonial-era house, showcasing the lives of the Spanish conquistadors.

From Intramuros, you can head north and cross the river (10 minutes’ walk) to see Binondo – the world’s oldest Chinatown. There’s a pretty large market you can walk through, as well as some ancient Chinese-influenced buildings and monuments to see. It’s also a perfect place to have your lunch at.

After lunch, you can continue towards the Manila Bay area. This is a pretty nice promenade overlooking the ocean on one side and Rizal Park on the other. It ends nearby to Mall of Asia, which is one of the biggest shopping malls in the world. Be sure not to spend too much time shopping though! You want to be out of this area no later than 4PM or else you will encounter the worst traffic jams you’d ever see in your life.

The Manila slums

Unlike Intramuros, this is obviously a tour you can’t do on your own. Luckily, there’s a company that organizes these tours, called Smokey Tours – with all proceeds going to charity and helping out the people living in the slums.

The tour is safe and quite interesting, but not for the faint of heart. If you really want to know what the Philippines is all about then this is the place to see it firsthand. There are a few variations to the tour, and you can choose the one you like most on the company’s website – but the most recommended one in our opinion is the slums and market combo tour.

Taal volcano

Taal is the smallest active volcano in the world, and if the name rings a bell it might be because it has shown signs of activity earlier in 2020. It is also the only volcano in the world to both be in the middle of a lake, and have a lake in its crater. All of these make Taal very unique and an excellent choice for a day trip out of Manila.

Taal lake is located next to Tagaytay, a small hillside town just 2 hours from Manila. From there, you take a 30 minutes boat ride to the foot of the volcano. Then, another 45 minutes of hiking is required to reach the summit. This is the more traditional tour and it ends with a stunning viewpoint of both the volcano itself and the surrounding area.

Pagsanjan Falls

Pagsanjan Falls are located in Laguna – 3 hours drive and a bit further south of Manila compared to Tagaytay. These falls are arguably the most impressive ones in the country, but what really makes the trip worthwhile is actually the way going there and not necessarily the falls themselves.

You’ll have to kayak downstream for roughly an hour before you reach the falls. The river takes you through a narrow canyon surrounded by thick jungles. Occasionally, monkeys can be seen jumping between trees along the way. Another very interesting aspect of this tour is passing through the local small communities as you make your way through the river.

It is possible to combine a visit to the falls with Taal Volcano, but it is not easy by any means. You’ll have to leave Manila at around 5 in the morning, and won’t be back until 7 or even 8 in the evening. This day tour is fairly complicated to execute, so you better book it with a guide instead of trying to do it on your own.

Banaue Rice Terraces

After some debate, we have decided to include it on the list, even though going there will require you to alter our recommended itinerary quite significantly. Still, it is worth at least a consideration while planning your vacation. The rice terraces of Banaue are considered among the most impressive in the world – those in Vietnam pale in comparison to these! They are the most elaborate and quite possibly the oldest ones as well, with estimates dating their creation to around 2000 years ago.

The tricky part about visiting Banaue is how hard it is to reach it. The only way to get there is from Manila and there are no direct flights, so most people take an 8-hour long drive. This means that if you wish to see the rice terraces, you’ll need at least 3 whole days out of your itinerary to do so. You can rent a car and make a pretty cool road trip, book a van through an agency, or take the night bus from Manila which is the most popular choice for tourists normally.

If you are weary of the long trip but really want to visit Banaue, there is a way around it. You can fly from Manila to Cuayan, which then cuts the drive time in half to approximately 4 hours. You won’t save much time overall, and it will cost significantly more, but at least you’ll spend less time on the road. The biggest problem with this option is that you’ll probably have to book a package tour to do it – or else you risk getting stranded in Cauyan with no way of reaching Banaue from there.

Cebu City (2 nights) – The Pearl of The South

Cebu City is the 2nd largest city in the Philippines and is unofficially dubbed as the capital of the south. As mentioned above, there are many international flights going there on a daily basis, so it can very well be your starting point to the trip if you chose to skip Manila. From Cebu, you can easily reach any other island in the Philippines, so planning your itinerary that way makes perfect sense.

What to do in Cebu?

The city itself is quite boring and not really worth your time. Sure, there are a couple of nice malls, a few churches and monuments, and some bars to try out at night – but nothing overly exciting or special. The real reason to visit Cebu is to explore the island itself, which is quite large and holds many exciting surprises.

The hotels and resorts in Cebu City are much better than those spread throughout the island, so there’s a lot of sense in staying there and going on day trips to some of the places mentioned below. If you prefer to stay outside the city, then Moalbaol is the best option for that – it’s close to all the attractions and has a few decent resorts, unlike other small towns in Cebu Island.

Kawasan Falls

Kawasan Falls is on par with Pagsanjan as one of the best waterfalls in the Philippines. Similar to Pagsanjan, the real highlight aren’t the falls but rather the journey you take to reach them. In this case, the most exciting option is taking the canyoneering tour.

In case you don’t know what canyoneering is, it’s basically trekking and following the river downstream while traversing all sorts of natural obstacles. It involves rappelling, swimming, cliff jumping and other exciting activities. The tour takes around 4 hours before you finally reach Kawasan Falls. It is perfectly safe and even though the difficulty level is classified as ‘moderate’, it is suitable for children aged 12 or above.

Moalboal sardine run

Moalboal is a tiny beach town located 2-3 hours from Cebu City. It is a great place to spend a day – the beaches are nice and there are plenty of nice bars and restaurants since Molaboal attracts many backpackers and developed quite a lively nightlife scene. The main reason to visit this place, however, is diving, and more particularly the sardine runs in Pescador Island.

Most of you probably heard of the more famous sardine run in South Africa. It is undoubtedly more impressive and epic, but the advantage of doing this one in Moalboal is that it’s not a seasonal occurrence – the sardine shoal in Molaboal stays there all throughout the year. It also attracts all sorts of other fish, birds, and marine mammals, creating one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world.

It’s much better to dive in Pescador Island if you are willing to do that. Moalboal has the largest sample of marine biodiversity anywhere in the world, and the best way to truly enjoy it is through scuba diving. However, it is also possible to see and enjoy the sardine run by only snorkelling and swimming around it.

Oslob whale sharks

Oslob is another small town, overlooking a bay on the south of Cebu. It’s less than an hour away from Moalbaol and the tour is often combined with one of the other mentioned above. The reason is that you have to be in Oslob very early in the morning. That’s when the whales are being fed and by 9AM or so they are already gone.

Reading about this attraction online, you’ll see it gets a ton of hype and is hailed as a “once in a lifetime experience”. It’s hard to argue with that – after all, when again are you ever going to have another chance of not only seeing, but swimming right next to whales?

However, the truth is much more complicated than that. The locals feed the whales and lure them into staying in Oslob in order to attract tourists, and this practice is extremely harmful to this already severely endangered species. It disrupts their natural feeding and migration patterns and exposes them to abuse and harm from careless tourists. Moreover, even if you don’t care about the environmental implications, you should realize this experience is not authentic and frankly feels like a zoo.

If you are really keen on seeing these beautiful creatures up close, please consider an alternative option. Going to Donsol is admittedly a bit of a hassle, but in our opinion, it’s a much better choice. There, you can see the whales in their natural habitat in a much safer and better-regulated manner. Of course, the downside is that because the animals aren’t being fed, encounters aren’t guaranteed. Still, I encourage you to at least read more and consider the Donsol whale shark tour before making your choice.

Bohol (3 nights) – Everything in One Place

Bohol is a fairly large island that is located right next to Cebu. They have recently opened a new airport there and the place is now also accessible from pretty much any other island in the Philippines. Still, the 2 hours long ferry from Cebu remains the most popular and cost-effective way of reaching Bohol.

What to do in Bohol?

The island is extremely well-rounded and offers a great balance between relaxing at the beach and trying out exciting activities. It is also much better developed and very tourist-friendly, unlike most other islands on this list. The island doesn’t really excel in one particular area, but instead, it offers a very complete experience. These are some of the top Bohol tourist spots you can’t miss out on during your 2 weeks in the Philippines.

The Chocolate Hills

The Chocolate Hills are a unique geological occurrence that has become iconic and immediately identified with Bohol. It consists of 1776 hills in varying sizes and shapes, all coming together to create a truly remarkable sight.

There are 2 ways to see the Chocolate Hills, each with its own pros and cons. The most popular one is by going to the view deck and getting a spectacular panoramic view of the whole area. This takes much less time and is included in the countryside tour being offered everywhere on the island.

You can also quite easily do this tour on your own. The advantage of this option is that it doesn’t take too much time and you can spend the rest of the day seeing other attractions such as the Loboc River, the amazing zipline across the valley, and Hindangan Cave just to name a few.

Another option is to get an ATV tour going through the hills themselves. This is much more adventurous and exciting, and also gets you much closer to the actual hills. The downside is this tour takes quite a bit of time, which means you’ll have to cut at least a few of the other landmarks from your itinerary.

Bohol Island hopping tour

Unlike island hopping tours in other places, the one in Bohol really is quite unique. The main reason for that is it focuses much less on lagoons and beaches and instead revolves more around the local wildlife.

The tour begins by watching dolphins swim in the ocean (you can’t swim with them or get close to them, and sightings are not guaranteed). Then you’ll head on to Balicasag island, which is the real highlight of the day. This is a protected marine sanctuary with a large population of sea turtles, as well as some of the most breathtaking coral reefs you’ll ever see.

Diving in Bohol

Bohol is a great place to dive at for several reasons. First and foremost, the fact the island is so well developed means diving is very safe and professional. Secondly, the dive sites there are very diverse and are suitable for divers with or without prior experience – if you want to get certified while in the Philippines, Bohol is the best place to do that.

Most importantly, the main reason to dive in Bohol is how versatile and magnificent the underwater is there. Pamilacan Island in particular, is widely considered to be one of the best diving spots in the Philippines, if not anywhere in the world.

Boracay (2 nights) – The Best Beach in The World

Next on your 2-week Philippines itinerary is Boracay, a tiny island not too far from Cebu. You can only reach it by taking a flight to Caticlan, followed by a short boat ride from there to the island itself. Thankfully, the fact the island is so popular means there are direct flights to it from almost all other islands in the Philippines.

Boracay is famous for having one of the best beaches in the world. It’s a long stretch of pristine white sand, aptly named ‘White Beach’. This is where all the resorts are located and where you’ll most likely spend all your time in Boracay. This spectacular beach has gained a lot of hype over the years, making Boracay the only island in the country which is a huge tourist magnet, similar in style to what the popular islands in Thailand are like.

What to do in Boracay?

Everything in Boracay revolves around the beach, and that should also be the main focus of your time there. It provides a great respite after hopping around between various islands and trying out all sorts of different activities and tours.

Sure, you can also go out on tours while in Boracay, even if they are far from exciting or special. Island hopping tours and diving are available here just like in any other island in the Philippines, but not much other than that. For that reason, it’s best to visit Boracay for just a few days, see what it’s like, and take the time to chill and relax on the wonderful beach.

Palawan (5 nights) – Welcome to Paradise

Palawan is a huge island with many different places to see. In fact, you can easily spend a whole month just there, and probably still won’t see everything it has to offer. But a 2-week trip to the Philippines, 5 days are a good amount of time to stay on the island.

Palawan is mostly famous for its stunning lagoons and beaches, but it’s also one of the most diverse and interesting placed you’ll ever visit. There’s a reason why whenever any travel magazine publishes a ‘best island in the world’ type of list, Palawan always snags one of the top spots, and is usually first.

What to do in Palawan

Palawan consists of 3 main locations: Puerto Princesa, El Nido, and Coron. All 3 can be reached directly from other popular islands in the country, although Puerto Princesa is the easiest (and cheapest) one to reach as it is the provincial capital. Travelling between these locations is also quite simple, but time-consuming.

Typically for a 5 night stays it’s recommended to pick just 2 out of the 3. Moving between them consumes half a day so with so little time it doesn’t make much sense. El Nido is a must, and also lies in between the other two, so the choice is really between Puerto Princesa and Coron. You can read below to see what each has to offer, but if we were to generalize things then Puerto is better for families and people in search of comfort, while Coron is more special but also a bit rugged.

Island hopping tours in El Nido

El Nido is considered the crown jewel of the Philippines and a must-visit on every vacation. This is thanks to the town’s unique charm, amazing beaches and lagoons, and especially the sheer diversity it offers. There are no less than 4 different island-hopping tours there (named A through D) and each of them offers a completely different experience.

The most popular tour is A, because it takes you to the famous lagoons. Tour C is also great, and it has the biggest focus on beaches, so you’ll get to visit the best beaches in and around El Nido. Tours B and D are less popular but also pretty great. They both take you to more remote and less crowded locations, so they are ideal if you want some peace and quiet away from the tourist hordes.

From El Nido, you’ll need to take a van going to Puerto Princesa as detailed above. If you prefer to combine it with Coron, then a 4 hours ferry ride is required. There are also flights between El Nido and Coron (20 minutes travel time), but they often get cancelled without prior notice – so it’s best to not book these in advance and inquire about it only a day or two beforehand.

Puerto Princesa Underground River

Voted as one of the new wonders of nature, this elaborate cave system is unlike anything you have seen before. Unlike most tourist experiences in the Philippines, this one is also very well executed and the guides are fantastic. Kayaking through the underground river, wearing the provided headset or listening to the guide, you really feel like you are visiting a museum of nature.

Some people find the whole thing a bit boring and stale, while others say it was the most unique and impressive thing they have seen in their whole trip. If you are a fan of nature, and like caves and rock formations, in particular, you can’t afford to miss it.

From Puerto Princesa, the only way to reach El Nido is by van. The drive takes 4 hours but the road is good so it’s not too much of a pain to go through. You can book a shared van through your hotel or just go to the main bus terminal and find one there. If you want to go to El Nido directly from the Underground River, instead of driving an extra hour back to town first, you’ll have to book a private van which costs around $150.

Island hopping tour in Coron

Coron offers only a single island hopping tour and not 4 different ones, but the one it has is probably the best tour in the Philippines. The lagoons and raw nature in general can easily compete with any other place on earth. In fact, when you see postcards or pictures of the Philippines used in ads, there’s a 99% chance they were taken in Coron.

Coron is much less developed than the other places in Palawan and is more of a backpacker’s destination. There are only 2 good resorts there, Two Seasons and Funny Lion. The first is your run of the mill 4 stars resorts while the other is a nice and cozy boutique resort. Both are good and you won’t be disappointed by the standards they offer, with the only downside being (like all other hotels in Coron) that they don’t have a beach. In Coron, the focus is much less on staying at your resort, but rather going out on adventures every day.

Diving in Coron

Diving in Coron is considered among the best in the world, but it is only suitable for advanced divers. The area was the place of a major marine battle between the U.S and Japanese armies during WW2, and there are a ton of sunken ships of varying sizes to explore. This makes Coron one of the best wreck diving sites, but marine life, in general, is extremely diverse and beautiful.

If you are interested in small fish and coral reefs then the areas around Coron town would be perfect. Barracuda Lake is also quite near and as the name suggests you can see a lot of Barracudas there, as well as many other fish types and even jellyfish. Alternatively, you can venture up north through 3 hours’ drive through rugged terrain, where the reward is being able to dive with sea cows.

Other optional islands to consider

As already mentioned, the list of possibilities in this country is endless. This article is already quite long, and hopefully, it does enough to at least give you an idea of what a standard 14 day itinerary in the Philippines looks like. We tried to cover the must-see places, but also include a few off the beaten path options and unconventional ideas for tours and activities.

To conclude, here’s a quick shortlist of additional, smaller, and less popular islands which might be a better suit for you. Some of these are quite hard to reach, so careful research and planning is advised:

Siargao: Gaining massive popularity in recent years, but still not well developed and hard to reach. Great beaches and attractions, ideal for surfing in particular.

Camiguin: Small and very chill island with no less than 7 active volcanoes. Perfect for nature lovers who want to hike. Diving is also world-class there. Make sure to visit the famous black sand beach.

Malapascua: Tiny island 4 hours from Cebu (van+boat) which has one of the most beautiful beaches in the Philippines in the nearby Klangaman Island. It is also the only place in the world where seeing thresher sharks is almost 100% guaranteed if you go diving.

Siquijor: Fantastic island right next to Cebu and Bohol. Very easy to reach and hardly any tourist goes there. A great option if you want to have the whole beach to yourself.

Dumaguete: This is a city which is also not far from Cebu. The main highlight is diving in the nearby Apo Island – the oldest and most well-preserved marine sanctuary in the Philippines, with a huge population of sea turtles. Great place to get certified, with some of the best diving schools in the country.

Sagada: This is a city up north from Manila, not far from the Banaue rice terraces. People usually add an extra day to the Banaue trip and spend it in Sagada. Great place if you want to get a taste of the country’s indigenous culture.

As you’ve seen, you can see a lot during 2 weeks in the Philippines. But there will be still many attractions to explore on future trips to this beautiful country.