Since the Philippines is quite spread out, and there is so much to see, we think a 3 weeks in the Philippines itinerary is the perfect amount of time! ✨🇵🇭 You’ll be able to see most of the great spots without feeling too rushed. 2 Weeks in the Philippines is a bit short, but 3 weeks is just right. 👌
If you have an extra week, you could even visit Northern Luzon and the likes of Sagada, the Hundred Islands, and Baguio. ⚠️ Although, you’re going to really have to love 3rd world travel if you wanna do this! This guide will prepare you with everything you need to know for your upcoming trip!
👉 Resources We Recommend for The Philippines 🇵🇭
3 Weeks in Philippines Itinerary
Here is an overview of the 3 Week in Philippines Itinerary that we have planned out for you. Below this, you will find the detailed daily breakdown. As The Philippines is an archipelago of islands, the country is quite spread out and can be a massive pain to travel at times. Before you head to The Philippines it’s really important you have a plan otherwise you’ll end up paying way more than you should for last minute planes and ferries.
Overview of 3 Weeks in The Philippines
Land in Manila 🇵🇭
Fly from Manila to Coron ✈️
CORON 🤿
Ferry from Coron to El Nido 🚢
EL NIDO 🏖️
Fly from El Nido to Cebu ✈️ then Ferry from Cebu to Bohol 🚢
BOHOL 🗻
Ferry from Bohol to Siquijor 🚢
SIQUIJOR 🗻
Ferry from Siquijor to Cebu 🚢 then Fly from Cebu to Siargao ✈️
SIARGAO 🏄♀️
Fly from Siargao to Manila ✈️
Fly from Manila back home ✈️ 🏠
Daily Breakdown ☀️
Here’s a detailed daily breakdown of what we think your days should look like. We also have more detailed posts on each of these places! We were most recently in the Philippines in April of 2024. The Philippines is changing very quickly, so if you’re looking for travel advice and tips online make sure it is recent. The prices and places have changed A LOT even over the last year.
➡️ Read: Our Top 11 Philippines Travel Tips 🇵🇭
Day 1 – Land at Manila
Pretty much all international flights will land at Manila. Manila is a HUGE and densely populated city. In fact, it is the most densely populated city in the world. We recommend you spend the least amount of time possible in Manila. If you land in Manila in the morning, fly to Coron in the afternoon/night. If you land at night then you are going to have to stay in Manila for a night. Try to stay near the airport so you don’t have to fight the awful Manila traffic getting to and from the airport! The city is extremely polluted and congested.
Unless you are a huge history buff, we wouldn’t recommend spending time in Manila. Most people fly into Manila from abroad, then get out of there as quick as possible. The city is very crowded, polluted, and there’s not much to see.
👉 View All Your Accommodation Options in Manila
If you’re looking for a luxury hotel to stay at, we would recommend the Shangri-La in Bonifacio Global City (BGC). To this day, this is the nicest hotel we have ever stayed at. Otherwise, we recommend you stay somewhere in Makati or Bonifacio Global City.
Day 2 – Manila to Coron (fly)
Fly to Coron. It’s a short flight of less than an hour. From the airport, it’s about a 30 minute drive to the town in a shared van. The van will drop you off right at your hotel. Book a hotel in Coron Town for 3 nights.
Put your stuff down, then hike up Mt Tapyas to catch the sunset. The hike up should take about 15-20 minutes, so make sure you give yourself enough time to hike up the mountain. Trust us, you do not want to miss this view. This is definitely one of the coolest views we have ever seen anywhere in the world.
Once you get to the top, our suggestion is to walk to the back of the mountain where you can explore the trails and have a more peaceful view of the sunset. Most people just sit right at the top of the stairs, but this area gets pretty crowded and we found it much more enjoyable to walk around to the back where we could enjoy the sunset pretty much to ourselves!
🏨 Book Your Hotel in Coron Here
Day 3 – Coron
You have two full days in Coron. One should be used for island hopping, and another should be used for exploring the island on a motor bike/tricycle. If you don’t feel like exploring the island, then you could definitely do both days of island hopping as there are multiple tours.
Coron island hopping is pretty impressive. Expect to be out exploring from 8 AM – 4 PM, with lunch included. Something to note when considering the price of island hopping is all the extra stuff that’s not included. When we signed up for Tour A, the price was 1100 PHP per person. But once we got to the port, we realized this did not include a kayak or snorkeling gear. Our group of 3 paid an extra 1000 PHP among us for the kayak, then 150 PHP per person for the snorkeling gear.
Both of these were pretty necessary as there were some people who chose not to get the kayak, and they were just sitting on the boat for an hour at some stops while we went off exploring caves and islands. We would recommend renting the kayak. Same goes for the snorkeling gear.
You could also book the ‘Super-Ultimate Tour’ and make sure you see everything there is to see in the area.
🛶 Book the Super Ultimate Tour in Coron HERE
Day 4 – Coron
On your final day in Coron, rent a motorbike and head to Cabo Beach. It’s about a 20 minute ride from Coron town. Cabo Beach is a beautiful beach to relax for a few hours. Make sure you have enough water as you can’t buy water or food at this beach, it’s pretty remote.
After Cabo beach, head to Maquinit Hot Springs for sunset. These hot springs are beautiful and clean and overlook the ocean. Most people head here for sunset as it’s not that appetizing to bath in hot springs during the hot midday of Coron.
Travel Insurance 💌
Don’t forget Travel Insurance for your trip. Safety Wing covers emergency medical, dental, trip interruption, lost luggage, and more.
Day 5 – Coron to El Nido (ferry)
Unfortunately almost all ferries head to El Nido at 7 AM, so you’re going to have to wake up early to catch the ferry. From Coron town, catch the tricycle to the ticket office to buy your ferry ticket. Ours costed 3800 PHP per person (expensive!) and the ride was 5 hours.
🛳️ Book Your Ferry to El Nido on Klook
The ferry is very comfortable and spacious, and is by far the nicest ferry we’ve been on in the Philippines. Most riders are tourists and there’s hardly any locals on this ferry. Everyone on our ferry had a whole row to lay down and sleep in during the ride.
Once you get to El Nido, you can easily walk to anywhere in town from the port. You’ll dock in El Nido around 12 PM so you should be able to check-in wherever you are staying. We recommend staying near the town of El Nido for convenience. If you stay out of the town you’re going to need to worry about transportation anytime you want to eat or head to the beach or anything.
➡️ Read: The Best Things to Do in El Nido 🛶
For your first afternoon/night in El Nido we recommend hanging out on the beach in El Nido, and catching the sunset in town. The other option is to hop on a tricycle and head to Corong-Corong to catch the sunset.
It’s important to note that you can’t see the sun set over the ocean from the El Nido beach because the cliff blocks the view. This is why a lot of people head over to Corong-Corong to watch the sunset.
🏨 View All of Your El Nido Accommodation Options
Day 6 – El Nido
Your first day in El Nido should be spent “Island-Hopping”. We recommend Tour Z, which is much different from the more popular tours A-D. Tour Z is focused on avoiding the crowds of El Nido, and is much more social and relaxing. The tour is done on a big and spacious boat with tons of food and drinks.
If you’re looking to fit in and do what most do in El Nido, then do Tour A. This is by far the most popular tour and you’ll see the most popular spots.
Day 7 – El Nido
Today is your day to rent a motor bike and explore the beaches to the North. We recommend renting one in town, or from your hotel, and heading to Lio Beach, Nacpan Beach, and Duli Beach … in that order. The farther you get from El Nido, the less crowds you will face at the beaches, so keep that in mind. Just know that the road to Duli Beach at the end isn’t that great, and you should probably have some confidence on a motor bike if you’re going to do this. It’s not paved and can get very rocky and/or sandy at some points. But if you’re feeling adventurous you can definitely do it! (We fell on our motorbike coming back from Duli Beach because of deep sand coming down a hill, but no injuries at all because of how slow we were going!)
Day 8 – El Nido
If you’re an adventure seeker, then this morning is your time to hike Taraw Peak. If you want a complete guide to this hike, I recommend this post. You are going to need to hire a guide and you are going to need to be confident in your hiking ability as there are very sharp rocks and the hike is very steep in the El Nido humidity. You are also going to have to do this very early in the morning before it gets too hot. Good luck.
For the rest of you, we recommend you head to Corong-Corong Beach and rent a kayak. For the day, expect to pay around 500 PHP. For the afternoon, expect to pay around 300 PHP. From Corong-Corong there are tons of spots to explore on the nearby islands. There is tons of wildlife and remote beaches to explore as there aren’t too many people taking out kayaks in this area compared to all the people going off on island hopping tours!
👉 Check out our Top 7 Things to Do in Siquijor 👈
Day 9 – El Nido to Cebu (fly) to Bohol (ferry)
Today is going to be a journey, but it will all be worth it. You have two ways to get to Bohol from El Nido.
Option 1 – Fly from El Nido to Manila to Cebu. Ferry from Cebu to Bohol. (Tagbilaran is the main city on the island of Bohol. You will probably have to spend a night in Cebu as there might not be ferries to Bohol by the time you land at the airport)
Option 2 – Van from El Nido to Puerto Princesa. Fly from Puerto Princesa to Cebu. Ferry to Tagbilaran (Bohol)
Option 2 is going to be the cheaper one because you have 1 flight instead of 2. Option 1 will be more comfortable as you won’t have to do the 5 hour van ride South from El Nido to Puerto Princesa.
Our advice would be to fly to Manila, then fly to Cebu. The van to Puerto Princesa is a treacherous and crowded ride, and I wouldn’t wish this ride on anyone. However, if you’re used to this kind of travel, you could definitely thug it out.
🚢 Book Your Ferry from Cebu to Bohol Here
🚐 Book Your Van from El Nido to Puerto Princesa Here
Day 10 – Bohol
This is going to be your most authentic Filipino experience, as Bohol is not quite as touristy as Coron, El Nido, and Siargao.
Bohol is a large island. However, it is not known for it’s pristine beaches. Bohol is more known for the inner part of the island. For this reason, we recommend you stay in Loboc. However, if you want to stay near the beach where most tourists stay, then you should stay in Panglou. This area is very touristy and there are some very nice resorts and hotels here.
🏨 Book Your Hotel in Bohol Here
Your first day in Bohol should be spent on a motorbike exploring the Chocolate Hills, the Man-Made Forest, and the Targier Sanctuary followed by the largest waterfall on the island, Can-Umantad Falls. All of these are AMAZING spots and this day is truly going to be action packed for you. If you can’t/don’t want to drive a moto, go with a tour.
🚐 Book Your Tour of Bohol Here ☀️
Day 11 – Bohol
Your second day in Bohol should be spent exploring waterfalls and other things on the island near where you are staying. There are a TON of waterfalls to explore on the island with some not being very touristy at all.
There is a comprehensive guide to Bohol waterfalls here that we would recommend. Depending on where you are staying (Panglou, Loboc, … ) you are going to want to adjust what you do on this day. You could also just chill out on the beaches of Panglou to relax from the hectic traveling you’ve been doing.
👉 Check out our Best Things to Do in Bohol 👈
Day 12 – Bohol to Siquijor (ferry)
The ferry from Tagbilaran to Siquijor is an easy one. Today you are headed to an authentic, small, Filipino island where life is easy and you can truly relax and explore. Siquijor is not like Bohol. It’s much more relaxed and tourist friendly.
🚢 Book the ferry from Bohol to Siquijor HERE
Since Siquijor is such a small island with only 1 road going around it, it doesn’t matter too much where you stay. We would just recommend you book a place with a pool!
🛌 Here are all your hotel options in Siquijor
Day 13 – Siquijor
Your first day on Siquijor should be spent exploring the road that goes around the island. There is tons to see here, with the highlight being Cambugahay Falls. Rent a motor bike and start driving. Siquijor is a great place to learn to ride a motorbike as there really is only one road that goes around the island, it’s pretty much all paved, and the traffic isn’t bad.
Day 14 – Siquijor
You have a few options for your second day in Siquijor. The island is pretty quiet and peaceful and it all depends on what you are looking for. Here are your options as we see them.
Beach Day – head to one of the nice, peaceful beaches on Siquijor
Apo Island Tour – kind of like island hopping in El Nido and Coron, if you’ve done island hopping in both of these places we don’t see a need to spend more money on this as it’s definitely not as nice as El Nido and Coron
Quisol Mountain View – beautiful hike with a panoramic view of Siquijor
👉 Book Your Apo Island Tour Here!
Day 15 – Siquijor to Cebu (ferry), Cebu to Siargao (fly)
Take the ferry to Cebu, then fly to Siargao. Siargao is probably the most beautiful island in all of the Philippines. We really do consider Siargao to be paradise on Earth. The perfect way to end your Philippines trip. To get to Cebu, you will have to take a ferry to Dumaguete, and then from Dumaguete to Cebu.
🚢 Book Your Ferries to Cebu Here
If you need to spend a night in Cebu, we strongly recommend you stay near the airport, as the traffic in Cebu is horrible, and Cebu really isn’t a great city to tour around. We stayed at Amani Grand Resort Residences and would highly recommend it as it’s only a 5 minute taxi from the airport, and there’s a great affordable restaurant within walking distance called La Bella Pizza Mactan.
Day 16 – Siargao
Book a hotel in Siargao for 5 nights. This will probably be the highlight of your trip! (We stayed at Greenhouse Boutique Apartments and absolutely loved it. Located right on the beach in a quiet and peaceful location, Greenhouse has some of the best food we’ve ever had – at an affordable price.)
For your first day in Siargao, rent a motorbike in General Luna (where most tourists stay) and head up to the Magpupungko Rock Pools. These are definitely one of the biggest highlights on the island, and you’ll find tons of tourists here. This is a great place to take pictures and explore.
The road to the pools takes you right through Palm Viewpoint aka Coconut Road. This is one of the most amazing sights we have ever seen. Make sure you stop and take a picture here.
You can also do the Rope Swing at Maasin Secret River on your way to the Rock Pools.
🏨 View All Your Accommodation Options in Siargao Here
Day 17 – Siargao
On your second full day in Siargao, we recommend you do some island hopping. The most popular tour is the ‘3 Islands Tour‘ which will take you around to some pretty cool spots around Siargao. Island Hopping Tours in Siargao will come with hotel pick up and drop off, as well as lunch on the tour. After the tour head to one of the amazing spots on the island to catch a Siargao sunset.
👉 Book the 3 Islands Tour Here! 🚤
Day 18 – Siargao
Spend today exploring the island. Or, head to Pacifico Beach. Or both. Siargao is a safe and small island and there is so much to be discovered by motor bike. Enjoy this paradise on earth.
☀️ Top 10 Things to Do in Siargao
Day 19 – Siargao
Surf! Take a surf lesson at Cloud 9. As soon as you walk to the start of Cloud 9 pier, there will be tons of locals wanting to give you a surf lesson. Siargao is one of the best surfing spots in the world, so even if you’re not a surfer, Siargao is a great spot to try.
🛌 Here are all your hotel options in Siargao
Day 20 – Siargao to Manila (fly)
Today would be the day to see some of the historical sights in Manila if you have time. Assuming you are flying back to Manila in the morning, you’ll have the whole afternoon and night to experience the city.
👉 The Top 10 Things to Do in Manila
We recommend heading to Intramuros, which is the walled city built by the Spanish during their occupation of Manila. This is by far the most historic and most-visited part of the city. The cobbled streets and Spanish houses here will make you feel as if you’re in Europe.
After Intramuros, you can explore Rizal Park (dedicated to Jose Rizal, a Filipino writer who was executed by the Spanish after rebellion broke out) and then catch the sunset at Manila Bay. This really is a great way to end your time in the country, and it will be a good culmination to your trip to the Philippines. We recommend you book a hotel near the airport for one night.
Day 21 – Manila to Home Country
Make sure you leave for the airport early as traffic in Manila is horrible. Hopefully you’ve enjoyed your time in the Philippines. This country is one of our favorites to visit in the whole world.
✈️ Our Top 11 Philippines Travel Tips!
Notable Places Not Included in this Itinerary
Luzon – Most travelers don’t travel North of Manila as this part is not as touristy as Siargao and Palawan. Luzon is very large and spread out, but if you have time there are some amazing things to see here such as Sagada and the Banaue Rice Terraces. We also went to the Hundred Islands National Park.
Boracay – This is the most traveled-to island in the Philippines for tourism. We’ve never been here as we’ve heard Siargao and El Nido are more beautiful, and Boracay is just a very touristy party beach. This island has had a lot of problems with over tourism in the past, and as such they limit the amount of tourists that can enter the island. We actually didn’t meet any foreign travelers who were heading to Boracay. It seems as if this island is mainly toured by Chinese, Koreans, and wealthy Filipinos.
Puerto Princesa – The underground river near Puerto Princesa is a UNESCO World Heritage site and should definitely be visited if you have time. (ideally before or after El Nido!)
🚣 Book the best Underground River tour HERE ⬅️
Is the Philippines Safe? ⚠️
We traveled all around the country, and not once did we ever feel unsafe. This always blows our mind when we travel. The people in the Philippines are some of the poorest (materially) we have ever seen anywhere in the world. Much poorer than Latin America. But there is almost no violence. Tourists don’t get robbed in the Philippines. (Unlike Ecuador – don’t come here in 2024!) The locals are welcoming. You won’t ever feel unsafe. The people in this country are our favorite in the whole world.
The only thing you will hear from the locals is that the South Province of Mindanao is unsafe because of terrorism. The South is home to a lot of Muslims. We can’t comment on this as we didn’t go to Mindanao. Almost no tourists go to Mindanao.
Just make sure you have travel insurance in case something happens. I use Safety Wing and would highly recommend. I pay $48 every 4 weeks.
✈️ Check out Safety Wing Details Here
Things to Know Before You Go – 3 Weeks in Philippines Itinerary ⚠️ 🗣️
The Philippines is a very unique place to travel to, and isn’t quite like anywhere we’ve been in the world. Here are some things we think you should know before you come here.
🇵🇭 Checkout our Top 11 Philippines Travel Tips!
We Recommend You Pack Light
When you fly domestically in the Philippines, it’s really hard to get your big backpack on the plane. Meaning there is someone waiting outside of security who tells you that you have to check your bag. The planes are small here, and it’s hard to get away with bringing your big bag on the plane. You’re going to have to pay $30-40 extra every time you fly to check your bag. We recommend you pack lightly so you don’t have to pay this extra fee the 3-4 times you fly domestically while you’re in the Philippines. It will also be a lot easier for walking around if you only have one backpack to carry.
Always Have Enough Cash
A lot of places on the islands don’t accept card. Make sure you carry cash. When I travel I always try to use my Capital One Venture X Travel Card as much as possible, but in the Philippines a lot of places didn’t have card machines.
➡️ Read: The Best Debit Card for Foreign Travel 💳
You’re Going to Need to Drive a Motorbike
You are going to have to drive a motor bike if you want to experience the islands to the fullest. Renting a motor bike on your own allows you to be free and see sights at your own pace. Also, taking a trike/taxi to all the spots you want to see on the island simply isn’t feasible. You’re going to need to be ok driving a motor bike in the Philippines. (another reason why you’re going to want Travel Insurance)
English Won’t Be a Problem Here
In most places, English will not be a problem. Most Filipinos in the touristy areas speak English. Technically English is an official language of the country, although this does not mean everyone will actually be able to speak English.
Make sure you have travel insurance when you come to the Philippines.
You’re going to be taking risks when you come to the ‘Pines. Riding motorbikes, tricycles, buses, hiking, diving in the sea, etc. For most, your normal health insurance won’t cover these things. I pay $48 every 4 weeks with Safety Wing and get up to $250,000 of coverage with a $250 deductible.
Summary – 3 Weeks in Philippines Itinerary
Thanks for reading this 3 Weeks in Philippines Itinerary. If you’re looking for a shorter trip, checkout our 2 Weeks in the Philippines itinerary. Because of the colonial history of the country (Spanish, American) the country is unlike any other country we’ve ever visited. Filipinos are some of the most friendly people we’ve ever encountered – you’ll definitely have an amazing time.
🇹🇷 If you’re looking for some travel inspiration, checkout our 2 Week Turkey Itinerary. To this day, Turkey is our favorite country that we have ever visited!
Enjoy your trip to the ‘Pines! 🇵🇭
