Philippines Activities by Trip Length

Philippines activities by trip length

The Philippines is more than 7,600 islands, and every hop between them costs a morning. That is why the number of days you have decides the activity list more than your interests do. Pick the length below that matches your leave, then add islands only if the transfer times fit.

Register before you fly. The eTravel form at etravel.gov.ph is free and has to be filled in within 72 hours of arrival. Paid “eTravel assistance” sites charge for the same form, so ignore them. Most nationalities get 30 days visa-free, but check the rule for your passport.

Five days: one island, no transfers

Choose one base and stay there.

  • Palawan, El Nido. Licensed bangka circuits are lettered. Tour A takes in Big Lagoon, Secret Lagoon and Shimizu Island for about ₱1,200 to ₱1,400. Tour C reaches Hidden Beach and Matinloc Shrine for about ₱1,400 to ₱1,600. Add the ₱400 eco-tourism fee (valid 10 days), ₱200 at Big Lagoon, ₱200 at Matinloc and kayak hire of ₱300 to ₱600. Fees are extra to the tour price, so ask the operator what is bundled. You can compare El Nido island tours before you land, or visit the El Nido tourism site .
  • Siargao. Cloud 9 at General Luna is the famous reef break, but beginners use the gentler breaks nearby. Board hire runs about ₱300 to ₱500 a day and a lesson with a local instructor about ₱500 to ₱600 an hour.

Ten days: two islands, one flight or ferry

Ten days fits a Palawan pair or a Visayas pair.

  • Puerto Princesa to El Nido. The Underground River is a 45-minute paddle-boat ride 1.5 km into a limestone cave at Sabang, about two hours by van from Puerto Princesa. Entry is capped at 900 visitors a day, so book the permit through the city’s official portal . The permit is ₱500, the environmental fee ₱150 and the audio guide ₱100, with the boat on top.
  • Cebu to Bohol. The fast ferry takes about 2 hours and costs ₱880 in tourist class. On Bohol, the Chocolate Hills deck in Carmen charges ₱150 for non-resident adults, and the Corella tarsier sanctuary asks a small cash entry fee. Keep your voice low there, with no flash and no touching.

Three weeks: add Luzon’s highlands

A longer trip can finish in the Cordillera. An overnight bus of 9 to 10 hours runs from Manila to Banaue, and a guide takes you to the Batad terraces and Tappiya Falls for roughly ₱800 to ₱1,200 per group. Cooler air and pine forest around Sagada are a relief after the coast, and Sumaguing Cave and the hanging coffins of Echo Valley sit in the Sagada hills of Mountain Province. Take the Baguio bus back toward Manila.

Where to sleep before the first boat

Boats leave early, so sleep within walking distance of the pier or beach. In El Nido town, search El Nido stays on Booking.com and sort by distance to the town centre. Tricycle hops across town cost about ₱20 to ₱50 a person, and a whole tricycle for a private trip about ₱100 to ₱300 if you agree the fare first.

What to eat between the boats

A kamayan feast, eaten by hand off banana leaves, is the meal to look for: garlic rice, grilled squid, prawns and lumpia. Island-hopping boats often cook lunch on a beach, which counts.

Rules that apply on every island

  • Cash. Island Philippines runs on pesos in hand. ATMs on El Nido, Coron and Siargao run dry on long weekends, so withdraw in Manila or Cebu first.
  • Season. Habagat, the wet southwest monsoon, runs roughly June to November and brings typhoons. The Coast Guard can ground boats at short notice, so leave a 1 to 2 day buffer before an international flight. Amihan, roughly November to April, is the dry spell.
  • Boats. Life jackets are required on every motorised bangka. Skip any boat that has none.
  • Volcanoes. Taal Volcano Island is closed to landings and lake boating, so see it from Tagaytay. Mayon sits at PHIVOLCS Alert Level 2, which means no summit climbs and no entry to the 6 km danger zone; check PHIVOLCS before any plan near it.

For a tighter route plan, see the multi-day trips page . A last tip: book the Underground River permit first, because it is the one item that can sell out.