Philippines First Trip and Return Routes

Philippines first trip and return trip routes

A first visit to the Philippines should follow the famous route, and a return visit should skip it. The country has so many islands that the second trip can look nothing like the first. Below are a first-visit route, a return route, and the transfers that join the stops.

First visit: the Palawan hopper, 10 to 12 days

  1. Manila, 1 to 2 days. Use the National Museum, which is free and open daily 09:00 to 18:00, and fly out the next morning.
  2. Puerto Princesa, 2 days. The Underground River at Sabang is about two hours by van and limited to 900 visitors a day. The permit is ₱500 with a ₱150 environmental fee, and the booking sits with the city’s official site .
  3. El Nido, 3 days. Bangka circuits A and C cost about ₱1,200 to ₱1,600, with a ₱400 eco-tourism fee valid 10 days and ₱200 at Big Lagoon and Matinloc Shrine. The vans from Puerto Princesa take 5 to 6 hours, or you can fly into the small Lio airport.
  4. Coron, 3 days. The fast ferry from El Nido takes roughly 3.5 to 5 hours depending on the boat. Operators sell Kayangan Lake and lagoon packages with fees included, so compare what is covered; browse Coron island tours .
  5. Home. Fly Busuanga to Manila and keep a 1 to 2 day buffer before the international flight.

Return visit: the Visayas ferry loop, 7 to 9 days

Everything here moves by sea, so you never need a domestic flight between stops.

  • Cebu, 2 days. Canyoneering at Kawasan Falls in Badian is about 3 to 3.5 hours south of Cebu City.
  • Bohol, 3 days. The fast ferry from Cebu takes about 2 hours at ₱880 tourist class. Visit the Carmen Chocolate Hills (₱150 non-resident adults) and the Corella tarsier sanctuary, which asks a small cash fee and bans flash and touching. Panglao has the diving and beaches, and you can search Panglao stays on Booking.com to compare rooms.
  • Siquijor, 2 days. From Tagbilaran the ferry is about 2 hours with two sailings a day, around ₱880. The island has Cambugahay Falls and Paliton Beach, and it is small enough to cover by hired tricycle or scooter in a day.
  • Out. From Siquijor take the 50-minute hop to Dumaguete and fly home.

Compare the sailings on oceanjet.net before you fix the dates.

Third trip: the Cordillera circuit, 5 to 6 days

An overnight bus of 9 to 10 hours runs from Manila to Banaue. Then comes two days walking to the Batad terraces and Tappiya Falls with a guide, then a jeepney to Sagada for Echo Valley, hanging coffins and Sumaguing Cave, then a bus to Baguio and on to Manila. It is cool and green, and a long way from the beaches.

Entry and cash for any route

Most nationalities may stay 30 days visa-free, though you should check your own. Register free at etravel.gov.ph within 72 hours before landing, and ignore paid helper sites. Island Philippines runs on pesos, and remote ATMs often empty over long weekends, so withdraw in Manila or Cebu.

Weather and the buffer

Habagat, roughly June to November, brings typhoons, and the Coast Guard can suspend boats at short notice. Ferries between El Nido and Coron are among the sailings that can be cancelled. Amihan, roughly November to April, is calmer. Wherever you travel, put a spare day at each end of the trip.

For single-day options along these routes, see the day trips page . One last tip: book the El Nido to Coron boat early, since schedules vary by season.