Philippines Sights by Time Needed
Philippines sights by time needed
Sightseeing in the Philippines is a scheduling puzzle. A cone volcano can be seen in ten minutes from a hotel window, while rice terraces eat two days once you add the bus. Grouping the sights by the time they really take makes it easier to choose, so here they are from a quick look to a proper journey.
A few hours or less
Tagaytay and Taal, from Manila. The ridge is 1.5 to 2.5 hours south of the capital, and its viewpoints look down on Taal Lake and the volcano cone. Taal Volcano Island is a permanent danger zone, so there are no landings and no lake boating; the ridge is where you see it from.
Mayon, from Legazpi. The symmetrical cone rises about 2,460 m over the Albay Gulf and is best seen from town; search Legazpi stays on Booking.com for a room with a view. PHIVOLCS holds Mayon at Alert Level 2, so there are no summit climbs and nobody enters the 6 km danger zone. Check the PHIVOLCS bulletin for the current level and for any operator offering a lahar-trail ATV ride.
Chocolate Hills, Carmen. The deck gives a view over more than a thousand grass-covered cones. It is about 214 steps up and open roughly 08:30 to 17:30. Non-resident adults pay ₱150 and children aged 6 to 12 pay ₱75. The hills turn brown in the dry months of March to May and stay green in the wet season.
Half a day to a day
Vigan, Ilocos Sur. Calle Crisologo is a pedestrian cobbled street of Spanish colonial mansions with capiz-shell windows, part of a UNESCO site. Hire a horse-drawn kalesa for about ₱150 to ₱250 an hour and come back after 18:00 for the lamps and the empanada stalls at ₱50 to ₱70.
Puerto Princesa Underground River. The park at Sabang is about two hours by van from Puerto Princesa, and the boat ride inside is 45 minutes. Only 900 visitors are admitted a day, with a ₱500 permit and ₱150 environmental fee, so book through the official city site . If you prefer a package, see Palawan sightseeing tours with transport included.
Intramuros, Manila. The walled Spanish quarter has the oldest surviving stone church in the country, San Agustin, a UNESCO site. Manila has its own pages, and the Intramuros Administration posts hours.
Two days or more
Banaue and Batad, Ifugao. The terraces were cut into the Cordillera mountains over 2,000 years ago by the Ifugao people. From Manila an overnight bus of 9 to 10 hours reaches Banaue for about ₱850 to ₱1,200. Batad’s amphitheatre is a one-hour hike from the saddle, and Tappiya Falls lies further down. Hire a certified local guide at around ₱800 to ₱1,200 per group, plus a ₱50 environmental fee. Sagada’s Sumaguing Cave is a further jeepney ride in Mountain Province.
El Nido and Coron, Palawan. These need a flight to Puerto Princesa, Busuanga or El Nido, then boats. Compare circuits at the El Nido tourism site . El Nido’s Tour A runs about ₱1,200 to ₱1,400 plus the ₱400 eco-tourism fee valid 10 days and ₱200 at Big Lagoon.
Timing and weather
Amihan, roughly November to April, is dry and clear for views. Habagat, roughly June to November, hides peaks in cloud and brings typhoons. Boats can be suspended by the Coast Guard at short notice, so leave a 1 to 2 day buffer before an international flight. Pack pesos, since fees are paid in cash.
For more routes, see the walking tours page . Go to the viewpoints early, when the air is cooler and the queues are short.