3 weeks Philippines itinerary

The Philippines is my favorite country of all times. With so many islands to choose from it is hard to pick a favorite. Blue waters, palm trees, waterfalls, lagoons, what more can you ask for?

I get a lot of questions about where to go in the Philippines, how long to stay and if is it safe? First of all, the filipino people are one of the most welcoming people I've come across. With that being said, there are certain areas in the south you should avoid.

My Philippines backpacking route starts and ends in Manila as it is the easiest ways to get in and out of the country. I would recommend at least 3 weeks or more to really discover some of what this country has to offer.

I normally divide this trip into 3 parts. Starting in the jaw dropping Palawan, moving on to Cebu then Siargao. If you have more or less time you can simply skip or add more places as there are plenty of things to do where ever you go.

3 weeks Philippines itinerary

Arriving in Manila I would get on the first flight straight to my first destination which in this case is Coron. It is also possible to do this route the other way around, starting in Puerto Princesa and making your way up to El Nido. If you start with Coron, the airport you will be flying to is called Busuanga. If you have more time and a higher budget I would recommend you skip some days in Coron and El nido and sign up for the Tao Experience.

Day 1. CORON

You will arrive at Busuanga Island and take a van to Coron Town where you will be staying for the next 3-4 days. Coron is know for its beautiful landscapes with limestone hills, white sand beaches, fresh water lakes and some incredibly cool WWII shipwrecks.

One of the first things you should do when arriving in Coron is to check out Mt.Tapyas. Located 721 steps above Coron Town you will get a great overview of the Island. The scenery here is absolutely breathtaking. Perfect spot for sunset.

There is also possible to rent a scooter and explore beaches and the nearby hot spring.

Don`t forget to book your boat tour for the next day.

Malcapuya Island - Coron

Day 2,3, 4 & 5 CORON

To really see the beauty of Coron you have to get on a boat. There are 3 different boat trips I recommend.

One tour to cover the fresh water lakes and lagoons. This might be a bit crowded, but totally worth it (The Ultimate tour)
One tour to cover beaches and Islands. A must see is the beautiful Malcapuya & Bulog Dos Island.
The last day I recommend doing a shipwreck & coral tour. I highly recommend to hiring a privat boat to see the less touristy spots. If you are sick of boat trips then there is always a possibility to rent a scooter and explore the Island.

Make sure to book your boat ticket to El Nido a couple days in advance as they sell out. https://youtu.be/V92MgWD9OTU

Travel video Palawan-Cebu. First beach is Bulog Dos Island

Day 5,6 & 7 EL NIDO

El Nido is a busy small town located among high limestone mountains. The scenery here is absolutely beautiful.

Here you have the options of joining different boat tours, explore on your own with scooters or climb a mountain. All which are good options.

There are a couple must do stuff here. BIG and SMALL lagoon and the stunning Nacpan beach. (once talked about as the prettiest beach in the world).

One day should be spent on a boat, and the other exploring beaches like Nacpan by scooter.

The lagoons might get crowded so I ended up renting a private boat going back early in the morning the next day to have it all to myself. Best choice I ever made.

From here you have multiple options depending on your time. You can fly directly from El Nido to Cebu, or make your way down to Puerto Princesa and fly from there. If you decide to fly from PP I highly recommend stopping at Port Barton for a day or two before heading down to PP.

Day 7,8 & 9 MoalBoal

Arriving at Cebu Airport you should make your way directly to the cozy little town called Moalboal which will take you around 4 hours. The town is also perfect if you like to Scuba Dive.

If you ever dreamt about swimming with millions of sardines, then Moalboal is the place for you. The sardines are located literally 30 meters out in the water. ...and did I mention all the turtles:)

Moalboal is also located close to the famous Kawasan falls. This location is also home of one of the coolest experiences in the Philippines. CANYONEERING!!! You spend the day floating down the river, jumping waterfalls and just having the most fun day ever. Make sure to bring your Gopro! At the end of the trip you end up at the beautiful Kawasan falls where you can take your Instagram shots. haha. Click HEREto see what Canyoneering is all about.

From Moalboal you can also arrange a swimming with whale sharks in Oslob and visiting Tumalog Falls at the same location. I highly recommend Tumalog falls.

Nacpan Beach - El Nido

Magpupungko rock pools - Siargao

Day 10,11 ,12 & 13 BOHOL

Going forward from here you also have a couple choices depending on your time frame. Some people make their way down to Dumaguete and Apo Island for a day or two. Then boat from Dumaguete to Siquijor, Bohol before flying or jumping on an overnight ferry to Siargao. I went straight from Moalboal to Bohol, then Siqujior before heading back to cebu to catch a flight from there. Taxi or bus from Moalboal to Taloot then a two hour ferry to Bohol.

Alona Beach is located on Panglao Island and is the main place to stay. There are many good options for hotels and hostels in this area and it also offers a nice beach and some good nightlife.

Bohol is a big island with tons of options. One good day is spent renting a bike driving all the way to the Chocolate hills. It takes around 2-3 hours, but dont worry. There is a lot to see on the way. There is also a possibility to hire a drive.

Some of my favorite stops along the way was, The Bamboo hanging bridge, The Loboc river and the Man made Mahogani forest.

There is are a couple cool cave pools located on this Island where you can swim and jump.

I also recommend joining the Bohol Island hopping tour. They take you Dolphin watching where you get to see hundreds of dolphins play wildly in the waters before visiting a couple of islands for some snorkeling.

Take the ferry to Siquijor when you are ready to leave.

Chocolate Hills - Bohol

Day 13,14 & 15 Siquijor

Siquijor is one of my favorite Islands in the Philippines. This Island is know witchcraft but also for its stunning waterfalls and beaches. I stayed at JJ`s Backpacker Village and had an amazing time.

The Island is relatively small so a couple of days is enough to see the main attractions.

I highly recommend checking out Cambughagay Falls and the awesome cliff dive spot at Salaagdong Beach.

We where also able to find a spot where they rented out jet skies and had a blast in the blue blue waters.

Going forward from here you can finish your trip by heading back to Cebu and fly out, or continue your trip exploring this amazing country.

There are plenty of options to move forward from here but I will present here.

Whatever you choose I am sure you will enjoy.

Sunset - Siquijor

Day 16 ----- Home

Depending on what you like I will go forward with a couple different suggestions.

Malapascua - Great for diving. A great experience seems to be swimming with the Thresher Shark.
You can also visit Kalanggaman Island which is famous for it`s massive sandbar stretching up to 250 meters straight out in the ocean. ( I have yet not been here )
To get here you take a bus and boat from Cebu City.

Boracay - Once a party capital, now a calm place perfect for couples, families or friends who want to chill at the beach. Boracay has one of the pretties beaches in the world, and after being closed for 6 months last year I imagine the beach to be even better than ever.
Fly to Caticlan(the closer airport) or Kalibo(60km away) then a boat 10-20 min boat to Boracay Island. When you land at Caticlan airport you will get approached by taxi drivers wants to drive you to the Caticlan Jetty Port where the boat goes from. This is a distance you easily can walk if you have a backpack and want to save some bucks.
Make sure you have booking before going as they now have a entry limitation to the Island.

Siargao Island - I was lucky to call this Island home for a month last year. This palm tree paradise in the south is hands down my favorite spot in the Philippines. Here you can spend your time exploring the island by motorbike or simply jump on the boat to some of the nearby Islands. This is also the surfing capital of the Philippines with the famous cloud 9, which is ranked within the top ten waves of the world. The list over thing to do on this Island is endless. I would recommend spending at least one week or more if going here. Check out the video I made from my time in Siargao: .