Philippines Itinerary | The Ultimate 2 Weeks

This has probably been the most difficult post I have had to write yet. It was so hard for me to narrow down all of my favorite places in the Philippines to explore in only 2 weeks. I’ve traveled to the Philippines over 10 times and have yet to see everything there is to see. With over 7000 islands in the Philippines, you can see how difficult this task can be. In this 2 week Philippines Itinerary, you will see all of the famous places to visit. You will get to enjoy beautiful blue waters and beaches, explore some major cities and view beautiful waterfalls in this jam-packed Philippines Itinerary.

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If this is your first time traveling to the Philippines be sure to read these posts below:

• Philippines Travel Tips
• The Ultimate Philippines Packing List
• Must Try Food in the Philippines
• Philippines Tourist Spots
• Top 10 Places to Visit in the Southern Philippines
• Cebu Tourist Spots
• Bohol Tourist Spots
• Cebu Itinerary

The Ultimate 2 Weeks in the Philippines Itinerary

Best time to visit during your Philippines Itinerary

The best time to visit the Philippines is between November and April. These are considered the drier months of the season and you hit more into the Monsoon season during May – October.

Language in the Philippines

The main language in the Philippines is Tagalog. However, when you visit the central to southern areas, they speak a different dialect called Visayan/Bisayan. Everyone knows how to speak Tagalog and most of the people know how to speak English as well making it easy to communicate as a tourist or a foreigner.

Forms of Currency in the Philippines

The forms of currency are the Philippines Piso (pronounced Peso). If you decide to order money at your bank prior to your travels, be sure to ask for the Philippines Piso, not the Mexican Peso. The Philippines is a heavy cash location and ATMs sometimes do not work and only allow you to withdraw a small amount of money. I highly suggest you bring your own currency and use an exchange in the bigger cities. Additionally, make sure that all bills from your home country are crisp with no bends, folds, or cuts, they will not be accepted otherwise.

How to get around during your Philippines Itinerary

So there are several ways to get around the Philippines, but it honestly depends on where you are going. I will layout all of the ways to travel around the islands and to and from the island below. You will need to keep in mind that Philippines travel on “Filipino time” which often means to wait around a lot, late, delayed or canceled schedules.

Plane

So the plane is your best option to get from island to island depending on your location and where you are traveling to. However, a lot of times you will need to travel back to a hub in the Philippines like Mactan-Cebu International Airport or Manila’s Ninoy Aquino airport before going to a different island.

Ferry Boat

You will need to fly to many of the islands although you can travel by ferry boat to some of the islands. Some islands require an overnight ferry boat and others you can easily do on a speed ferry boat or just as a short trip. For example, to travel to Bohol, you can easily take a short ferry ride from Cebu to the island of Bohol. From Cebu to Ozamis city, it will most likely be an overnight ferry boat ride. The only concerns about traveling by ferry boat are that the weather can be fairly unpredictable and may cause cancellations or delays due to tropical depressions or monsoons.

Taxi

If you want to travel to certain areas that are on the island but a bit farther, I highly recommend you hire a taxi driver for the day. With a taxi driver, you can make your own itinerary for the day and it can be fairly cheap to do. For example, you are staying in Cebu City and you want to make a day trip to Kawasan Falls, if you don’t want to waste time waiting on a bus, you can hire a taxi driver to take you there and take you to other locations on the island as well. The bus is a lot cheaper, however, if you are traveling with a group of people it can be easy to hire a taxi driver and be able to have someone watch your stuff or leave your stuff in the vehicle.

Furthermore, you can also just use a taxi within the city proper as well to get you from A to B or to and from the airport.

Motorbike

To travel around the island and you feel comfortable driving around. You can easily rent a motorbike to take yourself anywhere around the island. It takes a while to travel to many of the places so I personally would probably get tired of traveling by motorbike compared to a car. However, I know many people who do this all the time. Additionally, traveling in the Philippines it is very humid and hot. I definitely prefer air conditioning. Finally, safety may be a concern when driving on a motorbike. Many of the drivers in the Philippines are not insured or have driver’s licenses. So just be careful if you choose this option and make sure you have insurance.

Bus

For long distances, it is great to take the bus around the island. However, it can be complicated, messy and a long wait for a bus. I highly suggest you arrive at the bus terminal early (it can even be packed at 5 am), but that still doesn’t mean you’ll be able to get a bus with air conditioning. It is very affordable and cheap to get around by bus.

Jeepney

Jeepneys are intercity buses in the Philippines. It is confusing to know where they are going to just read the signs on the sides of them. There are no maps to tell you where you are going on a jeepney. You either know where it is going or you don’t. You may be able to ask a local, but even then some locals may not know all the jeepney routes either. My stepbrother is a prime example of that.

Trike

A Trike is a perfect way to travel within the city. You can easily take a trike for short distances and they are pretty much private cabs for hire. They are often very affordable and safe to travel in.

Tips to save money during your Philippines Itinerary

Some of the best ways to save money in the Philippines is to take public transportation.

If you are looking to only spend one week in the Philippines read about my 1 week Cebu Itinerary.

RELATED: Cebu Itinerary

Places to Visit during your Philippines Itinerary

• Day 1: Arrive in Manila
• Day 2: Manila to Palawan
• Day 3: Palawan
• Day 4: Palawan
• Day 5: Palawan
• Day 6: Palawan
• Day 7: Palawan to Cebu
• Day 8: Cebu to Boracay
• Day 9: Boracay
• Day 10: Boracay to Bohol
• Day 11: Bohol
• Day 12: Bohol
• Day 13: Bohol to Cebu
• Day 14: Depart Cebu

Day 1 | Arrive in Manila

I am assuming you are arriving in Manila and that is your base to start from. Most people make the mistake or assume to fly into Manila first. I honestly prefer traveling to Cebu and their airport. Manila is a very crowded city with a lot of things to do. However, it is a corrupt city with many issues with gambling and drugs. I have included this is part of the itinerary, but it is my least favorite place to visit in the Philippines. I don’t suggest you stay here for very long as there isn’t much to do other than shopping and eating. I suggest you stay somewhere near the airport since you will be heading off to beautiful Palawan the next day. Take this time to recover and try to overcome jet lag.

Recommended things to do in Manila

• Greenhills Shopping Center
• SM Mall of Asia – 14th largest mall in the world
• Rizal Park
• Fort Santiago

Day 2 | Manila to Puerto Princessa, Palawan

Palawan is one of the most popular places to visit in the Philippines which is why it was important to make this a week trip. The island itself is very large and there are so many areas to explore.

Today is a travel day to Palawan. Here you will fly to Puerto Princesa from Manila. I suggest you take the earliest flight you can possibly so you can enjoy a day in Puerto Princesa. However, it may be best to skip Puerto Princessa all together and go straight from the airport to El Nido. It takes about 5 hours by van from Puerto Princessa to El Nido which will be a long trip.

If you want to stay in Puerto Princessa, I suggest you do a tour of the underground river and then enjoy the rest of the day at the beach or relaxing and getting over your long travels. Use this time to explore the area, try some food, and enjoy yourselves. You will need to hire a van to take you to El Nido late at night or very early morning if you choose to stay in Puerto Princessa.

Recommended things to do in Puerto Princessa, Palawan

• Underground River

Day 3 | El Nido, Palawan – Most popular destination in this Philippines Itinerary

So there are many places to visit in El Nido Palawan. I highly suggest you choose to do a tour or get a private tour. When traveling to El Nido, it can become overwhelming. You can only travel to each location by boat so you will need a tour or guides to be able to take you to the private swimming areas and island in El Nido. I suggest you do a booking with El Nido Paradise. They are a highly reputable company with many options which make it the perfect travel days for you.

Recommended things to do in El Nido, Palawan

• Small Lagoon
• Big Lagoon
• Secret Lagoon
• Shimizu Island
• 7 Commando

Day 4 | El Nido, Palawan

On day 2, you can take another tour with the same company or get a private tour with them as well. They can take you to many other places below or there are many other options on their website as well. Check out some of the best things I suggest you do on your second day in El Nido.

Recommended things to do in El Nido, Palawan

• Helicopter Island
• Matinloc Shrine
• Secret Beach
• Star Beach
• Hidden Beach

Day 5 | Coron, Palawan

Today you will be traveling to Coron via speed ferry boat. It will take about 4 to 5 hours to get to Coron by speed ferry boat. You may not be able to do everything listed below in the recommended things to do solely based on the time to get to Coron. Most of the island hopping tours take about 8 hours for the day to do and enjoy.

Recommended things to do in Coron, Palawan

• Malcapuya Beach
• Hidden Lagoon
• Maquint Springs
• Barracuda Lake

Day 6 | Coron, Palawan

You will explore more of Coron by island hopping some of the best areas in Coron. You can book your tour with MAG Tours and enjoy a boat ride to many of the beautiful recommended places to go below. You can also choose to hire a private tour and only go to the selected places you want to visit rather than going as a group. Coron is a beautiful place to visit with some gorgeous views which make it worth visiting.  

Recommended things to do in Coron, Palawan

• Kayangan Lake
• Twin Lagoon
• Atuwayan Beach
• CYC Beach
• Atuwayan Coral Garden
• Skeleton Wreck

Day 7 | Coron, Palawan to Cebu

Today, you will be flying from Coron to Cebu.

Ahhh Cebu! Cebu is one of my favorite places to visit. This city is lively with friendly people, delicious food and shopping. There is a lot of culture and tradition in Cebu that I prefer over Manila. Additionally, you can venture out of Cebu city and visit many areas on the island. If you have an extended period of time, I suggest you visit Kawasan Falls which you can easily do in a day trip or stay a day and explore Moalboal.

Recommended things to do in Cebu City

• Temple of Leah
• Cebu Taoist Temple
• Mactan Shrine
• Shangri La Beach – Located at the Shangri La Mactan Resort

Day 8 | Cebu to Boracay

Now, I am writing this as Boracay is still open, however, it may close again if tourists and locals don’t attempt to keep the beaches clean. Boracay was closed for a bit to help with clean up and not allowing many tourists into the area. So if you do visit here, please be sure to pick up your trash and keep the area clean.  For this day, I just choose this as a day to relax on the beach, go explore the different parts of the island and enjoy a Pub Crawl at the end of the day. Tomorrow will be when the adventure starts. Also, who wants a jam-packed schedule without a few days of relaxing, right? You can also find some of the local beaches that do not require island hopping.

Recommended things to do in Boracay

• Boracay Pub Crawl

Day 9 | Boracay

Today you will island-hop to many of the popular areas in Boracay. You can book your tours with many of the hotels or online. You can also choose to do some parasailing, jet skiing and more. You can also have the option of doing some cliff diving at Ariel’s point if that is something you are interested in doing. Most of these activities will start early in the morning while the weather and water are safe to travel.

Recommended things to do in Boracay

• Magic Island
• Crocodile Island
• Swimming/snorkeling
• Sightseeing at Puka Beach

Day 10 | Boracay to Cebu to Bohol

You will need to take an early flight to grab the ferry from Cebu to Bohol. You’ll go straight from the airport to the Ferry terminal or you can easily take a flight from Cebu to Bohol if you want to skip the ferry boat altogether. In the Philippines you do not typically book your tickets in advance as their online systems are not very accurate, so you should get there early to get your tickets or get tickets as soon as you arrive in the Philippines. The Ferry from Cebu to Bohol is about 2 hours. If you want to learn more about how to travel to Bohol from Cebu, I suggest you read this guide on getting the Cebu to Bohol Ferry.

On this day, I don’t suggest doing much until you have a lot of time. You can easily visit the Hanging Bridge or the Mahogany Man Made Forest if you arrive. You won’t have to worry about these places since they are available at any time of the day.

Day 11  | Bohol

In Bohol, there are many beautiful places to visit and you may need to hire a taxi driver for the day to get to all of your destinations. Taxis can be difficult to find on the island so I suggest you chat with your hotel beforehand to get some accommodation. You can also try and find a place to rent a motorbike as I have stated above. There are a lot of places to visit in Bohol like the Chocolate Hills, the Butterfly Garden and the Mahogany Man-Made Forest.

Recommended things to do in Bohol

• Chocolate Hills
• Butterfly Garden
• Mahogany Man-Made Forest
• Hanging Bridge
• Jungle Cruise

Day 12  | Bohol

Bohol day 2 consists of visiting the Tarsier Sanctuary which should be visited early in the morning. It is best to visit as soon as they open so you do not have to worry about parking or crowds. Although, I’m sure it is found to visit any time throughout the day. Additionally, you can explore all the other parts of Bohol. The Bohol Bee Farm is a great location to visit and they have delicious homemade souvenirs and ice cream. You can learn about bee farming and all the products they can make.  

Recommended things to do in Bohol

• Tarsier Sanctuary
• Blood Compact Shrine
• Bohol Bee Farm
• Shell Museum
• Beaches

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Day 13  | Bohol to Cebu

On day 2 of Cebu, you can easily visit some of the areas below. If you want, it would be best to rent a taxi driver for the day so you can go to Kawasan Falls or try to visit some of the areas below. The areas below are all within the city of Cebu. I highly suggest you check out Upside Down World especially if you have kids. It is pretty fun and exciting way to take photos.

Recommended things to do in Cebu City Day 2

• Magellan’s Cross
• Basilica Minore Del Santo Nino
• Fort San Pedro
• Upside Down World

Day 14  | Depart from Cebu

On day 14, you can stay near Cebu City and be ready for your departure or you can continue with my Philippines 3 Week Itinerary or Philippines  4 week Itinerary. Check out some of the city or islands to visit below.

Extend your Itinerary to 3 Weeks in the Philippines:

• Day 15: Camiguin
• Day 16: Camiguin
• Day 17: Camiguin to Manila to Baguio
• Day 18: Baguio
• Day 19: Baguio
• Day 20: Baguio to Manila
• Day 21: Depart Manila

Extend your Itinerary to 4 Weeks in the Philippines

• Day 22: Siargao
• Day 23: Siargao
• Day 24: Siargao
• Day 25: Siargao
• Day 26: Siargao
• Day 27: Siargao to Manila
• Day 28: Depart Manila

What were some of your favorite places to visit in the Philippines? Is there anything I missed in this Philippines Itinerary that I need to add? Leave your comments below!