Islands, Reefs & Tropical Road Trips
A 20-day island-hopping journey through Manila, Siargao, Cebu, Bohol, El Nido and Port Barton, mixing city, reef dives, jungle roads and sunsets on empty beaches.
This 20-day Philippines route is for travellers who want more than a resort stay, stitching together the Philippines’ greatest hits into one loop.
You’ll walk the old Spanish walls of Intramuros and see how Manila’s history runs from conquistadors to concrete megacity. From there the pace shifts to Siargao, your island base for a few days of surfing at Cloud 9, scooter trips under coconut canopies, local cockfighting arenas, island-hopping around Guyam, Daku and Naked Island, and a cold-spring day deep in the interior.
Bohol focuses on reef dives around Balicasag, green hills inland and river cruises through thick jungle. The offer is some of the best accessible snorkelling and beginner scuba in the country, with turtles, colourful corals and fish clouds right off the boat. Inland, Chocolate Hills, tarsier sanctuaries and a slow river cruise show a more rural side of the Philippines away from the beach bars.
The final stretch is Palawan, El Nido and Port Barton. El Nido for limestone cliffs, lagoons and long days on Nacpan and Lio beaches. Port Barton for a relaxation: simple bungalows, kayaks, sunset colours and village paths.
This is a backpacker-friendly route with enough structure that you can follow it day-by-day, but loose enough to linger longer if you fall in love with a place.
Spend your days moving between small islands and sheltered reefs: white-sand sandbars at Naked Island, coconut-ringed Guyam and Daku, and the turtle-filled waters off Balicasag. It’s a mix of easy snorkelling, dives and long boat lunches with grilled fish.
Morning smoothie bowls and coffee, afternoons scooter rides past endless palm forests, cold-spring swims and surf sessions.
Take a classic island-hopping tour through karst lagoons with clear water and black limestone cliffs, then escape the crowds on Nacpan and Lio beaches.
Day 1: Arrive in Manila
Day 2: Manila / Intramuros, Fort Santiago
Day 3: Fly to Siargao / settle into General Luna
Day 4: Siargao / scooters, palm roads and Cloud 9 surf
Day 5: Siargao / island hopping to Guyam, Daku and Naked Island
Day 6: Siargao / inland cold springs
Day 7: Fly Siargao to Cebu / transit day
Day 8: Ferry to Bohol / settle into Alona Beach area
Day 9: Bohol / Balicasag reef and turtle snorkelling
Day 10: Bohol / discover scuba or slow beach day
Day 11: Bohol / Chocolate Hills, tarsiers and Loboc River cruise
Day 12: Ferry to Cebu, fly to El Nido
Day 13: El Nido / island hopping, lagoons and limestone cliffs
Day 14: El Nido / Nacpan and Lio beaches by scooter
Day 15: El Nido / slow day, cafes and optional dive
Day 16: Van to Port Barton / beach bungalows and sunset
Day 17: Port Barton / kayaks, sand and island exploring
Day 18: Port Barton / waterfall, last swims and van to Puerto Princesa
Day 19: Fly to Manila / departure
The first part of the day-by-day route, free to read.
Land in Manila in the evening (most flights from the Middle East or North America) and keep this night simple. Use Grab from NAIA rather than negotiating with airport taxis. If your flight arrives late, stay either in Makati/ Poblacion for easier access to dinner and bars the next day, or near the airport if you know you will be tired.
If you stay in Makati, aim for an easy Filipino dinner at Manam if you want classic Filipino dishes in a clean, reliable setting. Order sisig, beef salpicao, gising-gising and garlic rice to share. If you arrive too late for a proper dinner, go to a nearby 7-Eleven or fast-food place, buy water for the room, and sleep. Do not plan anything ambitious on arrival night because Manila traffic and immigration can easily eat up the evening.
Start with Intramuros, Manila’s old Spanish walled city. Take a Grab to Fort Santiago and begin there rather than trying to walk in from a random point in Manila. Spend about an hour inside Fort Santiago, including the Rizal Shrine area, then walk five minutes south to Manila Cathedral and Plaza Roma.
From Manila Cathedral, continue along General Luna Street towards San Agustin Church. Visit San Agustin Church first, then Casa Manila across the street if it is open. This gives you the cleanest walking route: Fort Santiago, Manila Cathedral, San Agustin Church, Casa Manila. For lunch, either eat at Barbara’s Heritage Restaurant if you want the classic Intramuros setting, or Ilustrado if you want something slightly more polished. If you want to keep costs down, skip the sit-down lunch and grab food outside the walls before heading back.
In the afternoon, add Baluarte de San Diego if you still want another stop. Otherwise, leave Intramuros before rush hour and go back to Makati or BGC. For dinner, choose Manam if you did not go the night before, Lampara in Poblacion for modern Filipino food, or El Chupacabra if you want a casual, social Poblacion meal. For drinks, stay in Poblacion. Run Rabbit Run is good for cocktails, Dr. Wine works if you want wine and a rooftop, and The Spirits Library is good if you want a darker cocktail-bar setting with music.
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Open the full itinerary“If you love beaches, this is the trip for you. Never have I been to such a wide collection of beaches, each more stunning than the next.”
“The route was spot on, enough structure that we always knew what was next, but with room for random nights out, extra dives and lazy afternoons. Siargao and El Nido get all the hype. If I had to one more week, I would spend it in Siargao.”
“I was a bit nervous about ferries, internal flights and moving so often, which is something to keep in mind if you want to visit this many places in 3 weeks. Apart from the beautiful sunsets and dives (including for people without their licence!), the highlight of the trip were the people of the different islands - everyone was super welcoming in their own unique way, making us feel at home everywhere we went.”
Terra Nova Collective
