We love receiving your trip to the Philippines itineraries! And recently we were lucky to get a super detailed trip around the Philippines from Amalia, one of our readers and, from now on, another Filipino‑addict. Amalia and her boyfriend, Thomas, followed many of our recommendations when putting together their 13‑day Philippines itinerary and it went so well that they wanted to share it with us and with you, who are thinking about traveling to the country.
To us, this is an epic trip, a perfect approach for those who don’t have many days to travel the Philippines independently and want to cut down time spent on transfers. We always tell you that in the Philippines journeys are long and almost every time you move from one place to another you lose a day. In this case, Amalia and Thomas decided to get to know Palawan in depth and, as you’ll see, it seems they made the right call.
If the days don’t work for you, or for whatever reason, we suggest you take a look at these other routes you’ll find on our site:
2 weeks in the Philippines in August
Features of the 13‑day route in the Philippines
Some features of this 13‑day route around the Philippines are:
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- It’s a trip of medium intensity. That is, a fairly relaxed journey. You can spend a few days unwinding but you won’t feel like you’re wasting time.
- The starting point of this itinerary is Manila, though you could also begin in Cebu. International flights to Manila are usually cheaper.
- It includes beach areas but, if you fancy it, you can also see waterfalls, go snorkeling, take a motorbike route…
- Since it’s a 13‑day trip through the Philippines, you don’t stray too far from the more touristy (and accessible) places, but you’ll see how Amalia and Thomas found tricks to avoid the crowds. You can do it too!
- Although they didn’t, if you want, you can add a day of diving. We highly recommend it in Coron. As you know, it’s one of the best places to dive in the Philippines.
- The trip sticks to Palawan to avoid long transfers and invest that time in enjoying.
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- If you think just Palawan might feel short, this 12‑day Philippines itinerary mixes Palawan with a bit of the Visayas. We think you might like it.
- As for the season, it’s a perfect route to do between November and May, though it can really be done any time of year. They did it between January and February.
- We recommend doing the route in this direction (from Coron to Port Barton) because Puerto Princesa Airport, from which you’ll return to Manila or Cebu, is much bigger and better equipped than Coron’s, so you have far fewer chances of suffering delays and cancellations than if you fly back from Coron. Really, believe us—this matters.
On the other hand, it’s an honest and feasible route. It’s not rushed at all nor a string of crazy destinations like you often see on social media. To be completely straight with you, we’ve been coming/living around here since 2010 and the worst thing you can do is load your itinerary with places that are far apart and require you to spend a whole day of your trip traveling. It’s better to stick to destinations that are well connected like those on this route to make the most of your time.
Without further ado, here we leave you with Amalia and Thomas and their 13‑day Philippines itinerary. At the end you’ll find some options to tweak the route if you feel like it.
13‑day Philippines itinerary
Here it is broken down so we can then tell you step by step. If you click any part, it will take you to that specific point:
Day 1: International flight and arrival in Manila
Days 2 to 5: Coron
Day 6: Transfer from Coron to El Nido
Days 7 to 9: El Nido
Day 10: Transfer from El Nido to Port Barton
Days 11 and 12: Port Barton
Day 13: Transfer to Manila and flight home
You already know that on a trip of this scale it’s essential to be covered by good insurance. In Best travel insurance for the Philippines we tell you which one is best and why. We’ve been using it for over 10 years and, unfortunately, we’ve had to use it many times and we’ve saved thousands of euros in hospital bills. Plus, if you buy it by clicking here you get a 5% discount for being a reader of our site and you also help us keep creating useful, up‑to‑date content like this
Detailed 13‑day Philippines itinerary
We’re going to tell you step by step how to do this 13‑day trip around the Philippines yourself. We’ll also leave some notes on the activities Amalia and Thomas did, which we think can serve as a reference to squeeze even more out of the trip.
Day 1: Arrival in the Philippines from Spain
We arrived in the Philippines and, after immigration, we stayed overnight at a hotel 15 minutes from the airport: Lourdes Inn. It was more than enough, as it was cheap and included breakfast.
If you need more accommodation options, you’ll find them all detailed in Where to stay near Manila airport.
Days 2 to 5: Coron
We started our 13‑day Philippines itinerary in Coron. We took a flight from Manila to Coron in the morning and, as soon as we arrived, we grabbed a kayak and paddled to Siete Pecados on our own. It’s very cool and the seabed is spectacular! Bring your mask and go snorkeling! You can also rent them right where you rent the kayaks. After a couple of hours we headed straight off on the motorbike and climbed the 700 steps to Mt. Tapyas to watch the sunset.
That same day, if you feel like it, you can also go to Maquinit Hot Springs and Cabo Beach. If you want a drink while watching the sunset, Hop Hoste’s rooftop is incredible. Everything is super well explained in the guide Things to do in Coron.
The next day we did the Escapade private tour and loved it! Far‑flung, gorgeous beaches!
On the third day we did the Ultimate Tour in Coron privately as well and it was great! The guide was super attentive and we managed to reach the spots when there were the fewest tourists (which was our goal) and most of the time it was just the two of us on the beaches!
If you need the contact for the guide Amalia and Thomas used on their trip, leave us a comment and we’ll send you the info!
On our last day in Coron, since I’d read the beaches here weren’t that great, I looked for a relaxed alternative and saw that by paying 500 pesos per person plus another 500 we could spend the day at The Funny Lion (we tried to book a room here a month earlier but it was fully booked). They have a super nice pool with jacuzzi and, of those 1,000 pesos you pay per person, you get 500 pesos credit to spend at the restaurant for lunch.
So we rented a motorbike. We actually had a relaxed, quiet day, which is what we were looking for, then around 18:00 we went to Maquinit Hot Springs, the hot spring pool. Personally, I didn’t like it. In my opinion, there were too many people and it was too hot—but to each their own!
Then we went to have dinner at Levine’s Eatery and it was delicious! Afterwards we had a mojito on BAR’s terrace, which has beautiful views.
*For this day, if you don’t want as much downtime as they did, you also have alternative activities like diving the WWII wrecks, swimming with dugongs, or visiting Black Island.
Where to stay: our hotel was Argamosa Bayside Inn and it was great! Great staff, location, cleanliness… If you want more recommendations, you can read Where to stay in Coron.
Where to eat in Coron: over these 4 nights we had dinner at the places Claudia and Jairo recommend in Where to eat in Coron: Levine’s, Altrove, and another we tried on our own—Island Grill—which was also good.
Day 6: Transfer from Coron to El Nido
To continue with our 13‑day Philippines itinerary, we arrived in El Nido around 12:00 (we flew with Air Swift, 40 minutes) and dropped our bags at the hotel. We rented a motorbike (500 pesos for the whole day) and went straight to Las Cabañas Beach. We stayed at The Beach Shack to eat and lounge in their soft, comfy hammocks. The food was tasty and the price was fair.
Then we went to Las Cabañas Beach Resort. How to get there: with Beach Shack behind you, walk about 200–300 meters to the left and you’ll see people heading to that point around 17:30 to watch what was the best sunset of my life. Don’t worry if the sky has been cloudy during the day—those are usually the best sunsets.
You can also get to El Nido by ferry. Book your seat here
If you have time this day, you could also visit other beaches in El Nido like Lio Beach, Nacpan, or Duli Beach.
Days 7 to 9: El Nido
The next 3 days of our independent 13‑day trip around the Philippines were dedicated to enjoying El Nido.
At 8:30 on the first day we set off to do one of the El Nido island‑hopping tours, the Private Tour A + Big Lagoon (we had arranged this tour from Spain). The guide came to our hotel the day before to explain everything and to collect a 2,000‑peso deposit. We wanted the boat just for the two of us—you can make it cheaper by sharing the boat price among 4/5 people. Heads up: bring water shoes. I used them a lot here; if you don’t have them, rent them for this Tour A—it costs 100 pesos and you’ll be glad you did.
The tour was great; we achieved our goal of being at the spots with very few people or almost no one.
If you’d like to get our trusted contact (the same one Amalia and Thomas used), leave us a comment and we’ll message you all the info!
The next day we got back on the motorbike and went to the amazing Nacpan Beach. The 40‑minute ride has a couple of sandy/muddy stretches if it’s rained; if it hasn’t, it’s dusty—but there are only two short sections like that. The rest is paved road.
Once in Nacpan, my recommendation is to spend about 3 hours there and then ride another 30 minutes to the other beaches farther north like Duli Beach; or, if you want to take it easy and you planned a relaxed independent Philippines itinerary, just stay there (that was our choice—I wanted to lie on the beach doing nothing).
From traveler to traveler: when you’re in Nacpan you’ll see lots of people in hammocks. Head north and there’s no one. It’s worth it because you’ll have it to yourselves.
After about 4 hours here sunbathing and swimming we ate at a beach bar. Then we headed south to Mad Monkey. We had a few cocktails there and lounged on their sofas. Tip: ask the staff about the little boat that takes you in 10 minutes to a small islet to watch the sunset. It left around 17:15 and brings you back once the sun sets.
Also at this spot, walk further south to the end of the beach. There’s a hill there with lovely views.
For our last day in El Nido we planned to head early to the beaches beyond Nacpan or do Tour C, but I woke up with an upset stomach, so we went back to Las Cabañas Beach. Thomas did the zipline—you have two options: seated or Superman.
About El Nido we have to say we liked it a lot. Although more crowded than Coron, it’s bigger and therefore there’s more to do… That’s why I think it’s great to include it in a 13‑day Philippines itinerary and spend 3 or 4 full days here not counting travel days: 2 tour days, 1 day for Nacpan and the beaches farther north, and another day at Las Cabañas Beach.
Where to stay: We stayed at Bulskamp Inn, following Claudia and Jairo’s recommendation on where to stay in El Nido. It’s very well located, with air conditioning and hot water. We slept in room number 5, which faced the street, and there were two buildings under construction. Because of that, I had to wear earplugs. There are also 2 roosters, but what can you do! It’s part of the place’s charm.
Where to eat: here are a few tips, although you have more options in the guide Where to eat in El Nido:
- Kobe Café: good coffees, Starbucks-style and, what’s more, they have soy milk!
- Happiness Express: a very tasty and pretty vegan/vegetarian spot.
- Altrove: great pizzeria. They have an Express branch, which tends to be less crowded.
- BalaiKubo: perfect for a snack and healthy, tasty breakfast bowls.
To plan this part of the trip, we recommend you don’t miss these guides—100% up to date and the most complete you’ll find:
Day 10: Transfer from El Nido to Port Barton
We continued our 13-day Philippines itinerary and took a van at 8:30 to Port Barton. The trip took about 4 hours and, as soon as we arrived, we checked in and headed to the beach, which was a 2-minute walk from the hotel. It’s pretty, but there are too many boats and the water is a bit murky. Heads up: I’m not saying it’s ugly at all—it’s great to spend the day—but there was a guy offering boat rides from where we were to White Beach, so we didn’t think twice and decided to go. It’s only 10 minutes by boat and costs 300 pesos per person (round trip).
When we arrived, we were blown away. Literally, the beach is amazing! Fine white sand, clear water, and palm trees.
On arrival you have to pay 50 pesos per person and there were very few people. We stayed here from 13:00 to 18:00. Tell the boatman what time you want to be picked up and they’ll come.
Days 11 and 12: Port Barton
We continued our 13-day Philippines itinerary in Port Barton. For this day we had booked with our hotel to do Tour A. I had read in Things to do in Port Barton that there’s no need to do private tours since it’s not so crowded, and they’re right.
We set off around 9:00 and got back around 17:00. There were 6 people on our boat and we went to cool spots. Tour A is supposedly the most recommended because it covers the most famous places, and they also took us to Long Beach Island (Capsalay), which was super pretty. If you can, ask them to add it.
The next day we asked if it was possible to get to White Beach by motorbike and, although they said yes, they told us it’s better by boat or on foot. So this time we chose to take a 1-hour walk along a pretty path through the jungle. The little path is gorgeous! There are only about 10 minutes of narrow trail and then it widens. You’ll pass a few local houses where people kindly point you the way, pass by Coconut Beach (if you want to enter it’s 50 pesos per person), and keep walking until you finally reach the beautiful White Beach. We stayed here from 11:00 to 18:00. To return, we took a boat.
Port Barton won us over from minute one. Don’t expect anything like El Nido or Coron here. The streets are unpaved, there’s less tourism and, for me, it has more charm.
Where to stay: Hotel Bing- Vice Inn. These are cabins in the center of Port Barton, and they include a delicious breakfast. The ones listed in Where to stay in Port Barton were fully booked, but we really liked this one.
Where to eat in Port Barton: you have plenty of options in Where to eat in Port Barton, but these were my favorite spots:
- The famous Gacayan: in the inland part of town, the chicken caldereta is super tasty and the place is very cheap.
- Besaga: at the beach bar you can eat grilled meat. So good! We went two of the three nights.
- Bar Native: for a drink with live music. Young vibe.
You can find much more information about this destination in the following guides:
Day 13: Transfer from Port Barton to Manila
To wrap up this 13-day trip around the Philippines, we took a van from Port Barton to Puerto Princesa. The ride takes about 3.5 hours to the airport. From there we took a flight to Manila and then home.
If you need to stay overnight in the capital, we suggest taking a look at Where to stay in Manila. Plus, if you have time for a stroll, the best place is Intramuros, the historic area. You can read much more in Things to do in Manila.
My tips for an independent 13-day trip to the Philippines
- In Port Barton at night, look up at the sky on the beach. With hardly any electricity around, the sky is full of stars!
- Travel insurance is a must. I got mine (IATI Mochilero) through Claudia and Jairo’s website link and got a 5% discount. In Insurance for the Philippines you’ll see everything about this topic.
- Water shoes! You can find more info in Backpack for the Philippines.
- Best exchange rate: at Manila Airport! I didn’t find money changers in Port Barton—go with enough cash. In Money in the Philippines you can find more info.
- Since we’d read the wifi is quite bad, we bought a SIM card at Manila Airport with 9 GB for 1,000 pesos. It lasted 15 days for both of us. In Internet in the Philippines you’ll find more info.
I want to thank everyone who helped me organize our trip over the past month, and to those of you coming soon—you can’t imagine how jealous I am because I already want to go back. I’m super happy with this trip, with the gorgeous beaches we’ve seen, the sun, the sunsets, the palm trees! I hope you enjoy Palawan as much as we did, if not more. We hope to return very soon.
We thank you, Amalia. Hope you come back soon. All the cool photos in this article are hers.
If you’d like to share your Philippines travel itinerary like she did, get in touch with us!
13-day Philippines route map
So you can see it more clearly, we’ve made a map with the 13-day route we’ve detailed for you:
You already know that for this itinerary, as for any other, travel insurance is essential. In Best Travel Insurance for the Philippines we talk about it a lot; beyond the best medical-assistance coverage, it also has broad coverage for cases like theft, baggage issues, transport incidents, diving, or, among many others, repatriation if necessary.
As a Travel Around the Philippines reader, you also get a 5% discount if you purchase it from here:
Alternatives to this 13-day Philippines itinerary
As you can see, the 13-day itinerary is very similar to the 10-day route through the Philippines, but done at a much more leisurely pace. Even so, if you weren’t factoring in international transfer days, this itinerary may fit you like a glove. That said, there are plenty more options that might work for you, and here we’ll tell you the ones we think are best considering the time you have.
1. Add the expedition between Coron and El Nido
You may have already heard about the Coron–El Nido expedition (or vice versa) because they’re increasingly popular—and it fits this 13-day Philippines route perfectly. This 3–4 day tour between the two destinations will have you discovering paradises in between and, above all, living a completely different experience.
One thing to consider is that expeditions don’t include any of the standard El Nido and Coron tours, only a few stops from Coron’s Escapade Tour (not the Ultimate). For this reason, removing Coron and El Nido entirely and replacing them with the expedition isn’t the most advisable. However, you could do something like this:
- Day 1: transfer to Coron + 7 Pecados, Maquinit, Mt. Tapyas, sunset…
- Day 2: Ultimate Tour
- Days 3, 4 and 5: Coron–El Nido expedition
- Days 6, 7 and 8: El Nido (Tours A and C and another day for nearby beaches)
- Day 9: transfer to Port Barton
- Days 10 and 11: Port Barton
- Day 12: return to Manila or Cebu
- Day 13: fly home
Another idea is to give one more day to Coron and one less to Port Barton to have more leeway and, for example, go diving on WWII wrecks or swim with dugongs. You could also shave a day off Port Barton to try to swim with whale sharks in Puerto Princesa, which are around those waters roughly from mid‑April to mid‑October.
You could also simply take one day off Port Barton and do the 4‑day/3‑night expedition, which is our favorite and which you can book HERE. By clicking our link and using code FACEBOOK10 you get 10% off. If you prefer to stick to the 3‑day/2‑night one, we recommend THIS COMPANY, with a Spanish partner. With code TRAVELPHILIPPINES you get 1,000 pesos off per person.
2. Try to swim with whale sharks in Puerto Princesa
As we explain in detail in Where to swim with whale sharks in Puerto Princesa, there’s a (completely natural—no feeding or mistreatment like in Oslob) sighting season in Palawan’s capital between April and October. If you want to try your luck—always bearing in mind it’s nature and you might not see them—it’s feasible to stop in Puerto Princesa. In that case, we would reorganize the route like this:
- Day 1: arrival in the Philippines or Coron
- Days 2 and 3: Coron
- Day 4: transfer from Coron to El Nido
- Days 5, 6 and 7: El Nido
- Day 8: transfer to Port Barton
- Days 9 and 10: Port Barton
- Day 11: Port Barton and afternoon transfer to Puerto Princesa for an overnight
- Day 12: whale shark excursion (7:00–14:00) + afternoon flight to Manila or Cebu
- Day 13: Manila and fly home
If you need company recommendations to spot whale sharks, leave us a comment and we’ll gladly share our contacts.
3. Skip Coron and add another destination that interests you
Of course, the itineraries we make aren’t set in stone and, in fact, the best thing is to read a lot so you can tweak them yourself according to your tastes or the activities you want to do.
Not to say Coron isn’t a destination we like (on the contrary, it’s one of our favorites), but it’s true that the landscapes are more similar to those of El Nido. For this reason, many travelers decide to combine El Nido and Port Barton (which we think complement each other well) with places in other parts of the Philippines. To sum up briefly, you could choose to swap Coron for:
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- Banaue: destinations in northern Luzon offering incredible rice‑terrace landscapes and a tribal culture hard to find elsewhere in the country.
- Bohol: one of the largest islands in the Philippines, letting you combine lots of nature/jungle with very good diving or snorkeling.
- Siquijor: an island that’s still not very touristy, with plenty of waterfalls, beautiful beaches, great snorkeling, and easy to get around.
- Malapascua: a must for divers, as it’s the only place where you can see thresher sharks with almost 99% probability.
- Siargao: the trendiest island in the Philippines, a surfing mecca but also great if you want motorbike trips, lots of nightlife, and a variety of restaurants and bars. It’s a good option if you’re thinking of a 13‑day Philippines route between June and October, since it’s peak dry season there.
You can start with any of them or leave it for the end—whatever you prefer or whatever best suits your dates for domestic and international flights.
Camugao Falls in Bohol
Tips to enjoy the 13-day Philippines route
We’ll wrap up by giving you a few tips so you can enjoy your 13‑day trip to the Philippines without a hitch:
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- As we mentioned above, this itinerary is great if you’re coming to the Philippines between November and May, when it’s dry season in this area of the country. If you’re thinking of traveling between June and October, it doesn’t mean it will definitely rain, but the odds are higher. In that case, if the weather worries you, you could change the whole trip or part of it and add destinations where it’s dry season at that time—namely, Siargao, Camiguin, and Dinagat. You can read more about this in When to travel to the Philippines?.
- We don’t recommend doing the route in reverse, that is, from Port Barton/Puerto Princesa to Coron, since cancellations and delays from Busuanga Airport are common as it’s very small and located between mountains. If you return to Manila or Cebu from Puerto Princesa, your international flights are at greater risk.
- We know many of you like to wing it with accommodation, but it’s not something we recommend on this route. In the destinations you’ll visit, the value for money is among the worst in Southeast Asia, and we would book hotels—even with free cancellation—on Booking.
- Do private tours, especially in El Nido and Coron. Honestly, the experience changes completely.
- For the transfer from Coron to El Nido, we recommend flying if there isn’t a big price difference with the ferry. If flights have gone up a lot, we suggest sailing with Jomalia, which has better and, above all, larger boats that sway less. You can book tickets for both here. In any case, if you get seasick, take biodramina.
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- You’ll be in your swimsuit and beachwear almost all day, so, if possible, don’t bring much luggage. This will also save you money on domestic flights since there’s a fee for checked bags. Almost all Philippine airlines charge for checked luggage and the carry‑on limit is 7 kg. You can read more about what to bring in Packing list for the Philippines.
- There’s a wealth of information across our site—don’t miss these guides either: Recommendations and tips for traveling to the Philippines and our Philippines Travel Guide.
Frequently asked questions about a 13-day trip around the Philippines
We’ll finish by answering the most common questions from travelers who have 13 days to visit the Philippines:
How many days are recommended for the Philippines?
The more days you can manage, the better, since the archipelago has more than 7,700 islands and transfers can be tiring. From our experience, it’s best to come for at least 20 days to make it worthwhile. However, with good planning—visiting places that are well connected to each other—you can put together a solid itinerary in 13–15 days.
What’s the best 13‑day route around the Philippines?
For us, the best thing is to focus on the same region so you don’t lose too much time on transfers. That’s why the combination of Coron, El Nido, and Port Barton seems great to us. You could also experience the fabulous expedition between Coron and El Nido.
How many destinations can I visit in the Philippines in 13 days?
We wouldn’t go to more than 3 destinations so you don’t spend more time in transit than actually visiting places.
How much does a 13‑day trip to the Philippines cost?
The cost depends a lot on the type of accommodation you choose, restaurants, and activities… Roughly speaking, without counting international flights, about $120 per day per person (including internal transport, tours, food, and accommodation) can be fine, but it’s extremely variable and also depends a lot on the destinations you choose.
Did you like this independent 13‑day Philippines itinerary? Got questions? Tell us in the comments!
Remember you’ll find more content like this on our Philippines itineraries page.
