Philippines in April: Weather, Crowds & Travel Tips

Before we take a closer look at everything, we want to let you know right away that April is one of the best months to travel to the Philippines. Why? It’s the height of the Philippine summer and that means you’re guaranteed good weather across almost the entire country.

Still, it’s important to keep in mind that April is the very peak of high season because it’s also when many Filipinos travel to make the most of the good weather and escape the heat, so prices for everything rise considerably, as do visitor numbers in the best-known destinations.

That’s a quick overview, but here we’ll tell you what it’s like to travel to the Philippines in April, what the weather is like, which destinations we most recommend, and share some tips from two people who have loved this archipelago for many years.

Can you travel to the Philippines in April 2027?

Of course, it’s entirely doable, and we see no problem with it. You just need to meet the simple requirements for traveling to the Philippines.

Easter Sunday falls on March 28 in 2027, so a trip entirely in April won’t coincide with Holy Week. Even so, April is high season in the Philippines, and popular destinations can still be busy and expensive. Some people may also extend their Easter holidays into early April.

Although it’s a great month weather-wise, as always, we recommend getting the best travel insurance for the Philippines, which is the one we’ve been using here for more than 10 years. This link gets you a 5% discount, so it couldn’t be better.

What’s the weather like in the Philippines in April?

You’ll find much more detail in When to Travel to the Philippines, but here’s a quick overview of the Philippine climate and its seasons:

• RAINY SEASON: runs roughly from June to November.
• DRY SEASON: runs roughly from November to May. This, in turn, is divided into a cooler period (November to March) and a hotter period, or summer (April and May).

That alone wouldn’t give you the full picture, because these seasons don’t actually follow the same pattern on every island. There are 4-6 climate zones that differ in when these seasons occur and how pronounced they are.

To give you an idea, in the south (in Mindanao, including Siargao) and along the southeastern coast of Leyte and Samar, the rainy season falls at the complete opposite time of year from the rest of the country. To help you visualize this, we’ve put together this chart:

You also have to remember that we’re talking about a tropical climate, so the patterns we’ve described may not always hold. In other words, even during an extremely dry time of year, like April in the Philippines, you might still get caught in the occasional downpour. This is also why the country has such spectacular vegetation.

With all that in mind, to make things simple, if you want to travel to the Philippines in April, you should know that you can visit the whole country without having to plan around the weather at all. It’s the dry season on almost every island, and this is when the weather is at its driest and hottest, and the chances of typhoons or depressions are minimal. What’s more, strong winds are very uncommon, so you rarely get cancellations of transportation services or trips like the famous Coron-El Nido expedition.

Is April the rainy season in the Philippines?

No, heavy rain and weather events such as typhoons or tropical depressions are uncommon in the Philippines in April. It’s the dry season throughout the country and, as we mentioned, the height of the Philippine summer.

What about temperatures? Along with May’s, they’re the highest of the year. But don’t worry: the temperatures aren’t as high as summer temperatures in places that get extremely hot. Highs are around 32-34°C, and it feels much less hot right by the coast. Lows hover around 22°C, so anyone who feels the heat will need air conditioning to sleep.

In our experience after so many years here, April (and May) feels less humid than other months, so the heat tends to be bearable, especially outside major cities.

Still, even though it’s hot in the Philippines in April, keep in mind that they really crank up the air conditioning when you’re in transit, so don’t forget to bring a light jacket.

As for the sea, you should know that the water temperature always stays around 26-29°C, so you’ll be able to really enjoy the beaches. The visibility at this time of year also tends to be very good, if you’re thinking of going diving in the Philippines or snorkeling.

To give you a clearer picture, here’s a comparison of the average temperature in the Philippines in April (in its best-known tourist destinations) and in August:

Of course, all of this is approximate. As we mentioned above, this is a tropical climate, so you may get the occasional downpour, especially in the late afternoon, but it’s not usually something that will spoil your trip.

Are there typhoons in the Philippines in April?

We’ve already touched on this, but typhoons or tropical depressions are rare in the Philippines in April. These weather events don’t usually start until well into May/June and, based on recent years, occur most frequently between September and November.

With this in mind, we always recommend following the PAGASA Facebook page, run by the Philippines’ official weather agency.

Which islands in the Philippines don’t get rain in April?

As you can see on the map above, April is a pretty good month to visit the whole country. It’s summer throughout Luzon, the Visayas, and Palawan (which means drier weather), and in Siargao, Mindanao, and Camiguin, where the seasons are more or less reversed, the weather is also much more stable than from November to March (their rainy season).

All of this means that you don’t have to rack your brain trying to decide where to go to avoid the rain. You’re free to visit wherever appeals to you most. To help with that, we recommend exploring our website in depth and deciding based on your interests and how much time you have, since no two trips are alike. A good place to start narrowing things down is by reading Things to Do in the Philippines.

What’s it like to travel around the Philippines in April?

Traveling to the Philippines in April means visiting during high season. Although it isn’t high season in Europe (unless it falls during Holy Week), it’s summer in the Philippines, and Filipinos take the opportunity to visit tourist destinations and escape the heat. With the weather more stable, international visitors also want to make the most of it, which means everywhere is busier and prices go up. That’s why booking accommodations and transportation well in advance is essential.

Of course, if your trip coincides with Holy Week, the busiest time of year for tourism, things get even more complicated, especially in places like El Nido, Coron, Siquijor, or Siargao. We cover that in more detail in Traveling to the Philippines During Holy Week.

Does that mean everywhere in the Philippines will be packed in April? The truth is, no. Remember that you have more than 7,600 islands to choose from and almost everyone heads to fewer than 10 of them, so there will always be a spot you can have all to yourself. You’ll find ideas in our article on Lesser-Visited Islands in the Philippines.

If you’re looking for festivals in the Philippines, April isn’t really one of the best months to find them. If your trip coincides with Holy Week, there’s the Moriones Festival in Marinduque and the Healing Festival in Siquijor, where you can see the more mystical side of the Philippines.

In terms of nature, whale sharks in the Philippines should be starting to appear in Puerto Princesa, and the season should still be underway in Pintuyan and Donsol. It’s peak season for diving in Tubbataha (only accessible by liveaboard boat) and at Apo Reef. Conditions at all diving and snorkeling destinations are also fantastic, since visibility tends to exceed 20 meters and rough seas are uncommon.

Thanks to the lack of strong winds, it’s also a month that’s absolutely perfect for the El Nido to Coron tour and Balabac island hopping, as well as any other island-hopping adventure. With that in mind, it’s worth booking multiday expeditions ahead of time, as they’re becoming increasingly popular with Filipinos, who, remember, will be taking advantage of the good weather to go on vacation. The same goes for dives with limited spots, such as diving in Balicasag (Bohol), or the trip to Apo Island from Siquijor.

As for other landscapes, in Banaue the rice terraces will have just been planted, while the Chocolate Hills of Bohol may look more chocolate-colored if it hasn’t rained much, but the truth is that whenever we visit, they look more green than brown.

Our experience traveling to the Philippines in April

We’ve actually traveled around the Philippines in April many times, and it’s a month we really enjoy because you barely have to worry about the weather. You can usually expect fairly clear skies and, along with them, an almost complete absence of typhoons or major weather events.

Of course, prices are higher than in the low/shoulder season, and the best-known places are busier, but if you plan ahead and book in advance, traveling to the Philippines in April is a real joy.

When it comes to temperatures, it’s true that it’s hotter than at other times of year, but at least for us, it doesn’t usually feel stifling along the coast. If you think the heat will affect you a lot, don’t hesitate to book rooms with air conditioning.

Tips for visiting the Philippines in April

We hope we’ve given you a good overview of what the Philippines is like in April for travelers, but here are a few tips of our own:

• Since April is a month with fairly stable weather, you could plan your entire trip in advance without having to worry. That way, besides saving time and headaches once you’re there, you’ll save money on accommodations and transportation by booking early. With that in mind, be sure to take a look at our page on Philippines Itineraries.
• Since it’s high season and the value for money you get from accommodations in tourist destinations like El Nido and Coron is pretty poor, we’d book well in advance.
• That said, if you’re still unsure about the weather (we wouldn’t be), you can book hotels on Booking with free cancellation.
• If you’re not used to tropical climates, even though almost all rooms have a fan, you’d be better off booking one with air conditioning.
• When it comes to tours, it’s peak season for those too. For day tours, we recommend putting together a group and having one of you take care of booking a little ahead of time. For expeditions to Balabac or the one from El Nido to Coron it’s crucial to book several weeks in advance. As you may already know, we recommend this company for 4-day trips and this one for 3-day trips.
• With more divers around than usual, as soon as we knew our travel dates we’d reserve our spots for diving in Bohol and diving in Malapascua.
• If you feel overwhelmed by destinations with lots of tourists, there are always options somewhere in between, such as Camiguin (keep in mind that it becomes a pilgrimage destination for Filipinos during Holy Week), the area around Anda in Bohol, or Malapascua. There are also places that get very few visitors, like the entire archipelago of Romblon or Dinagat. Even in tourist destinations, you can always get off the beaten path, for example in the area around Concepcion, in Coron, or Sibaltan and San Vicente in Palawan.
• Although we’ve already mentioned that in the Philippines in April you don’t have to worry much about the weather, we recommend forgetting about websites like Accuweather or the apps that come with your phone. The most accurate option is always to check the PAGASA satellite imagery, but it’s not very intuitive, so we recommend playing around with the app from Windy. That said, keep in mind that although it’s usually fairly accurate, we only trust it 3-4 days ahead, and remember that the weather here is extremely changeable.
• This applies at any time of year, but remember to stay hydrated. If you’re feeling a little weak, since most of the water people drink is purified, pharmacies sell packets of oral rehydration salts you can add to your water.
• Don’t take chances: get travel insurance for the Philippines that you know you can count on. This isn’t just for medical issues, but also for common travel problems in the archipelago, such as flight delays or cancellations, lost luggage, etc. With OUR LINK you get a 5% discount, and you can travel with the peace of mind of knowing you’ll be well taken care of.

You’ll find plenty more recommendations in Tips for Traveling to the Philippines.

Frequently asked questions about traveling to the Philippines in April

To wrap up, let’s answer the most common questions from travelers considering a trip to the Philippines in April:

What’s the weather like in the Philippines in April?

Since it’s the dry season throughout the country, the weather is usually very good. Tropical weather events such as typhoons or tropical depressions are rare. Temperatures are among the highest of the year, at around 32-34°C during the day.

Is April the rainy season in the Philippines?

No, it isn’t. In fact, it’s one of the driest months in the archipelago, and Filipinos actually call it “summer.”

What’s special about April in the Philippines?

It’s one of the months with the most stable weather, making it one of the best months to travel.

Which places should you visit in the Philippines in April?

Anywhere you’d like to visit, since all destinations will be fine weather-wise. If you’d like a few suggestions, you could go to El Nido, Coron, Port Barton, Bohol, Siquijor, Malapascua, Camiguin, or Banaue. It’s even a good time to visit Siargao.

Should I travel to the Philippines in April?

Absolutely, it’s one of the best months to visit the country.

If you’re thinking of traveling in other months around this time, these guides will help:

Traveling to the Philippines in March

Traveling to the Philippines in May

Traveling to the Philippines During Holy Week

We hope we’ve answered your questions about traveling to the Philippines in April, but if you still have any, leave us a comment and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.