July in the Philippines: weather and travel tips

Is traveling to the Philippines in July crazy? Is it monsoon season? Could it be dangerous? It’s very likely these and many others are the questions you’ll ask yourself if you have vacation in the month of July and want to travel to the Philippines.

We get it—it’s normal to have doubts about the weather. Although we’re going to elaborate a lot on the answer, we’ll tell you upfront that it’s totally possible to travel to the Philippines in July and not suffer because of the rain. And we’re not just saying that: we’ve been living/traveling around here since 2010, so we’ve gone through quite a few Julys.

Join us as we explain how to travel to the Philippines in July.

Table of Contents

What is the weather like in the Philippines in July?

We’ve already told you a lot about the weather in the Philippines in July in our articles Best time to travel to the Philippines and When to travel to the Philippines?, but the first thing you need to know is that the archipelago has several climate areas. You’ll find no fewer than 6 climate zones and, to make it even more complicated, although theory says it may rain more in one month or not, the truth is that the Philippines has a tropical climate, which translates into a real lottery. On the same day you might get a downpour and then blazing sunshine that’ll scorch you.

So you’ll ask: is it advisable to travel to the Philippines in July? To keep it simple, a large part of the Philippines in July is “suffering” the rainy season or rainy season. Between the months of June and November, the areas of Palawan, Luzon and much of the Visayas receive the so‑called Habagat winds, that is, the southwest monsoon. At this time, in these parts of the Philippines, the theory says showers are more frequent. There’s also a much higher chance that tropical depressions, cyclones and typhoons coming from the Pacific Ocean will hit.

It’s very important to note that we’ve spoken about the “theory.” Traveling to the Philippines in August in these areas does not mean it’s going to rain on you every single day and that your trip will be ruined.

In the Philippines, as in many Southeast Asian countries, what usually happens is a downpour falls for a couple of hours, usually in the afternoon. Even so, there is an additional factor that can dampen the experience a bit: tropical depressions (low pressure area) or typhoons. In this case, rains can last 3 or 4 days and boat or plane cancellations may occur. We’ll talk about this later.

Are there parts of the Philippines with no risk of rain in July?

Yes! Traveling to the Philippines in July doesn’t necessarily mean doing so in the rainy season. As we mentioned above, there are different climate zones and in the south of the country, mainly in the Mindanao region, it’s the dry season or dry season.

Therefore, if you’re very concerned about the weather when traveling to the Philippines in July, our advice is to focus your trip on two beautiful islands in this area: Camiguin and Siargao. You can add the little‑known Dinagat and, given its proximity, in Bohol the weather also tends to be good.

Does that mean it won’t rain there in July? Not necessarily. As we’ve said, the Philippines has a tropical climate and a shower can always happen, but the truth is you have far fewer chances of that occurring. In fact, on our last 2‑week visit to Camiguin in November, people on the island told us that the best time to visit is between March and April, so it’s a real lottery.

What is our experience? We’ve traveled and lived in the country during every season of the year and we’ll tell you that, in most cases, the theory has rarely held. For us, traveling to the Philippines is an option ALL YEAR ROUND.

For example, we were stuck in Coron for 3 days in February (supposed dry season) due to winds that prevented flights and boats from departing. The same happened to us in Romblon (Visayas) in March. On the other hand, we also traveled around Bohol or Malapascua during the rainy season and had incredible sunshine. We also had very bad luck in Palawan in December (dry season) and the sun only came out for a single day. We’ve experienced typhoons and tropical depressions in Manila, Siargao and the Legazpi area without major consequences. As you can see, we’ve been through everything!

What we can tell you is that over the last two Julys (2023 and 2024) the weather has been very kind across the whole country.

Honestly, we’d love to tell you that you’re going to travel to the Philippines in July and it won’t rain at all, but just as we can’t predict that in Europe, we can’t do it in the Philippines either. What we can do is give you some tips to make everything easier.

If the weather topic worries you, take a look at this 2‑week itinerary for the Philippines in August. It also works for July.

What is it like to travel to the Philippines in July—any tricks?

We’ve already given you the main tip for traveling to the Philippines in July: focus on the south of the country, but we have a few extra tricks to share.

If you don’t want to abandon the idea of traveling to Palawan or other parts of the Philippines, a good idea when putting your travel itinerary together is to start in Siargao or Camiguin, where it’s dry season, and monitor the weather in situ.

Does this mean I shouldn’t book any flights or accommodation if I travel to the Philippines in July? In our opinion, not necessarily. If you won’t be traveling for more than 20 days, we recommend having your trip tied down so you don’t waste time planning while you’re moving around the country. A good tip is to book hotels with free cancellation on Booking so you don’t risk losing your reservation money, but you also don’t get stuck with the poorer value‑for‑money stays, which in places like El Nido, Coron or Siargao are, unfortunately, the majority.

As for flights, you’ll need to decide what makes sense. Of course, traveling solo or as a couple isn’t the same as traveling with family. Taking on the cost of buying flights 1, 2 or 3 days before departure and risking there being no seats is something you’ll need to weigh up. Unfortunately, flight prices within the Philippines aren’t cheap and when there are fewer than 2–3 weeks left they usually double. You have to decide whether flexibility or savings matter more to you.

On the other hand, July, being the rainy season, also means it’s low season in the Philippines. This means there aren’t many people traveling around the country (especially locals) and hotel prices tend to be cheaper than at other times of the year.

Even so, more and more foreigners decide to travel to the Philippines in July, so it’s not unusual for prices to remain fairly stable or even rise on islands with good weather, such as hotels in Siargao.

It’s true that there are certain activities you won’t be able to do in the Philippines in July. For example, you won’t be able to dive the Tubbataha Reef, which isn’t open at this time of year, or you’ll need to check in advance whether Mount Pinatubo is open for hiking. In the case of expeditions, such as the Coron–El Nido Expedition (or vice versa) or the Balabac one, some companies don’t operate and, if you decide to do them, you should be aware that cancellations due to rough seas are much more frequent than at other times of the year.

Traveling to the Philippines in July 2026 — YOUR OPPORTUNITY

We’re writing these lines from the Philippines, in love with the experience of traveling here several times after the borders reopened. We’ll be staying here for a while, enjoying the country with very moderate tourism, good prices and just as unspoiled—if not more—than before. There are no restrictions on moving between islands, hotels and restaurants are open, transportation is back to normal…

For us, traveling to the Philippines in July 2026 is a real opportunity to enjoy nature and savor it like years ago. Don’t hesitate! From what we’re seeing, since 2022 more and more travelers have been coming to the Philippines and we’re sure they’ll keep doing so even more in the coming years, so we wouldn’t wait too long to discover that “pure” Philippines we love so much.

From our perspective, traveling to the Philippines is safe and something we recommend. Of course, always come with good travel insurance for the Philippines and, as always, travel with caution.

Take a look at the Requirements for traveling to the Philippines now

Tips for traveling to the Philippines in July

So what weather will I get in the Philippines in July? Is it worth traveling to the Philippines in July? We can’t answer the first one, but we can answer the second with a resounding yes. Even so, as with any other trip, it’s always best to plan and get informed. That’s why here are a few more tips if you want to travel to the Philippines in July:

If you’re very afraid it’ll rain, include Camiguin and Siargao. The weather there tends to be better and—lucky you—they’re gorgeous! Check out Things to do in Camiguin or Things to do in Siargao and fall in love before you arrive. If you have more days or want some adventure, seriously, don’t hesitate and go for island hopping in Dinagat—it’s very close to Siargao and has landscapes very similar to El Nido’s.
Don’t plan a 10–15 day trip. The less time you go for, the higher the chances you won’t be able to dodge the rain. Most importantly, leave more buffer between different destinations because you’re more likely to experience delays or cancellations that will cut your trip short.
Closely related to the above, don’t plan your trip to the Philippines in July down to the last detail. Cramming in a thousand destinations and giving them very few days will not only cause stress, it also increases the odds that something goes wrong. In July it’s normal for a flight to be delayed more than usual; if you’ve left little time for your next step, it can become a chain of issues.
If you’re traveling for 20 days or more, you can be more flexible. As we mentioned above, if you don’t want to spend much time searching for decent hotels and want to guarantee good prices, make accommodation bookings with free cancellation. On Booking.com you can see which ones allow it and until what date you can cancel at no cost. This is especially important in places like Siargao, Coron or El Nido, where value for money is poor. In Best hotels to stay in Siargao, Where to stay in El Nido and Where to stay in Coron you’ll find our tips for accommodation.
Weather apps will tend to say it’s going to rain all the time—don’t panic! This doesn’t mean it will definitely rain. The PAGASA satellite can give you a better idea of the weather over the coming days. We know it can be a bit hard to interpret, but if a typhoon or a serious low pressure area is coming, you’ll find a notice. These kinds of weather events don’t happen overnight; they’re usually visible at least a week ahead, so you have time to modify your route. A more intuitive and quite accurate option is the Windy app.
If your flight or ferry is canceled or changed, don’t worry. Philippine airlines and ferry companies usually rebook you on another one and refund your money.
It’s true that disasters happen but, as we say, they can be predicted in advance. In this sense, to travel safely to the Philippines in July, it’s essential that you travel with good travel insurance for the Philippines like the one we always carry.