Are you thinking about traveling to the Philippines during Holy Week and not sure what it’s like? You’ve come to the right place. If you have time off on those dates and want to escape to this wonderful archipelago, it’s a brilliant idea. As we’ll tell you, you’ll find good weather and an intense Christian religious fervor that sets the Philippines apart from other Southeast Asian countries, making the experience even more interesting.
Keep reading and discover what Holy Week is like in the Philippines and some tips for your trip at this time of year. We’ve been around here for a long time; we want you to have a great time and to come back to the Philippines again and again.
Weather in the Philippines at Holy Week
You already know that Holy Week doesn’t have a fixed date, but is set by the full moon after the March equinox. Thus, it’s usually celebrated no earlier than March 22 and no later than April 25.
This means that if you’re going to travel to the Philippines at Holy Week, you’ll be doing so between March and April. What will the weather be like on those dates? Although, as you know, we don’t have a crystal ball and the archipelago’s weather is unpredictable, in most of the country (with the exception of the Mindanao region, especially the easternmost coast) what’s known as the Filipino summer would be underway. In other words, it’s the dry and hot season.
At this time of year, the chances of rain drop a lot and maximum temperatures can reach 33ºC. At night, the thermometer will hover around a pleasant 23ºC. Skies tend to be cloud‑free and, if you’re coming to do diving in the Philippines or snorkeling, you’ll most likely enjoy fabulous visibility. In addition, the risk of typhoons is minimal.
It’s a great time to do multi‑day boat expeditions like the magnificent expedition from Coron to El Nido or the Balabac Island Hopping. Try to include one in your trip.
For all these reasons, Holy Week is a good time to travel to the Philippines if you’re worried about the weather and want to avoid the rains. To be even more certain, try to focus your trip on islands in the regions of Luzon, Palawan and the Visayas (islands like Bohol, Siquijor, Malapascua…). Even so, it’s also considered a good time for the south and to enjoy islands like Camiguin and Siargao.
☀️ You can read more about this topic in Best time to travel to the Philippines and When to travel to the Philippines.
Bantayan
Can you travel to the Philippines at Holy Week 2026?
Yes! You can travel to the Philippines completely normally. You can find more information in Requirements for traveling to the Philippines.
This year Holy Week falls from March 29 (Palm Sunday) to April 5 (Easter Sunday), so it’s a great time to come and enjoy the good weather. Not only that, the Philippine peso is at historic lows, so traveling around the country is cheaper than ever.
Remember, even so, that it’s extremely important to travel with good travel insurance for the Philippines, which covers you not only medically, but also with assistance in other aspects of the trip. We’ve been using IATI Seguros for more than 10 years and it has worked fabulously for us, even in pretty tough situations, so we don’t hesitate to recommend it. If you buy your policy via this link, you’ll get a 5% discount.
How is Holy Week celebrated in the Philippines?
We now more or less know what the weather will be like, but what other aspects should I consider? Keep reading because we tell you everything.
When is Holy Week in the Philippines
This is something that changes every year. As everywhere, in 2026, Holy Week in the Philippines will be from March 29 to April 20.
Why is Holy Week celebrated in the Philippines?
You’ve probably already guessed it because it’s clear: the Philippines has more than 90 million Catholic faithful, which represents more than 80% of its population. It’s the country with the most Catholics in Asia and the third in the world, behind Brazil and Mexico. In addition, it’s not only Catholics who celebrate it, but also the faithful of the Philippine Independent Church and most Protestant groups. Holy Week is a key moment in the liturgical calendar and is lived very intensely.
As we tell you in History of the Philippines, it was the Spanish who introduced this religion back in 1521 and, with it, traditional moments like this. In fact, five centuries later, it’s still called as in Castilian: “Semana Santa”.
Holy Week traditions in the Philippines
You’ll see below that much of what happens during Holy Week in the Philippines is similar to the traditions we can see in Spain, since they were exported. However, you can still appreciate superstitions and beliefs from pre‑colonial times, yielding an interesting result. Without going on too long, here are some curiosities and traditions you’ll see if you decide to travel to the Philippines at Holy Week:
- Palm Sunday: as in Spain, palms (palaspás) are taken to church to be blessed by a priest before or after Mass.
- Visita Iglesia: Filipinos usually visit 7 churches between Huwebes Santo (Maundy Thursday) and Biyernes Santo (Good Friday). Masses are celebrated and an image of Christ covered with a black veil is carried in procession.
- Senakulo: in many places there is a reenactment of the Passion of Christ.
- Many people fast from Holy Wednesday to Good Friday or eat, at most, once or twice a day. Many avoid eating meat.
- In the Visayas it’s very common to eat binignit, especially on Good Friday. It’s a dessert made with glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk with banana, taro, sweet potato, ube and tapioca pearls, among other ingredients.
- On Good Friday you have to be careful. There’s a superstition that if something happens to you, wounds may not heal. That’s why many families ask their children not to play that day. It’s also recommended not to make much noise and, in the past, it was said it was better not to bathe.
- On this day the Pasyon is also often recited continuously until 3:00 p.m. This is known as the pabasa.
- Salubong (“Encounter”): on Easter Sunday a ceremony is held in which a figure of Mary meets Jesus, commemorating the first time they saw each other after his death. It’s a gender‑segregated procession. The veil is removed by an “angel” (usually a child) with the help of doves or balloons and, if it becomes a difficult task, it’s said that bad luck will take over the year. After this there are fireworks, petals are thrown and the feast begins with adobo, sinigang na baboy or pancit, where meat takes center stage.
Interesting places to visit in the Philippines at Easter
Although you’ll surely see a procession or Mass here and there, the truth is that if you visit the traditional destinations on the itineraries around the Philippines, you’re not going to see many Holy Week manifestations. Therefore, if it catches your attention, you can visit these spots:
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- Marinduque: during Holy Week the Moriones Festival is held, one of the most important festivals in the Philippines. It has been held in honor of Saint Longinus since 1887 and takes place throughout the week, with more solemn celebrations and others more folkloric.
- San Fernando (Pampanga): in this city 80 kilometers north of Manila the harshest celebrations in the archipelago are experienced. On Maundy Thursday hundreds of people walk barefoot through the streets and flog themselves with bamboo whips for many hours. That is, they do penitensya seeking forgiveness or as a way of giving thanks. On Good Friday the Passion of Christ is emulated and you can see devotees carrying a cross to later be crucified.
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- Manila: important processions take place, especially on Good Friday. The most interesting is that of the Black Nazarene, which departs from Quiapo Church. In Tondo the Caridad is celebrated and food and drink are distributed among all attendees at the Good Friday Mass. In Fort Santiago there is also usually a reenactment of the Passion of Christ. On Palm Sunday the saboy is danced in Las Piñas and the Sayaw ng Pagbati in Parañaque.
- Baliuag: in this city in Bulacan, every Good Friday, a lavish procession of 122 pasos is held, showing the life of Jesus. You can read more about it here.
- Sipalay (Negros Occidental): it’s the time to buy or make anting‑anting, amulets, because they’re filled with power on Good Friday. There’s an amulet for every wish: passing exams, conceiving, finding love, succeeding in business, being invincible… In this city, albularyo (healers or sorcerers) look for them in caves. Antingeros (talisman lovers) go to Mt. Banahaw on this day to recharge them with energy, since it’s believed to be a sacred mountain. To do this, they repeat psalms in Latin over and over again.
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What is it like to travel to the Philippines at Holy Week?
You can see that the weather at this time of year usually cooperates, so if you have vacation, traveling to the Philippines at Holy Week is a brilliant idea. That said, you need to bear something very important in mind: as it’s such a devout country, there are also work and school holidays here, so there will be more people than usual in the most touristy destinations.
This also translates into it being high season (more like VERY HIGH) and, therefore, accommodation and flight prices go up. Seats on boats and buses also sell out. Therefore, our advice is to book well in advance (1–2 months or even more), everything you can, and, if possible, try to avoid the most touristy areas and focus on destinations that are a little more under the radar.
Pay special attention in Camiguin, as it’s considered a “pilgrimage” destination and, although it’s very quiet the rest of the year, it fills up during Holy Week.
The Philippines has more than 7,700 islands and no two trips are the same. Read What to do in the Philippines and discover the many possibilities you have, depending on the activity you most feel like doing.
Finally, you need to bear in mind that some businesses (usually those not related to tourism) may close or operate shorter hours.
If you want route suggestions for Holy Week in the Philippines, we suggest taking a look at these:
Tips for visiting the Philippines at Holy Week
If it’s your first time traveling to the Philippines at Holy Week, here’s a list of the tips we think will interest you most:
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- Book transport and accommodation well in advance. Although we’ve been pretty clear already, please plan ahead unless you’re going to very remote destinations. You can read more about this in Hotels in the Philippines and Domestic flights in the Philippines.
- Perhaps the busiest routes (in addition to flights to destinations like Siargao, El Nido or Boracay) are the boat from Coron to El Nido and vice versa, the boat from Bohol to Siquijor and vice versa, and the one from Bohol to Camiguin. Don’t miss your seat.
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- If you’re going to visit El Nido, Coron and/or Port Barton, do private island hoppings. Really, at times of very high demand like Holy Week in the Philippines, they’re even more worthwhile than usual. It’s not essential, but, if you can, arrange with the boatmen at least a month in advance (we can give you recommended contacts in all these places if you leave us a comment). Read more about this topic in Island hopping in the Philippines.
- Try to arrive at ports and airports with more advance than usual, as there’s usually more people and queues are not uncommon.
- If you have in mind to do the tour from Coron to El Nido, we recommend booking as soon as possible. Really, it fills up.
- Stay hydrated It’s the hottest time of the year along with May, so don’t forget to drink water and wear breathable clothing.
- Check our Recommendations and tips for traveling to the Philippines and Philippines Guide to travel with more peace of mind.
- Please don’t leave home without good travel insurance. It will not only be there for you in case something happens due to the weather, but also in health terms. Get a 5% discount on your policy.
El Nido
Frequently asked questions about traveling to the Philippines at Holy Week
To wrap up, we want to answer the most common questions asked by travelers who want to visit us on these dates. We hope it helps you too:
Is Holy Week a good time to travel to the Philippines?
Yes, it coincides with the driest season across the country. What you do need to consider is that it’s a time of heavy tourist influx, so it’s wise to book accommodation and transport well in advance.
What happens during Holy Week in the Philippines?
There’s a lot of religious fervor and you can take part in some traditions, but from a tourism standpoint the most relevant thing is that there’s a much higher influx of visitors. Even so, there are many islands to choose from.
Which islands to visit in the Philippines at Holy Week?
In terms of weather, you can go anywhere, as it’s the dry season throughout the country. That is, all the most well‑known destinations usually enjoy good weather: El Nido, Coron, Bohol, Siquijor, Siargao, Malapascua…
Did we help you understand what it’s like to travel to the Philippines at Holy Week? If you have any questions as you plan your next adventure, we’ll be happy to read you in the comments.
We have several articles related to the best times to visit the country that will interest you, such as:
Travel to the Philippines at Christmas
