Philippines Itinerary – 30 days in Paradise! – TREKwithBECK
Welcome to my 30-day Philippines Itinerary, and the route I took during my World Tour! This itinerary is a bit slower paced than my 2-week itineraries – which you should go check out if you have limited time.
If you are looking for basic information about travelling through the Philippines, head over to my 2-week itinerary for more information. The only extra information you need for this itinerary is that I have chosen 30 days, as this is the visa limit for Australians. In other words, I got 30 days free – which is why I chose to travel for this time.
Like all my itineraries, this can be followed my most recent itinerary through Singapore. If you’d like to check out any of my other itineraries from my travels, you can find them here.
Let’s get straight into it!
DAY 1-3: Manila
Even though I didn’t find Manila too exciting, and it is best used as a stop off point – I have put 2 full days here (excluding day one for travel), as there are some places that you might be interested in exploring. There are a couple of day trips which leave from manila, mountain hikes, volcanos, and city tours.
If this isn’t something you are interested, I would save these days, and use them in Cebu instead.
DAY 4: Travel day to Puerto Princesa
Today we take it easy, and catch one flight from Manila to Puerto Princesa, Palawan. There isn’t much to do in this small town, but you have a big (and early) day tomorrow, so it’s best to rest up today for that activity.
I would spend the day, resting, eating, and buying anything you need for your Balabac Expedition!
DAY 5-8: Balabac Expedition
Over the next four days of this 30-day Philippines itinerary, you are going to visit some of the most beautiful islands I have ever laid eyes on. The Balabac Islands are in the South of Palawan, and the port is about a 5–6-hour drive from Puerto Princesa. The Balabac expedition will start around 2-3am on the morning of day five – which is why your rest on day four is so important.
You won’t regret embarking on this expedition, but I would check out my detailed blog here first, to make sure this expedition is right for you.
You will arrive back late on day eight, where you will need accommodation in Puerto Princesa. I would book the same accommodation as you did on day four, as this means you can leave your big luggage at the hostel or hotel.
DAY 9-11: Port Barton
One of my favourite little towns in Palawan! Port Barton is a short 3-hour drive from Puerto Princesa. Most minivans will pick you up from your accommodation and drop you off the Port Barton bus stop (5 mins from town). Port Barton is a very laid-back town, with not much to do, so 3 days is plenty of time to explore everything here.
I highly recommend hiring a kayak for a day and exploring beaches such as Coconut and White beach. If you like to party, there is also a pretty good backpacker party scene here. For more information on travelling to Port Barton, you can check out my blog here.
DAY 12-15: El Nido
We now head to some of the most popular spots in the Philippines on this 30-day itinerary. El Nido is the next destination, which is always worth visiting. El Nido has some of the best island hopping in all the Philippines. Incredible snorkelling, beaches, hikes, diving and much more. There are plenty of things to do in this area, so four days will be enough time to not feel rushed.
I highly recommend booking 2 island tours and spending the other time exploring the town, or the outskirts. If you are looking for more information about things to do in El Nido, you can read my full detailed blog here.
On day 15 of this itinerary, you will need to make sure you are available at 6pm for a briefing for your next expedition starting tomorrow.
DAY 16-20: TAO Expeditions or Other
For the next 5 days of this 30-day itinerary, you will be travelling to Coron but on an expedition! I have written a full review of my time on the TAO expedition, which is a complete unbiased review. I personally wouldn’t recommend this expedition myself, but because it’s so highly rated it is on this itinerary. There are a few other companies that do similar expeditions, and I do think it is an interesting way to travel to Coron, so it is worth checking out.
During this expedition you will camp on scheduled beaches, snorkel in pristine waters, and sail the open seas to Coron. Not recommended for people who may need small comforts, like phones, comfy beds, and proper showers.
DAY 21-23: Coron
The afternoon of the 20th day, you would have arrived in Coron. However, this itinerary gives you 3 full days to explore this beautiful island. Despite the town and mainland lacking things to do, there is so much island hopping – you won’t get bored. I would recommend spending two days island hopping and one exploring the town/more relaxed day.
I have written a detailed blog on all the things to do in Coron, including places to stay – which you can find here.
DAY 24-28: Siargao
We head to our next destination – Siargao. I love this island, and I believe you will too. Siargao is one of the most laid-back islands on this 30-day Philippines itinerary. It has excellent surf (world famous), palm lined beaches, snorkelling, coves and more. I have given 4 days on this itinerary, but you could easily spend a week or more here. This must be one of the most beautiful islands I have driven around as well!
For more information on what to do in Siargao, and a more detailed guide – you can check out my blog here.
DAY 29: Cebu City
On day 29 of this itinerary, you will fly from Siargao to Cebu City. Here you will spend one night, before catching your flight home tomorrow. You can also end your itinerary here or add an extra day to the above locations. I personally chose to fly to Cebu instead of directly home for two reasons. Firstly, I didn’t want to catch 3 flights in one day. Secondly, I wanted to do a bit of shopping in Cebu before my quick trip home.
TIP – If you don’t travel through Manila and want to explore Cebu Island, use the 3 extra days for a short trip to Moalboal!
DAY 30: Fly home
If you haven’t already, today you will fly home or to your onward destination! You might need to fly to Manila to catch your international flight, if it isn’t available from Cebu City – if you need to do this, I recommend spending another day in one of the places above, and flying direct from Siargao to Manila, instead of Cebu.
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