Looking for a 10 day Philippines itinerary?
Lucky you! The Philippines is a great country to visit and 10 days in Philippines is a great length of time to see some of the variety that this country offers.
However, with so many choices of what to do and where to go in the Philippines, coming up with a Philippines 10 day itinerary can be tricky – that’s why I have done the hard work for you!
Below, I have given you our best suggestions for your 10 days Philippines itinerary as well as some add-ons if you have slightly longer and are looking for a Philippines itinerary 12 days.
I believe that the best itinerary for Philippines will include a bit of mountain and jungle time along with some glorious beach and island hopping. So our two Philippines itinerary 10 days options below include both of these types of destinations. However, I also know some of you would prefer a Philippines island hopping itinerary only, so I have also included an option below which is just about the Philippines’ gorgeous coastline. It’s your choice!
Let’s start!
Visiting for longer and looking for a 1 month or 3 weeks Philippines tour itinerary instead? Find our full 3 weeks to 1 month Philippines travel itinerary here.
Dream Philippines Itinerary 10 Days #1 – Coron, Palawan and Bohol
I’ll first give you an overview of this Philippines 10 days itinerary before diving in to exactly what you should do day by day. I’ll also include an alternative for people who only want to concentrate on beach time with their itinerary in Philippines.
In this Palawan Philippines itinerary, you’ll spend a week exploring the crazy beautiful coastline of Coron and Palawan before heading to the jungles in the interior of Bohol. It’s perfect for anyone who wants to see some of the best scenery in the Philippines while having lots of fun!
Coron and Palawan are towards the east in the Philippines island chain and have become quite popular among travellers on a 10 day trip to Philippines who love beaches and aquatic life.
Bohol is a smaller island just to the south of the major city of Cebu. It’s easy to reach with regular ferries from Cebu and a major airport in Cebu City. It’s perfect for seeing a different side of the Philippines as, while it has some great beaches and coastline, it’s best known for its jungle interior, its Chocolate Hills and a small creature known as a tarsier.
This is suitable for people looking for a Philippines honeymoon itinerary or a backpacking Philippines itinerary – you’ll just need to pick your accommodation and transport according to your budget and desired luxury level, although note that luxury hotels are not widely available in every location in the Philippines.
If you would like an itinerary which just visits Palawan and Coron, read this itinerary here.
Map Of 10 Day Itinerary for Philippines #1
Days 1-3 Coron
On arrival in the Philippines, head straight to a domestic flight to Busuanga airport to start your best Philippines itinerary! On arrival, head straight to Coron Town or island and check in to your accommodation.
Note that there is both an island and a town called Coron right next to each other which can be confusing. The town is a good place to stay if you want to be somewhere with many services, where it’s easier to get to and there are many tour operators and choices.
However, staying on one of the nearby islands is much more beautiful – it’s up to you!
If you arrive in time for an afternoon activity, I recommend a visit to the Maquinit Hot Springs to relax after your long journey!
This area is beautiful so day 2 is spent exploring the surrounding coastline. If you are able to add an extra day to your Philippines travel itinerary 10 days, this is where I would add it.
You can chose activities from the following:
- Visit Kayangan Lake pictured above (discounted tour here)
- Island hopping day trips (discounted tour here)
- Snorkelling
- Diving
- Kayaking
- Twin Lagoons (discounted tour here)
- Maquinit Hot Springs
Since you are short of time, I recommend doing a full day tour. You can find tour options here or in the links above.
Best Accommodation: Two Seasons Coron Island Resort & Spa
Budget Accommodation: Treetop Suites
Find our full guide to the best places to stay in Coron here.
In the morning of day 3, you can also do one of the activities above.
Days 3-6: El Nido
El Nido is on the island of Palawan, about a four hour fast boat ride away. Take this boat in the afternoon.
You can find the schedules and prices here.
El Nido is a coastal town in the north of Palawan known for its gorgeous coastline including limestone karsts sticking out of the water. On your first night, check in, have a great dinner and get ready for more exploration.
On days 4 and 5, you can pick from the following activities. Note that there are four official tours in El Nido which are labelled as A, B, C and D. There are also other things to do. Even among the official tours, there are variations especially in regards to comfort level and what’s included. Try to do at least one!
- Tour A: Take a tour around the islands of Bacuit Bay. Find a discounted option for this here.
- Tour B – Swim and snorkel at Pinagbuyutan Island, Snake Island and Cudugnon Cave. This is a luxury wooden boat option.
- Tour C – Enjoy Helicopter Island, Tapiutan Island, Secret Beach and Hidden Beach. Here’s an option to do it in a luxury speedboat.
- Tour D – Visit hidden beaches and lagoons like Pasandigan Beach and Cadlao Lagoon. Here’s a luxury catamaran option.
- Enjoy a fresh seafood BBQ in the evening
- Swim at the beaches
- Go surfing
- Go diving
- Go kayaking
- Hike to a waterfall: Nagkalit-Kalit or Bulalacao
- Have a massage
Best Accommodation: Cauayan Island Resort
Budget Accommodation: Amakan Bed | Bunk | Breakfast
Find our full guide to the best places to stay in El Nido here.
Days 6-7: Puerto Princesa
This morning, it’s time for a change of scenery as your travel Philippines itinerary takes you to Puerto Princesa, the capital and transport hub of Palawan. From here, you will be able to catch a flight onwards to other parts of the Philippines.
Now you do have a choice here. If you have the budget, I recommend flying from El Nido to Cebu (usually via Manila) to save time. El Nido only has a small airport with one carrier, Air Swift, which makes this option expensive.
You can find the latest prices and schedules here.
If you take this option, I recommend adding an extra day to Coron above and flying to Cebu on Day 7.
Otherwise, today, head to Puerto Princesa.
You can find the latest prices, times and tickets here. The journey time is about five and a half hours.
In the evening, head to Bay Walk Park.
Best Accommodation: Best Western Plus The Ivywall Hotel
Budget Accommodation: Hostel Privado
Day 7, fly to Cebu City in the morning. Find flight options here.
Days 7-10 Bohol
It’s jungle time!
On arrival at Cebu Airport, head straight to the island of Bohol. You can read exact instructions here.
Bohol has many natural attractions and we will be making sure we see the best ones! So get ready to explore this island.
Activities I recommend for days 8 and 9:
- Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary
- Chocolate Hills
- Sagbayan Peak
- Loboc zipline and chairlift at Loboc Eco Adventure Park
- Loboc river cruise
- Firefly watching
- Sipatan Twin Hanging Bridges/Bamboo Hanging Bridges
And exploring Bohol’s jungle interior.
Here is a suggested tour so you can easily see some of the big attractions. You can also hire a car and a driver to take you around. The attractions are spread out so you will want to do one of these things.
I highly recommend you stay at the Loboc River Resort. This is one of my personal favourite spots in the Philippines, and I can’t recommend it enough! There are many jungle activities you can do right on site and they have fireflies in the evening. This is the best way to enjoy this part of the world.
For a more budget alternative, try the Water to Forest Ecolodge Bohol.
You can read our full guide to where to stay in Bohol here.
Beach Lover Alternative?
If your perfect itinerary Philippines 10 days is all about beaches then you can swap the final stop from Bohol to visiting Panglao Island which is a small island connected to Bohol by a bridge.
There are some great beaches here with many water sport and activities on offer. This is especially a good option for divers.
You can still do a day trip to visit the attractions mentioned above on Bohol which I recommend you do unless you really can’t drag yourself away from the beach.
Best Accommodation: Henann Resort
Budget Accommodation: Mithi Resort and Spa
You can also find all our best Bohol and Panglao accommodation options here.
Dream 10 Day Philippines itinerary #2 – Luzon and Coron
In this second Philippines trip itinerary, you’ll spend a week exploring the mountainous areas of Luzon, the main island in the Philippines, before finishing with some major beach and water time at Coron.
Although both of these itineraries have Coron in common, this itinerary is much more focused on seeing a completely different side of the Philippines far from the beaches so which Philippines holiday itinerary is best for you will really depend on your preference.
Luzon is the island which is home to the capital, Manila. It has a huge amount of variety from the fast city life of Manila to gorgeous coastline to the mountains that you will concentrate on in this itinerary.
After finishing your time here, you will head to Coron. As mentioned above, this is the place for stunning coastal scenery and exploration. It’s a great balance! As an alternative to Coron, you could also consider Boracay for your beach time.
If you are someone who wants some time where everything is easy and international standard then Boracay is a great alternative to Coron. However, in this Philippines suggested itinerary, I will concentrate on Coron.
Map Of 10 Day Itinerary for Philippines #2
Day 1 Tuguegarao
On arrival in the Philippines (preferably in Manila), head straight to a domestic flight to Tuguegarao airport.
If you have time after arriving, head to Buntun Bridge to take photos and visit Tuguegarao Cathedral. Get an early night ready for your coming adventure!
Best Accommodation: Radlett Residences – Tuguegarao
Budget Accommodation: Mango Suites
Days 2-4: Banaue
In the morning, take a bus to Banaue.
Banaue is known for its rice terraces and as the place to soak in scenery and hike. It’s high in the mountains and very scenic. In fact, it’s been called the eighth wonder in the world!
On arrival, I recommend taking a tricycle up to Banaue Viewpoint. You can then trek back down which takes about 3-4 hours and is a nice introduction to the area.
On day 3, you can head to nearby Batad where the scenery gets even better! Batad is about 40 minutes away from Banaue by tricycle. I recommend that you start hiking at Batad Saddle. Make your way to Tappiya waterfall while trekking through town.
Altitudes here can reach up to 2900 metres, so make sure you don’t push yourself too hard if you start to feel sick.
Best Accommodation: Banaue Hotel
Budget Accommodation: Batad View Inn and Restaurant
Days 4-6 Sagada
On day 4, take a bus or van on to Sagada. You can find the bus timetables here.
Sagada is another great place for hiking. The cooler temperatures make this pleasant. Make sure you check out its famous hanging coffins on the side of cliffs at Echo Valley.
These are a 30 minute hike from the town and a great way to introduce yourself to this area on your first afternoon in Sagada.
On day 5, it’s hiking time. Some suggestions are:
- Marlboro Hill to Blue Soil trek
- Marlboro Hills
- Danum Lake
- Sumaguing Cave
- Lumiang Burial Cave
It’s mandatory to have a guide at many attractions here. I recommend going straight to the tourist office on arrival to work everything out.
On day 6, it’s time to return to Manila via bus which takes about 12 hours. Find the timetables and prices here.
Best Accommodation: Kanip Aw Pines View Lodge
Budget Accommodation: Isabelo’s Inn and Cafe
You can also find our full guide to where to stay in Sagada here.
Days 7-10: Coron
On day 7, take a morning flight to Busuanga airport for Coron.
For the rest of this itinerary, follow days 1-3 in itinerary #1 above. You will have an extra day compared to itinerary #1 so can do more of the activities on the Coron list.
On day 10, fly back to Manila or on to Cebu to connect to your flights back home.
Best Accommodation: Two Seasons Coron Island Resort & Spa
Budget Accommodation: Treetop Suites
12 Day Itinerary Philippines Suggestions
If you have slightly longer and are looking for a Philippines itinerary 12 days, I recommend the following additions to the above.
For itinerary #1, add one extra day in Coron and an extra day in Bohol. Spend the extra day in Bohol travelling to Panglao island and enjoying the beaches and water life there.
To make itinerary #2 a Philippines 12 day itinerary, add another day to Sagada, Banaue or Coron, whichever suits. Also add a night to Manila before flying to Coron. Visit Intramuros in Manila.
If you are looking for a Philippines itinerary 9 days, for itinerary 1, spend one less night in Bohol. In itinerary 2, one less night in Coron.
Final Words About Your 10 days in Philippines Itinerary
All you have to do now is pick which 10 day Philippines itinerary you want to do from the options above.
As a general rule, people most interested in visiting the coastal areas of the Philippines should pick #1. For travellers more interested in the mountainous interior, pick #2.
If neither seem quite right to you, check out our 3 weeks and 4 weeks itineraries here. You can also modify that to make your perfect itinerary.
Whatever you pick, I’m sure you will have a fabulous time in the Philippines!
I hope you enjoyed this article about how to spend 10 days in the Philippines and that you have a fabulous trip. Ask any questions below and find all our Philippines planning articles here including articles such as the best resorts in Pampanga. You can also find our two week itinerary here and 7 day itinerary here.
