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3 weeks is the perfect amount of time to explore the stunning archipelago of the Philippines. From the stunning limestone cliffs of El Nido to the vibrant coral reefs of Moalboal, each destination on this itinerary shows off the best of this tropical paradise. Dive into the emerald lakes of Coron, scooter through the mystical landscapes of Siquijor, and ride the legendary waves of Siargao. Whether you’re a beach lover, an adventure seeker, or a culture enthusiast, this 3 week Philippines itinerary will take you on the adventure of a lifetime.
Note that this 3 week Philippines itinerary is reversible, but I don’t recommend mixing up the order otherwise. It makes the most sense geographically to make your way from east to west or west to east.
In this 3 week Philippines itinerary, I’ve counted travel days separately to account for how long it takes to get between islands. Travel days often include multiple taxis, ferries, tricycles, buses, vans, or planes that run on “island time”. Don’t underestimate how long travel days take when planning your Philippines trip. Block them off as full days so they don’t take away from the time you need to enjoy your destination.
El Nido: 3 days
Day 1: Island hopping
Start your El Nido adventure strong by going on one of its famous island-hopping tours. There are 4 main tours: A, B, C, and D, with A and C being the most popular. A includes stops at the Big Lagoon and Seven Commandos Beach (pictured below), while C includes stops at Helicopter Island and Secret Beach.
Most visitors to El Nido do A, C, or both. Be warned that island hopping in El Nido is extremely touristy and crowded. I did Tour A and I had to wait 30 minutes for a kayak at the Big Lagoon and we had to change our route due to crowds. I’m glad I saw the beautiful sights, but it was frustrating at times. I highly recommend hiring a private boat if it’s within your budget so you can get ahead of the crowds and customize your route.
If you’d prefer the budget route, you can book Tour A here and Tour C here for a great price.
Day 2: Inland adventure & Nacpan Beach
Not many people explore beyond El Nido’s beaches, but this was one of my favorite days there. I joined the Beyond El Nido tour offered by my hostel’s tour company, Haqqy Life. We spent all day cruising around El Nido in the jeepney, stopping at sights off the beaten path. At the end of the day, we watched the sunset from Nacpan Beach with unlimited cocktails from a beach club. On the drive back to El Nido town, we did karaoke in the jeepney. I can’t recommend this tour enough (not sponsored)!
Day 3: Chill beach day or more island hopping
If you’re up for more island hopping, you can spend your last day in El Nido doing another island hopping tour. However, I recommend spending today relaxing on El Nido’s stunning beaches, especially if you’re doing the El Nido to Coron boat expedition. If so, your next few days will be full of island hopping.
My favorite beach in El Nido (and quite possibly the world!) is Las Cabanas. Just a 10-minute tuk-tuk ride out of the city center, it’s truly paradise. You’ll arrive at an area called Vanilla Beach, which is built up with shops and restaurants. Walk down the beach towards the zipline but keep going and turn the corner. When you turn the corner, you’ll see the stunning view I have pictured below. Not many people know to walk around the corner, so you’ll likely have this gorgeous beach mostly to yourself.
Another great beach to relax at is Lio Beach, near the El Nido airport. This beach is slightly south of Nacpan Beach but is less frequented. It’s a great place to relax under the palm trees and go for a swim. As a bonus, you can watch planes land right over the beach! Keep in mind that swimming is forbidden to the left of the pier because of the proximity of the planes.
El Nido to Coron expedition: 3 days
Anyone who does the El Nido to Coron (or Coron to El Nido) boat expedition says it’s one of the highlights of their trip. I’m here to add to the hype and say that it cannot be missed! You spend 3, 4, or 5 days slowly making your way from El Nido to Coron or vice versa. On the way, you stop at untouched beaches, swim at pristine snorkeling sites, and camp on remote islands. You’re served 3 meals a day plus snacks and free rum at night. It’s certainly not fancy, as you’re spending all day on a basic boat and camping off the grid, but it’s more than comfortable enough.
I did my El Nido to Coron expedition through Buhay Isla, which I highly recommend. The crew was incredible, my group was so fun, the base camps were comfortable, and the stops were gorgeous. Check out my full Buhay Isla review, where I’ll walk you through all the aspects of the boat expedition so you’re prepared for the adventure of a lifetime.
Coron: 2 days
Day 1: Shipwreck diving or snorkeling
Did you know that Coron is the shipwreck diving capital of the Philippines? There are 12 sunken wartime ships from World War II in its waters. If you’re dive-certified, you can’t miss a day of shipwreck diving! It’s even better if you’re an advanced diver because most of the wrecks are deep.
If you aren’t a diver but still enjoy being in the water, Coron has a great snorkeling site at Siete Pecados. You can easily find island hopping tours that include a stop for snorkeling there.
Day 2: Island hopping
To see all of Coron’s island hopping highlights in one day, do the Super Ultimate Tour. This includes stops at all the must-see spots, most notably the Twin Lagoons, Barracuda Lake, and Kayangan Lake. It’s a very long and tiring day, so if you’re not up for it, you can choose between Tour A and Tour B depending on what you’d like to see.
Travel day
Travel from Coron to Moalboal will take the better part of a day, so I’ve counted it as its own day to not take away from the time you need on both ends.
To travel from Coron to Moalboal, you first will catch a flight from Coron to Cebu. Then, take a taxi directly to Moalboal (about 2 hours) or take a taxi to the South Bus Terminal (about 30 minutes) followed by a 3-hour bus ride to Moalboal. Buses depart every 30 minutes, some non-AC and some AC. I took the bus for budget reasons and had no trouble, although I highly suggest catching an air-conditioned bus if possible. The non-AC bus will have you wind-blown and is significantly less comfortable.
Moalboal: 2 days
Day 1: Kawasan Falls Canyoneering
Canyoneering at Kawasan Falls is one of the best things to do in Moalboal. You’ll start early and spend all day trekking through a river canyon. You’ll hike, swim, float, swing, and jump off cliffs as you make your way to Kawasan Falls, the endpoint. The three-stage waterfall has gorgeous teal water and makes for a perfect ending.
I recommend bringing a waterproof case for your phone, as your tour guides will hold onto your phone for you and take pictures and videos the entire time!
Day 2: Diving or snorkeling the sardine run
Moalboal is famous for its sardine run, the second biggest in the world after South Africa’s. There are nearly guaranteed sightings of the sardines every day, and you don’t have to look far. From Panagsama Beach, swim a few meters out to where the reef drops off. That’s where you’ll see schools of millions of sardines. If you’re lucky, you’ll also see some of Moalboal’s resident sea turtles.
If you’re dive-certified, diving the sardine run is a unique experience. You can see them from a different perspective, and if you’re lucky, you might find yourself surrounded!
NOTE: One of the main things to do in Moalboal is to take a day trip to Oslob to swim with the whale sharks. Please do not do this. It’s highly unethical, as the tour providers feed the whale sharks to guarantee tourist encounters. It’s very dangerous for the whale sharks. There are places in the Philippines where you can ethically swim with whale sharks if you’re interested.
Travel day
This is another travel day that can be long and complicated. There is no easy or direct way to get from Moalboal to Siquijor, even though many tourists make the journey every day. But don’t worry, it’s doable and the destination is worth the journey.
First, you’ll head to the Moalboal Bus Terminal, which is where you get off if you take the bus from Cebu. Catch a bus to Bato Bus Terminal, which comes about every 30 minutes. Once again, I recommend taking an AC bus if possible. The journey takes about 2 hours, then take a 30-minute tricycle from Bato Bus Terminal to Liloan Port.
From Liloan Port, take the ferry to Sibulan Port in Dumaguete. The ferry departs every 90 minutes and takes only 20 minutes. Once you arrive at Sibulan Port, you need to take a quick tricycle ride to Dumaguete Port. Finally, you can board a ferry to Siquijor Pier. The ferry takes 1 to 2 hours.
Siquijor: 3 days
Day 1: Beaches & cliff jumping
Start your first day in Siquijor by relaxing at its most popular beach, Paliton Beach. It’s lined with palm trees, has gorgeous clear blue water, and you can snorkel right off the shore.
In the afternoon, head to Salagdoong Beach. Two stunning beaches are split by a rock, with several diving boards and a slide. Whether you relax on the beach or cliff jump, it’s a great place to spend the afternoon.
Day 2: Waterfalls & snorkeling
Cambugahay Falls are the top waterfalls in Siquijor. There are three beautiful waterfalls, each with a pool of Gatorade blue water that you can swim in. The first and third waterfalls are the most popular because you can rope swing into the water. You can easily spend an entire morning exploring the different levels of waterfalls.
Next, head to Tubod Beach where you can snorkel the best-preserved coral reef on the island. If you swim just a few meters out from the beach, you’ll be in Tubod Marine Sanctuary. There are many tropical fish and thriving reefs here. The beach is nice too, so you can relax when you’re done snorkeling.
Day 3: Waterfalls & scooter adventure
Start today at Lugnason Falls, a great spot for cliff jumping and rope swinging. Like Cambugahay Falls, you can swim and jump into natural pools of bright blue water.
On your last afternoon, rent a scooter and cruise along the scenic coastal road around the island! Include stops at Pitogo Cliff, the Old Enchanted Balete Tree, Laxi Church, and Sabas Beach.
Travel day
Another full day of travel! By now, you’ll understand why people suggest minimizing the number of islands you visit in the Philippines. Luckily, having 3 weeks in the Philippines allows you to have a few travel days without taking away from too much of your free time.
First, you need to take a ferry from Siquijor Pier to Cebu Pier. The ferry takes 5 hours and currently departs at 8:20 am daily. Check the schedule and buy your ferry tickets in advance here.
The ferry arrives at Cebu Pier around 1 pm, so you should book a flight late in the day or early the next morning. It takes around 30 minutes by taxi to get from Cebu Pier to Cebu Airport. The flight from Cebu to Siargao is a quick 45 minutes.
Siargao: 5 days
Siargao is one of my top picks for the best places to solo female travel in Asia!
Day 1: Surfing or surf lesson
Siargao is a great spot for surfers of all levels. There are beaches for all levels, including the famous Cloud 9 if you’re an advanced surfer. If you’re not, I recommend taking a surf lesson. I took my first-ever surf lesson in Siargao and had so much fun.
If you don’t surf at Cloud 9, it’s still worth visiting. You can walk the pier and watch the surfers catch huge waves. I spent an afternoon lounging on the beach and watching impressive surfers.
Day 2: Land adventure
You can dedicate an entire day to exploring Siargao’s natural wonders, including stops at the Coconut Trees View Deck, Maasin River, Magpupungko Rock Pool, and Sugba Lagoon. The best way to do it is by renting a scooter and cruising around. Inland Siargao is covered in palm trees, so driving around and taking in the views is fun in and of itself. If you aren’t comfortable driving a scooter or simply want the ease of a guided tour, you can book a budget tour including transportation, lunch, a tour guide, and a photographer here.
Day 3: Tri-island hopping
Siargao has three famous islands that make up the popular Tri-Island Tour: Naked, Daku, and Guyam. The island-hopping tour takes you to these beautiful islands where you can spend the day relaxing in paradise. Most tours include an iconic boodlefight lunch, which is an experience in and of itself. Book a super affordable and highly rated tri-island tour here!
Day 4: Pacifico
Too many visitors to Siargao miss Pacifico completely, but it’s my favorite area on the island! It’s an hour north of General Luna, the main tourist area, so you can rent a motorbike or hire a driver to take you there. On the way, you’ll pass the Coconut Trees View Deck and Maasin River if you haven’t visited them yet. The ride is very scenic, so the drive goes by quickly.
The best things to do in Pacifico include surfing, chilling at Pacifico Beach and Alegria Beach, and eating at Lokal in Burgos.
Day 5: More surfing or Sohoton Cove day trip
On your last day in Siargao, you can choose between surfing again (because one time probably isn’t enough!) or taking a day trip to Sohoton Cove.
Sohoton Cove is an hour away from Siargao by boat. It’s an emerald-blue lagoon surrounded by forest-covered islets. While there, you’ll visit lagoons, caves, lakes, diving boards, and a stingless jellyfish sanctuary. If you enjoyed Sugba Lagoon, you’ll especially enjoy this pristine national park.
Tours to Sohoton Cove are more expensive than the other activities in Siargao because of the distance. This tour is a great budget option!
As your adventure through the Philippines ends, you’ve visited 5 top destinations showing off its diverse and unique beauty. From the crystal clear lagoons of El Nido to the wartime shipwrecks of Coron, the thriving marine life of Moalboal, the mystical charm of Siquijor, and the palm trees of Siargao, each destination on this 3 week Philippines itinerary offers its own slice of paradise.
Keep reading:
- Buhay Isla review: 3-day boat expedition in the Philippines
- Solo female travel in the Philippines: Safety, tips, & what to expect
- Best places to solo travel in Asia as a woman
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