Philippines Travel Tips: When to Go, Money & Local Advice

Visas & entry

Citizens of many major passport countries—including the US, Canada, UK, EU states, Australia and New Zealand—can generally enter visa-free for up to 30 days with a passport valid for at least six months and proof of onward travel. Rules, permitted stay and the mandatory eTravel arrival declaration can change, so confirm with the Philippine Bureau of Immigration or your local embassy before flying.

Getting in

Manila — Ninoy Aquino International Airport: The main long-haul gateway and the best choice for Luzon, Palawan connections, and the widest domestic-flight network. Treat Manila transfers seriously: terminals are separate, traffic is bad, and a same-day self-transfer is a bad gamble.
Cebu — Mactan-Cebu International Airport: The most useful alternative to Manila for the Visayas: Cebu, Bohol, Moalboal, Malapascua and many domestic island routes. It has a meaningful range of international flights, especially within Asia, but fewer intercontinental options than Manila.
Clark — Clark International Airport: A less chaotic Luzon alternative with regional international flights and some useful domestic links. It works for Pampanga and northern Luzon, but it is not a convenient substitute for Manila if your onward flight is from NAIA.
Davao — Francisco Bangoy International Airport: Useful for Davao, Samal and selected Mindanao itineraries, with limited international service and domestic connections through Manila or Cebu. Check current government travel advice before building a wider Mindanao trip.

Getting around

Fly between island groups; a 60–90 minute domestic flight usually consumes half a day once airport transfers, check-in, baggage and weather delays are included. Use ferries for short, established links such as Cebu–Bohol and Dumaguete–Siquijor, not as a substitute for flying across the archipelago. There is no useful national tourist rail network: use Grab, private drivers, vans, buses, tricycles and boats locally, and build buffer nights around weather-sensitive island moves.

Money

The currency is the Philippine peso (PHP, ₱). Cards work well in larger hotels, malls and better restaurants in Manila, Cebu, Boracay and major resort areas, but cash remains essential for ferries, tricycles, small eateries, island fees, local guides and many provincial businesses; do not rely on an ATM being available or stocked on small islands. Tipping is not compulsory, but rounding up, leaving 5–10% for good restaurant service, and giving modest cash tips to drivers, boat crews and guides is normal.

Daily budget · PHP (₱)

Value: ₱2,500–₱4,000
Mid-range: ₱6,000–₱10,000
High-end: ₱15,000–₱30,000+

Bands are per person per day, excluding international flights but including lodging, food, local transport and an averaged share of domestic transport and tours.
Value travel means dorms or simple guesthouses, carinderias and local eateries, public transport/tricycles, and an itinerary that does not require constant flights.
Mid-range assumes an air-conditioned private room shared by two, good local restaurants, occasional Grab or private transfers, island-hopping tours and a domestic flight spread across the trip.
High-end means quality beach resorts, diving, private boats or drivers, premium dining, frequent domestic flights and paying to eliminate awkward transfers.
Palawan, Boracay and Siargao run above the national average; raise the mid-range budget for Christmas/New Year, Holy Week, diving trips and fast-moving itineraries.
The usual budget wreckers are late-booked domestic flights, private island boats, diving, El Nido and Coron lagoon/environmental fees, and Boracay’s entry, terminal and environmental charges. Spend on sensible transfer buffers and good boat operators; do not assume cheap flight time equals cheap travel time.

Eating well

Do not treat Cebu, Iloilo, Ilocos, Bicol and Davao as interchangeable island-food stops; each is worth seeking out for its own cooking.
In beach destinations, eat away from the most built-up resort strip when possible; Panglao’s Alona Beach and Boracay are geared toward choice and convenience rather than a purely local food experience.
Build in a deliberate food stop in Manila’s Binondo rather than relying on airport-area meals.
For a food-led Luzon trip, combine Manila/Binondo, Pampanga, Ilocos and Bicol only with enough time for the long road transfers; flying to Bicol is the sensible choice when time matters.

Book before you land

Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park (Underground River) permit and tour slot · Mount Pulag hiking permit, mandatory orientation and accommodation/transport in the area

Leave a buffer night before your international flight if you are coming from an island. Typhoons and monsoon seas can cancel ferries, island tours and domestic flights, especially from July to November.
Do not plan the Philippines as a neat overland circuit. Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao are separate travel zones; frequent domestic flights are costly and tiring even when the map makes them look close.
Carry enough small-denomination pesos for tricycles, port fees, environmental charges, boat crews and food stalls. Island-hopping prices often exclude environmental, lagoon, terminal or rental-equipment fees—ask what is actually included.
Use Grab where it operates rather than negotiating taxis, especially in Metro Manila and Cebu City. Elsewhere, agree the tricycle, motorbike-taxi or private-driver fare before setting off; shared local transport is cheap but rarely fast.
Drink bottled or reliably filtered water outside reputable hotels and restaurants. Bring reef-safe sun protection and dry bags for boat days; a wet bag is more useful than a dressy beach outfit.
Follow current official travel advice for Mindanao. Do not casually add the Sulu Archipelago, Sulu Sea or Marawi to a leisure route; conditions and advisories differ sharply from Davao, Samal or Siargao.

Entry rules change — verify visa requirements for your passport before booking this country.

Season by season

December–February

The cooler dry season usually brings the most dependable beach conditions to western and central destinations such as Palawan, Boracay, Cebu and Bohol, though amihan winds can make northern and Pacific-facing coasts breezy or rough.

first-time island tripsbeaches and boat toursdivingcomfortable city sightseeing

This is high season: Christmas to early January and Lunar New Year push up hotel and flight prices, while El Nido, Coron, Boracay, Panglao and Siargao become crowded.

March–May

This is generally the driest, sunniest period for Palawan, Boracay, Bohol and much of the Visayas, with excellent visibility for boat days but punishing heat in Manila and inland Luzon by April and May.

beach holidayssnorkeling and divingclear-water island hoppingsun-seeking travelers

School holidays, long weekends and especially Holy Week fill flights, ferries and island accommodation; heat makes city and mountain travel less pleasant.

June–August

Southwest-monsoon rain and rougher seas become increasingly common, although protected coasts and parts of Mindanao can still get good weather; Pacific surf season starts to become a real draw.

surfing in Siargao and Pacific breakslower-cost travelfood and city tripsflexible inland travel

Rain, sea conditions and cancellations make tight ferry chains and expensive, once-only Palawan boat itineraries a poor gamble; build buffer nights.

September–November

Crowds and prices often fall, but this is the most weather-volatile period, with typhoon disruption especially likely in northern and eastern Philippines and sea travel prone to interruption.

surfersbudget-conscious flexible travelersquieter resorts outside holiday weekendsslow travel with buffers

A cyclone can close island tours, stop ferries and disrupt domestic flights; keep at least one buffer night before an international departure.

Events worth planning around

Christmas and New Year peak · Mid-December to early January, annually · Nationwide, especially major island destinations and domestic air routes

This is one of the country’s biggest domestic-travel peaks. Book domestic flights, ferries and worthwhile beach hotels far ahead.

Holy Week · March or April, annually; dates vary · Nationwide

Domestic travel surges, transport sells out and many businesses, museums and restaurants reduce hours or close, particularly on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.

Sinulog · Usually January · Cebu City

A major festival that brings processions, road closures, crowded hotels and pressure on flights; book early or avoid Cebu City if you only need the airport gateway.

Ati-Atihan · Usually January · Kalibo, Panay

It materially affects Boracay planning because Kalibo is one of Boracay’s principal gateways; expect higher demand for rooms and onward transport.

What to eat

Eat by region, not by generic “Filipino food” lists: the cooking changes sharply between Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao, and island routes can be built around it. Use markets, carinderias and specialist local restaurants for everyday dishes; resort strips are useful for convenience, not necessarily for the best regional meal.

Lechon in CebuSardine-run seafood and diving-town meals around MoalboalIlocano bagnet and pinakbetIloilo’s market and regional food cultureBacolod chicken inasalBicol’s coconut-milk-and-chile cooking: laing, pinangat and Bicol ExpressKapampangan sisig and local sweetsBinondo’s Chinese-Filipino foodDavao fruit and highland produce

Metro Manila — especially Binondo: Chinese-Filipino food · A useful introduction to the country’s layered food culture

Cebu: Lechon · Food-focused stop before heading to the Visayas’ diving and beach areas

Ilocos and Vigan: Bagnet · Pinakbet · Vegetable-rich Ilocano cooking

Iloilo, Panay: Markets · Some of the country’s most rewarding regional food

Bacolod, Negros: Chicken inasal · Sugarland heritage

Bicol — Legazpi and surrounds: Laing · Pinangat · Bicol Express · Coconut milk and chile

Pampanga/Angeles: Sisig · Kapampangan food · Local sweets

Davao and selected Mindanao: Fruit · Highland produce