Planning a month in the Philippines? You are in the right place.
I have spent time traveling across the Philippines, from Manila to Siargao, and I know what works and what wastes your time.
This guide gives you a full day-by-day plan, real costs, hotel picks, and honest travel tips for each stop.
Here is what you will find inside: a complete 4-week itinerary, a day-by-day breakdown with tips, a full cost breakdown, what is included and excluded, and answers to the most common questions.
No filler. No vague advice. Just a clear plan you can follow from Day 1.
Trip Overview
A quick look at your 4 weeks in the Philippines before we get into the details.
This 4-week plan covers the best of the Philippines across three main island groups.
You start in Manila. Then move into Palawan for islands and lagoons. Cross over to Leyte and Cebu for marine life. And finish in Siargao for surfing and slow living.
The route flows well. Each stop connects to the next without wasted travel days.
No backtracking. No confusing connections. Just a clean path from one island to the next.
Trip Highlights
- Coron: Crystal-clear lagoons, shipwreck diving, and some of the cleanest water in the country.
- El Nido: Limestone cliffs, island-hopping tours, and hidden lagoons you will not stop talking about.
- Leyte: Swimming with whale sharks in open water, no cages, no crowds.
- Malapascua: One of the few places in the world to see thresher sharks up close.
- Moalboal: Sardine runs, sea turtles, and cliff diving at Kawasan Falls.
- Siquijor: A quiet island with white sand beaches, waterfalls, and almost no tourist rush.
- Siargao: The surf capital of the Philippines. Cloud 9 waves, island day trips, and a laid-back pace.
