How many days did you spend in the Philippines?

We spent 17 days in the Philippines, from January 31 to February 17, 2019: 7 days in El Nido, 5 in Coron, 2 on Bohol and 3 in Cebu.

How much does a trip to the Philippines cost for a family of four?

Our 17 days in the Philippines cost 126,600 PHP (about 2,423 USD at 2019 rates) for our family of four, or roughly 1,860 PHP (35.60 USD) per person per day, including flights, accommodation, transport, food and activities.

Which islands did you visit in the Philippines?

We visited El Nido and Coron in the Palawan island group, the island of Bohol, and the city of Cebu, traveling by bus, ferry, domestic flight and rental car.

How do you get between El Nido, Coron and Cebu?

We took a bus from Puerto Princesa to El Nido, a ferry from El Nido to Coron, a domestic flight from Coron to Cebu, and a return ferry from Cebu to Bohol.

What food should you try in the Philippines?

We tried balut (a boiled fertilized duck egg), pork specialties like lechon, sisig and tocino, and even crocodile.

Islands to Visit in the Philippines: Itinerary & Budget

The Philippines packs turquoise lagoons, chocolate-colored hills and some of the friendliest people we met on our round-the-world trip into a budget-friendly stay. We spent 17 days split between El Nido and Coron in Palawan, the island of Bohol, and the city of Cebu. Here’s our itinerary, what stood out, and a full breakdown of what it cost our family of four.

We had dreamed of the Philippines’ turquoise-water beaches for years, and reality did not disappoint. These 17 days, deep in an archipelago of 7,641 islands, delivered some of the most beautiful scenery of our entire trip.

The Best Islands to Visit in the Philippines

El Nido

If we had to pick only one beach destination, it would be El Nido (which means “the nest”), on the island of Palawan — about as close to a terrestrial paradise as we’ve found. We took two boat trips to explore the lagoons, reefs and beaches of the surrounding islands (tours A and C), and spent hours relaxing on pristine white beaches (Lio Beach, Nacpan Beach, Las Cabanas Beach). Every day ended with a spectacular sunset.

2026 update: El Nido’s mandatory Eco-Tourism Development Fee (ETDF), which covers the island-hopping tours and protected sites, doubled from 200 to 400 PHP in 2025 (official notice).

Coron

After a rough 5-hour ferry crossing from El Nido, tossed by choppy waves, we reached another corner of paradise: the peaceful village of Coron, on the island of Busuanga. The village takes its name from the island facing it, home to most of the area’s main attractions.

We spent 2 days island-hopping, swimming in a lake (Kayangan Lake) and a lagoon (Twin Lagoon), snorkeling past fish and a shipwreck (Reef Garden, Skeleton Wreck, CYC Beach), and sunbathing on some of the best turquoise beaches we’ve seen anywhere (Malcapuya Beach, Bulog One, Coco Beach).

On Busuanga, we climbed Mount Tapyas for a magnificent sunset view over the whole bay of Coron, and soaked at Maquinit Hotspring, one of the world’s few saltwater hot springs, with water temperatures between 38 and 41°C.

Bohol

We spent 48 hours on Bohol, an island known for its Chocolate Hills, one of the country’s natural wonders: more than 1,200 mounds spread over 50 square kilometers, named for the grass that turns brown at the end of the dry season. We rented two ATVs and rode across the surrounding countryside — the kids loved it, and so did we.

2026 update: the entrance fee for the Chocolate Hills viewing deck in Carmen rose to 150 PHP for non-resident adults (75 PHP for children) on October 1, 2025, up from 100 PHP (source).

Bohol is about more than its hills: the island is full of diversity, with tropical forests, rice fields as far as the eye can see, idyllic beaches and remarkable wildlife. Among it, the Philippine tarsier is one of the world’s smallest primates and one of its most endangered species. Its eyeballs are larger than its brain, it can turn its head almost 360 degrees, and it is so sensitive to noise and touch that it is said to injure itself against hard surfaces or hold its breath when disturbed.

Cebu

Cebu is the country’s second most populous urban area after Manila, and its oldest city — the place where Magellan landed when he reached the archipelago, and where he was killed 20 days later trying to claim the island for the Spanish crown.

The weather turned, so we spent a rainy day at SM Seaside City Cebu and SM City Cebu, which ranked among the world’s largest shopping malls at the time of our visit. We didn’t buy anything, but we walked for hours, tried local specialties and caught The Lego Movie 2 in the theater.

How to Plan a Trip to the Philippines

Itinerary

We divided our 17 days in the Philippines as follows:

7 days in El Nido;
5 days in Coron;
2 days in Tagbilaran, on the island of Bohol;
3 days in Cebu.

Getting Around

We reached El Nido by bus after landing in Puerto Princesa. The journey from El Nido to Coron was by ferry. From Coron to Cebu, we took a domestic flight, then another ferry to visit Bohol from Cebu and back.

In El Nido and Coron, we got around in tricycles, the local answer to the tuk-tuk. A tricycle is a 3-wheeled vehicle made of a motorcycle with a wrap-around sidecar frame attached, seating up to 7 passengers. Tricycles vary in shape from one island to another, and are often customized with different colors, signs or Bible verses.

In Bohol, since the distances were longer, we preferred to rent a car. In the big city of Cebu, the Grab app (Southeast Asia’s answer to Uber) let us save money compared to taxis.

To visit the islands, we boarded flexible but stable boats made of bamboo.

Food

I tasted balut! It’s a culinary specialty from Southeast Asia, particularly popular in the Philippines: a fertilized, boiled duck egg containing a partially formed embryo. Some people balk at the idea, but the taste isn’t bad at all. Mine was 13 days old, so still small. Steamed, you drink the broth seasoned with salt, vinegar and chili pepper, then eat the yolk along with the embryo. The white is a little tough, so it’s optional, and you finish by drinking what’s left of the broth. It’s said to give men some added vigor! The kids were annoyed with me for a couple of minutes after that.

Filipino cuisine is excellent. Among the local specialties, you’ll find plenty of pork dishes, such as lechon, sisig and tocino. And for the more adventurous, well-prepared crocodile can be appetizing too.

How Much Does a Trip to the Philippines Cost?

Our expenses were inflated by 4 days of island hopping in El Nido and Coron (an average of 100 USD per day for the 4 of us). Even so, these activities would have cost a lot more elsewhere. The cost of living on the islands (El Nido and Coron) is relatively expensive compared to the bigger cities (Cebu), but the Philippines remains one of the most affordable countries we visited, with an average of 30 USD per night for accommodation and 25 USD per day for food, for the 4 of us.

The cost of our stay for our family of 4 was:

126,600.00 PHP (2,422.99 USD);
7,450.00 PHP (142.59 USD) per day;
1,860.00 PHP (35.60 USD) per person and per day.

Amounts were paid in Philippine pesos. US-dollar equivalents use the average exchange rate during our trip (January 31 – February 17, 2019): 1 USD = 52.25 PHP.

In detail:

Expense Category	Amount Spent
Flight	27,000.00 PHP / 516.75 USD
Accomodation	26,200.00 PHP / 501.44 USD
Transport (including gas)	25,900.00 PHP / 495.70 USD
Eating out	16,700.00 PHP / 319.62 USD
Groceries	5,200.00 PHP / 99.52 USD
Activities	25,600.00 PHP / 489.96 USD
Total	126,600.00 PHP / 2,422.99 USD

Conclusion

The Philippines was undoubtedly the island-and-beach destination we were most eager to experience on our round-the-world trip, and we were not disappointed. The landscapes are breathtaking, the food is good, the people are friendly and the cost of living is low. What more could you ask for?

See you soon on our next adventures in Australia!

4 Incredible Islands to Visit in the Philippines: Itinerary & Budget

In short