The route that gives the Philippines its full geographic argument without the domestic flight accumulation that most Philippines itineraries require: three days in Palawan for the El Nido island hopping and the Puerto Princesa Underground River and the specific emerald water of the Bacuit Bay that is responsible for approximately 40% of all Philippines Instagram content, and four days on Siargao Island for the Cloud 9 surf break and the lagoon that the local fishermen use for the morning breakfast circuit and the Sugba Lagoon kayak that gives the mangrove from the surface.
Reading time: 10 minutes | Last updated: 2026
The Philippines is 7,641 islands — the second largest archipelago in the world, the country that spans from the Batanes Islands north of Taiwan to the Mindanao coast 50km north of Borneo. The tourist circuit covers a fraction of this: the Luzon (Manila, Banaue, Batanes), the Visayas (Cebu, Bohol, Siargao), and the Palawan. Seven days covers the two most visually extraordinary and the most accessible — Palawan (the island consistently rated the most beautiful in the world by travel publications from Condé Nast Traveller to Travel + Leisure) and Siargao (the surf island that the international surfing community discovered in the 1990s and that the general travel market is still discovering).
Before You Leave
The visa: UK citizens enter the Philippines visa-free for 30 days. Extendable at the Bureau of Immigration for an additional 29 days (PHP 3,030 / £41.79).
The routing: Fly London-Manila (Philippine Airlines direct: 13.5 hours), Manila-El Nido or Manila-Puerto Princesa (Philippine Airlines or Cebu Pacific, 1-1.5 hours). Then Palawan to Siargao: the domestic connection (Puerto Princesa-Cebu or El Nido-Manila-Siargao, depending on the routing). The flight-heavy Philippines circuit is the specific challenge — the island dispersal requires the domestic airline.
The season: November-May for the Palawan and the Visayas (the northeast monsoon period, the dry season for the western and central Philippines). June-October: the typhoon season — the Siargao surf is at its best June-November (the northeast swell), but the weather risk increases significantly.
The Route
Manila (1 night, arrival) → El Nido, Palawan (3 nights) → Puerto Princesa underground river (day trip from El Nido or base) → fly to Siargao (4 nights)
The 7 Days
DAY 1 — Manila (Arrival)
The Manila arrival (the Ninoy Aquino International Airport — the airport that the IATA has rated the worst major airport in Asia for the specific combination of the terminal condition, the ground transport, and the baggage handling): book the airport hotel (the Pan Pacific Manila or the Sofitel Philippine Plaza — both at the Manila Bay waterfront, the taxi from the terminal at PHP 400-600 / £5.52-8.28 via the airport metered taxi service). One night, the connection to Palawan in the morning.
The Manila evening (if the energy allows): the Intramuros (the Spanish colonial walled city — the Fort Santiago, the San Agustin Church (the oldest stone church in the Philippines, built 1571), the specific Manila colonial history visible in the preserved walls):
The Binondo (the Manila Chinatown — the oldest Chinatown in the world (1594), the pancit (the noodle dish that the Chinese traders brought to the Philippines), the hopia (the bean paste pastry), the tikoy (the rice cake)):
DAYS 2-4 — El Nido, Palawan
The El Nido island hopping:
El Nido (the municipality in the north of Palawan — the Bacuit Bay, the 45 islands in the bay, the limestone karst towers rising from the emerald water, the beaches accessible only by the island hopping boat):
Tour A (the standard circuit): The Big Lagoon (the wide lagoon enclosed by the limestone cliffs, the kayak into the lagoon), the Small Lagoon (the narrower passage, the swimming through the rock opening), the Secret Lagoon (the lagoon accessible through the knee-height passage in the cliff at low tide — the specific El Nido discovery experience), and the Shimizu Island (the snorkel at the coral garden):
PHP 1,200-1,600 / £16.55-22.07 per person for the shared Tour A boat.
Tour C (the more remote circuit): The Helicopter Island (the island shaped like a helicopter from above, visible from the boat approach), the Secret Beach (the beach accessible only through a small hole in the cliff face, the swim through the hole at the water level), and the Matinloc Shrine:
PHP 1,200-1,600 / £16.55-22.07 per person.
The specific El Nido instruction: Book the Tour A and Tour C on consecutive mornings (the boats depart at 9am and return at 5pm). The Tour A gives the iconic El Nido (the Big Lagoon, the Small Lagoon) and the Tour C gives the less-visited circuit. The sunrise kayak (the independent kayak hired from the El Nido town beach at 6am, the Bacuit Bay at dawn before the tour boats begin) gives the bay in its correct version.
The Puerto Princesa Underground River:
The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park (260km south of El Nido — the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the underground river navigable for 8.2km, the longest navigable underground river in the world, the cave inhabited by millions of swiftlets and the 8-metre saltwater crocodile that the park visitors are reassured is not aggressive toward tourist paddle boats):
Access options: the day trip by air-conditioned van from El Nido (4 hours each way, PHP 2,500-3,500 / £34.48-48.27 per person including transport and boat entry) or the Puerto Princesa base night (the overnight in Puerto Princesa gives the morning boat without the dawn departure from El Nido). Entry quota (500 visitors per day) requires advance booking at subterraneanriver.com.
DAYS 5-7 — Siargao Island
Fly from Puerto Princesa or El Nido to Siargao:
The domestic routing (the most common: Puerto Princesa-Cebu-Siargao, approximately 3-4 hours including the connection): PHP 2,500-5,000 / £34.48-68.97 depending on the route and the booking window.
The Cloud 9:
Cloud 9 (the surfing break on the northeast coast of Siargao — the hollow right-hand reef break that breaks over the shallow reef at Tuason Point, the barrel that has made Siargao the surfing capital of the Philippines): the Cloud 9 from the viewing tower (the wooden tower above the break, the surf visible from above — the preferred position for the non-surfer to understand what the experienced surfer is doing in the water):
Cloud 9 surfing level: the break is for the intermediate-advanced surfer. The beginner surf lesson: the Jacking Horse beach (the beach break adjacent to Cloud 9, the appropriate learn-to-surf break): PHP 600-1,000 / £8.28-13.79 for the 2-hour lesson including the board.
The Sugba Lagoon:
The Sugba Lagoon (the inland lagoon in the Del Carmen municipality of Siargao — the mangrove-lined approach by the motorised outrigger boat (the bangka, the specific Philippine vessel, the outrigger stabiliser giving the stability for the reef passage), the lagoon inside the mangrove ring, the jump platform in the centre of the lagoon, the paddleboard and the kayak available from the lagoon entrance):
Day trip from General Luna (the main Siargao town): PHP 800-1,200 / £11.03-16.55 per person for the boat and the lagoon entry.
The Naked Island, Daku Island, and Guyam Island:
The three-island day trip (the specific Siargao combination — the Naked Island (the sandbar island with no vegetation, the full 360° ocean view), the Daku Island (the coconut grove island, the bangka-cook lunch on the beach), and the Guyam Island (the small island with the single coconut palm, the iconic Siargao photograph)): PHP 800-1,200 / £11.03-16.55 per person shared boat.
The Siargao morning:
The General Luna market at 6am (the Siargao morning market, the fresh tuna from the overnight catch — the yellowfin tuna in the Philippines is the finest in the world by the assessment of the Japanese export market that buys the majority of the Siargao catch, the specific Philippines tuna visible at the market before the daily export):
The coconut milk coffee (kapeng barako with the coconut milk — the Philippine Barako coffee, the single origin Liberica variety grown in the Batangas province, the specific Philippine coffee tradition distinct from the specialty market’s Arabica): PHP 30-60 / £0.41-0.83.
Where to stay (Siargao): The Kermit Siargao (the resort adjacent to Cloud 9, the swimming pool, the consistently cited as the best value for the surf quality: £40-80/night), the Harana Surf Resort (the boutique surf resort: £80-150/night), the guesthouse in the General Luna (PHP 800-1,500 / £11.03-20.69/night).
What It Costs
| Category | Budget | Mid-Range |
|---|---|---|
| Return flights (UK-Manila, open jaw) | £550-850 | £700-1,100 |
| Domestic flights (Manila-Palawan, Palawan-Siargao) | £70-150 | £100-200 |
| 7 nights accommodation | £77-280 | £280-630 |
| Food (7 days) | £35-80 | £80-180 |
| Activities (island hopping, underground river, lagoon) | £60-120 | £100-200 |
| Total | £792-1,480 | £1,260-2,310 |
