The Perfect 10-Day Philippines Itinerary

Ten days in the Philippines is enough for one properly brilliant region, and that region is Palawan. El Nido and Coron between them hold the best lagoons, beaches and island-hopping in the country — and arguably the world. Here's how to spend it.

Days 1–3: El Nido

Fly in via Manila and give yourself a recovery day at the beachfront resort. Then it's straight into the main event: the island-hopping tours that put El Nido on the map. Tour A takes you to Big Lagoon and Secret Lagoon; Tour C hits Hidden Beach and Matinloc Shrine. Kayak through limestone, swim in water so clear it feels unreal, and picnic on a sandbar that appears and disappears with the tide.

Which tour should I pick?

• Tour A — the lagoons: Big Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, Shimizu Island.
• Tour C — beaches and shrines: Hidden Beach, Matinloc Shrine, Secret Beach.

Both are outstanding; we usually suggest doing both across two days if you have the time.

Days 4–5: more El Nido

Use these days flexibly — a waterfall trek, a slower beach day, or a second island-hopping tour to the spots you missed. Nacpan Beach, north of town, is the perfect place to do absolutely nothing.

Days 6–9: Coron

Fly across to Coron for the lagoons' encore: the impossibly clear Kayangan Lake, the otherworldly Twin Lagoon and Barracuda Lake. Add a day of shipwreck snorkelling — WWII wrecks now grown over with coral — and you've ticked off one of the world's great water experiences.

Day 10: depart

Fly back to Manila and on to London, sun-tanned and ruined for every other beach.

Why this route works

Two island bases in ten days is exactly right — enough hopping to feel the wonder, not so much that you spend your holiday in airports. It's the precise shape of our Palawan Paradise package, which includes the internal flights, resorts and lagoon tours from £1,995 per person.

Quick questions, answered

How do I get from El Nido to Coron?

A short internal flight (around 40 minutes) is the comfortable option, or there's a ferry for the budget-minded. We book the flights as part of the package.

Is the Philippines hard to get around?

It involves a few internal flights and boats, which is why a package helps — we arrange every hop so you don't have to think about it.

Can you arrange the whole route?

Yes — call 020 7946 0958 and we'll book it end to end.