1 Month Philippines Itinerary - The Ultimate Backpacking Route

Last Updated on 6th October 2023

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Are you looking to spend one month backpacking in the Philippines? This ultimate Philippines island hopping itinerary has got you covered!

The Philippines was one of the places that I was most looking forward to visiting on our first-ever backpacking trip around the world and I’m so glad we did; it certainly didn’t disappoint! After spending just shy of 4 weeks there, I wanted to share my ultimate 1 month Philippines itinerary to inspire your own backpacking route in this beautiful Southeast Asia country!

Home to crystal clear water, beautiful rice terraces, stunning islands and breathtaking beaches, the Philippines is an awesome backpacking destination in Southeast Asia!

We managed to tick off 6 different Philippines islands while we were there, as well as numerous little island day trips too. The Philippines is such a beautiful part of the world and I’d seriously encourage anyone to book a trip there!

If you’re thinking of booking a trip to the Philippines but you’re not really sure where to begin when it comes to planning, here’s my ultimate 1 month Philippines itinerary!

One month Philippines itinerary summary

Coron – 5 days
El Nido – 5 days
Puerto Princesa – 1 day
Cebu – 4 days
Panglao (Bohol) – 4 days
Moalboal – 4 days
Cebu City – 1 day

1 Month Philippines itinerary map

We flew to the Philippines (into Manila Airport) from Denpasar Airport in Bali. However, there are flights to Manila from all over the world, including from the UK starting at around £300 return.

How to get around the Philippines

Once you’re in the Philippines, island hopping is the thing to do while you’re there. Getting around is pretty easy and you’ll be travelling around either by boat or internal flight.

Islands such as Palawan, Cebu and Davao all have airports (we flew from Puerto Princesa to Cebu) so you can grab a flight across the country costing very little which usually takes around an hour, depending on where you’re going.

Currency

The currency in the Philippines is the Peso.

One thing that I found while in the Philippines is that while most things are infinitely cheaper than in more Western countries such as the UK and the USA, it’s still much more expensive than the likes of Indonesia and Vietnam.

Hotels, accommodations such as hostels and homestays and restaurants in particular are pretty expensive compared to the rest of Southeast Asia.

One month in Philippines budget

If you’re wondering how much money you need for 1 month in the Philippines, we spent around £700 each. The cost of spending a month in the Philippines will vary depending on how many places you visit, how you get around and where you stay/eat. I think a budget of £650-£800 each should definitely cover your spending during 1 month.

Day 1 – Manila/Overnight boat to Coron

overnight boat from Manila to Coron Philippines

We landed in Manila at midday and only spent around 5 hours in the city before heading to the port to catch the overnight ferry to Coron.

Without sounding too harsh, I really don’t think you need to spend a long time in Manila; in fact, it was arguably the worst place I’ve been and it’s also the place I’ve felt the least safe while we’ve been travelling. I’m not sure if we just saw the “bad” side of the city, but I really didn’t enjoy it so I can’t recommend spending time there!

The overnight boat from Manila to Coron departs at 7 PM every Friday night and arrives in Coron at around 6 AM on Saturday. It’s a bloody long, intense and gruelling journey and not one that I’d necessarily love to repeat anytime soon but it was much cheaper than flying and it was certainly a backpacker experience!

Coron (5 days) – 1 month Philippines itinerary

We spent 5 days in Coron at APO Pension House; it was a nice enough hostel with very basic facilities and the rooms were unbelievably hot but it did the job for a few days!

When visiting Coron, it’s actually kind of confusing because you don’t stay on Coron Island itself; you stay on Busuanga Island (this is where the overnight boat will take you to).

It’s all part of Coron Municipality in Palawan; it’s not something you really need to be aware of as such, it’s just good to have your bearings when it comes to your geographical location (I had no idea haha!).

Coron (or Busuanga Island) itself isn’t really up to much; it’s pretty run down and while there are a few bars, restaurants and cafes about, there’s not a whole lot to do on the island.

However, the surrounding islands in Coron are absolutely stunning and perfect for an island hopping tour. We actually met a few people on our boat trip who we went out for dinner and drinks with a couple of nights while we were in Coron which was so much fun!

Best things to do in Coron

Visit Kayangan Lake
Check out CYC Sand Bar
Admire Twin Lagoon
Go diving in Barracuda Lake
Relax on Calachuchi Beach

El Nido (5 days) – backpacking Philippines Itinerary 1 month

Day 6 in the Philippines saw us hopping on the boat from Coron to El Nido. We booked the boat through our hostel so I can’t actually remember the name of the company but it only took around 3 hours and it cost 500₱ each (I think!).

El Nido was a place that I was desperate to visit for many years after researching and writing about it for a freelance travel client of mine a few years ago and ever since, I’ve been obsessed with the idea of visiting.

There are so many island hopping tours to choose from in El Nido and I can safely say that it didn’t disappoint and our El Nido island hopping tour was absolutely fabulous!

Best things to do in El Nido

Go snorkelling at Seven Commandos Beach
Visit Payong-Payong Beach
Check out Small Lagoon
Go kayaking in Big Lagoon
Head to Shimizu Island

Puerto Princesa (1 day) – 1 month Philippines itinerary

Puerto Princesa 1 month Philippines itinerary

We only stayed one night in Puerto Princesa and that was more than enough!

We took a 7-hour bus from El Nido to Puerto Princesa which cost 500₱ each and it picked us up from our hostel in El Nido and took us right to our homestay in Puerto. The bus journey wasn’t the most enjoyable experience of my life; there are a few locals that jump on as well and the bus seemed to stop randomly at various times so that the driver could have a cigarette break and talk to some locals…

Every time we stopped, we also seemed to be hounded by local kids trying to sell us things like necklaces, food and little trinkets. If you can put up with the long journey and constantly having to say no to people, then the bus is the best way to get from El Nido to Puerto.

Puerto Princesa itself wasn’t my favourite place at all and we only stayed there as a necessity so that we could fly to Cebu the next day.

We did stay at a cute little homestay called Balai Esperanza, however, which was very basic and simple but ideal for a one-night stay before you fly from the airport. There’s nothing really near the homestay so you probably wouldn’t base yourself there for very long, but the manager was so lovely and incredibly helpful and chatty.

Best things to do in Puerto Princesa (if you want to spend more than one day there!)

Visit the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park
Check out the Tubbataha Reef
Enjoy Nagtabon Beach
Head to the Palawan Butterfly Ecological Garden
Relax on Sabang Beach

Cebu (4 days)

Things to do in Cebu 1 month Philippines itinerary

We spent four nights in Cebu City and while I definitely don’t think you need that long there, it was nice to have some time working from a nice hotel and chilling out for a few days.

While we were in Cebu City we did take a trip to see the Taoist Temple which is incredibly beautiful. However, we made the mistake of taking a Grab there (kind of like Uber) with no plans on how we would get back (it’s on top of a mountain btw!). So my advice would be to ensure you have some idea or actual transport booked to take you back to the city before you visit!

We stayed at the Travelbee Fuente Inn for four nights which was a great place to base ourselves in Cebu.

Things to do in Cebu Philippines Taoist Temple

Best things to do in Cebu City

Pay a visit to the Cebu Taoist Temple
Take a trip to Kawasan Falls
See the Temple of Leah
Visit the Casa Gorordo Museum
Explore the Fort San Pedro

Panglao, Bohol (4 days) – backpacking Philippines route

Panglao Bohol Philippines 1 month Philippines itinerary

From Cebu, we got the boat to Tagbilaran harbour in Bohol where we then travelled to the adjoining island of Panglao by trike.

Panglao was probably my favourite place that we visited during our month in the Philippines and I’d highly recommend spending some time there if you can; it’s a paradise island unlike anything I’ve ever seen before!

We stayed just 100m from White Beach in Panglao, at Just Chill Inn which had a hostel-like feel to it, but with private rooms. It was a great place to stay, mainly for its location but the Filipino staff were also the friendliest and nicest people we met during our entire trip.

We ate at the restaurant in the accommodation pretty much every single night and enjoyed sipping 76p double rum and cokes too (the rum and cokes were actually cheaper than just a coke on its own so it was a no-brainer!).

Panglao, Bohol 1 month Philippines itinerary

Best things to do in Panglao/Bohol

Relax on White Beach/Dumaluan Beach
Visit the famous Chocolate Hills on Bohol Island
Enjoy Alona Beach
Visit the Bohol Tarsier Conservation Area
Drive through the Bilar Man-Made Forest

Moalboal (4 days) – 1 month Philippines itinerary

With less than a week left in the Philippines, we made our way back to Cebu from Bohol via fast boat and then took a bus from Cebu City down to Moalboal.

The bus from Cebu City to Moalboal drops you right in the middle of Moalboal either next to the pharmacy or the Gaisano Grand.

Moalboal was absolutely stunning and is a great place for taking part in lots of water-based activities including swimming with turtles and watching the “Sardine Run” while snorkelling. It’s also home to some truly stunning sunsets over the sea.

The hostel we stayed at in Moalboal has now closed down, but you can find somewhere to stay in Moalboal here!

Unfortunately, for the entire time that we were in Moalboal, I was really poorly with a cold/flu-type thing, as well as a dodgy tummy so we couldn’t do any of the things that we’d planned to do! It’s such a shame that we missed out as everything looked so awesome but it’s just one of those things and if anything, it just gives us an excuse to head back one day!

Best things to do in Moalboal

Explore the marine life in Pescador Island
Head to Panagsama Beach
Experience the Moalboal Sardine Run
Relax on Basdaku Beach
See the Moalboal whale sharks

Cebu City (1 day)

After our somewhat unsuccessful time in Moalboal, we headed back to Cebu City for one last night before we flew to Kuala Lumpur!

It seems that we spent a fair bit of time flitting back and forth between Cebu City and other places but it’s such a good base for exploring places such as Moalboal, Bohol, Panglao and Oslob!

Backpacking Philippines itinerary & route – conclusion

I hope this 1 month Philippines itinerary has filled you with some inspiration and ideas for your trip to the Philippines and if there’s any other information that you’d like to know about that I’ve accidentally left out, please let me know as I’d love to help you plan your Philippines trip!

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