Photo: Carlos Alberto do Amaral via Google
The smart spend
- The routeFive nights in Palawan for El Nido and Coron, two on Boracay, three on Siargao, linked by short domestic flights.
- Where to splurgeOne shared island hopping day in El Nido and the lagoons of Coron, the boat trips that make the trip.
- Where to saveFly hand luggage only on the budget carriers, eat at local carinderias, and take the shared boats over private charters.
Published 17 March 2026. Last reviewed 2 June 2026
The Philippines rewards the traveller who picks three places and does them well over the one who tries to see everything. The country is enormous and spread across thousands of islands, so the real cost of a trip is not the beach, which is usually free, but the flights between bases and the boat tours that reach the best water. Ten days is enough for a clean run through Palawan, Boracay and Siargao if you keep the moves to a minimum.
This route runs from the limestone lagoons of Palawan to the easy sand of Boracay and on to the surf and slow pace of Siargao. Short domestic flights, usually routed through Manila or Cebu, link the three, and the budget carriers are cheap if you travel light and book early. The shared island hopping boats cost a fraction of a private charter and visit the same beaches, so the smart money rides with everyone else. Prices are typical and best confirmed when you book.
The route, day by day
| Days | Base | Why you are there |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1 to 5 | Palawan | El Nido and Coron, the limestone lagoons and island hopping. |
| Days 6 to 7 | Boracay | White Beach and quieter Puka, easy swimming and sunsets. |
| Days 8 to 10 | Siargao | General Luna, surf culture and the three island day trip. |
Prices are typical guides and should be confirmed at the time of booking. Conditions are typical and never guaranteed.
Days 1 to 5, Palawan
Start where the photographs come from. In El Nido the shared boat tours fan out across Bacuit Bay, with Big Lagoon and Seven Commandos the standouts and the long pale sweep of Nacpan worth a free afternoon by tricycle. A short flight north to Coron opens up Kayangan Lake, the Twin Lagoon and the white sand of Malcapuya. Five nights split between the two covers the best of the lagoons without rushing.
Days 6 to 7, Boracay
Fly via the gateway airport and slow down on White Beach, the easy four kilometre arc that made the island famous and was rebuilt after the 2018 rehabilitation. It is busy, so escape to quieter Puka Beach at the north end or sunset friendly Diniwid next door. Two nights is enough to swim, watch a paraw sail at sunset and move on.
Days 8 to 10, Siargao
Finish on the surf island. Base in General Luna, walk the Cloud 9 boardwalk and give one day to the classic three island boat trip out to Daku, Guyam and Naked Island. The tidal rock pools at Magpupungko are a fine final morning. Fill any gaps from the best beaches in the Philippines.
What it costs, and where to save
The beaches themselves are nearly all free, so your budget rides on three things: the domestic flights, the boat tours and where you sleep. The flights are cheap on the budget carriers if you book early and pack hand luggage only, since the checked bag fees are where those airlines make their money. The shared island hopping boats cost far less than a private charter and stop at the same lagoons, and a guesthouse with a fan room rather than a beachfront resort keeps the daily spend low.
What to skip. Skip the private boat charters unless you are a full group splitting the cost, skip the resort restaurants in favour of the local carinderia next door, and resist cramming a fourth island into ten days, which trades beach time for airport queues. The one spend always worth defending is a full island hopping day in El Nido or Coron, the part of the trip nobody regrets.
Plan your day on the sand
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Plan it properly
Is 10 days enough for the Philippines?
Yes, for three areas. The country is vast, so a smart ten days covers Palawan, Boracay and Siargao rather than trying to see everything. More than three bases in this time means living at the airport.
Do you need to fly between the islands?
Yes. The distances are too large for ferries on a tight schedule, so short domestic flights, usually routed through Manila or Cebu, are the realistic way to link Palawan, Boracay and Siargao in ten days.
How much are the El Nido boat tours?
The shared tours A, B, C and D each cover a set of lagoons and beaches, with a one time environmental fee on top and small extra charges at some lagoons. Exact prices change, so confirm them locally on arrival.
Is Boracay worth it?
For easy swimming and sunsets, yes, though White Beach is busy and rebuilt since the island closed for rehabilitation in 2018. Quieter Puka Beach and Diniwid show the calmer side most day visitors never reach.
Palawan or Siargao for the best beaches?
Palawan for the limestone lagoons and island hopping, Siargao for surf and a slower laid back feel. This route does both, which is the reason to fly between them rather than choose.
When is the best time to go?
The drier months of roughly November to May usually bring the calmest seas for island hopping. Conditions are typical and never guaranteed, and the weather varies by island, so treat any month as a guide.