EKTA
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2k$36.48 AUD
The highlights of Philippines, planned day by day
A highlights trip to Philippines draws on all three: Dangwa flower market, Luljetta's Hanging Gardens Spa Day Pass. Choose laid-back for two things a day, or packed for four.
Your 5-day highlights plan for Philippines
Where you stayManila 3 nightsIloilo City 2 nightsabout 465 km between them
5 days · packed · 12 of 19 bookable now · activities from about $495
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Day 1 Manila
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morning
Dangwa flower market
Fresh flower market in the Philippines.
Just turn up -
afternoon
Luljetta's Hanging Gardens Spa Day Pass
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evening
Binondo food crawl
The world's oldest Chinatown, and the clearest place to taste how Chinese and Filipino cooking merged.
Just turn up -
evening
Co-baking Space in S'Maison by Bakebe
Where to eat
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Breakfast
Makati Street Meet @ Leviste
A daily market, open 8am to 8pm.
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Lunch
New Toho Food Center
The To Ho Panciteria Antigua is a historic Chinese food restaurant in Manila, Philippines, established in the 19th century that claims to be the oldest in the country.
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Dinner
Silingan Coffee
The cafe also serves as a venue for the victims to tell their stories to customers, thus keeping their narrative about the drug war alive.
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Day 2 Manila
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morning
Manila Metropolitan Theatre
Theater in Manila, Philippines. National Historical Landmark.
Just turn up -
afternoon
Rizal Park
Historic urban park in Manila, Philippines. Dates from 1955.
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evening
Camaya Coast Day Pass
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evening
Mount Purro Nature Reserve Day Tour in Antipolo
Where to eat
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Breakfast
Legazpi Sunday Market
A morning market, open 7am to 2pm.
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Lunch
Helm is known for its multi-course tasting menus served in an intimate setting, and it has garnered international recognition for its innovative cuisine.
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Dinner
HangOut Market McKinley West
Kitchens under one roof, open 9am to 4am.
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Day 3 Manila
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morning
Hinulugang Taktak
Waterfall. Dates from 2000.
Just turn up -
afternoon
Asian Massage Experience in Manila
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evening
Bataan National Park
National park. Dates from 1945.
Just turn up -
evening
Okada Manila The Sole Retreat Spa Experience
Where to eat
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Breakfast
Ayala Alabang Saturday Market
Fruit, vegetable, fish, food, coffee, some crafts.
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Lunch
Northeast Greenhills Sunday Market
A morning market, open 6am to 12pm.
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Day 4 Iloilo City
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Travel day
Manila to Iloilo City
Journey time is an estimate rather than a timetable - check the operator before you book anything tight on either side of it.
Book direct -
afternoon
Camiña Balay Nga Bato
Historic house in Iloilo, Philippines. Dates from 1865.
Just turn up -
evening
Bacolod Cocktail Crawl Experience
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evening
Flavors of Iloilo Half-Day Food Tour: Batchoy, Pancit Molo, and More
Where to eat
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Breakfast
Iloilo Central Public Market
A daily market, open 4am to 10pm.
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Lunch
Camiña Balay Nga Bato
The heritage house is also now a heritage museum and a restaurant, serving a variety of Ilonggo delicacies and its well-known homemade tsokolate tablea (chocolate tablets).
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Day 5 Iloilo City
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morning
Iloilo Culinary Half Day Tour
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afternoon
Iloilo Mysterious Half-Day City Tour
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evening
Iloilo City with Guimaras Island Full-Day Tour
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evening
Ilaya Highland Resort Day Tour from Bacolod
Where to eat
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Breakfast
Negros Farmers' Weekend Market
A morning market, open 7am to 2pm.
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Prices are indicative and in Australian dollars. Flights and accommodation are not included. Distances between stops are straight-line, so a walking or driving route will be longer, and they are shown only where both stops have a known location. Items marked also worth doing sit outside the highlights theme and are there because they are among the best things to do in Philippines.
Before you fly to Philippines
The part an itinerary app leaves out. These are Philippines's rules for Australian passport holders, re-read from the official source and dated below.
Entry
No - Australian passport holders can enter the Philippines without a visa for up to 30 days.
Passport
Philippines wants 6 months of validity beyond the day you arrive. A fare is non-refundable long before a passport renewal is.
Your checklist
21 things to sort for Philippines, built from these same rules, 3 of them essential.
- Passport valid - at least 6 months from your date of arrival
- Complete the eTravel
- Take out travel insurance
Last reviewed 2026-10-04. Entry requirements change without notice. Always confirm with the official sources below before you book or fly.
Sort these before you go
The two things worth having arranged before a highlights trip to Philippines, compared on price.
Philippines travel insurance
Klook
Travel insurance
Set at quote
Fast Cover Best value
Standard Saver
9k$20.90 AUD
Compare only
Philippines eSIM plans
Airalo
1GB · 7 days
32k$6.50 AUD
Saily Cheapest 10GB
10GB · 15 days
6k$11.50 AUD
Airalo Recommended
10GB · 15 days
32k$13 AUD
Prices are indicative, shown in AUD and refreshed from provider APIs where available. Always confirm the final price on the provider's site - it is the price that applies. We may earn a commission if you buy through our links, which never changes what you pay. Partners are listed before providers who pay us nothing, as our terms set out; sorting by price ignores all of that and orders on the number alone. How we make money.
Highlights trip questions
What goes into a highlights plan?
It rotates between wellness, sightseeing and food items rather than clustering them, so no single day is three museums or three meals. If you would rather lean one way, switch the theme at the top of the page and the plan rebuilds.
Can I change the plan once it is built?
Yes. Pace and length are controls on the page, and changing either rebuilds the plan instantly. The itinerary is deterministic, so the same choices always produce the same plan - you can send someone the link and they will see what you see.
Other ways to do Philippines
Philippines wellness itinerary
Hot springs and spa days, but also gyms, yoga, hiking and open water. Rest and movement, not one or the other.
Philippines sightseeing itinerary
Coastlines, lookouts, day trips and the landmarks that are actually worth the queue.
Philippines food itinerary
Markets, cooking classes, wine regions and the places worth planning a day around.
Highlights trips in other countries
Still deciding where to go? These are built the same way - real activities, in an order that works, with the entry rules for Australians attached.
🇯🇵 Japan highlights itinerary
Visa-free, cash-friendly, and worth over-preparing for.
🇮🇩 Indonesia highlights itinerary
Visa on arrival, plus two fees most Australians don't budget for.
🇹🇭 Thailand highlights itinerary
60 days visa-free - but the arrival card is now compulsory.
🇻🇳 Vietnam highlights itinerary
E-visa required - and Australians legally can't drive here.