Klook
Private transfer
40k$35 AUD
Philippines sightseeing on a budget
Doing Philippines on a budget means the cheapest third of what is worth doing: Rizal Park, Masjid Al-Dahab. Activities in this plan start from about $7.
Your 5-day sightseeing plan for Philippines
Where you stayManila 3 nightsBacolod 2 nightsabout 485 km between them
5 days · packed · 9 of 19 bookable now · activities from about $175
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Day 1 Manila
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morning
Rizal Park
Historic urban park in Manila, Philippines. Dates from 1955.
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afternoon
Masjid Al-Dahab
Mosque in Quiapo, Manila, Philippines. Dates from 1976.
Just turn up -
evening
Luljetta's Hanging Gardens Spa Day Pass
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evening
Camaya Coast Day Pass
Where to eat
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Breakfast
Legazpi Sunday Market
A morning market, open 7am to 2pm.
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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
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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Day 2 Manila
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morning
Mount Natib
Mountain in Bataan, Philippines.
Just turn up -
afternoon
San Agustin Church
Roman Catholic church in Intramuros, Manila, Philippines. Dates from 1571. National Historical Landmark.
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evening
Mount Purro Nature Reserve Day Tour in Antipolo
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evening
White Knight Electric Chariot Intramuros Day Tour
Where to eat
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Breakfast
Makati Street Meet @ Leviste
A daily market, open 8am to 8pm.
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Lunch
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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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
Quezon Memorial Circle
National park in Quezon City, Philippines containing the Quezon Memorial Shrine. Dates from 1978.
Just turn up -
afternoon
Rizal Monument
Primary monument to José Rizal, located at Rizal Park in Manila, Philippines. Dates from 1908. National Cultural Treasure.
Just turn up -
eveningalso worth doing
Asian Massage Experience in Manila
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eveningalso worth doing
Mont Albo Massage Hut Spa Experience in Manila
Where to eat
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Breakfast
Northeast Greenhills Sunday Market
A morning market, open 6am to 12pm.
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Lunch
Ayala Alabang Saturday Market
Fruit, vegetable, fish, food, coffee, some crafts.
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Day 4 Bacolod
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Travel day
Manila to Bacolod
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
Iloilo City Heritage Tour
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evening
Campuestohan Highland Resort Experience
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evening
Mambukal Mountain Resort Day Tour
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 Bacolod
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morning
San Sebastian Cathedral
Roman Catholic cathedral in Bacolod, Philippines. Dates from 1882.
Just turn up -
afternoon
San Diego Pro-cathedral
Roman Catholic pro-cathedral in Silay, Negros Occidental, Philippines. Dates from 1927.
Just turn up -
evening
Our Lady of the Philippines Trappist Monastery
Monastery in the Philippines. Dates from 1972.
Just turn up -
eveningalso worth doing
Camiña Balay Nga Bato
Historic house in Iloilo, Philippines. Dates from 1865.
Just turn up
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 sightseeing 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 sightseeing trip to Philippines, compared on price.
Philippines airport transfers
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UBE Express airport bus Cheapest
Air-conditioned coach to Makati and Ermita.
$8 AUD
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Grab Popular
Fixed fare, but surge pricing at peak times is significant.
$12 AUD
Driving in Philippines
Trip.com Featured partner
Car hire in Philippines
Search live prices
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.
Budget sightseeing questions
What counts as budget here?
The lowest-priced third of everything worth doing in that country, measured against that country's own prices rather than a fixed dollar figure. A budget day in Norway and a budget day in Vietnam are not the same number, and pretending otherwise would just describe the exchange rate.
Does a cheaper plan mean a worse one?
No, and the ordering is the same either way: everything is ranked on its review score first, so a budget plan is the best-reviewed cheap things rather than the cheapest things. Flights and accommodation are not included in any of these figures.
Are the big landmarks worth the queue?
Some are, some are not, and the difference is usually timing rather than the place. Where a timed ticket exists the plan flags it, because the same sight at nine in the morning and at midday are different experiences.
How much sightseeing needs a car?
It depends on the destination, and the plan tells you which items sit outside the main city. If you are driving, check the International Driving Permit rules for the country first - several require one alongside your Australian licence.
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 food itinerary
Markets, cooking classes, wine regions and the places worth planning a day around.
Philippines highlights itinerary
Some rest, some scenery, some good eating. For the trip you have not decided the shape of yet.
Sightseeing 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 sightseeing itinerary
Visa-free, cash-friendly, and worth over-preparing for.
🇮🇩 Indonesia sightseeing itinerary
Visa on arrival, plus two fees most Australians don't budget for.
🇹🇭 Thailand sightseeing itinerary
60 days visa-free - but the arrival card is now compulsory.
🇻🇳 Vietnam sightseeing itinerary
E-visa required - and Australians legally can't drive here.