Grand Tour of the Philippines

Arrival in Manila in the morning. After custom formalities have been carried out, meeting with the local guide. Transfer to the hotel. In the afternoon visit the city: after passing Rizal Park, the green lung of the city, along spectacular Roxas Boulevard, you'll reach Intramuros, "the Walled city", to admire the ancient walls, the ruins of churches and relics of Spanish conquistadores.

Walking along paved roads, you'll reach Saint Augustine Church, the oldest in the country. Continue on to Manila Cathedral and Santiago Fortress, a Spanish fortress guarding the entrance of Pasig river, where the national heroe, doctor José Rizal, spent his last days and wrote "My Last Farewell". At the end of the tour check into the hotel. Meals at leisure. Overnight.

Breakfast. Travel to the moutain town of Banaue: by taking the North Expressway you'll reach Bacolor Pampanga in about 2 hours. This town is made up of hundreds of small villages and settlements that were devastated by the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in June 1991.

Visit the Basilica which was buried by the lava for almost three quarters: nowadays, the entrance through which you can access the main nave was originally a window.  You'll see the remains of the roofs of the houses covered in lava and debris. Lunch in a local restaurant. Continue to Banaue, sorrounded by "terraced" mountains where rice is grown, shaped and modelled in the centuries along the steep slopes of the Ifugaos' mountain.

All the Ifugao region is inhabited by mountain populations with animist rituals and a primitive cult of the dead: their customs and traditions are similar to those of the Indonesian Sulawesi population. Arrival and check in to the hotel. Dinner in the hotel and overnight,

Breakfast and departure in the picturesque local jeepneys to visit the spectacular ricefields and terraces of the sorrounding villages inhabited by the Ifugaos, a population who still maintains its ancient traditions unchanged. Rice, the base of Ifugaos' culture and civilization, is considered as a gift of the Bulul gods and thus the Ifugaos have always raised these grand farmed terraces up to the skies to be closest to the gods and reach paradise.

All stages of rice growth are marked by rites and sacrifices of pigs and roosters. Paddy fields, dug and " carved " into the mountains with rudimentary tools and largely by hand, are located about 1,500 meters above sea level and rise for kilometers, majestic like the Mayan pyramids, fueled by an ancient irrigation system which carries the waters from rainforests to the mountains.

Stop at the village of Banga -an, (12 Km of dirt roads and about 70 minutes journey, approx. 200 steps) which is idyllically situated in the scenic valley of the rice terraces. A walk allows a close look at the Ifugao world, their typical houses and their lifestyle. Continue on to a headland to enjoy the view of the rice terraces built over 2000 years ago and declared a World Heritage Site. Lunch in a local restaurant during visits. Return to Banaue in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight at the hotel, lunch not included.
 

Breakfast. Morning departure for Bontoc, the most important center of the province of the mountains, with interesting Bontoc Museum, founded by a Belgian nun, which houses a varied collection of authentic artifacts and photos of mountain tribes.

Continue to Sagada, a quiet mountain village (1500 m) surrounded by a beautiful landscape of pine forests and terraced rice fields. On the sides of the cliffs that surround the town and in the limestone caves in the area, you can see some burial sites with the characteristics hanging coffins, coffins suspended in the mountain rocks. Visit the sacred area and burial caves. Free lunch. At the end of the visits check in to the hotel. Dinner at the hotel and overnight.
 

Breakfast and departure for Vigan along a partly scenic road with spectacular views of the cordillera. After going through several mountain passes you reach the plains and the landscape changes with agricultural towns surrounded by rice, wheat and tobacco fields until you get to the coastal areas lapped by the sea of ​​Luzon with gray sand beaches dotted with coconut palms and mangroves.

Lunch in a local restaurant (not included). In the afternoon visit Vigan with its cobbled streets, the old ancestral houses and the calesas, one of the few cities in the Philippines that still evokes the Spanish era. In 1999 it was declared a World Heritage Site for its unique architecture that blends Spanish and Asian elements. A stroll along Plaza Burgos and Plaza Salcedo leads to the Cathedral of St. Paul, 1574, and the Archbishop's Palace, of 1783. Continue along Via Crisologo and visit the museum, Baluarte zoo and the pottery workshops, an activity introduced by Chinese merchants (the furnaces are over a hundred years old). Accommodation and dinner at the hotel. Overnight.
 

Breakfast. Departure for Ilocos Norte and stop at the church of St. Augustine in Paoay, at Iloko museum housed in the old Tabacalera, where the tobacco was harvested and stored during the colonial period and at St. William Cathedral. Lunch in a local restaurant. Transfer to the airport in Laoag and departure by scheduled flight to Manila. Transfer to the hotel. Overnight.
 

Breakfast. Early morning transfer to the domestic flights terminal and scheduled flight to Tagbilaran. Continue by car to the island of Panglao, where resorts are located. Accommodation in a resort with bed and breakfast treatment. White sandy beaches, crystal clear sea and a hinterland with caves, rice fields, waterfalls and the famous Chocolate Hills (over 1,200 cone-shaped hills that follow one another as far the eye can see) are the main attractions of Bohol, all accessible from Panglao on a full-day hike. Meals at leisure and overnight.

Breakfast. Departure for the Chocolate Hills, where after a short climb to the top of a lookout you can admire the panorama, with 1268 hills between 40 and 120 meters high all perfectly conical. During the summer, the grass that covers the hills dries and turns brown so that the landscape seems to be made of chocolate. Continue to Loboc to board for a short river cruise. On board, while sailing along Loboc, Bilar and Laoay rivers, lunch will be served. Return to Panglao, along the way stop to visit the Tarsier Sanctuary where there will be a chance to see the shy tarsier, the smallest monkey in the world. Back at the hotel and overnight.
 

Breakfast. Transfer to Tagbilaran airport in due time and departure by scheduled flight to Manila. In the afternoon departure by scheduled flight to Puerto Princesa. Arrival and transfer to Sabang. Accommodation in a resort. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
 

Breakfast. Morning walk to Sabang Wharf to board the boat that will make you discover the Subterranean River, the longest underground river in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage site, which runs through a spectacular cave before flowing into the South China Sea.

The cruise will cover the first stretch of the tunnel, about 8 kilometers long, and then you'll proceed for a light trekking through the Monkey Trail, where with a bit of luck you can observe primates and birds and have a boat ride through the mangroves. Picnic in the park. In the afternoon return to Sabang. Dinner at the hotel and overnight.
 

Breakfast. In due time departure by car for the town of El Nido (about 5 hours), located at the northern end of Palawan, from where you will continue by boat to El Nido Miniloc Island Resort 3 * sup (about 45 minutes). Accommodation in a Garden room or Cliff Cottage with full board.

El Nido Lagen Island Resort 3 * sup: Situated in a cove surrounded by spectacular limestone cliffs covered with vegetation, the resort resembles a small fishing village; romantic and peaceful, it is recommended to couples and fit for families. It has 43 rooms of different types on stilts, on the hillside, in the garden or beach front, all with air conditioning, telephone, mini bar and veranda or balcony. The restaurant serves international cuisine and performs catering service for anyone wishing to make a memorable picnic on beaches or desert islands. For leisure activities, a water sports center with facilities for snorkeling and diving, fishing, kayaking and sailing is available to guests. The resort organizes boat excursions to nearby islands, bird watching, climbing and many other activities.
 

Free days for beach activities or relax. Full board.

Breakfast. Free morning. Departure by domestic flight from the resort to Manila. Transfer to the international terminal in time for the return flight.