Philippines · HIKING & TREKKING
Good hiking & trekking tours fill up weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Hike Banaue and Batad rice terraces from Manila on a four-day small-group trek with village stays, waterfalls, and overnight bus travel.
“The most memorable moment was actually to see the rice terrace open up infront of you. Hiking there made an impression.”
Review of Mt. Daraitan and Tinipak River from Manila, with trail conditions, transport, price, guide tips, and who should book.
“Distance wise the hike is not challenging. What is challenging is all of the slippery rocks. During our hike, the ground was wet and it rained on the descent. I needed to move quite slowly to avoid falling. Physically anyone can do this hike, as long as they are comfortable potentially slipping on landing in some mud. I’m glad I want!”
Review of Mount Pinatubo from Manila, with a rough 4x4 ride, riverbed hike, crater lake views, costs, timing, and practical tips.
“Very poorly organised. No communication and the guide was clueless and didn’t speak. Started off with a 45 min delay in the morning, got to the location and had to wait for 3 hours for a 4x4. The guide gave us no indication as to why we were waiting around until we all asked her. During the tour we got zero information about the mountain and the local community. we were told that the local guide didn’t speak English though the trip notes said that a guide was included. We walked in silence and left the place none the wiser. We were not told a single thing about it all.…”
Review of Mt. Batulao’s 10-hour hike from Manila, with early pickup, steep sections, mountain views, small groups, guides, and practical tips.
“I had a great hiking trip thanks to tour guide Jonathan, driver Loni (not sure about the spelling) and young local guide Sandor (not sure about this spelling either). Jonathan and Loni did pick me up at the hotel at 4 am as decided. The ride tRead more”
Escape Manila for Mount Purro’s forest hikes, river trips, pool, games, Dumagat culture, and a hearty lunch in the Sierra Madre.
“We highly recommend Mount Purro Nature Reserve! We had a remarkable visit together with our colleagues from RingCentral. We learned a lot from Mount Purro, the advocacy and their reforestation initiatives and how they provide livelihood to the communities.”
Hike Mt. Kang-irag from Cebu City for waterfalls, boulders, local life, and a sunset panorama, with a guide and scooter transfers.
“The hike was super nice and not too hard even though there is some rock climbing. Our guide was really nice and funny. I highly recommend if you are staying in Cebu city!”
Review of Cebu’s Osmeña Peak hike and Moalboal sardine snorkel, with practical advice on views, transport, gear, guides, and value.
“Very beautiful view of the whole island on the peaks. Sardine run was also very fun!”
Review of Cebu’s Osmeña and Kandungaw Peaks: jagged summits, Tañon Strait views, hiking effort, transport risks, and $90 value.
“The Kandungaw hike was challenging, but with a great view at the top. Would suggest a later pickup to let the fog/clouds pass by in the morning.”
Hike 739-meter Mount Daraitan from Manila with a small group, mountain views, Tinipak River, hotel pickup, and practical planning advice.
“My tour guide Einstein was great, as was the driver Pedro. Fun hike, though a bit challenging in places, ultimately the views were worth it. Locals were very friendly. Hot at the bottom during summer, but quite pleasant up top.”
Review of Nagpatong Rock and Tungtong Falls from Manila, with hike difficulty, timing, transfers, price, and practical booking advice.
“It is a risky and very active half day. You climb, pull, trek, crawl and meet some pretty amazing people on top of a rock or bathing in a waterfall. Highly recommend to active and brave people.”
Trek from Puerto Princesa to a Batak village, meet local people, share lunch, and learn about Palawan culture on a private guided tour.
“A very unique experience. I’m glad I did it! Just do it! Wear water shoes and bring a water proof bag!”
Trek Cebu’s mountain trails at sunrise or sunset with a small group, local guides, trekking poles, and city views for just $15.
“A complete failure and a waste of time. No one even bothered to show up at the pickup point at the scheduled time. Why provide availability and charge a fee if you then completely ignore it by not showing up at all? That's pretty poor in my opinion...”
Climb Coron’s 721-step Mt. Tapyas, visit historic sites, shop for cashews, and soak in Maquinit’s saltwater hot spring for $21.
Trek from Puerto Princesa to a Batak village, crossing rivers and mountain trails while learning about indigenous life in Palawan.
“Amazing tour with two enthusiastic and caring guides Rich and Wilson, very impressive to see how the batak people still live.”
Trek 34 km through Banaue, Pula, Cambulo, Batad, and Bangaan with local guides, village homestays, terraces, forests, and waterfalls.
“The hike from from Banaue through Pula and Cambulo to Batad was amazing! The rice terraces were absolutely beatuful. I also enjoyed swimming in the waterfall plunge pools.”
Pick an island, a reef or a walled city.
