The Philippines is more than 7,000 islands and the seasons do not arrive everywhere at once. January is deep in the dry season in Puerto Princesa and one of the wettest months in Siargao.
Best time to visit by destination
Below are the eight places we cover. The west is dry from December to April. The east coast has its own pattern.
- Manila December to February Hot all year and hottest in April, at around 35°C. What changes is the rain: July to September brings the heaviest of it, and the highest flood risk.
- Boracay December to April The classic dry-season island, calm and clear through those months. July to September brings the habagat, rough water on the west-facing beaches and more canceled boat transfers.
- Coron December to April Wreck diving and lake tours, both of which depend on the boat getting out. July to September is the wet half, and the boats are the first thing to go.
- El Nido December to March The same seasons as Coron, on the Palawan mainland rather than Busuanga. Island-hopping boats are what get canceled, and from June to September that happens often.
- Puerto Princesa December to April Dry and settled from December to April, like the rest of Palawan. Trips to the Underground River stop when the sea is rough, which is mostly June to October.
- Cebu February to May A drier half and a wetter half rather than a sharp dry season. February to May is the drier one. October to December brings the most rain and the tail of typhoon season.
- Bohol February to May Cebu's pattern, a two-hour ferry away. Rain is spread through the year, so the gap between its best and worst months is smaller than in Palawan.
- Siargao March to May The exception, because it faces east. Its wettest months are November to January, when the rest of the country is dry, and that is when late typhoons are most likely. The surf is biggest from August to November.
Green is a month we rate as one of that city's best, amber one worth avoiding.
| City | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manila | Best month 30 | Best month 31 | Fine 33 | Fine 35 | Fine 34 | Fine 32 | Avoid 31 | Avoid 31 | Avoid 31 | Fine 31 | Fine 31 | Best month 30 |
| Boracay | Best month 29 | Best month 29 | Best month 31 | Best month 32 | Fine 33 | Fine 32 | Avoid 32 | Avoid 32 | Avoid 32 | Fine 32 | Fine 31 | Best month 30 |
| Coron | Best month 30 | Best month 30 | Best month 31 | Best month 32 | Fine 32 | Fine 29 | Avoid 29 | Avoid 29 | Avoid 29 | Fine 29 | Fine 30 | Best month 30 |
| El Nido | Best month 30 | Best month 30 | Best month 31 | Fine 32 | Fine 32 | Fine 30 | Avoid 30 | Avoid 30 | Avoid 30 | Fine 30 | Fine 30 | Best month 30 |
| Puerto Princesa | Best month 28 | Best month 28 | Best month 29 | Best month 30 | Fine 31 | Fine 30 | Avoid 30 | Avoid 30 | Avoid 29 | Fine 30 | Fine 29 | Best month 29 |
| Cebu | Fine 30 | Best month 31 | Best month 32 | Best month 33 | Best month 33 | Fine 32 | Fine 31 | Fine 31 | Fine 31 | Avoid 31 | Avoid 31 | Avoid 30 |
| Bohol | Fine 30 | Best month 30 | Best month 31 | Best month 32 | Best month 31 | Fine 30 | Fine 30 | Fine 30 | Fine 30 | Avoid 30 | Avoid 31 | Avoid 30 |
| Siargao | Avoid 29 | Fine 28 | Best month 29 | Best month 30 | Best month 30 | Fine 30 | Fine 30 | Fine 31 | Fine 31 | Fine 30 | Avoid 30 | Avoid 29 |
Numbers are the average daily high in °C.
When is the rainy season in the Philippines?
Roughly June to November in much of the country, and the west is generally wettest from July to September. That is the habagat, the southwest monsoon.
The east coast has a different pattern. The amihan, the northeast monsoon from about November to April, is dry in the west but brings rain to the eastern side. That is why Siargao is wettest around November to January while the west is at its best. Cebu and Bohol sit in between, with rain spread through the year and no real dry season.
In the rainy months the rain usually comes in the afternoon and passes. What stops a trip is the sea. Ferries between islands are canceled in rough weather, and that is more likely than the rain to cost you a day.
When is typhoon season in the Philippines?
June to November, with the most activity from July to October. About twenty tropical cyclones enter Philippine waters in a normal year, though only some of them make landfall.
Luzon and the eastern seaboard take most of them. Manila, Boracay and Siargao are the places here most likely to be affected. Palawan, in the southwest, is hit far less often.
For most visitors this means cancellations rather than danger. Flights and ferries stop for a day or two around a storm. If you are island-hopping in those months, leave slack in the plan and book flexible tickets.
What is the worst time to visit the Philippines?
It depends where you go. These three are worth planning around:
- July to September in the west. The wettest period of the year in Palawan, with a higher risk of flooding in Manila.
- November to January in Siargao. Its wettest months, and the ones most exposed to late-season typhoons.
- Holy Week, if you need to travel. Domestic flights, ferries and buses sell out and rates go up. The date moves with Easter, so check it here before you book.
The cheapest time to visit the Philippines
June to October, outside the holidays. Those are the rainy months in most of the country, so fewer people come and rates drop.
May and early June are the best of it. The dry season is ending but the rain has not properly set in, and rates have come off the February and March peak.
Whichever month you pick, see what a month in the Philippines actually costs, and the Philippines money guide for keeping the 3 to 5% that ATMs and card terminals take.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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What is the best month to visit the Philippines?
March. It is dry in Palawan, Boracay and the Visayas, and it is the start of Siargao's season. February is just as good everywhere except Siargao, which is still wet.
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Is December a good time to visit the Philippines?
Yes for most of the country. December starts the dry season in Palawan, Boracay and Manila. Siargao is the exception, where it is one of the wettest months. Christmas and New Year are also the most expensive weeks of the year.
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Is July a bad time to visit the Philippines?
In the west, yes. July is the peak of the habagat, with the heaviest rain in Palawan and a higher flood risk in Manila. Cebu, Bohol and Siargao are less affected, and Siargao is heading into its surf season.
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Is January a good time to visit the Philippines?
Very good in Palawan, Boracay and Manila, which are in the middle of the dry season. Siargao is the one to avoid in January: wet, and rough for boats.
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When is the best time to visit Palawan?
December to April. El Nido, Coron and Puerto Princesa share the same pattern, and it is a sharp one: February barely sees a rainy day, while July and August get rain on most of them. That is also when island-hopping boats are canceled most often.
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When is Holy Week and should I avoid it?
It moves with Easter, so it falls in March or April. Avoid it if you need to fly or take a ferry between islands, because domestic transport sells out and rates rise. Staying in one place through it is fine.