North Philippines Explorer

This 12-night tour with Explore Worldwide offers a steady pace through northern Luzon, the largest island in the Philippines. After a couple of days in Manila exploring Intramuros and Chinatown, you'll fly north to the Ilocos region where Baroque churches and sandy dunes provide a varied backdrop. The town of Vigan stands out with its cobbled streets and Spanish colonial villas, while Sagada invites a quieter curiosity with its hanging coffins on cliff faces.

In the highlands, the trek along the Maligcong terraces and the panoramic rice amphitheatre of Batad contrast with the lowland crafts and community life in Vigan. The tour then turns to climb Mount Pinatubo, famous for its 1991 eruption, with a 4x4 ride followed by a walk across streams to the crater lake. Along the way, a potter’s workshop, a weaving loom, local markets and a farm lunch pepper the journey with local colour and quiet moments.

The final night returns to Manila for a farewell dinner. The trip includes several drives across varied terrain, from mountain roads to beaches, making it a tour for those comfortable with the occasional early start and the odd splash of ankle-deep river crossings on the volcano trek.

These are the places the trip visits, in order. Explore Worldwide publishes the day-by-day itinerary on its own site.