Flight routes & ferries
The routes that actually matter for an island trip, with the airlines that fly them and the 2GO ferry legs worth taking instead. Every one of these is issued from our desk.
We book these for you
Cebu Pacific, PAL, Cebgo and AirAsia flights, and 2GO Travel ferry tickets — availability checked, tickets issued, confirmation sent to your phone. No booking-fee games; just the fare.
Manila (MNL) — the jet gateway
| Route | Airlines | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manila→Puerto PrincesaPPS | Cebu Pacific, PAL, AirAsia | 1h 20m | Jet service kept at NAIA — 9–10 flights daily |
| Manila→Caticlan (Boracay)MPH | Cebu Pacific, PAL, AirAsia | 1h 10m | Closest Boracay airport — ferry is 20 min away |
| Manila→Kalibo (Boracay)KLO | Cebu Pacific, PAL, AirAsia | 1h 05m | Cheaper fares, but a 2-hour land transfer to the Boracay ferry |
| Manila→Bohol-PanglaoTAG | Cebu Pacific, PAL, AirAsia | 1h 25m | Jet flights — Cebu Pacific runs 4 daily |
| Manila→CebuCEB | Cebu Pacific, PAL, AirAsia | 1h 20m | The busiest domestic route in the country — Cebu Pacific alone runs 108 weekly |
Clark (CRK) — the Palawan & Siargao gateway
| Route | Airlines | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clark→Coron / BusuangaUSU | Cebgo | 1h 15m | 26 weekly flights — Coron's turboprops moved from Manila here in Mar 2026 |
| Clark→El NidoENI | Cebgo | 1h 20m | ~40 weekly flights to Lio Airport; books out weeks ahead in season |
| Clark→SiargaoIAO | Cebgo, Sunlight Air | 2h 20m | Cebgo ~2x daily; PAL suspended its Clark–Siargao service in May 2026 — schedules shift |
Cebu (CEB) — the Visayas hub
| Route | Airlines | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cebu→SiargaoIAO | Cebgo, PAL Express, Sunlight Air | 1h 05m | Cebgo ~6x daily — the reliable Manila connection, since NAIA lost direct Siargao flights |
| Cebu→Coron / BusuangaUSU | Cebgo, PAL, Sunlight Air | 1h 20m | 35 flights a week to the diving capital |
| Cebu→El NidoENI | Cebgo | 1h 50m | 7 weekly flights |
| Cebu→Bohol-PanglaoTAG | — | 2h by ferry | Take the OceanJet fast ferry instead — it beats the airport math |
| Cebu→Caticlan (Boracay)MPH | Cebu Pacific, PAL, AirAsia | 50m | One of the shortest hops in the country |
| Cebu→ManilaMNL | Cebu Pacific, PAL, AirAsia | 1h 20m | Every 30 minutes through the day |
Palawan inter-island — the famous legs
| Route | Airlines | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Nido→Coron / BusuangaUSU | Cebgo | 40m flight / 4h ferry | 5 weekly flights; the ferry is the scenic classic |
| El Nido→Caticlan (Boracay)MPH | Cebgo | 1h 05m | 7 weekly flights — direct island-to-island hop |
| El Nido→Bohol-PanglaoTAG | Cebgo | 1h 45m | 3 weekly flights connecting two beach destinations |
| El Nido→ClarkCRK | Cebgo | 1h 35m | The busiest El Nido route — ~40 weekly flights |
Ferries worth taking
Coron ↔ El Nido
3 morning sailings daily (6:00–7:30am) — book the 6am Montenegro
Montenegro Lines · Atienza · Jomalia
3.5–4h · from ₱1,800
Cebu City ↔ Tagbilaran (Bohol)
OceanJet runs 14 sailings a day; beats the flight on price
OceanJet · SuperCat
2h · from ₱920
Caticlan ↔ Boracay Island
The final leg of every Boracay trip
Multiple
20m · fare set at the pier
Six rules we book by
- 01Book 6+ weeks ahead — fares triple inside two weeks.
- 02Always take the first flight of the day; it gets cancelled least.
- 03Fly into CEB or CRK instead of MNL when your route allows.
- 04Ferries beat flights under 3 hours of crossing time.
- 057 kg carry-on is free; checked bags cost more than the ticket on small planes.
- 06Give yourself one buffer day before your international flight home.
Route questions
Which airport should I fly into for the Philippines?
01
Cebu (CEB) is the best gateway for island trips — the Visayas hub with the most connections to Siargao, Bohol, Boracay and Palawan. Manila (MNL) has the most international routes but the worst ground logistics. Clark (CRK) matters more than it used to: since March 2026, all Coron, El Nido and Siargao turboprop flights operate from Clark, not NAIA.
Why do Coron and El Nido flights now leave from Clark?
02
The government's Manila Slot Coordination Committee ordered all turboprop operations out of NAIA to free the runway for jets. Cebgo and AirSWIFT completed the move on March 29, 2026, and AirSWIFT's routes were folded into Cebgo in July 2026. Coron (26 weekly flights) and El Nido (~40 weekly) now fly from Clark, about 2 hours north of Metro Manila by car. Puerto Princesa keeps its jet service from NAIA.
How much do internal Philippines flights cost?
03
Roughly ₱1,500–4,000 per leg when booked 6+ weeks ahead; same-week bookings can triple. These are planning ranges — fares move daily, and the desk quotes today's price at booking. The famous cheap routes are Cebu–Siargao and Cebu–Boracay.
Should I take the ferry or fly between Coron and El Nido?
04
The fast ferry (3.5–4 hours, from about ₱1,800 on Montenegro's 2026 rates) is the scenic classic — three morning sailings daily at 6:00, 7:00 and 7:30am. Fly Cebgo (~40 min, 5 flights weekly) if you're short on time or it's July–September, when swells can cancel sailings.
What is the best route for a two-week Philippines trip?
05
Fly into Cebu → ferry to Bohol → fly to El Nido → ferry to Coron → fly to Boracay (via Cebu) → fly out of Manila or Kalibo. That loop uses every leg in this guide and never backtracks.
Route planned but still unsure?
Ask us directly — we re-route trips weekly and know exactly which leg will ruin your schedule.
+639612311782 · desk 7 days 8am–5pm PH · after-hours on Messenger until ~10pm