Things to Do in the Philippines: City Guides & Audio Tours

The Philippines is an island country in the western Pacific, made up of about 7,600 islands stretching from Luzon through the Visayas to Mindanao. The best things to do in the Philippines bring together historic churches, trading cities, layered colonial history, tropical landscapes and a culture shaped by the sea. Neywo offers free audio guides for 24 cities in the Philippines, with 331 narrated places in total.

What to see and do in the Philippines

With so many islands and communities, the Philippines is best explored through its cities and regions. Each place reveals a different part of the country’s history, culture or natural setting.

Manila and its historic churches

Manila became a western hub of trans-Pacific trade during Spanish rule, and its heritage reflects the country’s long colonial history. The city is home to 149 narrated places on Neywo, including the Baroque Churches of the Philippines, Santa Ana Church, Nakpil–Bautista House and San Sebastian Church.

Christianity remains the dominant religion in the Philippines, and Spanish rule left a deep mark on architecture, painting and sculpture. Churches were also used to spread Catholicism, making Manila an important place to explore the connection between religion, art and history.

Cebu and the early colonial era

Cebu offers another important perspective on Philippine history. Its narrated places include Fort San Pedro, the Minor Basilica of the Holy Child, Museo Sugbo and the University of San Carlos Museum.

The archipelago’s history goes back much further than Spanish colonization. Early inhabitants included Negritos and successive waves of Austronesian peoples. Island communities later developed kingdoms influenced by animism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam, while coastal settlements became part of wider Asian trading networks. Cebu’s historic sites help place the Spanish period within this much longer story.

Vigan and the heritage of northern Luzon

In Vigan, six narrated places include Vigan Cathedral, San Vicente Church, the Old Ilocos Sur Provincial Jail and Father Burgos House. These sites reflect the religious and civic institutions that developed during the colonial period.

The Philippines was named after the future King Philip the Second: Ruy López de Villalobos gave the name Felipinas to Leyte and Samar, and it later spread across the archipelago. Vigan is one of the places where the country’s Spanish-era history can be encountered through its buildings and public landmarks.

Taal’s historic houses and basilica

Taal has ten narrated places, among them Don Gregorio Agoncillo Mansion, Apacible House, Agoncillo–Mariño House and Taal Basilica. Its collection of historic houses offers a closer look at the people, domestic spaces and religious buildings connected with the country’s past.

The Spanish period also shaped Filipino art. Paintings and sculptures were used especially for Catholic teaching, while local traditions continued to combine with influences from East Asia and Classical culture.

Davao and the southern Philippines

Davao’s four narrated places include the National Museum of the Philippines – Davao, San Pedro Cathedral, Davao Region and Francisco Bangoy International Airport. It is one of the places from which to approach the cultural and geographic diversity of Mindanao.

The Philippines is not culturally uniform. More than 180 living languages are spoken across the country, and native languages mostly belong to the Philippine branch of the wider Austronesian family. Filipino and English are widely used in the media, while literature has also been written in Spanish.

Puerto Princesa and Palawan

Puerto Princesa combines history and natural heritage. Its nine narrated places include the Douglas DC-2 Plaza Cuartel Museum, Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, Immaculate Conception Cathedral and Palawan.

The country’s natural variety is one of its defining features. Philippine rain forests contain thousands of plant species, including orchids, ferns, flowering plants and trees. More than half of the population lives in the coastal zone, and life across the archipelago remains closely connected to the sea.

Puerto Galera and the island landscape

Puerto Galera has 20 narrated places, including Mount Alinyaban, Mount Malasimbo, Mount Talipanan and Tabinay Malaki River. These places show the range of landscapes found across the islands, from mountains and rivers to coastal environments.

The island setting also brings changing weather and natural risks. The Philippines has a tropical maritime climate, with hot and humid conditions, a rainy season and cooler, drier months. The southwest monsoon is called habagat, while the northeast monsoon is known as amihan. The country is also vulnerable to earthquakes and typhoons because of its location near the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Angono, Baler and Sagada

Smaller destinations add different chapters to a Philippines travel guide. Angono has the Diocesan Shrine and Parish of Saint Clement among its narrated places, while Baler is represented by Baler Church. Sagada includes the Church of St. Mary the Virgin and the historian William Henry Scott.

Together, these places show how the country’s heritage extends beyond its largest cities. Religious buildings, local figures and regional communities all form part of the story of the archipelago.

The Visayas and its many local cultures

The Visayas offer a particularly broad range of places to explore. In Bacolod, Neywo covers San Sebastian Cathedral, Dizon-Ramos Museum, Negros Museum and Bacolod Evangelical Church. Silay includes ancestral houses such as Benita Jara Ancestral House and Hofileña Ancestral House, along with Balay Negrense and San Diego Pro-cathedral.

In Dumaguete, narrated places include Saint Catherine of Alexandria Cathedral, Dumaguete Presidencia, Silliman Hall and Bagacay Mosque. Siquijor has Siquijor Church, while Iloilo includes Camiña Balay Nga Bato, Celso Ledesma House, Iloilo City Central Business District and Brandy Museum.

The region’s history reflects centuries of exchange. Chinese people arrived through trade and gradually settled and intermingled with local communities. Later, Spanish and American influences were added to indigenous traditions, creating the layered culture visible in architecture, food, music and everyday life.

Islands, rivers and coastal places

The country’s water-shaped geography is especially clear in Neywo’s destinations outside the main urban centres. General Luna includes Bacong River and San Ignacio River. Socorro covers Socorro River, Bucas Islands, Dahakit Point and Kanlanuk Bay.

In Central Visayas, Bantayan Island includes Bantayan Church and Santo Niño Parish Church, while Tagbilaran features the National Museum of the Philippines – Bohol and Saint Joseph the Worker Cathedral. Boracay includes Ilig Iligan Beach, Boracay Newcoast, Lapuzlapuz Point and Bulaboc Point.

These places are part of an archipelago where coastal settlements, rivers, islands and mountains are not separate from daily life. They are the setting for communities, trade, travel and biodiversity.

Food, language and Filipino culture

Filipino cuisine has Malayo-Polynesian roots and developed through centuries of adaptation. Hispanic, Chinese and American cuisines all influenced it, but these traditions were reshaped for the Filipino palate. Agriculture remains important, particularly for rice, coconuts and bananas, even as the economy has shifted towards services and manufacturing.

Relationships are central to Filipino culture. Personal alliances may be based on kinship, obligation, friendship, religion and commerce. Music and dance combine indigenous and Spanish influences, while basketball is considered the country’s most popular sport. Boxing and billiards are also popular, with the achievements of Manny Pacquiao and Efren Reyes helping to raise their profile.

Explore the Philippines with Neywo

Download Neywo to explore the Philippines through 16 walking tours and 331 narrated places across 24 cities. Narration is available in 11 languages. Each story plays as you reach the place, at your own pace: the app tells the story of what you are seeing without a group and without a schedule.