Philippines- Northern Highlights & beach stay

Arrive in Manila. You will be met and transferred to your hotel. Check in and overnight.

Meet our Tour Representative at the lobby of your hotel for your Exploring Old Manila Tour. The city of Manila is bisected by Pasig River, a tidal estuary that connects Manila Bay and Laguna de Bay. On its southern banks is the city center, where government and private offices, schools, shopping malls and manmade historical landmarks are located; on its northern edge are the densely populated, working class districts such as Quiapo, Binondo and Escolta, which used to be the city’s commercial district during the Spanish colonial period. Traversing from south to north, the tour affords one a glimpse of Manila’s colonial past and its relevance in the present times. ‘Exploring Old Manila’ combines a visit to the main attractions of Intramuros, including Rizal Park. A ‘calesa’ ride (horsedrawn carriage) will take you to Chinatown in Binondo. There will be time spent wandering along Ongpin Street that is lined with jewellery stores, restaurants, traditional medicine shops, grocery stores and bakeries. The tour ends with a short stop at Escolta, the country’s first commercial hub during the Spanish colonial times and view the few remaining buildings with rare architectural designs that dates back to the early 1900s. (B/L/D)

Meet your guide and depart for your Northern Roundtrip Tour.
Wending your way through early morning traffic, travel north on the expressway, past the flat and fertile landscape of the Central Plains of Luzon then cross the southern gateway of Cagayan Valley by zigzagging across the Caraballo Range through Dalton Pass, a 920-meter high precipice which was named after the American General James Dalton who led the siege against the Japanese forces during World War II. An expansive view of the Sierra Madre and Caraballo mountain ranges is visible from a look-out located atop a hill. Begin the climb to Banaue as you reach the junction of Bagabag where the road from Banaue meets the main valley highway and runs northwest to Isabela. Arrive in Banaue late in the afternoon, check in and overnight at Banaue Hotel. (B/L/D)