Best Time to Visit the Philippines: A Month-by-Month Weather Guide for 2026 and 2027
There is no single Philippine dry season. Compare 30 years of PAGASA rainfall data and find the better weather window for each region.
The best time to visit the Philippines depends on where you are going, because PAGASA sorts the country into four climate types that have different wet and dry months. Pick the destination first and the month second. As a rule: Palawan from November to April, Siargao from September to March for surf, Cebu and Bohol most of the year, and leave a spare day in any trip between July and October.
For the months ahead, the 2026 to 2027 season looks dry. PAGASA declared the northeast monsoon on 27 October 2026 and expects way below to below normal rain nationwide through January, with a strong El Niño.
Best time to visit · PAGASA
Pick the place, then the month
Each row is one of PAGASA’s four climate types.
Two seasons
Dry from November to April, wet the rest of the year, heaviest from June to September. Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Ilocos, Batangas, Occidental Mindoro and western Palawan, which is why Coron and El Nido peak from November to April.
No dry season
Rain all year, heaviest from December to February, lightest from March to May. Siargao and the Surigao coast, Bicol, eastern Samar and Southern Leyte. Siargao’s best surf months fall in its wettest stretch.
Short dry spell
No very pronounced wet peak and a short dry season of one to three months, usually February to April. Aklan with Boracay, Capiz, Negros Occidental, Siquijor, Romblon and Oriental Mindoro.
Even all year
Rain spread more or less evenly across the year, with no real dry season and no single wettest month. Northern Cebu, Bohol, northern Leyte and the Davao provinces. These places have no perfect month and no washout month.
July to October
About 20 tropical cyclones enter the Philippine area each year and eight or nine cross the country. Roughly 70 percent form between July and October. Leave a spare day in any trip in those months.
Climate type definitions from PAGASA. Province lists are the standard classification. Schematic: real rainfall varies by station and year.
The two seasons, and why they are not enough
PAGASA describes two seasons: rainy from June to November, dry from December to May, with a cool dry stretch from December to February and a hot dry one from March to May. That is correct and of little use for planning one trip, because rainfall varies so widely across the islands. One national calendar is always wrong somewhere.
The four climate types
Type I. Two clear seasons: dry November to April, wet the rest of the year, heaviest June to September. Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Ilocos, Batangas and western Palawan. This is why Coron and El Nido peak from November to April.
Type II. No dry season, wettest December to February. Eastern Samar, Bicol and the Surigao coast, including Siargao. Siargao’s best surf months fall in its wettest stretch.
Type III. No very pronounced wet peak, relatively dry from November to April, with a short dry season of one to three months. Aklan with Boracay, Capiz, Siquijor and Romblon.
Type IV. Rain spread more or less evenly through the year. Bohol, northern Cebu, northern Leyte and the Davao provinces. These places have no perfect month and no washout month, which is the real reason Cebu works most of the year.
The type definitions are PAGASA’s. The province examples follow the standard published map; PAGASA’s own page could not be loaded for this check, so treat borders between types as approximate.
Amihan and habagat: which coast each one closes
Habagat is the southwest monsoon and exposes the west-facing coasts. Amihan is the northeast monsoon and exposes the east and north. PAGASA declares the start and end of each every year rather than using fixed dates.
| Event | 2026 | Earlier years |
|---|---|---|
| Habagat begins | 30 May 2026 | Late May in most years |
| Rainy season declared | 4 June 2026 | |
| Habagat ends | 5 October 2026 | 6 October 2025 |
| Amihan begins | 27 October 2026 | 27 October 2025; 19 November 2024; 20 October 2023 |
In August 2026 habagat cancellations hit routes from Caticlan, Iloilo, Batangas, Mindoro, Bicol and Palawan, and the Coast Guard counted 463 passengers and cargo workers stranded in ports on 11 August. With amihan the exposure moves to the eastern and northern seaboards, which is why its bulletins warn of rough seas there. What to do when a sailing is called off is in how ferry booking works.
Typhoon season in the Philippines
About 20 tropical cyclones enter the Philippine area of responsibility a year, and eight or nine cross the country. Nearly 70 percent develop from July to October. That is a reason to buy flexible tickets and leave a spare day in those months, not a reason to avoid them: most places are unaffected most of the time.
Storms also come outside the peak. Tropical Storm Basyang, on 5 and 6 February 2026, put twelve southern Cebu towns under Signal No. 2, stopped sea travel in Central Visayas, stranded about 3,865 passengers nationwide and halted the Loboc river cruise in Bohol. The dry season is drier, not guaranteed.
The outlook for late 2026 and early 2027
PAGASA’s outlook of 22 October 2026:
- El Niño. Strong to very strong, expected to peak around November.
- November. Way below to below normal rainfall, near normal in Davao City, Davao del Norte and Agusan del Norte.
- December and January. Way below to below normal nationwide.
- February to April 2027. Way below normal across most of the country.
- Tropical cyclones. One or two in November, one or two in December, up to one in January, a slim chance in February.
- Temperature. Warmer than average from November to January, with cold surges and rough seas under amihan.
For beaches and boats that is good news. For waterfalls and rivers it means lower water by March and April 2027. A seasonal forecast is a probability across months, not a promise about your week.
Month by month, by destination
November to February. Amihan: cooler and drier over most of the country, rougher on the eastern and northern seaboards. Siargao’s surf season runs September to March, at its biggest in November and December; Cloud 9 works best on a rising high tide and is dangerous at low water over the reef. See the Siargao travel guide.
December to April. Palawan’s dry season and the peak for Coron and El Nido. Boracay’s short dry spell falls late in this window; the Boracay guide covers the island. Cebu and Bohol are comfortable throughout.
February and March. The strongest compromise for a first trip with a flexible route, and in 2027 forecast to be drier than usual.
May. Hot, and the last easy month before habagat. Good for mountains and interiors, harder on long midday crossings.
June to early October. Habagat. Leave slack around Palawan, Boracay and the Iloilo to Bacolod crossing. The eastern seaboard is often fine while the west is shut, which is a routing opportunity.
Next long weekends: 1 to 2 November and 30 November 2026, when domestic flights and ferries fill. The ber months guide covers the holiday calendar.
The short version
Choose the place, then the month. Palawan November to April, Siargao September to March, Cebu and Bohol most of the year. Habagat closes the west, amihan the east and north. July to October, leave a spare day. For late 2026 into early 2027, expect a dry, quiet season with fewer storms than usual.
Four climates run across 7,641 islands at the same time. The 7641 Islands tee carries all of them.
Suroy Wear · Island Series
Frequently asked questions
What is the best month to visit the Philippines?
It depends on the destination. February and March are the safest compromise for a flexible first trip. Palawan is best November to April, Siargao September to March, and Cebu and Bohol work most of the year.
When does amihan start in 2026?
PAGASA declared the northeast monsoon on 27 October 2026, the same date as in 2025.
What is the difference between amihan and habagat?
Habagat is the southwest monsoon, roughly late May to early October, and it affects the west-facing coasts. Amihan is the northeast monsoon, from late October or November, and it affects the east and north.
How many typhoons hit the Philippines each year?
About 20 tropical cyclones enter the Philippine area each year and eight or nine cross the country, mostly from July to October. PAGASA expects only two to five from November 2026 to February 2027.
Is the 2026 to 2027 dry season expected to be drier than usual?
Yes. PAGASA’s 22 October 2026 outlook forecasts way below to below normal rain from November through January and way below normal across most of the country from February to April 2027, with a strong El Niño.
Monsoon dates and PAGASA outlook checked 28 October 2026.
