The Philippines, Made Easy: A Convenient Way to Travel From India

For a long time, the Philippines sat in a strange place for Indian travellers. Everyone agreed the islands were stunning. Almost nobody planned a trip, because getting there felt like a project: a visa to arrange, a connection or two, and no clear idea of where to start.

That has quietly changed. There is now a nonstop flight from Delhi, the entry rules are lighter than they used to be, and the country is easier to move around than its map suggests. Here is how we would plan it, and the details worth getting right before you go.

Getting there: the flight is the easy part now

Air India flies nonstop from Delhi to Manila. The route launched in October 2025, started with a handful of weekly flights and now operates daily. The flight takes roughly six hours, which is shorter than most people expect and shorter than flying to Europe. Air India has also said it will move to a larger Boeing 787 on the route from 25 October, so there should be more seats and a proper business cabin.

A few things to know:

• Flying from Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad or Chennai? There is no nonstop we can confirm from these cities today. The practical options are a short hop to Delhi to join the Air India nonstop, or a connection through Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok or Hong Kong. Singapore and Kuala Lumpur are usually the smoothest. Mumbai is about to change, as the next point explains.
• Philippine Airlines is coming back to India. The national carrier has announced nonstop Manila flights from Delhi and Mumbai, planned for the 2026–27 winter season and subject to final approval. The plan is around seven weekly flights across the two cities, with Mumbai getting its first nonstop to Manila. Start dates have moved around in early reports, so confirm with the airline before you book around them.
• IndiGo may follow. It has applied to operate to the Philippines, with Mumbai–Manila considered first, but there is no confirmed start date yet.
• Consider flying into one city and out of another. Manila in, Cebu or Clark out saves you a day of backtracking. We wrote about how this works in our guide to open-jaw flights.

A note on fares. When a new route launches, airlines tend to price aggressively to fill seats. Roundtrip fares from Mumbai and Delhi to Manila have often started around ₹27,000–30,000 in these early weeks. That is a pattern, not a promise, and the good fares go quickly. We share these windows as they open on GoTixi Drops, so follow along there if you want to catch one.

Getting in: what Indian passport holders need to know

Since June 2025, Indian travellers can enter the Philippines for tourism without a visa. This is the part to read carefully, because the rules shape how you plan the whole trip.

• The stay is 14 days, and it cannot be extended. If you hold a valid visa or residence permit from the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, Singapore or a Schengen country, you can stay up to 30 days.
• Your passport should be valid for at least six months beyond your stay.
• Carry proof of your plans: a confirmed hotel booking, a return or onward ticket, and evidence that you can fund the trip.
• Register on eTravel, the Philippines' free online arrival form, within 72 hours of landing. You will get a QR code to show at immigration.

Rules like these do get updated, and a few guides online still describe older requirements. Before you book, check the current position with the Philippine Embassy or the Bureau of Immigration. Our checklist for finding authentic visa rules shows you where to look.

Why 14 days is plenty, if you plan it well

The Philippines has more than 7,000 islands, and the temptation is to see as many as possible. Resist it. Distances look short on a map but island travel runs on flights, ferries and weather, and every move costs half a day.

The trips that feel best usually have a simple shape:

• Manila, one or two nights. Enough to recover from the flight and see Intramuros, the old walled city. Many travellers skip the capital, but it is an easy place to land.
• One island region for the heart of the trip. Palawan (El Nido and Coron) is the one most people dream of: limestone cliffs, lagoons and island-hopping by bangka boat. Cebu and Bohol suit first-timers and families, with waterfalls, the Chocolate Hills, whale sharks at Oslob and easy flights between them.
• A second, quieter stop if you have the days. Siargao for surf and slow days, or Siquijor for a calmer pace.
• A spare day at the end. Domestic flights get delayed by weather. A buffer before your flight home matters more here than almost anywhere else, particularly because your 14 days cannot be stretched.

When to go

The dry season runs roughly from December to May, with the best sea conditions for island-hopping and diving from about February to April. From June to November it is wetter, and typhoons can affect flights and ferries, particularly in the north and east. If you are travelling during those months, build in flexibility and keep your island count low.

What makes it comfortable for Indian travellers

• English is widely spoken, on signs, in hotels and on tours. You will rarely feel lost.
• Manila has a large Indian community, so vegetarian and Indian food is easy to find in the city. Outside the cities, ask ahead and you will usually be looked after, but the island menus lean towards seafood and pork.
• Carry some cash. Cards work in cities and larger resorts. Smaller islands, boat operators and tricycles often want Philippine pesos.
• Check your baggage allowance on domestic flights. Budget airlines on island routes are strict about weight, and it is the most common surprise for first-time visitors.

Who it suits

Couples looking for beaches that are not overrun. Families who want water, wildlife and plenty of variety. Divers and snorkellers, who already know the country's reputation. And first-time international travellers who want something that feels far away without being hard to reach.

How we would plan it with you

The nonstop flight and the lighter entry rules have made the Philippines far more approachable than it was even two years ago. The part that still takes care is the one in the middle: choosing the right islands for your dates, sequencing flights and ferries so a weather delay does not cost you a night, and keeping everything inside your 14 days.

That is the work we take on. If the Philippines is on your list, tell us who is travelling, when, and what a good trip looks like for you. We will build the route around that, and we will be with you before you fly, while you are there, and if plans change.