There's something to be said about going slightly off the beaten path with your kids. One of our favorite vacations over the years was visiting the tourist spots in Luzon, Philippines.

Now, I wouldn't necessarily say that the Philippines is off the beaten path, as there are plenty of visitors who go there every year, but the idea of Philippines travel doesn't exactly scream "family travel," either. But one thing I've learned about traveling internationally with kids is that a place doesn't have to have theme parks or all-inclusive resorts to be family friendly. I would say the Philippines is a great place to visit. Especially with your kids.

Over the course of our travels, we've explored the bustling city of Manila, and experienced the relaxed island feel of Puerto Princesa. Through it all we've definitely felt there's something special about the Philippines. With its welcoming culture, tropical climate, and beautiful scenery, Philippines travel is well-worth doing at least once in your life.

This post was originally published on April 14, 2016.

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Quick guide: top Luzon tourist spots

Where to stay in Luzon

Planning where to stay makes all the difference on a family trip. Below are our recommended places to stay in each of the cities featured in this post, from bustling Manila to the coastal calm of Subic Bay and the cool mountain air of Baguio.

City Garden Grand Hotel in Manila

City Garden Grand Hotel sits in the heart of Makati, giving families an easy base for reaching many of the tourist spots in Luzon, including Rizal Park and Intramuros. With spacious family rooms, an outdoor pool, and a fitness center, there's plenty to keep kids entertained between excursions.

The central location means shorter travel times each day, so families spend more time seeing the city and less time in traffic. It's a comfortable, convenient choice for a Manila stay.

Best Western Plus Hotel Subic in Olongapo

Best Western Plus Hotel Subic offers families a relaxed home base within the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. The hotel location is close to several tourist spots in Luzon along the coast.

Family rooms, air conditioning, and an outdoor pool make it easy for parents to unwind while kids splash around after a day of activities. Its location near shopping and nature areas gives families flexibility, whether they want a quiet beach afternoon or a day exploring the surrounding area.

Chateau de Maisons Suites in Baguio

Chateau de Maisons Suites gives families a peaceful stay in the cool mountain air of Baguio. This city is one of the more refreshing tourist spots in Luzon for escaping Manila's heat.

The family rooms and suite-style layout offer extra space to spread out after a day of sightseeing. And the quiet Romulo Drive location makes it easy to rest before heading out to parks, gardens, and viewpoints the next morning. This is a comfortable pick for a family trip north.

Traveling to other countries in Southeast Asia? Read my Southeast Asia posts for helpful tips.

Visiting the tourist spots in Luzon

We first visited the tourist spots in Luzon in 2012, when my step-son was fourteen and my daughter was not yet two. Then we came back to Luzon again in early 2020, this time with my mother-in-law and her husband.

We had so much fun! There were so many interesting places to see and things to do. And since my husband's family comes from the Philippines, there was a personal connection for us too.

For families planning to visit the Philippines, I've put together a few suggestions for tourist spots in Luzon that families can visit. Here are my picks for Philippines travel ideas for your next family trip:

1. See the historical tourist spots in Luzon at Intramuros

One of the more obvious tourist spots in Luzon is the capital city of Manila. Within that city, the old historic part is called Intramuros. It's characterized by a wall that surrounds the area, and is still full of some of the old Spanish-style architecture in some of its buildings. When we were there, we decided to go all-out tourist mode and rent a kalesa to take us around Intramuros. 

Kalesas are traditional horse-drawn carriages, and one of the things I liked about riding them is that you go at a much slower pace than a car, which makes it easier to look around and take in the sites. Plus, my kids loved riding around in a horse-drawn carriage.

If you'd rather leave the navigating to someone else, the Intramuros Walking Tour is a well-reviewed option that covers the walled city's history at a manageable pace for kids. It's a good pick for families who want context behind what they're seeing, since a guide can turn old stone walls into stories that actually hold a kid's attention.

2. Enjoy the views at Manila Bay

If you're looking for a nice place to get some lunch in Manila, then you should definitely head to Manila Bay, another one of the popular tourist spots in Luzon. The restaurants in this area are known for their seafood.

On our trip, we decided to stop by Harbor View Restaurant. Their restaurant includes a covered pier, which gives you the chance to dine right on the water. We ate to our heart's content on crabs and seafood, as well as traditional Filipino dishes like kare-kare and halo-halo.

For families who want to sample more than one restaurant in a single outing, the Manila Food Tour introducing Philippine street food is a highly rated way to do it. It gives kids a chance to try a variety of local dishes in smaller portions, which tends to work better for picky eaters than committing to one big meal.

3. Spend an afternoon at Rizal Park

One of the heroes of the Philippines, Jose Rizal, has a park dedicated to him in the central coastal part of Manila. Parks are a great way for families to relax when they're doing Philippines travel.

In terms of family friendly tourist spots in Luzon, we especially liked Rizal Park for the fountain found in the center of the park. Rizal Park also has memorials dedicated to Jose Rizal, so this was also a way for my kids to learn about their Filipino heritage. If you only have room in your itinerary for one tourist spot in Luzon for family bonding, this is the one we'd point you toward.

A private Manila tour covering Rizal Park and Fort Santiago is worth considering if you want a guide to walk your kids through the history behind the monuments. Since it's a private tour, you can also set your own pace, which helps when you're traveling with younger kids who need more breaks.

4. Get your shopping on at Mall of Asia

Filipinos love their shopping. It's evident in the abundance of malls throughout the Philippines. Manila is no exception. In fact, Manila has the eleventh largest mall in the world, called the Mall of Asia.

When we were in the city, we spent an afternoon shopping at the Mall of Asia, a large open area mall with amenities like an ice skating rink, a ferris wheel, and even an arena! This mall definitely earns its place as one of the popular tourist spots in Luzon.

Of course, while we were there, we spent most of our time at the shops. It was just so big, I think we covered just a tiny corner of the place. If you're traveling with little kids, a mall is a great place for them to run around.

5. See Taal Volcano, the world's smallest volcano

If you're wanting some less busy tourist spots in Luzon, head out of the city of Manila. Just about an hour's drive from Manila is the Taal Volcano, considered the world's smallest volcano.

It's set in the middle of Lake Taal, and is accessible by boat, or by joining a guided tour from Tagaytay. For us, we decided to forgo the boat ride to the volcano, and instead headed to nearby Tagaytay, where you can catch postcard-worthy views of the volcano.

Families who'd rather skip the logistics of arranging transportation on their own can book the Taal Volcano Experience, a well-rated countryside and volcano tour from Manila. It includes transfers, so parents don't have to worry about driving, and the scenic countryside views along the way tend to be just as memorable for kids as the volcano itself.

6. Visit tourist spots in Luzon at Subic Bay

My husband's parents met in Subic Bay, a military base in the Philippines on the coast of the island of Luzon, west of Manila. His dad was in the Navy, and his mom was working on the base. Since the base held such an important place in my husband's history, we decided to stop by there and see what it was all about.

These days, all the former US military bases in the Philippines have been turned into duty-free shopping areas (remember how I said Filipinos love their shopping?), so they are all overflowing with shopping malls and visitors coming in droves to take advantage of tax-free shopping. Subic Bay has become one of the frequently visited tourist spots in Luzon, by foreigners and Filipinos alike.

Despite the commercial aspect of former bases like Subic Bay, there are still some naturally beautiful parts of the area. Subic Bay, in particular, is quite peaceful to look at in the early mornings, before the visitors come.

7. Explore the hill town of Baguio

Also on the island of Luzon, and north of Manila, is the hill town of Baguio. It's a nice respite from the hot craziness that is Manila, and definitely worth an add to your list of tourist spots in Luzon. When we visited, it was cool and rainy, and I was actually wishing I had brought warmer clothes to the Philippines!

There are plenty of interesting things for families to see in Baguio, including a botanical garden, Burnham Park (Baguio's version of Central Park), and John Hay Air Base (a former US military base-turned museum). Nature-loving families can also extend their itinerary further north to Mount Pulag National Park for even more scenic mountain views.

It rained most of the time we were there, but we were lucky to have rented a car, so the rain didn't bother us too much.

8. Take an excursion to Mines View Park

Just outside of Baguio is Mines View Park, which overlooks the abandoned gold mines and copper mines near the town of Igoton. The area is a nice place for a picnic and to catch scenic views of mountains and hills during your visit of the tourist spots in Luzon. And when we visited, the climate was definitely several degrees cooler than Manila.

Bonus: Remember history at the Bataan War Memorial

If you have extra time in your itinerary, add the Bataan War Memorial to your list of tourist spots in Luzon. We visited in 2020, and it was one of the more moving stops of our trip. The memorial honors the soldiers who endured the Bataan Death March during World War II, and it gave us a chance to talk with our kids about a difficult but important part of Philippine and world history.

The grounds include a museum, memorial shrine, and a large cross at the summit of Mount Samat that overlooks the surrounding province. Walking through the exhibits with our kids sparked a lot of questions, and it turned into one of those unplanned homeschool moments that stuck with them long after we left.

For families who want to pair Bataan with a visit to nearby Corregidor Island, the Full-Day Tour in Corregidor and Bataan War Memorial from Manila is a well-reviewed way to see both in a single day. The tour includes a boat ride to the island along with guided time at the memorial, which takes the planning off your hands and gives kids a bit of adventure on the water before the more reflective parts of the day.

Not sure what to pack for your Philippines trip? Check out our essential items for travel.

Getting to the Philippines, and getting around Luzon

The island of Luzon is accessible by air at the Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Flights from international destinations fly there daily.

Although the initial flight costs to the Philippines may be more expensive than places like Europe or Mexico, the dollar is strong over there. So the overall trip costs wouldn't be too different from any other trip.

Getting around to the tourist spots in Luzon may be challenging, if you don't have a private driver. While buses do travel to various destinations around Luzon, you'll have more flexibility with a private car and driver. Accommodations in Luzon can be found throughout the island. You can also refer to the Philippines guide book for more ideas of where to stay and where to go in Luzon.

English is pretty widely spoken in the Philippines. Unless you're spending time in the rural areas, most people speak English, and are more than happy to practice with you. However, it doesn't help to pick up a Tagalog phrasebook to learn a few helpful phrases. It will help you experience the local culture better.

Experiencing all the tourist spots in Luzon with our kids

Philippines travel may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of family travel, but the country definitely has plenty of family-friendly activities for you to enjoy. We loved our time exploring all the tourist spots in Luzon with our kids, and can't wait to visit again.

Have you had a chance to experience travel in the Philippines with your family? Share your stories with me!

Is the Philippines part of a bigger family travel adventure for you? Use my ebook, Hey Kids, Let’s Go Travel! as a resource for tools, advice, and action steps for planning your trip.

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