Wildlife Photography Hides in Philippines

Bukidnon & Davao, Mindanao

The Philippine Eagle Expedition is a 7-day specialist tour led by Gunnar Engblom focused entirely on Mindanao's endemic bird community, with the Philippine Eagle as the centrepiece target. The tour bases at Del Monte Lodge on Mt. Kitanglad — the eagle watchpoint is a grassy ridge overlooking forest where resident pairs of Philippine Eagles are regularly observed. Also visits Cinchona Forest Reserve, Philippine Eagle Center in Davao, and Eden Nature Park. A 3-day post-tour extension adds PICOP forest for lowland Mindanao endemics. Tour price USD 2,400/person (main); USD 2,900 with extension. Departs January 2027.

Palawan, Luzon, Mindanao, Visayas

Bird Finder Philippines offers 21- and 28-day signature tours as well as day trips and custom itineraries covering all four Philippine avifaunal zones. A distinctive feature is the Magarwak Forest Hide in Palawan's Bahile Lowland Forest — a dedicated bird photography hide providing exceptional close-range images of Palawan Peacock-Pheasant, Palawan Hornbill, and Philippine Cockatoo. 14 signature sites on Luzon, 26 endemic species on Palawan, and 51 endemics on Mindanao. Custom tours bookable on short notice. Contact info@birdfinder.ph or +63 947 890 6422.

Luzon, Mindanao, Palawan

Birdguiding Philippines' 22-day Classic Philippines Bird Tour covers the three principal Philippine avifaunal zones — Luzon, Mindanao, and Palawan — with an intensive schedule targeting the full spectrum of endemics. The operator also offers the Remote Philippines: Visayas & Small Islands tour (17 days) for returning birders seeking additional endemics from Tablas, Bohol, Cebu, Camiguin, Negros, and Mindoro. An "Easy" Philippines variant avoids the most demanding sites while adding Bohol. Custom private tours available year-round. Contact info@birdguidingphilippines.com.

Luzon, Mindanao, Palawan, Visayas

Birding Adventure Philippines, led by Nicky Icarangal and a team of specialist local guides, offers the Philippines' most comprehensive birding tours. The three-week main tour covers six major islands — Luzon, Mindanao, Palawan, Negros, Bohol, and Cebu — targeting nearly 200 of the archipelago's 274 endemic species. Custom day trips to month-long expeditions are also offered for individuals and groups seeking rare species like the Black-hooded Coucal or Calayan Rail. The team has extensive experience partnering with international tour operators including Birdquest and Tropical Birding.

Mindanao, Luzon, Palawan

Birding Ecotours' 18-day Philippines tour targets a superb selection of the archipelago's most sought-after endemics across three of the four major avifaunal zones. The itinerary focuses on Mindanao (Mt. Kitanglad and PICOP forest), Luzon (Subic Bay), and Palawan (Puerto Princesa Subterranean River NP). Key targets include Philippine Eagle, all five pitta species, Celestial Monarch, and Wattled Broadbill. Tour price USD 6,950–7,370 per person. Scheduled January to February; moderate difficulty with optional challenging hikes for difficult montane species.

Luzon, Mindanao, Palawan

Birding2Asia's 16-day Classic Short Tour covers the three principal islands of Luzon, Mindanao, and Palawan, targeting over 50 endemic species. Itinerary includes La Mesa Eco-park, Candaba Marsh, Subic Bay, and Mt. Makiling on Luzon; Mt. Kitanglad, Mt. Apo, and PICOP on Mindanao; and Puerto Princesa Subterranean River NP and Sabang on Palawan. Tour price PHP 296,500 / USD 4,980 per person including 3 internal flights. Led by Stijn De Win and Pete Simpson, two of the region's most experienced Philippine birding guides.

Luzon, Mindanao, Palawan, Visayas

Birdquest's Classic Philippines tour is widely regarded as the most comprehensive single expedition available in the country, typically recording 170–180 of the 260+ endemic species — nearly 70% of the total — in a single tour. The itinerary visits all three major avifaunal zones plus Visayan island endemics, combining forest birding at Subic Bay, Mt. Makiling, Mt. Kitanglad, PICOP, and Palawan with island endemics from Negros and Bohol. Birdquest also offers a Remote Philippines tour for experienced birders seeking the rarer Visayan and small-island endemics.

Luzon, Palawan, Mindanao

Birdventures' 19-day Philippines tour covers Luzon, Palawan, and Mindanao with a focus on the archipelago's most spectacular endemic birds. Led by Simon Thompson and Mark Welford, the tour visits carefully selected forest sites on each island targeting 44% of Philippine bird species found nowhere else globally. Maximum 10 participants. Tour price USD 6,750 per person (double occupancy), single supplement USD 575. Includes 3 internal flights, accommodation, and all meals. Deposit USD 700 per person. Tour runs late December to mid-January.

Taytay, Northern Palawan

Malampaya Ecotours is an award-winning eco-friendly tour operator in Taytay, northern Palawan, specialising in Irrawaddy Dolphin watching in Malampaya Sound — the only place in the Philippines where these critically endangered cetaceans, locally known as lampasut, can be reliably observed. The sound hosts a population of 77 individuals first discovered in 1986. Multi-day boat expeditions (4 days Taytay–Iloc–Linapacan) combine dolphin watching with birdwatching in Sabang forest and the Underground River NP. Palawan endemic birds including Hornbill and Peacock-Pheasant are regularly encountered. Customised itineraries available.

Luzon, Palawan, Bohol

Ornis Birding's 15-day Philippines Highlights tour focuses on the best forest patches on Luzon, Palawan, and Bohol, targeting over 120 endemic species with mostly easy roadside and trail birding. Sites include Rajah Sikatuna National Park, Mt. Makiling, Sierra Madre, Subic Bay, Puerto Princesa, and Banaue/Mt. Polis. Comfortable hotels throughout. Optional challenging walks for difficult species. Tour price USD 5,400 (2027); USD 5,500 (2028). Single supplement USD 600. Scheduled February to March.

Luzon, Mindanao, Palawan

Rockjumper's 22-day Philippines Endangered Endemics tour is one of the most comprehensive birding expeditions available in the country, targeting close to 150 endemic species across Luzon, Mindanao, and Palawan. The tour reaches 310–330 total species and includes demanding forest walks to reach Philippine Eagle territories on Mt. Kitanglad. Maximum 10 participants with a Rockjumper leader and a specialist local guide. Tour price USD 7,100–7,700 per person. An optional 8-day Visayan Islands Extension covers Cebu, Bohol, and Negros, adding Black and Visayan Shamas, Negros Scops Owl, and Visayan Broadbill.

Cebu, Bohol, Negros, Visayas

Rockjumper's 8-day Visayan Islands Extension visits Cebu, Bohol, and Negros to target the highly restricted Visayan endemics. Key targets include the critically endangered Cebu Flowerpecker (rediscovered in 1992), Azure-breasted Pitta, Flame-templed Babbler, and Visayan Broadbill. Philippine Tarsier and Philippine Colugo are also regularly encountered. This extension can only be taken in conjunction with Rockjumper's main Philippines tour. Difficulty is high; designed for serious listers with a good level of fitness. Price USD 2,900–3,100 per person plus USD 240 internal flights.

Luzon, Palawan, Visayas, Mindanao

Tropical Birding offers a modular Philippines tour system allowing clients to tailor their itinerary. The 12-day main tour covers Luzon and Palawan; optional pre-tour Visayas extension adds Bohol, Cebu, and Negros (8 days); post-tour Mindanao extension adds Mt. Kitanglad and PICOP (7 days). The full 26-day grand tour targets nearly 250 endemic Philippine birds. Currently offered as a custom tour only. Main tour from USD 6,530 per person; extensions from USD 4,480 additional. Tour leaders are specialist Philippine birding guides.

Luzon, Bohol, Palawan, Panay

WINGS Birding's 17-day Philippines tour (24 days with Mindanao extension) focuses on Luzon, Bohol, and Palawan, searching lowland and montane habitats for each island's specialties. Sites include Baguio, Subic Bay, Infanta, Mt. Makiling, Rajah Sikatuna National Park, and Puerto Princesa. Maximum 8 participants with one WINGS leader and specialist local guides. An optional Mindanao extension adds Mt. Kitanglad and the chance of Philippine Eagle. Tours run in early January. Pace is "fairly demanding" with 5:45 AM starts and 2–4 km forest walks most days.