Mindanao's largest city and the Philippines' 'durian capital': forests on the slopes of Mount Apo, the Philippine Eagle Center, Malagos cacao farm, a crocodile park and a nightly street-food market — plus the white beaches, bat cave and waterfalls of Samal Island, 15 minutes away by ferry. The city is clean with strict rules (bans on public smoking, firecrackers and late-night alcohol) and lies outside the main typhoon belt, so it can be visited year-round. Suits families and lovers of nature and food. Note: the UK and Australian governments advise against all but essential travel / to reconsider travel to most of Mindanao, Davao City included, so check your insurance. No direct flights from Ulaanbaatar — connect via Hong Kong, Singapore or Manila. Mongolian citizens get 30 days visa-free.
🛂 Visa: Visa-free · 30 days✈ Flight: 10h☀ Best months: January, February, March, April
Orange — daytime average, blue — night, grey bars — rainfall, green — sea temperature. Best months: January, February, March, April, May, December.
Things to see (12)
🧸 for kids
Philippine Eagle Center
Nature₱150 + ₱5 environmental fee9:00–15:00
A breeding centre run by the Philippine Eagle Foundation where you see the Philippine (monkey-eating) eagle — one of the world's largest and rarest birds — up close. It sits in the Malagos forest, 1–1.5 hours north-west of downtown; besides the eagles there are owls, warty pigs, deer and other rare animals. Educational for families; pair it with Malagos Garden Resort in one day.
Food₱250 (weekdays), ₱300 (weekends); make-your-own chocolate ₱450 per 200 gDaytime; bird show at 10:30 on weekends
Travel guide
Like a well-travelled friend for a first-timer: before you go, landing, SIM, transport, money, food, safety, manners, apps, leaving — step by step.
🧳Before you goNo visa needed, but check Mindanao travel advice, your insurance and your connections ahead of time.+
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30 days visa-free
Mongolian citizens may stay in the Philippines visa-free for up to 30 days. Your passport must be valid for more than 6 months beyond departure, with a return or onward ticket. Mongolia's consular list still shows 21 days under the old agreement, so if you stay longer than 21 days be ready to show your ticket to immigration.
Everyone arriving in or leaving the Philippines completes the free eTravel at etravel.gov.ph and gets a QR code; submissions earlier than 72 hours are not accepted. Beware of 'agent' sites that charge a fee.
Tip: Fill in the departure eTravel within 72 hours of leaving too.
The UK FCDO advises against all but essential travel to most of Mindanao (Davao City and Samal included), so some policies may not cover Davao — check yours. The US advisory of September 2026 exempts Davao City's central business district, the airport and Samal Island from its Level 3. Do not go to western or central Mindanao or Sulu.
🛬Landing and getting to your hotelFrancisco Bangoy Airport is in the north of the city, close to downtown; Samal is reached from Sasa wharf.+
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Airport to the city
The airport is ~10 km from downtown, 20–30 minutes. Take a metered taxi from the rank (≈₱180–220) or book a Grab (≈₱200–300). Refuse drivers who quote a flat fare without the meter.
Sasa wharf is 10–15 minutes by taxi from the airport; from there ferries run 24 hours to Babak on Samal, taking 10–15 minutes for ₱20–25. You pay a ₱50 environmental fee on entering Samal. Many resorts pick guests up by private boat.
Tip: A Davao–Samal bridge is being built, so expect traffic around the wharf.
If your phone supports eSIM, install a Philippines eSIM before you go. Otherwise buy a Globe or Smart SIM at the airport or in a mall; by law it must be registered with your passport.
Tip: Signal is weak on Mount Apo and in southern Samal — download maps for offline use.
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Wi-Fi
Most hotels, cafés and malls have Wi-Fi. Keep flight tickets and your eTravel QR code saved on your phone, and carry a printed copy.
🚇Getting around the cityGrab and metered taxis are easiest in the city; jeepneys are cheap but routes are hard to follow.+
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Grab and taxis
Davao taxis use meters: ₱50 flag-down plus ₱13.5 per km. Most Grab rides in the city cost ₱80–250. Davao's taxi drivers are known for being honest and giving correct change.
Jeepneys charge ₱13 for the first 4 km, modern PUVs ₱15; tricycles ₱15–30 for short hops. For outlying sights (Eden, Malagos, the Eagle Center) use Grab or hire a car for the day.
On the island you can hire a tricycle for the day for ₱1,200–1,500 or rent a motorbike from ₱500 (fuel extra); guides and boats are available for far-off spots. Always wear a helmet.
The currency is the Philippine peso (₱, PHP). Cards work in city malls and hotels; markets, jeepneys, tricycles and small places on Samal are cash only. ATMs are plentiful in the city (BDO, BPI, Metrobank); get cash before heading to Samal.
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Fees
Sight fees are low: Samal environmental fee ₱50, Monfort about ₱120, Kaputian ₱50, the Eagle Center ₱150. Carry small notes.
🍜FoodDavao is famous for durian, pomelo, mangosteen and cacao; the main fruit season is August–October.+
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What to eat
Durian (fresh, or as candy and ice cream), pomelo, mangosteen, Malagos chocolate, grilled tuna jaw, kinilaw (raw fish cured in vinegar) and chicken inasal. The Roxas Night Market is the best place to try street food.
Tip: Most hotels, taxis and planes ban durian — eat it on the spot.
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Prices
A meal at a local carinderia is ₱70–150, at a casual restaurant ₱150–350, at a tourist spot ₱300–600.
Smoking and vaping are banned in public places and public transport; selling or drinking alcohol is banned from 1:00 to 8:00, as is drinking in the street; firecrackers are banned outright. The rules apply to visitors and are enforced with fines. Bags are checked at mall and market entrances.
Davao City and Samal are calm, but foreign governments warn of terrorism and kidnapping across much of Mindanao. Outside the city (Mount Apo, Eden) go only with accredited guides and reliable transport, and do not travel to western or central Mindanao.
Davaoeños are friendly; 'salamat' (thank you) goes down well. The city is proud of its order — don't litter, smoke in the street or make noise. Cover up in churches and mosques.
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Indigenous culture and nature
Respect the customs of Mindanao's indigenous (Lumad) and Muslim communities; ask before taking photos. Keep quiet at Monfort and don't use flash; don't stand on coral. Tipping isn't required but a little is left for guides and drivers.
📱Useful apps+
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Official and flights
eTravel — the digital border registration (arrival and departure). The Cebu Pacific, Scoot or PAL app — for schedule-change alerts.
Downtown to the airport is 20–30 minutes but evening traffic is heavy, so leave early. Coming back from Samal, allow plenty of time for ferry queues and bridge-construction traffic.
Fill in the departure eTravel before leaving the Philippines. Malagos chocolate, dried mango and pomelo make good gifts; the old Aldevinco traders have moved to Poblacion Market Central. Durian is usually not allowed on planes.
AI answer: double-check anything beyond our researched facts with an official source.
A farm resort that grows the award-winning Malagos cacao and makes chocolate. In the Chocolate Museum you follow the bean-to-bar process, taste, and can make your own bar. Admission covers the bird-feeding dome, petting zoo, butterfly dome and a Mindanao contemporary art gallery. A few minutes from the Eagle Center.
NatureTicket with meal: snack ₱220 (child ₱190) or buffet ₱550 (₱350); shuttle tour ₱150Daytime
A cool mountain park of pines and flowers 900 m up the foothills of Mount Apo, about an hour's drive from the city. Guided shuttle tours, zipline, horse riding, fishing and vegetable gardens; a meal is included in the ticket. A good full day out with children away from the city heat.
NaturePermit ≈₱1,500–2,000, environmental fee ≈₱200–300, guide ≈₱1,000–1,500/day3-day/2-night climb; quota of 50 hikers a day
The Philippines' highest peak (2,954 m) — a dormant volcano with sulphur vents, Lake Venado and rainforest. You may climb only with a permit and an accredited guide, and a medical certificate for high-altitude trekking is required. Usually 3 days/2 nights; in peak season book 6–8 weeks ahead. The Sta. Cruz trail closes every June–August for rehabilitation. Trailheads lie outside the city, so check current travel advice.
A riverside crocodile breeding farm and zoo — giant saltwater and Philippine crocodiles, tigers, snakes and birds. Crocodile-feeding shows, a butterfly house and the Tribu K'Mindanawan section on Mindanao's indigenous peoples are on the same ticket. Allow 2–4 hours; a family favourite.
CityFree≈13:00–22:00 (5:00–8:00 for morning walkers)
A clean, green park downtown with sculptures of Mindanao's indigenous peoples, a big durian-shaped dome, fountains and a playground. Lit and cool in the evening — the city's most relaxing place for a stroll. The Roxas Night Market is within walking distance.
A viewpoint-and-restaurant complex on Shrine Hills overlooking Davao City, the Davao Gulf and Samal Island. It served as a Japanese military post in the Second World War. Come at sunset as the city lights come on and have grilled seafood or local dishes for dinner.
Street-food stalls fill Roxas Avenue every evening: grilled skewers, seafood, chicken inasal, balut, durian, pomelo and fruit shakes, plus cheap clothes and souvenirs. Bags are checked at the entrance — part of Davao's security routine. Bring cash in small notes.
Samal Island's best-known white-sand beach resort, a few minutes by boat from Davao — palm trees, calm shallow water and a small animal park. Good for a family day of swimming and snorkelling; busy on weekends.
A long public white-sand beach run by the city in the south of Samal — clear water, low prices and plenty of local families. Quieter than the beaches in the north of the island; combine it with nearby Wishing Island and the giant clam sanctuary.
Home to the world's largest colony of Geoffroy's rousette fruit bats — listed by Guinness, with around 2 million bats in a cave with five openings. You look down through the openings and hear about them from a guide. Flash photography is banned; keep quiet.
Nature₱150 (children ₱50) via Casa Tanaw; ₱1,000 via Stream ValleyDaylight hours
Small limestone cascades and turquoise pools in the forest of central Samal. Reopened after rehabilitation with two entrances — the basic Casa Tanaw and the more comfortable Stream Valley nature park. A refreshing freshwater swim after the beach; rocks are slippery, so wear shoes.
