Corregidor island lies in Manila Bay, Philippines
World War II Tours of the Philippines
MacArthur Memorial, Leyte, Philippines
BOOK NOW - General McArthur 's Landing - 80th Anniversary Group Tour...
- 13 Days/12 Nights - October 10th - 23rd, 2024.
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On this tour we visit: MANILA - CLARK - BATAAN - CORRIGEDOR ISLAND - PANGASINAN - LINGAYEN - TACLOBAN - LOS BANOS - MANILA
To commemorate the 80th Anniversary of General McArthur landing in Leyte Jan 20,1944, this WWII tour is deigned to pay homage to fallen WWII heroes.
On October 20, 1944, General Douglas MacArthur delivered his famous “I Have Returned” speech upon landing on Leyte Island. It is one of the most iconic phrases of the war, coupled with one of the most famous photographs, that captured the moment he waded ashore.
Introduction:
The Japanese occupation of the Philippines occurred between 1942 and 1945. Filipinos staged guerrilla resistance against the Japanese until 1945. The Philippines was liberated from Japanese control by Allied forces in 1944, and was granted full independence by the United States in 1946. This WWII Tour of the Philippines will take you to many significant areas affected by the conflict.
Testimonial from a happy guest.
History:
Several hours after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the Philippines, a colony of the United States from 1898 to 1946, was attacked by the Empire of Japan. During the next four years, thousands of Filipino and American soldiers died. The entire Philippine nation was ravaged and its capital Manila, once called the Pearl of the Orient, became the second most devastated city during World War II after Warsaw, Poland.
Approximately one million civilians perished. Japan occupied the Philippines for over three years, although a highly effective guerrilla campaign by Philippine resistance forces controlled sixty percent of the islands, mostly forested and mountainous areas. MacArthur supplied them by submarine and sent reinforcements and officers.
Capture of the Philippine Islands was crucial to Japan's effort to control the Southwest Pacific, seize the resource-rich Dutch East Indies, and protect its Southeast Asia flank. The Japanese forces waged a cruel campaign in an attempt to suppress the guerrilla opposition. Of the 381 cases of Class B and Class C war crimes brought before post-war military tribunals in the Philippines, almost half involved massacres of local civilians The contributions of the Philippine Scouts and Filipino civilians, along with their bravery and courage, were instrumental in the Japanese surrender on September 2, 1945.
The Philippines Today:
The Philippines gained its independence from the United States on July 4, 1946. But to this day it remains intertwined with the United States, with an estimated 3.4 million Filipino Americans living in the United States today - (2010 census).
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WWII PHILIPPINES GROUP TOUR ITINERARY:
Day 1 - Arrival Manila, Meet and Greet at Airport and transfer to Hotel.
Evening meeting with the group for Orientation at Function Room includes tea/coffee and serving of Canapes.
Accommodation at The Manila Hotel.
Day 2 - Pick up Hotel Lobby at 8:30 AM - Visit to Intramuros & Fort Santiago.
In 1945, the Battle for Manila saw fierce WWII combat around Intramuros & Fort Santiago. Japanese forces fiercely defended, resulting in heavy casualties and devastation to the historic sites. Liberation by American troops ensued, marking the end of brutal urban warfare, but leaving the city scarred and its landmarks in ruins.
Your Tour Guide gives an introduction to this 1945 Battle.
Accommodation at The Manila Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch.
Day 3 - Pick up Hotel Lobby at 8:30 AM - Sto Thomas Internment Camp and De La Salle Church.
Your Tour Guide gives an introduction to the Battle of Manila Bay. In 1898 during the Spanish-American War saw the U.S. Navy, led by Commodore George Dewey, defeat the Spanish fleet. Dewey's decisive victory, on May 1st, established American naval supremacy in the Pacific and led to the eventual capture of Manila, solidifying U.S. influence in the Philippines.
Accommodation at The Manila Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch.
Day 4 - Check out. Pick up Hotel Lobby at 8AM.
Onward travel to Clark. On the way to Clark visit Sulipan Bridge.
Your Tour Guide gives an account of War Plan Orange, Withdrawal into Bataan, and Defence of Calumpit Bridge. War Plan Orange was the U.S. strategy to counter potential conflict with Japan in the Pacific, emphasizing naval blockade and island-hopping. The Withdrawal into Bataan in WWII saw Filipino-American forces retreat against Japanese invasion, holding out until April 1942. The Defence of Calumpit Bridge in 1942 was a valiant but unsuccessful stand to halt the Japanese advance toward Manila.
Check in Hotel in Clark.
Accommodation: The Quest Hotel Clark.
Meals: Breakfast, and Lunch on the way to Clark.
Day 5 - Check out. Pick up at 8:30 AM from the Hotel Lobby for a Tour of Clark. We visit the Clark Museum and Stotsenburg parade ground.
In 1941, Japan's surprise bombing of Clark Air Base in the Philippines devastated American air-power in the Pacific. This attack, hours after Pearl Harbor, crippled U.S. defenses in the region and signaled the start of WWII in The Philippines.
We visit Clark Veterans Museum, and Kamikaze East Airfield.
We also take time to reflect at the Capas Memorial Shrine. This Shrine honors WWII victims of the Bataan Death March. Completed in 2003, it stands as a poignant reminder of the suffering endured by Filipino and American prisoners.
Onward journey to Bataan. Overnight Stay.
Accommodation: Crown Royale Hotel, Balanga, Batan.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch.
Day 6 - Pick up Hotel Lobby at 8:00 AM.
This WWII Tour of the Philippines continues when we visit the Bataan Museum and Surrender Site Monument, then on to the Zero Kilometer Death March Marker, continuing to Pilar, stopping at the "Battle of the Pockets Marker" and the Pantingan River.
We drive by Bagac's Bell Tower, which is now a symbol to peace and reconciliation between Japan and Philippines. Mt Samat Shrine is a historical shrine, consisting of a Colonnade and a large Memorial Cross, located near the summit of Mount Samat. This park was commissioned by then President Ferdinand Marcos in 1966 for the WWII 25th anniversary and to act as a remembrance to the soldiers who fought and lost their lives in the Battle of Bataan.
At Mt Samat War Museum the display includes a collection of pictures and paintings of Philippine heroes, as well as armaments used by the Filipino, USA and Japanese battle forces.
Overnight in Balanga.
Accommodation: Crown Royale Hotel, Balanga, Batan.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch.
Day 7 - Check out. Pick up at 6:30 AM for Corregidor Island Tour.
Boat to the Island. Tour of Corregidor Island.
A tour of Corregidor Island offers a poignant journey through WWII history. Explore ruins, tunnels, and various war relics.
Boat back to Mariveles between 1-2PM.
After the Corregidor Island tour, onward journey to Pangasinan.
Accommodation at The Monarch Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch.
Day 8 - Pick up at 8:30 AM to visit Lingayen Landings site and Veterans Memorial Park.
The Lingayen Landings in 1945 marked the start of the liberation of Luzon in WWII, as American forces stormed ashore against Japanese resistance.
The Veterans Memorial Park in Lingayen honors this history, featuring monuments, memorials, and artifacts, paying tribute to the bravery and sacrifices of all who served.
Accommodation at The Monarch Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch.
Day 9 - Check out. Pick up at 8AM.
We visit Bambam Museum, Clark Veteran Memorial, and Cabanatuan Memorial.
The Bamban Museum in Tarlac, Philippines, showcases WWII artifacts, detailing the region's history during the war.
Clark Veterans Memorial in Pampanga pays tribute to the American service members stationed at Clark Air Base.
The Cabanatuan Memorial in Nueva Ecija honors POWs who suffered and perished at the Cabanatuan prison camp during WWII.
Your WWII Philippines Tour Guide also gives an introduction to the 1898 War and American Colonial Period.
Onward journey to Manila.
Accommodation at The Manila Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch.
Day 10 - Check out. Pick up at Hotel Lobby 7:45 AM.
Transfer to Airport for Flight to Tacloban. Arrival Tacloban.
Start of Tacloban Tour. Tacloban holds significant WWII sites. The MacArthur Landing Memorial Park commemorates General MacArthur's return. San Juanico Bridge, used by American forces, stands as a historic landmark. Red Beach, where U.S. troops landed in 1944, remains a poignant reminder of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, a turning point in the Pacific theatre.
Accommodation at The Oriental Hotel, Palo, Tacloban.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch.
Day 11 - Check out. Commemorating McArthur Landing 80th Anniversary and Wreath Laying at MacArthur Park.
Flight back to Manila.
Accommodation at The Manila Hotel
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Day 12 - WWII Philippines Tour continues with a visit to Los Banos Internment Camp and Yamashita Execution Site.
Los Baños Internment Camp held Allied civilians during WWII. The daring raid by U.S. paratroopers in 1945 liberated 2,147 prisoners.
The Yamashita Execution Site in Manila marks where General Tomoyuki Yamashita, responsible for Japanese forces in the Philippines, was executed in 1946 for war crimes.
Accommodation at The Manila Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Day 13 - Check out. Pick up from Hotel.
Visit Manila American Cemetery. Manila American Cemetery and Memorial is a solemn resting place for 17,206 soldiers who perished in WWII. It stands as a poignant tribute to their sacrifice and valour.
After visiting the American Cemetery we transfer to Airport.
End of Tour
Meal: Breakfast
INCLUSIONS:
All Accommodation
Manila - The Manila Hotel - De Luxe Room
Clark - The Quest Hotel - De Luxe Room Bataan - Crown Royale Hotel
Balanga - De Luxe Room
Tacloban - The Oriental Hotel - Premier Room
Meals as Stated
Service of Historian on Board
Tour Coordinator Throughout
Private Day Tours as Stated in the Itinerary inclusive of private transport, driver, guide, applicable entrance fees at places to visit
Day Cruise to Corregidor Island
All Airport - Hotel Transfers
All Domestic Flights
Local Tax and Service Charge
Tour Price
Price: US$ 5,395 per person
Price quoted in US$, and depends on availability at the time of booking, based on two sharing a room
SINGLE ROOM SUPPLEMENT: US$1,500
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Private Philippines WWII Tours
We will arrange your World War II tour, including accommodation and local excursions. Travel is by private car, or bus, depending on the size of your party, and this tour can be combined with a wider holiday. Contact us to request this.
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Travel Trust Association
Philippine Trails Ltd is a registered member of the Travel Trust Association.
This means that clients can book their Philippines Holidays comfortable in the knowledge that the Travel Trust Association will protect them in the unlikely event of the company becoming insolvent.
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