Discover the must-see Pampanga tourist spots, including the colorful festivities and gastronomic adventure in the Culinary Capital of the Philippines.
Pampanga is historically known as the former military base of the US army. Other than that, the province is best known for everything culinary because of Kapampangan’s intricate reinvention of dishes. Having greatly influenced by Spanish culture, expertise in cooking passes down from generation to generation.
The rising city of Clark in the Freeport Zone continues to flourish with the recent completion of the new Clark International Airport. The city is also home to various amusement parks, serving as international venues, with growing commercial and industrial ventures and investments.
What makes Pampanga one of the perfect escapes from the bustling Metro Manila is its 2-hour drive accessibility. The promising ongoing construction of the North-South Commuter Railway will eventually pave the way for more efficient transportation from the capital Manila.
Have a glimpse of the popular Pampanga tourist spots and exciting attractions in the culinary capital of the Philippines.
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1. Clark Hot Air Balloon Festival
Witness one of Pampanga’s most vibrant festivals and the Philippines’ most prominent and longest aviation sporting event. The Clark Hot Air Balloon Festival happens at Clark Freeport Zone between January and February.
The four-day event highlights the colorful hot air balloons flying in and around the open fields in Clark Pampanga. Some of the exciting air sporting events to look forward to are RC Demonstration flying, hot air balloon competition, aircraft maneuvers, precision flying, skydiving, ultralights, kite flying, and many others.
When you’re feeling adventurous and air condition permits, guests can also ride hot air balloons for discovery flights as well as tandem paragliding.
Guests gather as early as 4 am or 5 am during the Hot Air Balloon Festival. The grand parade of aircraft and ballons happens during these hours before flying the horizon in the morning, and the next time you chase them is from 5 pm to 6 pm.
At night, balloons are tethered, leaving them to glow in the dark skies, adding a unique impression during the festive nights.
The Hot Air Balloon Festival started in 1994, and the last festival was in 2020, before the global pandemic. As one of the highly anticipated Pampanga tourist spots, plans for a 2022 return is optimistic.
2. Mount Pinatubo
The timeless beauty of Mount Pinatubo lies in its crater lake and the adventure you have to undertake first. Positioning at Zambales, Tarlac, and Pampanga borders, Mount Pinatubo is one of the must-see tourist destinations in Central Luzon.
Your adventure starts with a 4×4 truck ride until you reach the drop-off point. The thrilling rides pass through lahar fields and can get dusty, especially during the summer months.
After your ride, you’ll begin to trek and pass across some bedrocks and surface streams, and some grasslands. You’ll then reach the volcano’s crater that is covered with water, forming a lake. Sometimes, the Pinatubo lake varies in color from bluish to greenish, depending on the climate season.
There are perfect spots to take mandatory selfies and portraits, so make sure to capture as many idyllic scenes as you want.
As one of the popular Pampanga tourist spots, tours to Mount Pinatubo are dependent on weather conditions like heavy rains.
🔗 Nearby Tourist Destination | Bulacan |
3. Nayong Pilipino
Experience Philippines on a day tour at Nayong Pilipino in Clark Freeport Zone. As the name translates to Philippine Village, the park highlights the Philippines’ best natural and human-made wonders through replicas.
The Nayong Pilipino is a government-initiated theme park whose sole purpose is to educate the younger generations and tourists about the rich history of the Philippines.
Its strategic location is near other popular Pampanga tourist spots and attractions and the emerging business district of Clark.
Up to 15 areas await guests to visit, including replicas of tourist spots in the Philippines, ancestral homes, historical sites, and native villages. Some representations are the Barasoain Church in Malolos, Dr. Jose Rizal’s traditional house, and a miniature version of Banaue Rice Terraces.
In addition, there are also two museums at Nayong Pilipino that showcase cultural artifacts. Meanwhile, cultural shows of performers are a must-see when longing for folk dances like tinikling and singkil.
Nayong Pilipino is a perfect weekend destination for families and large groups, as they also offer reservations for private functions.
4. Eat Sisig
A trip to Pampanga isn’t complete without a taste of Sisig, they say. While Sisig has been a staple to many restaurants and eateries in the Philippines, finding the origin of this dish fits your Pampanga tourist spots itinerary.
Aling Lucing is the most famous sisig restaurant in Pampanga, all thanks to Lucia Cunanan. The Department of Tourism has credited Aling Lucing as the Sisig Queen and led to the establishment of Angeles City as Sisig Capital of the Philippines.
The original Sisig of Aling Lucing’s restaurant is made of grilled and chopped pork ears and face, including chicken liver, seasoned with calamansi juice, chopped onions, vinegar, and served on a hot plate.
Over the years, there have been many variations of the dish, which uses other proteins like a combination of pork meats, chicken, seafood, green mussels, and other exotic meats of crocodile and ostrich.
Suppose you want to try other Sisig restaurants in Pampanga. In that case, you may also want to visit the likes of Mila’s Tokwa’t Baboy and Sisig, Bale Dutung, Binulo Restaurant, and Matam-ih Restaurant, among others.
5. Clark Museum and 4D Theatre
The Clark Museum is the ideal place to learn the history of Pampanga, especially during the American occupation.
Among the things to look forward to seeing inside the well-curated museum is a variety of interactive exhibits. The Mount Pinatubo exhibit, including Mount Arayat, are the geophysical attributes of the province. There are also exhibits of colonial remnants that date back to the 1900s. Displays of these kinds let you have a quick glimpse of the past.
The 4D Theatre, on the other hand, is an immersive viewing experience featuring a documentary of the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo, the transformation of Clark from being one of the largest bases into a sprawling commercial district, and plans for the province.
A visit to Clark Museum is an excellent addition to your Pampanga tourist spots list, especially when traveling with kids or your history buff buddies.
6. Aqua Planet
Take your family or barkada to the country’s modern waterpark that will surely hit some thrills and excitement.
Covering 10 hectares of property in Clark Freeport Zone, Aqua Planet features 38 water slides and attractions that will keep you busy throughout the day.
The water park’s accessibility to the expressway makes it one of the sought-after Pampanga tourist spots near Metro Manila and the neighboring provinces.
Not only will you enjoy the water rides and slides, but you’ll also get to enjoy taking photos and short clips at every corner for its colorful and youthful setting.
There are also optional cabanas for rent. Enclosed cottages called Vista Cabanas are cozy individual spaces like a typical hotel offers, including air conditioning, mini ref, complimentary drinks, and toiletries. Meanwhile, their affordable cabanas are open cottages with fans and comfortable cushions.
Note that outside food is not allowed, but their restaurant offers various snacks and meals any time of the day. Aqua Planet implements cashless transactions with their reloadable wristband.
7. Dinosaur Island
Another tourist spot in Clark that kids and young at heart will surely take time to enjoy is Dinosaur Island along Gil Puyat Avenue, Mabalacat.
Dinosaur Island features life-sized animatronic dinosaurs that mimic the movements and sounds of the early large creatures. Guests can experience a different kind of fun and adventure with their variety of rides, exhibits, and sight-seeing centered on dinosaurs alike.
Some of the fantastic attractions include Jurrasic Jungle Safari, where you’ll feel chased by dinos from your safari ride. The Dino World of Fun lets you watch the creatures get back to life through modern animatronic technology.
They also have the Unearth Museum, where guests can glimpse the fossils of some species. In addition, their Wonders of the World lets you have a quick around-the-world experience with their intricate replicas of the world’s famous wonders.
A favorite field trip destination for kids, Dinosaur Island is an excellent addition to the Pampanga tourist spots itinerary when planning a trip with your group of adult friends as well.
8. Sandbox in Alviera
When you’re feeling extra adventurous and want to blow off some steams, The Sandbox in Porac is an excellent place to include in your Pampanga tourist spots bucket list.
The Sandbox features outdoor adventures perfect for testing your balance, flexibility, and balance while having fun at the same time.
Their famous zipline, the Avatar One, is a unique ride in the Philippines with a rollercoaster-like ride spanning 180 meters. On the other hand, the Giant Swing can carry three guests simultaneously and swing 10 meters above the ground. Look how thrilling is that.
Another adventure zone includes the Aerial Walk Challenge that is ideal for acrobatic guests. For all things wall-climbing, free falling, and rappelling, the Adventure Tower is for you.
For more fun adventures, the ATV and UTV ride brings you closer to the nearby waterways of the Pasig-Portero River.
The Sandbox caters to all kinds of group guests and is an ideal place for team-building or family outdoor bonding on the weekends.
9. Sky Ranch
Like the Sky Ranch in Tagaytay, the Sky Ranch in Pampanga is also one of the favorite amusement parks that brings joy and fun to all age levels.
Spend some time with your significant other, group of friends, or family on many fun rides in Sky Ranch.
Their Pampanga Eye is an eye-catching Ferris wheel like the other Sky Ranch branches in the country. At night the place looks magical when the colorful lights brighten the dark.
Sky Ranch Pampanga has 23 rides of varying thrills to try. Rides like Drop Tower and Space Shuttle are for the thrill-seekers. On the other hand, family rides have the Double Decker Carousel, Daragon Parade, and Bumper Boat. There are also safe rides just for the kids like Canoe River and Safari Train.
Ensure Sky Ranch is on your Pampanga tourist spots list, especially when roaming around nearby cities in the province.
You can find Sky Ranch behind SM City Pampanga in San Fernando.
10. Razon’s Halo-Halo
Pampanga often has a hot climate throughout the year, and one of the best ways to relieve from the extreme heat is a Halo-Halo.
Razon has been synonymous with one of Filipinos favorite desserts and snacks during the summer season. You might already happen to dine at the many branches in Metro Manila and other cities in the Philippines as well.
While the typical halo-halo has layers of ingredients, Razon’s halo-halo sticks to three main components: sweetened macapuno, sweetened saba, and Leche Flan. Their special milk and shaved ice all complete their famous halo-halo.
But did you know that Razon’s originated in Guagua Pampanga? It all started with the three sisters when their version of halo-halo became a hit from their small stall inside their ancestral home in 1972. Years later, the business has reached Metro Manila and other key cities under Razon’s of Guagua.
Today, there are expansions of the brand managed by the third and fourth generations of the Razon family.
11. Air Force City Park
The Air Force City Park is an excellent tourist destination for the history buff and aircraft fanatic to fill in your Clark Freeport Zone itinerary.
The park lies inside the Air Force City and is a few kilometers from nearby Pampanga tourist spots like Clark Museum and Nayong Pilipino.
Some of the exciting things to see are several aircraft from the Philippine Air Force and defunct planes of the second world war. Visitors can get up close with these aircraft and learn something through in-displays.
The Huey Helicopter is interesting because guests can climb and pretend to be pilots for mandatory selfies or capture portraits at the T-33 Shooting Star.
Other than the aircraft, the park also has a lovely and vast green landscape, perfect for strolling around during the day and night.
12. Mt. Arayat National Park
Mt. Arayat National park is where locals and tourists visit when they want to commune with nature. Within the national park is Pampanga’s sole mountain that nestles in the center of plains of Central Luzon.
Locals and tourists spend time in Mt. Arayat National Park to chill and relax through recreational activities. Visitors enjoy hiking, swimming, camping, trekking, and picnicking under the cottages and shades of nature.
When wanting to explore Mt. Arayat, hiking to its summit is an exciting activity as well. There are two peaks of Mt. Arayat: the first peak (986masl) is from a jump-off point in the national park itself, and the second peak (1026masl) is through a trail from Magalang, Pampanga.
Before hiking, secure a local permit first, including a local guide for security and assistance.
Aside from its grandeur landscape, local folklore says the peak is the home of a goddess called Mariang Sinukuan.
Mt. Arayat National Park is one of the oldest national parks in the Philippines and one of the ideal Pampanga tourist spots to be with nature.
13. Crucifixion During Holy Week
Among the unique traditions to witness in Pampanga is the crucifixion during The Good Friday of the Holy Week culmination in San Pedro Cutod of San Fernando City.
The tradition showcases the re-enactment of the final sacrifice of Jesus Christ through the crucifixion of the penitents. Such extreme sacrifices are not endorsed or encouraged by the Catholic faith.
However, devotees in Pampanga have long been showing their dedication through such ways.
Villages in Santa Lucia and San Juan in San Fernando City also express their faith with the same practice.
🔗 Nearby Tourist Destination | Bataan | Tarlac | Zambales |
Draft your next Pampanga tourist spots itinerary now.
Pampanga is best known as the culinary capital of the Philippines and a former military base of the United States army. Not known to many, there are also interesting Pampanga tourist spots that range from human-made attractions and colorful festivities.
Whether you’re going in solo or traveling with your favorite people, there is a lot to discover in Pampanga. The Clark Freeport Zone and nearby cities are among the growing economies, making it easy to travel and offering almost everything you could need during your trip.
Book your accommodation to the many choices you could get. From high-end hotels to affordable ones, there are absolute alternatives when looking for a place to stay.
Safe Travels!
Remember that we are still in the middle of a pandemic. For your guidance about the changes in health protocols and travel requirements, you may visit the official page of the Department of Tourism.