Cheap flights to Clark
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Quick summary
Country
Philippines
Continent
Asia
Airport
CRK
Currency
Philippine peso (PHP)
Time zone
UTC+8
Deals already spotted to Clark
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Airport and getting into town
A former US military airfield, about 80 km from Manila
Clark (CRK)
Clark International Airport lies in the Clark Freeport Zone, straddling the cities of Angeles and Mabalacat in Pampanga province, about 80 km north-west of Manila according to Wikipedia (EN, ES, DE). It occupies the former Clark Air Base, the largest US overseas base until its closure in 1991 per Wikipedia (EN), and reopened as a civil airport after the Pinatubo lahar debris was cleared (Wikipedia FR, EN). It is reached by the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) per Wikipedia (EN, ES). We quote no transport fares.
Distances and times are approximate (Wikipedia, Wikivoyage) and depend on traffic and sea conditions. We do not quote fares.
Clark is above all a gateway to central and northern Luzon. Wikipedia (EN) says the airport serves Metro Clark, all of Central and Northern Luzon and, to an extent, the Manila area, so some travellers use it as an alternative to Manila. This page focuses on the neighbouring city of Angeles, the largest in Pampanga with about 483,000 people per Wikipedia (EN), and on Mount Pinatubo.
Angeles was founded in 1796 as Culiat and became a municipality in 1829 per Wikipedia (EN). It hosted the seat of the First Philippine Republic in 1899 according to the same source.
Landmarks
A crater lake, colonial heritage and the former Clark
Around Clark, the landmarks are Mount Pinatubo and the historic core of Angeles. The following places are illustrated.
The crater lake of Pinatubo
Pinatubo is an active volcano in the Zambales range, about 87 km north-west of Manila according to Wikipedia (EN) and 26 km west of Angeles according to Wikipedia (DE). Its eruption of 15 June 1991, with an explosivity index of 6, was the second-largest land eruption of the 20th century per Wikipedia (EN). The caldera then filled with water to form Lake Pinatubo. The photo shows the lake ringed by dark walls.
A landscape of cliffs and ash
The summit now stands at 1,486 m, against 1,745 m before the eruption per Wikipedia (DE) and Wikipedia (EN). The whitened walls and brown slopes of the crater come from volcanic deposits. The lake partly drained in 2002 after a section of the crater wall collapsed per Wikipedia (EN, ES).
The Pamintuan house in Angeles
The historic core of Angeles lies around the Santo Rosario district, with the Holy Rosary parish church, the Museo ning Angeles and the Pamintuan Mansion per Wikipedia (EN). Wikivoyage (EN) presents this century-old house as hosting a museum of Philippine social history; Wikipedia (EN) calls it privately owned. Check access before you go.
Hiking to the lake
The hike to the lake goes through Santa Juliana in Capas, Tarlac province, per Wikipedia (EN). Wikipedia (DE) explains that visitors first travel by 4x4 along a river bed before continuing on foot with a local guide. The figures in the photo show the scale of the crater.
The former Clark base
Fort Stotsenburg, founded in 1902, became Clark Field in 1919 per Wikipedia (EN). The Americans left the base in 1991 after the eruption and the non-renewal of the bases agreement per Wikipedia (EN, DE). Today the Clark Freeport Zone has parks, malls and Bayanihan Park per Wikivoyage (EN).
Lily Hill and Expo Pilipino
Lily Hill, the Goddess of Peace hill, is the highest point in the Clark area at 32 m per Wikivoyage (EN). Expo Pilipino, opened in 1998 for the centenary of independence, is a large exhibition centre with a covered amphitheatre.
A contested nightlife
The Balibago district and Fields Avenue, known for nightlife and, per Wikipedia (EN), for sex tourism inherited from the American presence, are not a family destination. Other districts are calmer.
Museums and culture
Angeles museums and Kapampangan culture
The Museum of Angeles
The Museo ning Angeles occupies the former town hall of 1922 per Wikivoyage (EN); it hosts exhibitions and cultural activities for the city. It faces the Holy Rosary church.
The Kapampangan studies centre
The Center for Kapampangan Studies, inside Holy Angel University, is a small museum on the history and culture of the Kapampangan, the people of Pampanga, per Wikivoyage (EN). A Kapampangan museum also stands in the Clark Freeport Zone.
Before you visit
We do not quote fees or opening hours: they change and sources differ. Check opening days before you go.
Food and drink
Pampanga, the culinary capital of the country
Sisig
Angeles and Pampanga call themselves the culinary capital of the Philippines per Wikipedia (EN) and Wikivoyage (EN). Sisig, a dish of chopped pork served piping hot, is the signature; the Center for Kapampangan Studies claims, per Wikipedia (EN), that it was born in Angeles and has been on menus since the 1730s, a claim to treat with caution.
Other specialities
Wikivoyage (EN) cites burong talangka, a very rich paste of salted crabs, brazo de mercedes and halo-halo, a shaved-ice dessert. Wikipedia (DE) also mentions lechon (roast suckling pig) and more unusual dishes such as betute tugak, stuffed frog. Eat carefully if you are not used to the local cuisine.
The sisig festival
Wikipedia (EN) reports a sisig festival in Angeles, revived in 2017 as a one-day event in April. Wikivoyage (EN) also lists American, Italian, Japanese, Mexican and Korean cooking, a legacy of the bases.
Getting around
Jeepneys, tricycles and expressways to Manila
In Angeles
Jeepneys, tricycles and taxis serve Angeles per Wikivoyage (EN). Most visitors reach the centre from the airport by road; check the transport option before you leave.
To Manila
The NLEX expressway from Manila ends at Mabalacat, where it joins the SCTEX per Wikivoyage (EN). The airport is about 80 km from Manila per Wikipedia (EN), but journey time depends heavily on traffic.
Traffic
Wikivoyage (EN) says MacArthur Highway between Angeles and San Fernando is notorious for jams, which can stretch 20 km to as much as six hours over the December holidays.
Budget and precautions
A price level to check, and a few precautions
Price level
The sources do not give a reliable price level for Angeles and Clark, so we quote no figures.
Currency
The currency is the Philippine peso.
Precautions
Wikipedia (EN) notes prostitution and sex tourism on Fields Avenue; stay alert at night and avoid isolating yourself. For Pinatubo, use a local guide and check the state of the site. Check your government's official travel advice before booking.
Flights and insurance
SniperAir monitors prices to CRK and compares them with the route's history, but it does not sell or book tickets. To compare, you can also follow Manila (MNL) or Cebu (CEB).
When to go
Dry season from November to April
Dry season (November to April)
According to Wikipedia (EN), Angeles has two seasons: a dry season from November to April, more pleasant for hiking to Lake Pinatubo.
Rainy season (May to October)
The wet season runs from May to October per Wikipedia (EN). Mean annual rainfall is about 2,030 mm per the same source.
Temperatures
Between 1953 and 1991, the mean daily low was about 22.6 °C and the high 31.3 °C per Wikipedia (EN).
Typhoons and lahars
Wikipedia (EN) recalls that Pinatubo was followed by lahar flows that reshaped the region's rivers: heavy rain can make some tracks impassable.
We give no precise monthly averages because sources differ. For a Pinatubo hike, pick a clear day.
By length of stay
What to do in Clark depending on how long you stay
Angeles
The Santo Rosario district, the church, the museum, Kapampangan tables.
Pinatubo
A day hike with a guide to the crater lake, then a rest in Clark.
Pampanga
San Fernando and its giant lanterns in December, the Candaba wetlands, or a return towards Manila.
In pictures
Clark and Pinatubo in pictures
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions about flights to Clark
Where is Clark airport?
The airport (CRK) is in the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga, about 80 km north-west of Manila according to Wikipedia.
Which town should I visit near Clark?
Angeles, the largest city in Pampanga, next to the airport: church, museum and Kapampangan food.
Can I see Pinatubo from Clark?
Yes, the volcano is about 26 km west of Angeles per Wikipedia (DE). The hike to the lake starts from Capas and is done with a guide.
When is the best time to go to Clark?
The dry season, November to April, suits hiking better; the rainy season runs from May to October.
What should I taste in Angeles?
Sisig, burong talangka, halo-halo and brazo de mercedes.
How long should I stay in Clark?
Two days for Angeles; four with Pinatubo; a week to explore Pampanga.
How much does a flight to Clark usually cost?
The price depends mainly on your departure city, the time of year and how far ahead you book. The "opportunities" section above shows real examples of prices SniperAir has already detected to this destination.
How do I get alerted when a flight to Clark drops below my budget?
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