How To Get To Bohol: From Cebu, Manila, Dumaguete and More
Wondering how to get to Bohol? Getting around the Philippines can be a challenge and adventure for tourists in search of paradise. The island of Bohol is one of the more popular tourist destinations due to its tarsier sanctuaries and the famous chocolate hills, not to mention the epic marine life in the surrounding waters.
The journey to Bohol can be long and tiresome if you’re not currently on one of the neighbouring islands. This blog breaks down how to get to Bohol from the most popular tourist spots around the Philippines, comparing the costs, time and most efficient options for each route to Bohol.
Contents
Philippines Regions Overview
The Philippines is famously difficult to navigate for travellers, often requiring multiple flights and ferries to hop between the popular tourist islands, but that's all part of the adventure! The crystal clear waters and pristine beaches make it all worth it. It’s home to three main regions which you can see in the diagram: Luzon in the north, the Visayas in the centre & Mindanao in the south.
Where Is Bohol In The Philippines
Bohol is one of the main tourist destinations in the central Visayas region of the Philippines. The main city of Tagbilaran was much more hectic than we expected, however once you travel out of the city, paradise awaits. Bohol’s iconic Chocolate Hills, the scenic Loboc River, and the adorable tarsiers are must-see attractions. Many travellers choose to stay on the beaches of Panglao Island, exploring the island by rental scooter or guided land tour.
Go Dolphin Watching for the day! Bohol is surrounded by exceptional sea life.
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How To Get To Bohol: The Different Routes
How To Get To Bohol From Cebu
Cebu is the main hub of the central Visayas region, and where we chose to fly to when visiting the Philippines as it’s a much closer international access point than Manila when looking to island hop.
Get To Bohol From Cebu via Flight
If you have just landed in Mactan Airport in Cebu City, the easiest option for your travel day will be to get a connecting internal flight to Panglao Island on Bohol. This option can be expensive, however if you book your tickets in advance, you can get cheap deals. The flight option also means you arrive straight to Panglao Island, compared to the ferry which brings you to the city center of Tagbilaran, which means you'll be closer to the main tourist areas such as Alona Beach.
Direct Cebu To Tagbilaran Ferry
Another convenient option to get from Cebu to Bohol is the direct ferry, which takes 1-2 hours and costs $16 each. This is a great option for budget travellers looking to avoid the pricey internal flights which can be over $100. The ferry option does mean you’ll need a slightly more expensive taxi from Tagbilaran to Panglao Island and the tourist beaches, if that’s where you’re staying.
The ferry departs multiple times a day from Cebu Port, however we still recommend booking your tickets online to avoid any hassle, it’s a very popular route especially in the high season (November-April).
The final option if you’re tight for time is a shorter single day to Bohol from Cebu, this will include your transport and will bring you to all of the main attractions in a shorter timeframe than doing it yourself.
You can visit Bohol on a Day Tour from Cebu City. This will allow you to see all of the highlights the island has to offer, even if you only have a short time in the Philippines
Cebu To Bohol Route Summary
Overall, your journey from Cebu to Bohol should be simple and easy, it’s a very well travelled route between tourists as well as locals. The Cebu to Tagbilaran ferry option is the option we chose and better suited for most travellers in our opinion.
Alternatively the flight option from Cebu to Panglao might be better suited for families, people who are seasick or anyone who is already landing in Mactan Airport and can get a connecting flight.
Manila To Bohol
Direct Manila To Bohol Flight
By far the easiest and most convenient way to travel this route is with the direct Manila to Bohol flight, taking only 1 hour & 30 minutes, the flight will bring you straight to Panglao Island meaning you’ll be close to the tourist beaches which is Bohol’s best area to stay. There are multiple airlines for this route meaning cheaper prices and this is by far the best route we recommend taking for the Manila to Bohol journey.
Direct Manila To Tagbilaran Ferry
Alternatively, if you’re on a budget and the internal flight prices are too high, the direct ferry from Manila to Tagbilaran Port is also an option. However, taking 33 hours, this is a long overnight ferry so be prepared! The ferry leaves from Manila North Harbour Pier 4 at 5am once per week and arrives at Tagbilaran at 14:00 the next day, costing from $30-60.
Manila To Bohol via Cebu
If both of those options don’t sound appealing because of seasickness or high flight prices, you can also look at the Manila to Cebu flights and get the shorter ferry from Cebu to Bohol.
Manila To Bohol Journey Summary
Overall, the options from Manila to Bohol are more limited than the travel options from Bohol’s neighbouring islands. The direct flight stands out as the obvious option, however if prices are too high you could also checkout a connecting flight via Cebu.
The ferry is extremely long, which will make for a better travel story but might feel never-ending at the time!
Dumaguete To Bohol
The best option to get from Dumaguete to Bohol is the direct ferry which takes 2 hours and costs around $19. The Oceanjet ferry sets off from Tagbilaran Port once per day at 13:00. Similarly to the other ferries mentioned in this blog, we recommend booking in advance on 12Go to make sure you get your tickets.
How To Get From Moalboal To Bohol
Getting from Moalboal to Bohol involves getting a ferry via Oslob (fastest route) or Cebu City (simplest route.)
Moalboal to Bohol via Oslob
The first step of getting to Moalboal to Bohol via Oslob is getting a taxi or multiple buses to the town of Oslob on the south east coast of Cebu. Another popular tourist destination with holidayers due to the (unethical) whale shark feeding stations in the town.
A taxi should cost ₱2,500 which is the more convenient option, but if you’re on a budget like us, you’ll need to first take a bus to Bato ₱160, then a connecting bus from Bato to Oslob ₱60.
The ferry from Oslob to Bohol departs once a day at 11:30am, so if you do choose the bus option, make sure to leave enough time.
Moalboal to Bohol via Cebu City
Alternatively, you can get a taxi or single bus to Cebu City. This option has less connections as it’s only one bus and the ferries run much more frequently throughout the day meaning you won't miss it.
The bus to Cebu City is simple, it should be one direct bus from the Moalboal Bus Terminal which brings you into the City. From there you’ll need a 15 minute Grab/Taxi connection to the port, and finally the ferry to Bohol.
Boracay To Bohol
The Boracay to Bohol journey can be expensive and tiresome depending on your connections. You’ll first need to fly to Cebu City, then get a taxi or grab from the airport to the port in order to get a connecting ferry from Cebu to Bohol.
If you get an early enough flight, then you should have enough time to catch the ferry over to Bohol, however if not you’ll need to spend the night in Cebu. The last ferry runs at 5:40pm.
Siargao To Bohol
Currently, there aren’t any direct flights from Siargao to Bohol, so travellers must go via Cebu. The most convenient option is to fly from Sayak Airport in Siargao to Cebu City and then get a connecting flight to Bohol. If you’re on a budget there are also options to replace both flights with ferries, the overnight ferry from Siargao to Cebu via Surigao and then a ferry from Cebu to Bohol, however this is a very long travel day involving 3 ferries.
To get from Siargao to Bohol, depending on your budget, we recommend a combination of flight to Cebu and then ferry to Bohol. This will save a lot of time however also save some money on the connecting flight to Bohol by replacing it with the cheaper ferry.
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Our Experience
When travelling around the Philippines, we found it was really expensive to get the internal flights between the islands and opted for ferries where we could, except for connections to Manila. In terms of how to get to Bohol, from the neighbouring islands of Cebu, Siquijor & Negros (Dumaguete), it should be a simple ferry. However, from the popular tourist destinations further away, you’ll most likely need to head to Cebu first and get a connecting flight or ferry from there.
We chose to get the Siquijor to Tagbilaran ferry and it all ran very smoothly. When leaving to get to Siargao, we chose to go via Cebu, which is the main hub in the Visayas, meaning it’s a good port to use as a base to get to or from Bohol.
Arrival & How To Get Around Bohol
Once you arrive in Bohol, you’ll probably notice it's busy! We first arrived at Tagbilaran Port and the city was much crazier than we expected. The easiest way to get around Bohol for shorter journeys is by trike or tuk-tuk, make sure to agree on a price before setting off as the locals are known to get the most they can out of tourists and haggling is expected.
The best way to get around Bohol is with a rental scooter, which will give you the freedom and flexibility to explore the sites at whatever pace you want. However, if you don't fancy driving the chaotic roads of Asia, we don't blame you! The second best way to get around Bohol is with the Land Tour, which has great reviews from other travellers.
If you don't drive a scooter, we recommend getting a Panglao Island Tour or the full Bohol Land Tour
Tagbilaran To Panglao
The easiest way to get from Tagbilaran to Panglao, where you’ll most likely be staying in Bohol, is with a pre-arranged shared or private taxi. This means you won't get ripped off at the port by the taxi drivers and you know you’ll have a fair price.
Alternatively, you can choose to get a tuk-tuk, the drive is around 45 minutes and should cost around ₱400.
Best Places To Stay On Bohol
Bohol island is great to explore, you can see tiny tarsiers, party on Panglao or relax on the Loboc River. For a true hidden gem nestled in the Loboc River, checkout this blog on Nuts Huts, The Best Place To Stay On Bohol.
We use Booking.com and HostelWorld for all of our stays around the world!
We have written a Guide On The Best Cheap Hotels In Panglao & below is a list of top accommodations we recommend for Bohol:
Top Things To Do On Bohol
We stayed 5 nights on Bohol and wished we had more. It is a bigger island compared to Siargao and Siquijor so if you want to explore it all, a week would do it justice or you could just party on the famous Panglao island.
Top Pick: Tarsier Sanctuary
A unique sanctuary where the Tarsiers choose to return themselves. You're not allowed to touch the tarsier but instead a guide will take your photos while you observe from a distance. A great way to learn about and experience such a unique species.
Off The Beaten Track: Danao Adventure Park
Looking for an adrenaline rush, head to Danao Adventure Park and try The Plunge, one of the world's largest canyon swings.
Most Relaxing: Island Hopping & Dolphin Watching
Bohol is surrounded by a rich marine eco-system with pristine white sand islands and crystal clear blue water. This tour offers an amazing day out.
Best Bohol Tours
Top Tips For Travelling Bohol
Below we share our favourite tips for travelling Bohol:
The Alona Beach area is the busiest tourist spot with beautiful beaches and plenty of bars and restaurants, however expect a lot of people.
Nuts Huts on the banks of the Loboc River is a paradise in nature! A much more authentic place to stay than Alona Beach. Book here.
Use an E-sim like Airalo to stay connected all over the island, don’t rely on homestay’s WiFi.
Bohol is actually a huge island unlike its neighbour Siquijor, so a Land Tour is more suitable than using public transport between the attractions.
The marine ecosystem around Bohol is exceptional, there are plenty of Island Hopping Tours and Dolphin Spotting experiences you can join.
Danao Adventure Park in the north is a great family & backpacker activity!
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