As you’ll see from this guide, there are plenty of things to do in Bohol!
Bohol is one of those destinations that offers something for everyone, all on one island. Even better, many of its attractions are ideal for families travelling with children. One of the highlights is the opportunity to visit the Philippine tarsier, a tiny nocturnal primate that can only be found in a few places across Southeast Asia including the Philippines, Borneo (in Malaysia), and the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Sulawesi.
My original plan was to spend one day snorkelling, and another exploring the island’s main cultural attractions, including the Chocolate Hills, the Tarsier Sanctuary, and a cruise along the Loboc River, before relaxing on the beach for the rest of the holiday.
Unfortunately, on the morning of our sightseeing tour, Maria Rita started experience severe stomach pains, so we had to return to the hotel. Buahhhh…😭 This meant that I completely missed the famous Chocolate Hills, which are probably Bohol’s most iconic attraction. I considered going alone on the following day but ultimately decided to stay at the resort.
Chocolate Hills, Tarsier Sanctuary & Loboc River
If you’re staying in Panglao, it’s a good idea to visit these three attractions in one day, as they’re all located more than an hour’s drive away.
Photos 1, 2 & 3: Baclayon Church – To enter the church, make sure you have your shoulders and knees covered. (Things to do in Bohol – Cultural Tour)
We arranged a private driver through our hotel to take us to each of these places. Unfortunately, as Maria Rita wasn’t feeling well, we had to turn back after visiting Baclayon Church, only managing a very brief stop at the Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary.
⛰️🍫 Chocolate Hills – the Chocolate Hills are one of the most iconic natural landmarks in the Philippines. During the dry season, these unusual limestone hills turn brown, making them look like hundreds of giant chocolate truffles scattered across the landscape.
🌳🐒 Tarsiers – Tarsiers are tiny nocturnal primates, that are instantly recognisable thanks to their enormous eyes. I highly recommend a visit to the Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary in Corella which focus on protecting these animals in their natural habitat. Personally, I would avoid the Bohol Tarsier Conservation Area, which is often criticised for focusing too much on tourism. Some visitors have reported that tarsiers are sometimes placed in easily accessible spots for the purpose of photography, rather than being left undisturbed.
Photo 4: After purchasing your ticket, the Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary is just a short walk away. Alternatively, you can take the complimentary shuttle bus, which runs approximately every 20 minutes.
Photo 5: Along the path to the sanctuary, you’ll find several information boards about the Philippine tarsiers and the island of Bohol.
Photo 6: Can you spot the tiny tarsier?
🌴🚤Loboc River – one of the most popular experiences in Bohol is a river cruise along the beautiful, emerald-green Loboc River. Most cruises include a buffet lunch featuring local dishes, accompanied by traditional music and dance performances by members of the local community. The two main operators are the Rio Verde Floating Restaurant and the Loboc River Floating Restaurant. Reviews are fairly mixed. While most visitors agree that the food is fairly average, Rio Verde tends to receive slightly better overall feedback.
👉 Recommended GetYourGuide Tours
Snorkelling boat trip
Balicasag Island is one of the most popular snorkelling spots in Bohol and lies around 20–30 minutes by boat from Panglao. Personally, I didn’t find it quite as spectacular as I’d expected, particularly when compared to places such as the southern Gilis in Indonesia. Nevertheless, I still thought it was well worth the trip. We saw several sea turtles, plenty of tropical fish, and colourful coral reefs. Overall, it was a lovely morning out on the water.
Photos 7, 8 & 9: Snorkelling around Balicasag Island. (Things to do in Bohol – Snorkelling Boat Trip)
Before we went snorkelling, the boat stopped to pick up a local guide from Balicasag Island, which is compulsory for all visitors. We had to wait for a while, but I completely understood the purpose of this and it wasn’t an unreasonable delay.
As well as Balicasag, we also stopped at Virgin Island, which reopened to visitors in February 2026 after being closed for over a year to allow environmental restoration work.
Photos 10 & 11: Virgin Island (Things to do in Bohol – Snorkelling Boat Trip)
Several new conservation measures have been introduced since its reopening. For example, food stalls are no longer permitted on the island to help reduce pollution, and the number of boats allowed to dock each day is now limited. Although there isn’t much snorkelling here because the water is extremely shallow, it’s a pleasant place for a short walk and still worth visiting.
We booked this excursion through our hotel, the South Palms, via their on-site watersports provider, Scotty’s sports.
In my innocence, I assumed the quoted price was for the whole boat, but later realised it was per person! 😮. It ended up being much more expensive than I’d expected, and, to be honest, I’m not convinced it offered good value for money. That said, there were a few advantages: we travelled in a small group, Maria Rita had her own flotation ring, which made things much easier; and we were able to leave directly from the beach in front of our hotel, which was incredibly convenient.
Photos 12 & 13: Departing from South Palms Resort for our snorkelling trip. (Things to do in Bohol – Snorkelling Boat Trip)
👉 Other tours on GetYourGuide:
🐬 Note on dolphin watching in Bohol
If seeing dolphins is high on your agenda, you’ll need to leave before 7am, as this is when they’re most commonly spotted.
We booked our snorkelling trip for the morning after we arrived in Bohol, following a very long travel day, so we opted for the later 10am departure. As expected, we didn’t see any dolphins.
Snorkelling at Napaling Reef
Napaling Reef is famous for its enormous schools of sardines and vibrant orange coral reefs. I’d originally planned to go on this excursion during our stay, but when we booked our Balicasag trip, we were told that the sardines hadn’t been seen for several days, so we decided not to go.
I’d recommend checking with a local tour operator before booking to see if the sardines have been spotted recently. Of course, wildlife sightings are never guaranteed. You can have a look at this GetYourGuide experience:
Visit South Farm Panglao
This is a lovely activity, especially if you’re travelling with children. As we were staying at the South Palms Resort, we were able to take advantage of the free daily shuttle to South Farm Panglao, as well as admission, which is included in the hotel package. You can also visit independently, and the farm offers workshops, a café and a restaurant. Check on the website here: South Farm.
Photo 14: Entrance to South Farm Panglao. (Things to do in Bohol – Visiting South Farm Panglao)
Photo 15: Some of the friendly animals you can meet at South Farm. Here, one of the goats was trying to make a cheeky escape! (Things to do in Bohol – Visiting South Farm Panglao)
Photo 16: South Farm Panglao (Things to do in Bohol – Visiting South Farm Panglao)
Children can feed plenty of friendly animals, including ducks, guinea pigs and rabbits. There’s also a fishing pond, and children can enjoy horse riding too.
Although we had agreed on a time to take the shuttle back to the hotel, there was still plenty left to explore.
Remember to bring insect repellent, sun cream and plenty of water, as it gets extremely hot here.
Enjoy a massage
There are plenty of spas in Panglao, many of which cater specifically to South Korean visitors, since South Korea is one of the few countries with direct flights to Bohol. You can read more about this in my How to get to Bohol guide.
However, one thing that surprised me was that, unlike in Thailand and several other Southeast Asian countries, it’s usually not possible to walk into a spa and get a massage straight away. Most spas require you to book at least one day in advance.
So, if you’d like to treat yourself to a massage during your holiday, try to book two or three days in advance, otherwise, you may end up missing out, just as I did!
👉Recommended Spas in Panglao, Bohol:
Visit Alona Beach
Alona Beach is the liveliest area in Panglao, boasting an excellent selection of restaurants, cafés, bars and spas, as well as one of the island’s most popular beaches.
Unfortunately, we never had the chance to visit it ourselves, but if you have a little extra time during your stay, it’s definitely somewhere I’d recommend adding to your itinerary.
And that brings us to the end of my list of the best things to do in Bohol. As you can see, there’s plenty to keep you busy for four or five days, whether you’re seeking adventure, whishing to immerse yourself in nature or culture, or simply looking to relax by the sea.
Don’t miss my other guides to Bohol:
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