One reason we chose Bohol was that we only needed one international flight from Singapore. First, we flew to Cebu and then we caught a ferry to get to Bohol. I’ll explain this journey in more detail throughout this guide.
What I didn’t realise at the time was that we probably spent just as long travelling as we would have if we’d chosen another destination that required two flights, but without ever having to leave the airport! 😅.
I’m certainly not saying it was the wrong choice because I absolutely loved Bohol! However, don’t rule out destinations such as El Nido or Siargao just because they seem harder to get to. Although Bohol appears to be one of the easiest Philippine islands to access, it still took us almost a whole day to get there.
Here’s everything you need to know about how to get to Bohol.
How to get to Bohol via Cebu
By far the most common way to reach Bohol involves four steps:
Let’s look at each step in more detail.
Flying to Cebu
We flew from Singapore to Cebu with Scoot, and returned with Singapore Airlines. The flight takes around four hours.
Cebu Pacific also operates direct flights between Singapore and Cebu, so it’s worth comparing prices and schedules before booking.
⚠️ Important warning about Cebu Airport
We almost missed our ferry because it took us a very long time to pass through immigration at Cebu Airport.
Despite having completed the eTravel Arrival Card in advance and having our QR codes ready to show, the queue seemed endless.
Perhaps we were simply unlucky and several international flights had landed at the same time, but be prepared for the possibility of spending more than two hours just getting out of the airport.
Don’t miss the post Before travelling to the Philippines where you’ll find everything about the Arrival card.
Taxi from Cebu Airport to Pier 1 Cebu City
From Mactan-Cebu International Airport, we took a taxi to Pier 1, Cebu City, where the ferries to Bohol depart.
Although the airport is only around 13 kilometres from the port, the journey can easily take up to an hour. Yes, really! Traffic in Cebu can be extremely heavy, and it took us around 45 minutes to get there.
Which taxi should you take at Cebu Airport?
While planning our trip, I read that Grab (South East Asia’s equivalent of Uber) was the most reliable and affordable option. This was our original plan, but when we arrived at the airport, we struggled to find the Grab pick-up point. Because we were already running late, we hoped into the first yellow airport taxi we saw.
We definitely paid much more than we would have done with Grab, but our only priority at that point was to make it to the ferry on time. For reference, a Grab journey from the airport to Pier 1 normally costs up to around 500 Philippine pesos.
Taxi options at Cebu Airport
🚕 White taxis – These are standard taxis that use a taxi meter and also operate throughout Cebu City. They’re the cheapest option, but the queues can be very long, and I can certainly confirm that!
🚕 Yellow airport taxis – These operate exclusively to and from the airport, so fares are generally higher, but waiting times are much shorter. They’re also supposed to use a meter, but our driver offered us a fixed fare instead. Since we were in a hurry, we accepted without negotiating.
Are taxi scams common in Cebu?
Before our trip, I read quite a few stories about taxi drivers taking longer routes to increase the fare.
I can’t say whether this is common or not. In our case, I know we paid more than we should have done, but we agreed to the driver’s fixed price because we were short on time.
One thing I would recommend is tracking your route on Google Maps during the journey. We did exactly that, and our driver took the most direct route.
A final word on taxis
If you’re not in a hurry 👉 , I’d definitely recommend booking a Grab via the app. It’s cheaper, the fare is fixed before you set off, and you can pay by card.
If you don’t have mobile data to call a Grab 👉the next best option is the white metered taxi.
If you’re short on time 👉 a yellow airport taxi is probably the quickest choice (and the most expensive one).
📌 Tip: Make sure you carry some small notes and coins, as some taxi drivers may claim not to have any change at the end of the journey. This actually happened to us when we were travelling back from the port to the airport with one of the many private drivers waiting outside the ferry terminal.
You can find more information about transport options at Cebu Airport here. If you’d like to know exactly where to catch a Grab, have a look here.
Ferry to Bohol (Tagbilaran Port)
OceanJet is the most popular ferry operator between Cebu and Bohol, with a crossing time of around two hours.
Photo 1: OceanJet ferry that took us to Bohol
Several ferries depart throughout the day, with the first ferry leaving Cebu at 5:10 am and the last at 6:40 pm.
As I like to have everything organised in advance, I booked our tickets online about two weeks before our trip. This definitely helped in our case, as we were trying to catch a ferry on the same day that we landed in Cebu.
That said, because there are so many daily departures, I think it’s usually possible to buy tickets on the day. Just bear in mind that you may have to spend quite a while queuing at the ticket office.
Tip: OceanJet recommends arriving at the terminal at least one hour before departure.
📌 Important: If you buy your tickets at the port, you’ll need to pay in cash, as card payments aren’t accepted.
Photo 2: OceanJet check-in counter at Pier 1 Cebu
Photo 3: Boarding gate for the OceanJet ferry
Is there an alternative to OceanJet?
Yes. SuperCat also operates ferries between Cebu and Bohol from Pier 1, although with far fewer daily departures.
Please note: At the time of writing, SuperCat has temporarily suspended its ferry service between Cebu and Bohol. I believe these routes will resume in the future.
What to expect at Pier 1 in Cebu
(assuming you’ve already booked your OceanJet tickets online)
The terminal has plenty of seating, mobile phone charging points, several snack and drinks stalls, and additional seating upstairs.
Luggage
Passengers are generally only allowed to take hand luggage on board. Larger suitcases need to be checked in and are subject to a small baggage handling fee. You can read more about OceanJet’s luggage policy here.
My experience with OceanJet
Since we had booked our tickets online, we were able to skip the ticket office queues and go straight to the check-in counter to exchange our electronic booking for boarding passes. Bear in mind that you’ll need to pay a small terminal fee before entering the port and a separate baggage handling fee if you’re checking in luggage. Make sure you have some Philippine pesos with you, as these fees are paid in cash.
After spending more than two hours getting through immigration at Cebu Airport, we arrived at the terminal in quite a panic, only to discover that our ferry was running late! 😅
In the end, it departed more than an hour behind schedule, which made the terminal extremely crowded and rather chaotic.
I‘d booked Executive Class tickets, so we went upstairs to the premium seating area. The price difference compared with economy class wasn’t particularly significant, and given that we had a long day of travelling ahead of us, I thought it would be worth the upgrade. In hindsight, I think it definitely was. The main advantages was the more spacious and comfortable seats.
The crossing itself was very smooth, with hardly any rough seas. A film was also shown during the journey.
A few extra tips
🥶The air conditioning on board was freezing, so I’d definitely recommend taking a light jumper or jacket with you.
🚻Even in Executive Class, the toilets weren’t in the best condition. If possible, it’s worth using the terminal’s facilities before boarding.
😵💫If you suffer from seasickness but would prefer to avoid taking medication, you can buy patches for motion sickness that you stick behind your ears. I’ve used them on several ferry journeys and have found them to be effective.
To sum up
Overall, travelling between Cebu and Bohol with OceanJet was a positive experience, and I would happily recommend it. The crossing was comfortable, and I thought the Executive Class upgrade was well worth the extra cost.
However, make sure you allow plenty of extra time when planning your journey. Delays are fairly common and there can be long waits before boarding, so it’s always best to allow yourself a plenty of time.
Photo 4: Executive Class seating on the ferry
Photo 5: Economy Class seating on the ferry
Getting from Tagbilaran Port to your accommodation
I had already arranged a private transfer through our hotel in Panglao, so the final part of the journey couldn’t have been easier. We were welcomed with homemade snacks and cold drinks, which were very much appreciated after a long day of travelling.
The drive took around 45 minutes, although it took a little longer than usual because it was Valentine’s Day, and the roads were particularly busy with people heading out for dinner.
There are also several other transport options outside Tagbilaran Port:
Photo 6: Tagbilaran Port on the day of our return journey
Photo 7: Boarding the ferry at Tagbilaran Port for our return to Cebu
Is it worth staying overnight in Cebu before travelling to Bohol?
For us, the answer was no, simply because we only had a few days’ holiday. However, coordinating flights, traffic and ferry schedules was definitely one of the trickiest parts of the trip, so make sure you allow plenty of time between each stage of the journey.
We left Singapore at 8:20 am and didn’t arrive at our hotel in Panglao until after 7:00 pm.
If you’d rather avoid rushing from one connection to the next, I’d recommend spending a night (or even a couple of nights) in Cebu before catching one of the early morning ferries to Bohol.
How to Get to Bohol from other parts of the Philippines
Bohol–Panglao International Airport receives domestic flights from:
This is useful to know if you’re planning a longer itinerary around the Philippines and would like to include Bohol in your trip. As flight routes can change from time to time, it’s always worth checking the latest schedules before booking.
How to get to Bohol directly from other countries
At the time of writing, Bohol has very limited international connections. There are direct flights from South Korea, as well as the occasional charter flight from Japan.
We noticed this during our stay in Panglao. Many restaurants, spas and other tourism-related businesses cater specifically to South Korean visitors, offering menus and displays in Korean.
I hope this guide has helped you to understand the various ways to get to Bohol and made planning your trip a little easier.
Don’t miss my other guides from our time on the island:
