Cebu Itinerary | Cebu and Bohol Itinerary

Whether you are visiting Cebu for the first time or wanting to expand your horizons on new places to visit, you have come to the right place to plan the perfect Cebu Itinerary. Cebu is a beautiful island in the Philippines filled with lots of fun activities such as snorkeling, swimming with whale sharks, laying out by beautiful and secluded waterfalls and visiting some interesting landmarks. This post will help you plan your Cebu Itinerary whether it be for 2 days or 7 days.

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Cebu Itinerary

Best time to visit Cebu, Philippines

The best time to visit Cebu is between November and April. These are considered the drier months of the season and you hit more into the Monsoon season during May – October.

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Language in Cebu

The main language in Cebu is Visayan/Bisayan. People in Cebu also know how to speak Tagalog and most of the people know how to speak English as well making it easy to communicate as a tourist or foreigner. Cebu is part of the Visayas which are made up of 3 main island groups in the central Philippines. Visayan, however, is spoken in most parts of the Philippines from central to the south.

Forms of Currency in Cebu

The forms of currency in Cebu is the Philippines Piso (pronounced peso). If you decide to order money at your bank prior to your travels, be sure to ask for the Philippines Piso, not the Mexican Peso.

How to get around Cebu

There are several ways to get around the island. You can choose to either rent a motorbike, hire a cab for the day or take a bus whether it be within Cebu city or around the entire island. I will go into more details below when I list some of the places to visit below. Be aware that things run on Filipino time which isn’t always on time.

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Tips to save money in Cebu

Visiting the Philippines is a popular destination because of the affordability. However, you can get caught into spending more money if you are not sure what to expect. If you plan to go shopping at the mall, the items at the malls are typically the same costs as many of the products in the US if not more expensive.

Some of the best ways to save money in the Philippines is to eat the local cuisine at small restaurants or street food vendors rather than at fancier restaurants or foreign restaurants. Although, even some of the foreign restaurants can be very affordable. Food in the Philippines at a Filipino restaurant range between 150 -300 Piso for a dish. That averages out to about $3 – 5 USD.

Traveling around the Philippines can be expensive if you want to travel luxuriously. Often, people may want to travel by paying a driver to drive you around. This may be affordable if you have a large group or a family traveling together, but as a solo person, you may be better off just taking the bus and public transportation.

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Places to Visit during your Cebu Itinerary

• Day 1: Cebu City
• Day 2: Cebu City
• Day 3: Moalboal
• Day 4: Kawasan Falls
• Day 5: Oslob
• Day 6: Bohol
• Day 7: Bohol

If you have more time, be sure to add Siquijor Island to your list of places to visit. Learn more about things to do in Siquijor Island.

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Cebu Itinerary Day 1 | Cebu City

Traveling in Cebu City solely depends on how bad traffic can be. I have only listed a handful of things to do in Cebu City for your Cebu itinerary, although some may be possible within a single days travel in Cebu, Temple of Leah and Cebu Taoist Temple are far off the grid. Additionally, this may be your first day arriving into Cebu and you may be learning how to get around this busy city. The popular thing to do in the Philippines other than visiting the beaches are spending time at beach resorts and secluded pools.

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Recommended things to do in Cebu City Day 1

• Temple of Leah
• Cebu Taoist Temple
• Mactan Shrine
• Shangri La Beach – Located at the Shangri La Mactan Resort

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Cebu Itinerary Day 2 | Cebu City

Day 2 in Cebu City consists of most things that are fairly local. Additionally, if you happen to finish everything from day one and most from day two, you can always change your itinerary and take a day trip from Cebu City to Kawasan Falls. You can read about that post below.

The thing with traveling in the Philippines is that you need to be open minded especially when it comes to your plans. The Philippines is a location that runs on as you say Filipino time which isn’t always on time. You may find yourself waiting whether it be in traffic, at the bus stations or more.

Recommended things to do in Cebu City Day 2

• Magellan’s Cross
• Basilica Minore Del Santo Nino
• Fort San Pedro
• Upside Down World

Cebu Itinerary Day 3 | Moalboal

Moalboal is a popular destination for people who want to learn or love to snorkel or free dive. There are a lot of places to explore in Moalboal which makes it a no brainer for people who love water. Additionally, there are several amazing beaches to check out. I mean you did travel to the Philippines for a reason and hopefully because of the friendly people, the traditional foods and to explore as much water destinations as possible.

Recommended things to do in Moalboal

• Pescador Island
• Basdaku Beach
• Freediving and snorkeling

Cebu Itinerary Day 4 | Kawasan Falls and Canyoneering

On this day you will spend time at Kawasan Falls (a must-see for your Cebu itinerary), I highly suggest you show up early in the morning so that you can get a good spot and be able to take pictures without anyone in them. The waterfalls are a great way to relax and are a beautiful place to go swimming. It’s better than a pool and has a great view making it one of the most popular waterfalls to visit in all of the Philippines. Additionally, nearby will be a great location to do some canyoneering.

You can also visit Kawasan Falls from a day trip from Cebu City if that is something you are interested in doing. If you read my related post below, you can read all about how to get to Kawasan Falls from Cebu City.

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Cebu Itinerary Day 5 | Oslob to Cebu City

Now I like to give all my readers the facts. Swimming with Whale Sharks in Oslob is not an eco-friendly thing to do. A lot of people still want to take this opportunity to swim with whale sharks, however, I have to give all of the facts. When I went, I was unaware of these situations, but from what I know now is that the whale sharks in Oslob return there because they are fed. Ultimately, this does affect their migration patterns. You can completely remove this from the itinerary, but I wanted to list this as an option of things to do.

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On the way back to Cebu City, there are a few things you can do such as visiting and spending the day at Alcoy Beach. After your day at the beach, you can spend time visiting the Monastery of the Holy Eucharist. However, you do need to be covered over your shoulders and at least knee-length shorts/dresses to enter the Monastery. This night you should stay in Cebu City before taking off to Bohol the next day.

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Recommended things to do in Oslob

• Swim with Whale Sharks
• Alcoy Beach
• Monastery of the Holy Eucharist

Cebu Itinerary Day 6 | Bohol

So from Cebu City, you will be heading off to Bohol. I suggest you make this trip early in the morning so that you can explore a lot of what you can in Bohol. If you don’t, then I suggest you add a day to your itinerary so you can see all that Bohol has to offer. You will notice when traveling in the Philippines that things are often late or not on time, confusing and requires a lot of waiting in hot and busy waiting rooms.

To get to Bohol from Cebu City, you will need to get to the Ferry Terminal.  You will need to take a Ferry from Cebu City to Bohol. In the Philippines, you do not typically book your tickets in advance as their online. Their systems are not very accurate, so you should get there early to get your tickets.  You can also get tickets as soon as you arrive in the Philippines. The Ferry from Cebu to Bohol is about 2 hours. If you want to learn more about how to travel to Bohol from Cebu, I suggest you read this guide on getting the Cebu to Bohol Ferry.

Now Bohol is not part of Cebu, however, if you are visiting Cebu, then you have to take the time to visit Bohol. Furthermore, Bohol is one of my favorite areas to visit in the Philippines. There are so many beautiful natural places to explore from the beautiful chocolate hills to swimming and laying out on some of the best beaches. Bohol offers something for everyone and is perfect for families and singles alike.

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Recommended things to do in Bohol

• Chocolate Hills
• Butterfly Garden
• Mahogany Bohol Man-Made Forest
• Hanging Bridge
• Jungle Cruise

Cebu Itinerary Day 7 | Bohol

Bohol does require about two days of exploring this whole island. When it comes to traveling in Bohol, I either suggest you rent out a motorbike or pay for a driver to take you all over the island. It will be a lot more affordable if you do it this way. Additionally, you will have a better chance of seeing everything you want to during your trip. Getting around the island in the Philippines can be difficult.  If you take the bus, it will delay a lot of your travel plans.

Recommended things to do in Bohol

• Tarsier Sanctuary
• Blood Compact Shrine
• Bohol Bee Farm
• Shell Museum
• Beaches

If you have more time for your Philippines Itinerary, I would suggest you add some locations to your Cebu Itinerary. You should include places like Palawan, Boracay, Manila, Siargao, Camiguin Island, and Banaue. These are some of my top 10 places to visit in the Philippines.

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