Heading to Bohol from Cebu? Fantastic! Bohol is my favorite island in the Philippines and you are going to love it.
However, before you can love it, you need to get there!
While there is no Cebu to Bohol bridge (yet anyway!), the answer to how to get to Bohol from Cebu is very easy! So you don’t need to worry. Just follow each of my steps below for how to get the Cebu to Bohol ferry and you will be there in no time.
In this article, I describe exactly how to travel from Cebu to Bohol including all the Cebu ferry to Bohol options, flights from Cebu to Bohol, the Cebu to Bohol travel time, Cebu to Bohol day trip options, information about the ferry schedule from Cebu to Bohol and fares as well as how to return from Bohol to Cebu.
Click here to find the latest ferry prices, timetables and to get your ticket now.
So let’s start!
How To Get From Cebu To Bohol
In the rest of this article, I will break down exactly how to do this.
Map Of Ferry Cebu To Bohol
How far is Cebu to Bohol? The distance from Cebu to Bohol at Tubigon is just 51 kilometers. It is easy to cover this distance with ferries from Cebu to Bohol.
Cebu To Bohol Ferry
You have two options for your Bohol ferry – a fast or slow one.
The fast Cebu to Bohol ferry takes about 1.5-2 hours depending on where you are traveling to on Bohol. It is comfortable and the best option.
There is also a slower RoRo (roll-on, roll-off) ferry that takes about double this. You can also take a car.
This article focuses on the fast ferry options as they are the best.
If you just want to book a ticket now and don’t want to think about all the details, you can do that by clicking here.
Where To Get The Ferry From Cebu to Bohol
The ferries depart from Cebu Port. Cebu Port is quite big and there are a number of piers. You can find transportation from Cebu to Bohol mainly at Pier 1.
If you buy tickets in advance, check which pier you need to leave from and go straight there. I recommend a taxi to the pier.
If you don’t have a ferry ticket from Cebu to Bohol, going to Pier 1 is a good bet. Two of the most popular companies leave from here – Lite Shipping and OceanJet – so this is where you will find the best ferry options.
It’s easy to buy a ticket on arrival at the pier or you can do my preferred option – be organized and book beforehand here.
Where To Arrive On The Ferry In Bohol
You have several choices for where to arrive on Bohol: Tubigon, Tagbilaran and Ubay. The fastest place to arrive on a ferry from Cebu Port to Bohol is at Tubigon.
However, most traveller destinations on Bohol and Panglao (for Alona Beach) are closer to Tagbilaran and usually travellers are best catching a Cebu to Tagbilaran ferry.
If you aren’t sure, look at the map above or ask your accommodation your best arrival point on a ferry from Cebu pier to Bohol.
At any arrival point, you will find taxis, tricycles and more to take you where you need to go.
Cebu To Bohol Ferry Schedule
The good news is that ferries run regularly throughout the day from Cebu to Bohol. So you shouldn’t have to wait too long for a ferry.
Ferry schedules change all the time so the following is just an indication of what was valid when this was published.
You can check latest times and prices here.
OceanJet Schedule
The OceanJet Cebu to Bohol ferries leave from Cebu Pier 1 to Tagbilaran.
Their schedule is approximately hourly from 5:10am to 5:40pm.
You can find their latest schedule here.
Lite Shipping Schedule
Lite Shipping operates the slow ferries landing at both Tubigon and Tagbilaran.
They depart from Cebu Pier 1.
To Tagbilaran, their current ferry schedule is once or twice a day at 1pm and/or 10pm. This takes about four hours.
You can find their latest schedule here.
To Tubigon, they run a few times a day. This takes about three hours.
You can find their latest schedule here.
FastCat Schedule
The FastCat ferries run four times a day from Cebu Pier 1 from 1:30am to 8pm. They only travel to Tubigon and the journey time is about two hours. This is a car ferry.
You can find their latest schedule here.
Cebu To Bohol Ferry Fare
There are a range of prices depending on which company you take, which class of travel you want, where you are arriving on Bohol and whether you want a fast or slow boat.
All fares from Cebu to Bohol below are based on research at the time of publishing. These can vary and are only meant to give you an idea of the ferry price to help you compare the options.
A typical, up-to-date fare can be found here.
The OceanJet fare is approximately PHP 1,168.
The FastCat ferry to Tubigon starts at PHP 492.
For the slower, Lite Shipping ferry to Tagbilaran, prices start around PHP 580 and to Tubigon, PHP 484.
There are also terminal fees to pay. Expect around PHP25 for Cebu. In addition to this, you usually need to pay for baggage which varies depending on the size of the bag. Expect around PHP 50-100.
How To Get From Cebu Airport To Bohol Ferry
If you want to go straight from Cebu Airport to Bohol, this is straightforward. You just need to get from Cebu Airport to Cebu Pier 1 and then you can follow the directions above.
You can catch a metered taxi or Grab taxi directly there. White ones are cheapest. It takes around half an hour but obviously this depends on traffic.
There are also public transport options via buses and jeepneys. You will always need to take at least two of them to get between these places so this is for budget seekers only as it does cost less.
Google maps can help you out with what to catch here.
Cebu To Bohol Flight
There are no direct flight Cebu to Bohol options. While it is possible to fly between the two by taking a flight to Manila and then on to Bohol, this would be far more time consuming and expensive than taking the ferry.
How Many Hours From Cebu To Bohol?
The absolute minimum is two hours if you depart from Cebu Port to Bohol on a fast ferry.
You also need to take into account time at the port, getting to the port and getting to your accommodation at the other end. I recommend you arrive at the port 45-60 minutes before your scheduled departure. Some operators want you to check in at least 45 minutes before your departure time.
Bohol To Cebu Ferry
When you are ready to return, taking a ferry from Bohol to Cebu City is just as convenient and easy as the Cebu City to Bohol ferry described above.
You can buy a ticket beforehand here or turn up at one of the ports. Make sure you are clear whether you want to return from Tubigon or Tagbilaran on Bohol.
Tagbilaran is usually the most convenient for travelers and your best bet is usually the OceanJet fast ferry which leaves the most regularly.
Arriving 45 minutes before your scheduled departure time is advised. There is also a terminal fee here. Currently, it is PHP 30.
Day Trips From Cebu To Bohol
If you don’t have much time and want things nice and easy, it’s very possible to do a Bohol day tour from Cebu.
With just one day, I definitely recommend a tour so you don’t waste any time. This way you have your ferry to Bohol from Cebu return and a tour of all the best attractions in Bohol covered.
You can find a top Cebu to Bohol tour here.
Other Tips
- Cebu Pier 1 is quite big and can seem a bit chaotic, but we did find it quite straightforward to navigate.
- There are 4 steps – buying the tickets, checking in (you will be assigned seats), paying a port fee and checking in bags if you have bigger ones. Give this 45 minutes.
- There are quite a few stairs.
- The Cebu terminal has different shops selling food, drinks and souvenirs as well as a toddler play area.
- The Tagbilaran terminal is much smaller and it’s better to buy snacks before arrival.
- Snacks are much more expensive onboard ferries than in the terminals.
- Movies played on our OceanJet ferry that weren’t small kid friendly. Try to sit away from the screen if this is an issue.
- Buy your tickets here in advance and make the whole process easier.
Final Words
Traveling from Cebu to Bohol is very easy and straightforward. Basically, catch a ferry from Cebu City to Tubigon or Tagbilaran on Bohol and get ready for a lot of fun!
This route is well covered with many ferry options which are comfortable and easy. You can find schedules and tickets here.
I hope you have a fabulous time in Bohol! You can read all the best things to do in Bohol here, our guide to where to stay in Bohol here or find our full travel guide to Bohol here.
