Need to know how to go from Manila to Boracay? The answer is below.
While it’s not far from Manila to Boracay, this journey can seem complicated – at least until you take it step by-step. It’s relatively straightforward.
Boracay is a beautiful island that is popular among travelers to the Philippines so many people travel from Manila to Boracay every day. It’s a great place to visit along with Manila for two very different sides of the Philippines.
But before you can enjoy Boracay, you need to learn how to get there.
Below, I describe exactly how to get to Boracay from Manila so you know exactly what you need to do. Whether you are looking for flights, ferries or considering traveling overland from Manila to Boracay, it’s covered in this guide. This way, you will be in paradise as quickly as possible!
I also describe the reverse journey from Boracay to Manila.
Map: Getting To Boracay From Manila
This map shows you the overland route from Boracay from Manila.
The distance is 310 kilometers and the approximate travel time is anywhere from 4.25 to 18 hours, depending on which transport option you choose.
BEST OPTION: How To Get From Manila To Boracay Island
How To Get To Boracay From Manila
Here’s a summary of your options:
| Mode of transport | Duration | Best For? | Book |
| Flight via Caticlan | 4.25 hours | People who like the quickest and easiest option | Book here |
| Ferry/Bus RoRo | 18 hours | People who like to travel overland in the easiest way | Book here |
| Ferry/Bus via Batangas | 16 hours | If you want to travel overland and there isn’t a good RoRo option for your dates or you want to travel overnight | Book here for the bus to Batangas Book here for the ferry to Caticlan |
There is no airport on Boracay so if you want to fly from Manila to Boracay, you have to go via Caticlan.
Whichever option you choose, you’ll eventually need to reach Caticlan Jetty and take a boat across to Boracay. From here, you need to take a boat across to Boracay. This boat section is described in its own section below.
Option 1: Fly From Manila To Boracay
As mentioned above, the fastest way to travel is to fly from Manila. Since there are no airports on Boracay Island, your flight will land in Caticlan. This airport is called either Caticlan or Boracay Airport.
It’s just a 10-15 minute boat ride from Caticlan to Boracay.
The flight time is an hour. You can fly on PAL Express, Cebu Pacific or AirAsia. There are flights throughout the day.
The airfare costs between ₱1,200 – ₱4,500 depending on the promotion and season. Booking ahead is generally the best way to get the best price.
Click here to see the prices for your dates.
Once you arrive at the airport, you need to get to Caticlan Jetty. This is only about 500 meters away so you can walk if you want and don’t have much luggage. It will only take about 10 minutes.
However, it’s more comfortable is to take a tricycle or van. This transport will take you directly to Caticlan Jetty where you can take a boat to Boracay Island.
You can buy tickets in advance for your transfers from Caticlan Airport to Boracay which include the van ride to the jetty and then the onward ferry ride to Boracay. Or for an even easier journey, you can take a private transfer right to your hotel in Boracay.
Click here to see the latest prices for this private transfer from Caticlan Airport to Boracay.
There are more details below about how to take the boat to Boracay Island.
Option 2: RoRo Bus And Ferry
If you wish to save money and/or explore more of the Philippines, you may want to consider one of the overland options to get from Manila to Boracay. These journeys always involve both buses and ferries.
Note that these options aren’t necessarily cheaper than flying. Which option is cheaper depends on the flight prices for your dates. If you can book your flight tickets during a sale, it’s possible that it can be cheaper to fly.
This first overland option is via RoRo, also known as “Roll On/Roll Off.” Ceres is the company that offers this mode of travel on this route.
They will basically take you all the way from Manila to Caticlan for the boat to Boracay with several ferries and land journeys along the way. The bus travels on the ferries with you, so you don’t need to keep changing vehicles.
This journey takes 16 hours and generally departs at 6am. It doesn’t run every day. Tickets start at ₱2,043 although this doesn’t include the ferry tickets which you may need to pay for to the driver of the bus. It’s a tiring journey.
I recommend you purchase your Manila to Boracay ticket online in advance to avoid long queues and the hassle of buying your tickets on-site. Not many buses run this route so you don’t want to miss out either.
Click here to see the latest prices.
Option 3: Bus And Ferry Via Batangas
If you can’t get a ticket for the RoRo option above or if the journey times don’t suit, another option is to take a bus from Manila to Batangas and then a ferry from here to Caticlan for the boat to Boracay.
The upside of this option compared to the last is that your ferry is overnight and can be more comfortable.
Buses run regularly throughout the day from the Paranaque Integrated Terminal in Manila with Ceres. Buses take about two hours to Batangas arriving at the Batangas Port.
Tickets start at ₱244. Some buses also go elsewhere in Batangas, but try to get one to the port so you are all set for the next step of your journey.
Click here for bus schedules, ticket prices and tickets.
When you arrive at Batangas Port, you can take a ferry to Caticlan.
2GO and Starlite Ferries run ferries on this route which take about 10-11 hours and depart in the evening so you arrive in Caticlan first thing in the morning. There are also some day journeys. The ferry runs most evenings with tickets starting from ₱2,320. The exact price depends on the accommodation you pick on the ferry.
Once you get to Caticlan, take a short 10-20-minute local boat ride to Boracay. There are more details about this below.
In terms of how long this route will take, the total travel time is at least 16 hours. If you do decide to take this route, it’s recommended that you buy your ferry tickets in advance to make sure they aren’t sold out.
Click here to see the latest prices and schedules.
You can also read our full guide to traveling from Batangas to Boracay here.
Ferry From Caticlan To Boracay
No matter which option you choose above, once you have made it to Caticlan Jetty, you’ll need to take a boat across to Boracay. This can be a small bangka or a bigger boat. This only takes 10-15 minutes.
Boats operate 24 hours a day with frequent departures from 5am to 8pm. Overnight from 8pm to 5am, you may have to wait awhile for a boat to fill.
The boat fare from Caticlan to Boracay is made up of the following:
- ₱50-100 for the boat ticket
- ₱150 for the terminal fee
- ₱150 for locals and ₱300 for everyone else for the environmental fee.
These are all per person fees.
You can purchase your ticket at the port or in advance. You can also find ferry tickets here.
Boats generally arrive at Cagban Jetty on Boracay although it can be Tambisaan Port during the rainy season. They only take around 10-15 minutes.
From this jetty, you can take a tricycle on to your accommodation. Or you can book a private transfer here all the way to your hotel.
You can read my full guide to traveling from Caticlan to Boracay here.
How To Get From Boracay To Manila
For the reverse journey, simply reverse the instructions above.
You can either take a flight back to Manila from Caticlan or take ferries/buses/RoRo from Caticlan back to Manila.
he transport options discussed above also operate in the reverse direction.
I recommend flying if at all possible. It’s a long and tiring overland journey.
Final Words
So there you have it! In this guide, I’ve covered the different transportation options from Manila to Boracay in both directions.
The fastest and most convenient way is to take a flight. As an alternative, you can also take buses and ferries.
You can find the flights you need here or your overland option here.
I hope you found this guide to traveling from Manila and Boracay Island useful. You can also find our full guide to how to get to Boracay here, all the best things to do in Boracay with kids here or the best resorts in Boracay here. Otherwise, find our full Boracay travel guide here.
