El Nido and Bohol are two of the most common stops on a trip around the Philippines. What usually gives travelers the biggest headache is how to connect them without wasting time. That’s why we’re going to tell you in great detail how to get to Bohol from El Nido in every possible way: the fastest (and most expensive) and the cheapest (and slowest).
By the way, if you want to know the route to Bohol from other places in the country, you’ll find it explained in How to get to Bohol. The same goes for El Nido, which you have covered in maximum detail in How to get to El Nido.
How to get to Bohol from El Nido by direct flight (expensive but fast)
Good news! For a few years now there have been non-stop flights to get to Bohol from El Nido operated by AirSWIFT, now an airline owned by the big Cebu Pacific, one of the most important Philippine airlines. Between 3 and 4 flights per week are scheduled, costing between 3,000 and 4,000 Philippine pesos (50€-60€) as long as you buy in advance. Otherwise, prices shoot up to 9,000–10,000 pesos, so keep that in mind.
In just about an hour and a half, hassle-free, departing from El Nido Airport (IATA code ENI) you’ll arrive at Panglao International Airport (Bohol, IATA code TAG), located just 10 minutes from bustling Alona Beach.
Direct flights from El Nido to Bohol
Keep in mind these planes are quite small, so, besides for price, it’s advisable to book your flights in advance.
To get to El Nido Airport from town, you can take any tricycle. The fare shouldn’t be more than 300–350 pesos for the whole vehicle.
How do you get from the airport to your destination in Bohol?
Once at Panglao Airport (Bohol), you’ll need to take the transport of your choice depending on where you’re staying in Bohol. For example:
- If you’re staying in Alona Beach/Panglao: haggle for a tricycle or a taxi. It shouldn’t cost you more than 100–200 pesos and you’ll find them at the airport itself or just outside. They’re tough to bargain with, but believe us: you can get the prices we indicate. If you prefer peace of mind, you can reserve a whole car here. You can also take the bus that goes to Alona (it drops you next to McDonald’s) for just 50 pesos per person. You’ll find more information in How to get to Panglao.
- If you’re staying in Loboc: the cheapest thing is to take one of the buses to Tagbilaran from the airport. They run from 4:00 to 18:00 every 30–45 minutes. It costs 70 pesos. The ride takes about 45 minutes. They’ll drop you at Dao Terminal and from there you can take another bus, van or jeepney to Loboc for 50 pesos on any bus. It’ll take about 1 hour. You can also negotiate a taxi or a tricycle for 1,000–1,200 pesos or ask us for a contact in the comments. You’ll find more information about this route in How to get to Loboc.
- If you’re staying in Anda: you’ll need to take the previous bus to Tagbilaran and from there a bus (100–150 pesos) or van (140–200 pesos) to Anda. The trip will take between 3 and 4 hours. In How to get to Anda we tell you more, but if you want to go more comfortably in a private car, leave us a comment and we’ll send you details of our trusted contact.
If you still don’t have your accommodation, you’ll be interested in Where to stay in Bohol.
Another way to go from El Nido to Bohol: via Manila
If you want to get to Bohol from El Nido by plane and there are no direct flights to Bohol that day, the only way to connect both places by air is as follows:
- Book a flight from El Nido to Manila: the only company operating these flights is Air Swift (owned by Cebu Pacific), with a frequency of between 2 and 5 flights per day. The journey takes about 75 minutes and prices vary considerably depending on how far in advance you buy. From 3,400 pesos to 6,000 pesos—book as soon as possible because the planes are also very small!
Flights from El Nido to Manila
- Book a flight from Manila to Bohol: leaving enough layover time (we recommend at least 3 hours between both flights), fly from Manila to Panglao Airport. Air Asia, Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific fly between 8 and 10 times a day between the two destinations. The trip takes about 90 minutes. You can find deals from 17€, as long as you book well in advance, because if you do it at the last minute you could end up paying up to 100€.
If you need to spend the night in Manila, we recommend doing so next to the airport. You have accommodation recommendations in Where to stay near Manila Airport.
How to get to Bohol from El Nido via Puerto Princesa and Cebu (cheap but slow)
If you want to save a bit to go from El Nido to Bohol, the best way is via Puerto Princesa and then Cebu. Here we tell you step by step how to get to Bohol from El Nido:
- Take a van or bus from El Nido to Puerto Princesa: as we explain in How to get to Puerto Princesa, the fastest option is the van. These leave from El Nido Terminal from 4:30 to 20:30 and take about 4.5 hours to make the journey. You can arrange for it to drop you directly at the airport—the best option in your case.
Book your seat from El Nido to Puerto Princesa
- Book a flight from Puerto Princesa to Cebu: the airlines Air Asia, Cebu Pacific Air and Philippine Airlines operate several flights a day from Puerto Princesa to Cebu. The trip takes about 1 hour 20 minutes. It is possible to book them from 19€ if you buy in advance, although it’s more common to see them around 50€, much more at times like Christmas, Chinese New Year or Holy Week.
Flights from Puerto Princesa to Cebu
Traveler to traveler: our advice is to book the flight as early as possible, taking into account the departure times of the vans from El Nido to Puerto Princesa. So, if the first one is at 4:30, it would be advisable that your flight doesn’t leave before 10:00. If you want to leave earlier, you can spend the night in Puerto Princesa. 4C’S Tourist Lodge is a good option because it’s next to the airport, but we like this one even more—we’ve stayed many times because they’re adorable and they take you to the airport for free.
- Take a bus or a taxi from the airport to Cebu Pier 1: from Cebu Airport you’ll have to go to the port to continue your trip to go from El Nido to Bohol. To do this, you can take a white taxi (in Cebu there are no issues and they’re cheaper than the yellow ones and than Grab). The line usually moves quite fast, but you can also order a Grab from the app. The ride can take between 30 minutes and an hour, depending on traffic. Normally you’ll pay a little over 300 pesos.
If you want to save a bit and don’t mind going more slowly, you can take the MyBus buses. First you’ll need to go to the SM City mall (40 pesos) and from there to the port (another 40 pesos).
- Take a ferry from Cebu to Bohol: take a ferry to the capital of Bohol, Tagbilaran. The companies with the most frequencies are Oceanjet and Supercat, which operate from 5:00 to 18:40. If you arrive late, Lite Shipping has one at 22:00. Prices are around 800 pesos. The trip takes just 2 hours (4 in the case of Lite Shipping).
- Get to your accommodation in Bohol: depending on the area where your hotel in Bohol is, you can choose one transport or another. For example:
- If you’re going to Alona Beach/Panglao: you can choose between taking a taxi (500 pesos, you can book the transfer here), a tricycle (300 pesos) or a jeepney (25 pesos). It’ll take about 45 minutes. We explain more here.
- If you’re going to Loboc: the cheapest is the local bus from Dao Terminal for 50 pesos or negotiating a taxi or a tricycle (we have contacts for that). To get to the terminal (also called the Integrated Bus Terminal), you can take a tricycle for 20 pesos. Count on about 1 hour of travel. More info in How to get to Loboc.
- If you’re going to Anda: go to Dao Terminal and then you can take a bus (about 150 pesos) or a van (about 200 pesos). You can also hire a car with driver—we can give you contacts. Expect at least a couple of hours. In How to get to Anda we tell you more.
Going from El Nido to Bohol: via Cebu (something in between)
You could also look at going from El Nido to Bohol by first taking a flight from El Nido to Cebu with Air Swift and then a ferry from Cebu to Bohol. That is:
- Book a flight from El Nido to Cebu: they’re only operated by Air Swift and at the moment there aren’t daily frequencies, so you’ll need to see if the schedule works for you. The planes are small and the price skyrockets when availability is low.
- Take a taxi or Grab car from the airport to Pier 1: the ride takes from 45 minutes to an hour, depending on traffic. It’s usually around 300 pesos.
- Take a ferry from Cebu to Bohol: as we mentioned, they run frequently until 18:40.
This way you save the van ride from El Nido to Puerto Princesa (5–6 hours), but it’s true that flights from El Nido to Cebu can cost roughly double.
If you have to stay overnight in Cebu, we recommend this one near the port or this one near the airport.
Going from El Nido to Bohol: via Puerto Princesa (another middle option)
To finish, here’s another middle alternative to consider:
- Take a van from El Nido to Puerto Princesa: you already know they leave from El Nido Terminal and that it’ll take about 5–6 hours. They cost 600–700 pesos and can drop you at the airport itself. You can book here.
- Book a flight from Puerto Princesa to Bohol, this one with a layover in Manila, since there are no direct flights. Prices can go from 50€ if you book well in advance to more than double. We recommend buying with the same airline so you don’t have problems in case of delay.
As you can see, with this you can save quite a bit of money compared to a direct El Nido–Bohol flight, but you’ll have to swallow the road time to Puerto Princesa plus the prudent time between the van’s arrival and your plane’s departure—we recommend it not be less than 3 hours. If you have to stay overnight in Puerto Princesa, we recommend this hotel.
How to go from Bohol to El Nido
If you’re thinking of doing the trip the other way around, the most comfortable way to go from Bohol to El Nido is to search for a Bohol to El Nido flight with Cebu Pacific. You already know they’re not daily and the longer you take to buy it, the more expensive it will be (in fact, they’re some of the most expensive in the Philippines).
If you’re looking for a much cheaper option to go from Bohol to El Nido, you’ll have to:
- Go from Bohol to Cebu by ferry, which will take you a couple of hours. You can buy the ticket here.
- Go from Cebu port to the airport; you can take a taxi or Grab (about 300 pesos). Don’t plan for less than an hour of travel because sometimes the traffic is terrible.
- Take a flight from Cebu to Puerto Princesa (1–1.5 hours).
- Get on a van from Puerto Princesa to El Nido; you can book it here. The trip takes around 5 hours.
Other middle alternatives:
- Look for a flight from Bohol to El Nido, but with a layover in Manila. It may not be much cheaper, but it’ll suit you if there are no direct flights on your travel day.
- Take a ferry from Bohol to Cebu and then a flight from Cebu to El Nido. You save the van section from Puerto Princesa to El Nido, but it’ll be more expensive.
- Look for a flight from Bohol to Puerto Princesa with a layover in Manila and then take a van from Puerto Princesa to El Nido. You save the ferry from Bohol to Cebu and the flight wait time and transfer to the airport, but in all likelihood it’ll be quite a bit more expensive.
Do you have any questions about how to get to Bohol from El Nido? We’ll be happy to answer you in the comments!
To help you enjoy both places, don’t forget to take a look at the Bohol Guide and the El Nido Guide. Made by travelers for travelers.
