How to get to Dumaguete? The capital of Negros Oriental is a starting point for visiting other nearby islands such as Siquijor or Apo Island, and it is also a good base to discover nearby charms or enjoy a bit of urban life. Dumaguete has all the services: large hospitals, universities, shopping malls, and immigration offices if you need to extend your visa. Of course, there is also a huge variety of hotels and restaurants.
Here we are going to tell you in detail how to get to Dumaguete from the main points of the Philippine archipelago.
Where is Dumaguete
Dumaguete is the largest city in the province of Negros Oriental, one of the two divisions of the island of Negros. In turn, it belongs to the Western Visayas region, which is essentially the center of the Philippines.
If you look at the map below, it is very close to the southern tip of Cebu. Both islands are separated by the Tañón Strait. In addition, a few kilometers to the east lies the island of Siquijor, making Dumaguete the best starting point to access it. You have everything detailed in How to get to Siquijor.
What are Dumaguete’s most important transport infrastructures?
A few kilometers from the center is the Dumaguete–Sibulan Airport (DGT), which receives domestic flights from the most important cities in the Philippines. On the other hand, from the Port of Dumaguete boats depart to other Visayan islands such as Cebu, Bohol, and Siquijor; as well as to points in Mindanao: Dapitan and Cagayan de Oro. Less than 7 kilometers away is the Port of Sibulan, which constantly receives boats from Liloan, in the south of Cebu. Further south is the small Malatapay Jetty, which you will reach if you are coming from Apo.
You can also arrive overland from other places in Negros and even from Cebu (the bus boards a ferry in Liloan). As in the whole Visayas region, the most important company is Ceres Liner. In Dumaguete you have a modern bus station from which you can go to destinations such as Bacolod or Dauin.
How to get from Manila to Dumaguete
You’ve probably read it already, but the best and simplest way to reach Dumaguete from Manila is by plane. There are several daily flights with Cebu Pacific Air (and its subsidiary CebGo) and with Philippine Airlines (or PAL Express, which are the same company). The flight takes about 75 minutes and prices are around €15–20, as long as you book well in advance.
Book flights from Manila to Dumaguete here
Remember that you’ll need to add the cost of checked baggage to the ticket price if you want to check a bag. The amount will depend on the fare you choose. You can find more information on this topic in Domestic flights in the Philippines.
There is also the option of going from Manila to Dumaguete by ferry. The shipping company that operates it is 2Go. Keep in mind that it only sails once a week, that the journey is more than 27 hours, and that the ticket price in the lowest class starts at 2,500 pesos. Therefore, unless you are traveling with a lot of luggage or flight prices are very high, it usually isn’t worth it. In any case, have a look here and compare:
Ferries from Manila to Dumaguete here
How to get from Cebu to Dumaguete
By plane
Just like from Manila, if you want to save time getting to Dumaguete, from Cebu you have flights with Cebu Pacific (Cebgo) and Philippine Airlines. It’s just a 50‑minute journey and you can find them from €13 (well in advance).
Book flights from Cebu to Dumaguete here
By ferry
If flights are expensive, the fastest option to go from Cebu to Dumaguete by sea is to take the Oceanjet ferry. It departs daily from Cebu’s Pier 1 at 5:10 and 8:20 and takes about 4 hours to reach Dumaguete. It isn’t direct, as it stops in Bohol and Siquijor.
Book your ferry from Cebu to Dumaguete here
On Oceanjet fast ferries there are 3 classes: Open‑Air, Tourist Class, and VIP. Although the seats are less comfortable, we like to go in the Open‑air category, that is, outdoors. This way we don’t freeze with the air conditioning. Prices start at 800 pesos.
Another cheaper but slower option to go from Cebu to Dumaguete is Cockalion Shipping. Its ferries depart on Mondays, Thursdays, and Sundays at 20:00 and arrive at around 1–2 in the morning. Prices start at 1,500 pesos, but keep in mind that you’ll be lying on a bed. You can book online here.
By bus + ferry
The third way to go from Cebu to Dumaguete is by bus. You can do it more or less directly if you go to Cebu City’s Cebu South Bus Terminal and take one of the Ceres Liner buses that go to Dumaguete. It heads to Bato, where it boards a ferry to Negros and then continues on to drop you in Dumaguete. The journey takes about 5–6 hours and costs around 400 pesos. They depart roughly every hour from 3:00 to 22:30, with fewer frequencies from 14:00 to 23:00.
If, for whatever reason, there are no buses from Cebu to Dumaguete when you arrive at the terminal, don’t worry. You can take any bus going to Liloan (250–300 pesos, depending on whether they have air‑conditioning or not / 3.5–4 hours), which run constantly throughout the day. Once there, take the boat to Sibulan (62 pesos/25 minutes). They run from 4:30 to 19:30 every hour. When you arrive at the port, you’ll see jeepneys or multicabs toward Dumaguete (12 pesos/40 minutes).
⚠️ Note: the boats that go from Liloan to Sibulan are small. If you are traveling with a car or motorbike, it’s better to depart from Bato. In this case, the ferries drop you in Tampi, which is about 40’ driving from Dumaguete.
How to get from Siquijor to Dumaguete
It won’t be difficult to reach Dumaguete from Siquijor, since both points are well connected by several shipping companies. The fastest and most reliable is Oceanjet, which covers the route in 50 minutes. It’s also the only one that can be booked online:
Fast boats from Siquijor to Dumaguete
Most of the boats that go from Siquijor to Dumaguete depart from Siquijor Port.
Here are the schedules to get to Dumaguete from Siquijor (June 2024):
| Ferry schedules from Siquijor to Dumaguete | |||
| Days | Departure | Company | Booking |
| Daily | 6:00 | Oceanjet | Online |
| Daily | 6:00 | Aleson | Ticket office |
| Daily | 7:20 | HS Star | Ticket office |
| Daily | 7:30 | Montenegro | Ticket office |
| Daily | 10:00 | Montenegro | Ticket office |
| Daily | 10:00 | Oceanjet | Online |
| Daily | 10:45 | HS Star | Ticket office |
| Daily | 12:00 | Oceanjet | Online |
| Daily | 13:30 | Aleson | Ticket office |
| Daily | 14:00 | Montenegro | Ticket office |
| Daily | 14:20 | HS Star | Ticket office |
| Daily | 16:30 | Montenegro | Ticket office |
| Daily | 16:40 | Oceanjet | Online |
| Daily | 17:30 | HS Star | Ticket office |
| Daily | 18:00 | Aleson | Ticket office |
| Daily | 18:00 | Oceanjet | Online |
By the way, there is also a company that offers small planes for private flights from Siquijor to Dumaguete. You can check charter flight prices on their website.
⚠️ Remember to confirm schedules with your accommodation or the relevant ferry companies, as in the Philippines everything changes constantly. As you can see, we are constantly updating, but some days things slip through.
The different classes (from highest to lowest) on Oceanjet boats
How to get to Dumaguete from Bohol
Have you spent a few days enjoying the island of the tarsiers and want to go to Negros? To go from Bohol to Dumaguete you need to head to the port of Tagbilaran, from which you will find boats to the city.
Oceanjet currently offers two departures each day at 7:30 and 10:40. The journey is 2 hours and prices start at 800 pesos.
Timetables and prices for ferries from Bohol to Dumaguete
How to get to Dumaguete from Apo Island
If it’s time to leave beautiful Apo Island and you want to get to Dumaguete, it isn’t very difficult. Follow these steps:
- Take a boat from Apo to Malatapay. It’s best to ask about the schedules while in Apo because they vary. You can call this number +63 (0) 997 562 3866 or +63 (0) 906 689 1049. It’s 300 pesos per person and the ride takes about 30–40 minutes, depending on sea conditions. If you want a private boat, it goes up to around 3,000 pesos.
- Walk or take a tricycle to the main road. Walking will take about 10 minutes.
- Take any bus heading toward Dumaguete. It costs 25–50 pesos, depending on the type of bus, and they will drop you at the Ceres Bus Terminal. It’s about 20 minutes. Jeepneys also pass through here. If you get bored of waiting, you can also negotiate the price of a tricycle, which is around 300 pesos for the whole trip.
This bus passes through Dauin, so if you’ve been diving there, you just have to go out to the main road and wait for one to pass.
How to get to Dumaguete from Moalboal
If you look at the map, you’ll see that Moalboal is roughly halfway between Cebu and Dumaguete. Therefore, to go from Moalboal to Dumaguete you need to follow a route similar to the one from Cebu to Dumaguete. In short:
- Stand on Moalboal’s main road and wait for any bus to Bato, in Santander (about 80 pesos/90 minutes). They pass roughly every half hour.
- Take a tricycle or habal habal to Liloan Port. The ride is about 10 minutes. For a full tricycle (4–5 people) they charge 80 pesos.
- Get on the boat to Sibulan, in Negros (62 pesos/25 minutes). They run from 4:30 to 19:30 every hour.
- Take a jeepney or multicab to Dumaguete (12 pesos/25 minutes).
How to get from Bacolod to Dumaguete
Bacolod is the capital of Negros Oriental and is located on the opposite coast from Dumaguete. There are buses constantly connecting both cities. To catch them you just have to go to Bacolod’s Ceres South Bus Terminal and ask for those going to Dumaguete. The journey takes about 6 hours and the price is around 400–500 pesos, depending on whether it has air‑conditioning or not. They run from 1:00 to 20:30 roughly every 30 minutes.
How to get around Dumaguete
If you arrive at Dumaguete airport and want to go to the center, you have these possibilities:
- Taxi: negotiate the price, but they shouldn’t charge you more than 200 pesos.
- Private tricycle: fits 4–5 people; you will also have to negotiate, but 100 pesos is a common fare.
- Shared tricycle: 12 pesos per person.
- Multicab: leave the airport and take any that passes by. It’s 10 pesos per person.
If you have arrived at the port or are anywhere in Dumaguete and want to move around, you should know that for short rides it’s 12 pesos per person in a tricycle.
We hope this guide on how to get to Dumaguete has helped you orient yourself for your next Philippine adventure. You have more information about the city in the following articles:
If you have any questions, we’ll be happy to hear from you in the comments.
