How to get to Legazpi? If you’re already convinced to visit the immense and majestic Mayon in Legazpi City, Philippines, you’ve come to the right place because we’re going to tell you how to get here from wherever you are in the archipelago.
We already told you in Things to do in Legazpi that the city has a modern airport, as well as a bus station, so getting to Legazpi is much easier than you might think, especially from big cities like Manila or Cebu. Let’s get started!
Where is Legazpi located?
Legazpi is on the island of Luzon, the same island where the capital of the Philippines, Manila, is located. Don’t let this fool you because it’s a huge island and Legazpi sits 527 kilometers southeast of Manila. It’s the capital of Albay province and the Bicol region.
Although it previously had an airport right in the center, the current one, inaugurated at the end of 2021, is about 9 kilometers from what could be considered the heart of the city. The Bicol International Airport (IATA code: LGP) receives flights from Manila and Cebu. In addition, from the runways you get epic views of Mayon Volcano that delight anyone upon landing.
On the other hand, it has a land transportation terminal next to a modern shopping mall, SM City. The Legazpi Grand Central Terminal is where long-distance buses arrive, such as those coming from Manila, but also vans (minivans) and jeepneys from nearby places.
Finally, Legazpi has a fairly large port that serves the nearby islands of Rapu-Rapu and the Bacon district, as well as cargo ships. Therefore, it has little place in this guide on how to get to Legazpi in the Philippines, since they are not tourist areas.
How to get to Legazpi from Manila
The most common way is to reach Legazpi from Manila, since they’re on the same island and it’s the starting point that offers the most possibilities. Therefore, even if you’re elsewhere in the Philippines, it will probably be best value to go to Manila to get to Legazpi. In How to get to Manila we talk about all the options.
Although we’ll go into this below, before discarding the plane for fear that prices are high, we recommend taking a look at flights on Skyscanner. Like Cebu, Bohol and Iloilo, Legazpi Airport receives flights that are quite well priced, especially if booked in advance, and they save you the 13 hours inside a freezer (bus). That said, if it suits you and you want to save a night, you can always opt for overnight buses, some of them with beds. Your call!
1. Go to Legazpi from Manila by plane
The fastest way to get to Legazpi from Manila is by plane. The flights from Manila to Legazpi take just over 75 minutes to land at Bicol International Airport. As you can imagine, as you approach Legazpi, you get wonderful views of Mayon, so, if possible, ask for a window seat on the right-hand side of the plane.
As of today, Cebu Pacific (Cebgo) and Philippines Airlines offer several flights a day more or less from 3:30 in the morning until 15:30. If bought in advance, you can find fares from 20€ one way (plus the cost of checked baggage), making it one of the most economical flights in the Philippines. Two to three weeks before, prices go up to 50€ or even more. It’s up to you whether you prioritize flexibility or price.
To get from the airport to the city, we explain it below.
On the other hand, although it will be quite rare for the flights to be cheaper, you can also look for flights from Manila to Naga. This city is about 3.5 hours from Legazpi and you can get there by bus or van for about 200–250 pesos per person. In How to get to Legazpi from Naga (below) you have more info.
2. Go to Legazpi from Manila by bus
If flights are very expensive or you want to save a night’s accommodation, another way to get to Legazpi from Manila (or intermediate cities en route) is by bus. These are journeys that take between 10 and 13 hours and most buses have regular seats (a little reclining), although you can find some (more expensive) with beds. The pricier buses have toilets; others make stops.
As for the departure points in Manila to go to Legazpi, you have several depending on the company. They normally depart from Cubao, Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) and Alabang. The best-known companies are Peñafrancia, Bicol Isarog (sleeper bus) and DLTB.
The best way to check schedules and book tickets is to use this page a few days in advance:
CLICK HERE to see dates and prices
Don’t forget to bring all the warm clothes you have; buses in the Philippines are true freezers.
How to get to Legazpi from Cebu
Another common starting point to reach Legazpi is Cebu, especially if you’re visiting other islands in the Visayas area. Here, without a doubt, our recommendation is to try to find a flight, since land-and-sea combinations are long and tedious. In How to get to Cebu you’ll find more information about combinations from nearby places.
1. Go to Legazpi from Cebu by plane
Bicol International Airport also receives flights from Cebu to Legazpi. At the moment, the only one offering direct flights is Cebu Pacific Air (Cebgo) once or twice a day. With Philippine Airlines you’ll also find flights to Legazpi, but with a layover in Manila.
If bought in advance, you can get prices around 25€. Otherwise, they usually hover around 55€ or even more. As always: it depends on whether you prefer to save or want flexibility.
CLICK HERE to see flights from Cebu to Legazpi
2. Go to Legazpi from Cebu by public transport (ferry + buses/vans)
In case flight prices are sky-high or you have plenty of time to make stops along the way and discover less explored corners, you can also go to Legazpi from Cebu by combining ferries and land transport. In this case, the route would be:
- Ferry from Cebu to Masbate: this route takes about 12 hours and there are a couple of companies that do it, Cockalion Shipping (usually Saturdays at 19:00) and TransAsia (usually Wednesdays at 18:00; you can buy the ticket here). Always reconfirm with the companies, as these schedules may vary. The cheapest ticket (in a bunk) is around 1,100–1,200 pesos.
- Ferry from Masbate to Pilar: operated by Montenegro several times a day between 5:00 and 16:00 with RORO-type vessels (cars go onboard, 4 hours) and fastcraft (fast, around 2 hours). Confirm with them on Facebook because their website never works well. It costs about 350–560 pesos, depending on the type of boat.
- Bus or van from Pilar to Legazpi: they depart roughly every hour until 15:00 to the Legazpi Grand Terminal and the trip takes a little over 60 minutes. Prices are around 150–200 pesos. You can’t book or check schedules online.
As you can see, you’re going to have to invest almost a full day to reach Legazpi from Cebu and line it up with one of the days when there are ferries from Cebu to Masbate. We would only do this itinerary if we wanted to stop in Masbate or the neighboring island of Ticao. There are ferries from Masbate to Ticao and from Ticao to Pilar, in case you want to dive the Ticao Pass.
How to get to Legazpi from Donsol
If you’ve gone to enjoy the whale sharks and want to go to Legazpi from Donsol, you’ll first need to head to the Donsol Centralized Shuttle Station. From here you have buses, vans and jeepneys to the Legazpi Grand Central Terminal. By van it’ll take around an hour, by bus a little more and by jeepney almost 2 hours, which is why prices go from higher to lower. Budget 100 to 200 pesos per person.
If there are several of you, you could also negotiate a transfer or ask at your hotel. Given the distance, we imagine they’ll charge about 1,000 pesos.
How to get to Legazpi from Naga
If, for whatever reason, you’ve arrived in Naga, getting to Legazpi is quite easy. You’ll have to choose between bus and van:
- Buses depart from Naga Terminal (here) and you have several companies to choose from, as well as types of buses (with and without air conditioning). Expect between 180 and 200 pesos approximately. The journey takes about 3.5 hours.
- Vans usually depart from their own terminal (here), although you can also catch them at the central terminal. They’re faster than buses because they make fewer stops, but a bit more expensive. The price as of today is 220 pesos.
It’s quite a frequent route, so you’ll find options practically at all hours, even more so before sunset. You can’t check or book online.
How to get to Legazpi from Caramoan
Although there are still few travelers who venture to Caramoan, since we did this route as well, here are the steps to follow to get to Legazpi from Caramoan as of today:
- Van or bus from Caramoan to Naga: there are a couple of bus companies that run the route (MRR and Florencia), with or without air conditioning, from the Caramoan market. The journey takes about 5 hours and they leave quite early (we were told from 5:00 to 16:00, but better to ask). The ticket costs between 250 and 280 pesos, depending on the type of bus. You also have vans from Pili Tourist Transport Service Coop. at different times. They’re faster but a bit more expensive (350 pesos); ask here or go to their stand along Caramoan’s main road; they’ll pick you up at your hotel. None of this can be checked or booked online.
Vans from Caramoan drop you off here and buses here. Looking at the map, to save a little time, we asked to be dropped off at this point and from there we walked to the main road, where we waited for any bus to Legazpi to pass. Forget about the vans because they’re usually already full by the time they get here.
- Van or bus to Legazpi: prices range from 180–220 pesos, depending on whether it’s a bus or van and the type of bus. Allow about 3 hours. They’ll drop you at the Legazpi Grand Central Terminal.
How to get to Legazpi from other destinations in the Philippines
If you’re looking for how to get to Legazpi from other parts of the Philippines, unless you’re on a less-visited island like Masbate, Marinduque or Samar or at some point between Manila and Legazpi such as Lucena or Naga, the most practical thing will be to search for flights to Legazpi from the nearest airport you have. These flights will likely connect in Manila. To give you some examples:
- If you’re in El Nido: look for flights from El Nido to Manila with Air Swift and flights from Manila to Legazpi or (cheaper) go from El Nido to Puerto Princesa by bus or van and search for flights from Puerto Princesa to Legazpi.
- If you’re in Coron: look for flights from Coron to Legazpi.
- If you’re in Bohol: look for flights from Bohol to Legazpi or go by ferry from Bohol to Cebu and book flights from Cebu to Legazpi.
- If you’re in Siargao: look for flights from Siargao to Legazpi or go by ferry from Surigao to Cebu and from Cebu to Legazpi by plane.
- If you’re in Siquijor: go from Siquijor to Dumaguete by ferry and search for flights from Dumaguete to Legazpi or go from Siquijor to Cebu by boat and look for flights from Cebu to Legazpi.
If you want to know the itinerary to get to Legazpi from other islands, you can ask us in the comments and we’ll gladly explain.
How to get from Legazpi Airport to your hotel
The truth is that getting from Legazpi Airport to the city center is more expensive and confusing than we’d like. The Grab app doesn’t work here and there are no metered taxis, so the options are limited and they all have more or less the same fixed prices.
When you exit, on the right-hand side, you’ll see a small counter where you hire (and pay for) transport in shared vans. The price depends on the area of Legazpi you’re heading to, although the end of the journey is Legazpi Grand Central Terminal, next to SM City. Since it currently costs 220 pesos per person, we opted for the private option to our hotel, which cost us 500 pesos for the two of us. On the way back, we managed to do it for the same price with a taxi driver.
We don’t know if there will be tricycles waiting outside the airport, but it’s surely a little cheaper, although a bit slower.
We hope we’ve helped you figure out how to get to Legazpi from wherever you are in the Philippines. If you have any questions, we can answer them if you leave us a comment. Enjoy the wonderful Mayon Volcano!
