If you’re keen to dive or swim with the turtles of Balicasag, enjoy beautiful beaches and a bit of nightlife, the first thing you need to know is how to get to Panglao. This island is one of the best known among travelers who decide to take a trip around the Philippines, as you’ll feel comfortable here both exploring everything Panglao has to offer and its neighboring island, Bohol.
To save you a headache, here we summarize the different routes from a bunch of destinations in the Philippines. These are the most common, but if you’d like to know another one, get in touch with us in the comments and we’ll quickly tell you how to get to Panglao from there.
Where is Panglao
Panglao is an island located in the Central Visayas, that is, in the heart of the Philippines. It’s a 91‑square‑kilometer piece of land connected to Bohol by a couple of bridges, so there’s no need to take any kind of boat to go from one to the other.
Most of the accommodation on both islands is concentrated in Panglao, specifically in the Alona Beach area. From there, people usually head out to explore the Loboc area and the Chocolate Hills on a day trip. Therefore, most people, when they talk about Bohol, are also referring to Panglao, putting them in the same pack.
As for transport infrastructure, at the end of 2018 the Panglao International Airport (IATA code: TAG) was inaugurated, replacing the one in Tagbilaran (the capital of Bohol). Although it’s international, at the moment it only receives flights from South Korea and China. So, if you’re coming from other countries, you’ll have to fly first to Manila or Cebu and follow the steps we tell you about later.
However, if you want to reach Panglao by boat, you’ll first have to go to the port of Tagbilaran, which is the island’s main one. As you’ll see later, there are also other ports in Bohol such as Jagna, Tubigon or Ubay, which will allow you to reach Panglao from other corners of the Visayas like Camiguin or Leyte.
How to get to Panglao from Manila
The best way to get to Panglao from Manila is by taking one of the many flights from Manila to Bohol.
The main Philippine airlines (AirAsia, Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific Air) operate up to 10 daily flights, even arriving at night, which is rare in the Philippines outside the big cities. Flights last just 90 minutes and prices tend to be quite economical if you book in advance. In fact, we’ve even booked this leg for less than $24.
Book flights from Manila to Panglao
Once at the airport, you can negotiate transport there (they shouldn’t charge you more than 100 pesos for a tricycle or taxi to the Alona area, which is 10 minutes away — you really can get it, you just need to be persistent) or book this transfer so they wait for you and take you to your accommodation without much hassle.
How to get to Panglao from Cebu
Cebu, the second largest city in the Philippines, is the hub from which you’ll likely need to move if you’re traveling around that area. If you want to get to Panglao from Cebu City, you’ll need to follow 2 steps:
- Go from Cebu to Tagbilaran by boat
- Go from Tagbilaran to Panglao by land transport
To go from Cebu to Tagbilaran by boat you have several companies, the most important and fastest being Oceanjet. Boats depart from 6:00 to 17:40 almost every hour and prices range between 800–900 pesos, depending on the company and ticket type. The trip takes about 2 hours. You can book here.
The company Lite Shipping has a later boat at 22:30. Just keep in mind that it takes 4 hours, since these are RO‑RO ferries.
Once in Tagbilaran, you have several options to reach Panglao:
How to get from Tagbilaran to Panglao
- Take a taxi or a van from the port: the usual fare is about 500 pesos to any hotel in Panglao. The journey takes 30/40 minutes. If you want to avoid haggling, you can book with KLOOK (the most important agency in the Philippines) via this link. (it comes out to about 310 per person, making it a good option if you’re traveling solo)
- Take a tricycle: Filipino tuk tuks usually charge 300 pesos per vehicle. They’re slower than cars, so allow 45–50 minutes. You’ll need to negotiate because they’ll likely try to charge you more, but believe us, this is the price in 2024.
- Take a jeepney: if you’re not in a hurry, ask for the jeepney terminal to Panglao. You can get there by tricycle for 20 pesos and then take a jeepney for 25 pesos per person. Keep in mind this can take up to 90 minutes.
- Take a bus: from the Integrated Bus Terminal (Dao Terminal) air‑conditioned buses go to Panglao for 70 pesos. Even so, you’ll have to get to this terminal, which is a bit far. It’s normal for a tricycle to charge you about 50 pesos; you’ll have to negotiate because the actual fare per person is 20 pesos. Allow about 45 minutes.
- Rent a motorbike: as soon as you leave the port there are motorbike rental places for 300–350 pesos per day. Negotiate and carefully check the condition of the bike and the tires.
As we mentioned, Bohol has another port that receives boats from Tagbilaran: Tubigon. However, you need to consider that this one is almost 2 hours from Tagbilaran. Therefore, if you want to go to Panglao from Cebu, the fastest is via Tagbilaran. We only recommend this option if you arrive very late, since from Tubigon you have boats to Bohol until 1:00 in the morning. From this port you can take a bus to Tagbilaran (60 pesos, 2 hours).
If you’re arriving at Cebu airport, this process is explained step by step in How to go from Cebu Airport to Panglao.
How to get to Panglao from Loboc (Bohol)
We receive many questions about how to get to Panglao from Loboc, so here we detail the possible ways to connect both destinations:
- Go to Tagbilaran by bus or jeepney: the former are faster. They take about an hour and the price depends on the type of bus, but it’s usually no more than 50 pesos. They depart next to the church on Loboc’s town square. Once at Tagbilaran terminal, you can take a bus for 50 pesos or a jeepney for 25 pesos.
- Hire a car or tricycle with driver directly to Panglao: it takes about an hour. Prices are roughly 700–1,000 pesos; you’ll have to negotiate, although we can also give you a contact if you leave us a comment below.
- Go by motorbike: if you don’t have much luggage and you have experience, renting a motorbike in Loboc for 300–350 pesos per day is feasible. Figure on about an hour’s ride to Panglao. If you’d like, we can also share rental contacts.
If you’re thinking of doing the route in reverse, take a look at How to get to Loboc.
How to get to Panglao from Anda (Bohol)
If you’re visiting the beautiful area of Anda, in Bohol, and want to combine it with Panglao or go to the airport, you have 2 ways to get to Panglao:
- Take a bus or van to Tagbilaran: the trip takes about 3 hours and costs around 150 pesos, depending on the type of transport you choose, since vans are usually more expensive. Buses depart roughly every hour between 5:00 and 16:00, but vans tend to depart more frequently. In Anda everything is a bit random, so it’s best to ask locals. They usually stop in front of the Anda market on the main road. Once in Tagbilaran take a bus (50 pesos) or a jeepney to Panglao (25 pesos).
If you see that no bus is coming, you can go to the junction with Bohol’s main road by motorela. It’s about 30 pesos per person. Once there, take any bus heading to Tagbilaran.
- Opt for a car with driver to reach Panglao: keep in mind it’s a considerable distance, about 3.5 hours. Prices are usually around 3,500 pesos for a car for up to 4 people. Something we often recommend is taking advantage of this leg with a driver to visit the Loboc area and the Chocolate Hills. It’ll be more expensive, but it’s a way to see almost everything interesting in this part without staying overnight. If you want, we can give you the contact for our trusted agency by leaving us a comment at the end of this article.
- Rent a motorbike: it’s not something we recommend because it’s more than 3 hours from Anda to Panglao, but we’ll leave it here.
You can read more about this route in How to get to Anda.
How to get to Panglao from Siquijor
Those visiting beautiful Siquijor will have it easy to reach Panglao. There are two boats that do this route directly:
- Oceanjet departs daily from Siquijor port to Tagbilaran (Bohol) at 8:20 and 14:30. The trip takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes. You can book your tickets here.
- Apekoptravel departs daily at 13:00 from Larena port (farther from the San Juan area). It takes a couple of hours and you can book the ticket here.
- Lite Ferries departs on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from Larena port to Tagbilaran at 19:00. It arrives in Bohol at 22:00. You can book here.
Since you arrive in Tagbilaran, you’ll have to follow the steps to get to Panglao that we explained in “How to get to Panglao from Tagbilaran”: taxi, van, tricycle, bus or jeepney.
How to get to Panglao from Moalboal
If you’re next to Moalboal’s spectacular sardine run and want to get to Bohol, you have 2 alternatives:
- Go from Moalboal to Panglao via Argao: Lite Ferries operates 2 boats a day between Argao port and Tagbilaran (Bohol), one at 3:00 AM and another at 12:00 PM. To go from Moalboal to Argao you can negotiate a taxi for about 1,000 pesos (1 hour) or take a bus to Carcar (30 pesos) and another to Argao (about 60 pesos). If you opt for public transport, allow 2.5–3 hours. — UPDATE 2025: option not available as of today.
- Go from Moalboal to Panglao via Cebu City: you can go from Moalboal to Cebu on any of the frequent buses that run along the main road. They usually take a little over 3 hours, depending on traffic and stops. The best ones are usually Ceres Liner and cost about 200 pesos, depending on whether they have air‑conditioning or not. They’ll drop you at the South Bus Terminal; once there, take a white taxi to the port (about 100 pesos, depending on traffic) and take one of the boats to Tagbilaran (Bohol). You have all the info on this route a few lines above.
- Go from Moalboal to Panglao via Oslob: from Oslob there are boats to Momo Beach (Panglao). They’re operated by Apekoptravel every day, take about 90 minutes to arrive and can be booked from this link. To go from Moalboal to Oslob, you’ll need to take a bus to Bato (about 2 hours) and then another to Oslob (1 hour). Remember that Oslob is one of the worst places in the world to see an endangered animal, the whale shark. You can see it respectfully in other places in the Philippines that we talk about in Where to swim with whale sharks in the Philippines.
How to get to Panglao from El Nido
Good news: since 2019 there have been direct AirSwift flights from El Nido to Panglao. There are 3 or 4 flights weekly and prices are around 4,000–5,000 pesos per leg, but keep in mind that, being small planes, prices skyrocket when time is short or during high‑demand periods (Christmas, Easter, Chinese New Year…). If you want to get to Panglao from El Nido this way, it’s best to book as soon as possible.
Book flights from El Nido to Panglao
On the other hand, there are other ways to go from El Nido to Panglao that can be a little cheaper:
- Fly from El Nido to Cebu with AirSwift (these are not usually cheap), take a taxi from the airport to the port (about 300 pesos, between 40 and 60 minutes), boat from Cebu to Tagbilaran (as explained above) and transport to Panglao.
- Take a van or bus from El Nido to Puerto Princesa (4 or 5 hours, between 500 and 600 pesos, you can book here), flight from Puerto Princesa to Cebu (2 hours), boat from Cebu to Tagbilaran (2 hours) and land transport to Panglao.
As you can see, these last 2 alternatives to reach Panglao are much slower. If you depart from Puerto Princesa, it’s much cheaper, since you have several low‑cost airlines operating the route.
Keep in mind that if you want to go from Port Barton to Panglao, you’ll also have to go to Puerto Princesa by van (3 hours, about 500 pesos) and then follow the steps we indicated above.
You can find more information about this route in How to go from El Nido to Bohol.
How to get to Panglao from Coron
Once you’ve enjoyed the island hoppings, you can get to Bohol by taking a flight from Coron to Cebu. Several airlines cover this route: Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific. Prices vary quite a bit, but they’re usually around 2,000 or 3,000 pesos as long as you book in advance, because if you book shortly before it’s common to see them around $85.
✈️ Coron airport has the IATA code: USU (Busuanga).
Book flights from Coron to Cebu
Once in Cebu, you need to take a white taxi or a Grab car to Pier 1 at Cebu port and take a boat to Tagbilaran. You’ll find schedules and prices a few lines above. To reach Panglao, you can choose between vans, taxis, tricycles or jeepneys.
Another alternative is to take a flight from Coron to Manila and from there to Panglao. Consider leaving at least 3 hours between flights if they’re on different airlines because, if you miss the connection, they won’t cover anything.
Everything is well explained in How to go from Bohol to Coron.
How to get to Panglao from Siargao
To go from Siargao to Panglao you have 2 options: the cheap and long one, or the short and expensive one.
- Cheap and long: take a boat from Siargao to Surigao (2 hours), a ferry from Surigao to Cebu (about 10–12 hours), a fast boat from Cebu to Tagbilaran and then land transport from Tagbilaran to Panglao.
- Short and expensive: book a flight from Siargao to Cebu (1 hour), a fast boat from Cebu to Tagbilaran and then get to Panglao by taxi, bus, tricycle… It’s detailed above in “How to get from Tagbilaran to Panglao”.
There’s also the option of a Siargao–Bohol flight with a layover in Manila or Cebu, which will be considerably more expensive.
You’ll find everything fully detailed with prices, schedules and more in How to go from Siargao to Bohol.
How to get to Panglao from Camiguin
If you’re coming from the “Island Born of Fire”, you’ll need to take the Super Shuttle ferry that departs daily at 9:30 in the morning from Balbagon port. It can be reserved online from here. The journey takes about 4–5 hours and arrives at Jagna port.
Once there, take one of the buses that run along the main road to Tagbilaran. The journey takes about 90 minutes and usually costs between 100 and 120 pesos, depending on the type of bus. You could also negotiate private transport to Panglao, which will be around 1,200–1,500 pesos.
When you’re at Tagbilaran terminal, to reach Panglao you can take a bus (70 pesos) or a jeepney (25 pesos) to get to Panglao. Another option is a tricycle, which is around 300 pesos.
How to get to Panglao from Malapascua or Bantayan
If you’re coming from islands north of Cebu, such as Malapascua or Bantayan, you’ll have to retrace your steps towards Cebu City. For Malapascua, you need to take the bangka from Malapascua to Maya (200 pesos, 45 minutes) and then a bus or van (250–350 pesos, 4–5 hours). From Bantayan you’ll need to take a ferry from Santa Fe to Hagnaya (350 pesos, 1 hour) and then a bus to Cebu City (4–5 hours, 250 pesos).
In both cases, we recommend leaving first thing in the morning to arrive before 17:40, the last fast boat between Cebu and Bohol. The first boats from Malapascua usually leave at 6:30–7:00 and from Bantayan at 2:00.
Once at the North Bus Terminal, take a white taxi or Grab to Pier 1 at Cebu City port. It’ll cost you about 100 pesos, depending on traffic. Then follow the steps we gave in “How to get to Panglao from Cebu”.
How to get from Panglao Airport to your hotel
If you’ve landed at Panglao airport because you’ve arrived on the island from Manila, Clark, Davao or Cagayan de Oro, you can get to your hotel in Panglao in different ways:
- Negotiating a tricycle: it shouldn’t cost you more than 100–150 pesos for the whole tricycle if you’re staying around Alona Beach because it’s very close. If no one offers it to you, walk to the airport exit — someone will eventually offer it.
- Negotiating a taxi: it should cost you about 200 pesos for the vehicle. You can also book a whole car through KLOOK or per person.
- Taking the bus to Alona Beach: make sure you take it in the Alona direction and not towards Tagbilaran. It costs 50 pesos per person.
More information about Panglao:
Where to stay in Panglao, best hotels
Best restaurants to eat in Panglao, Bohol and Loboc
If you have any questions about how to get to Panglao or want to know how to do it from other destinations, we’ll be happy to answer you in the comments!
