Bohol is an island province in the Central Visayas, with Cebu to the west and Mindanao across the sea to the south. Its capital is Tagbilaran, a port city about 72 km south of Cebu City, and most visitors arrive there by ferry from Cebu or fly into the airport on Panglao Island, which opened in November 2018. The island has an area of about 4,821 square kilometres, and its sights fall into two groups: an inland loop and a beach side.
The inland loop is the usual first day. It runs from Tagbilaran past the stone churches of Baclayon and Loboc to the Philippine tarsier sanctuary in Corella, a lunch cruise on the Loboc River, the mahogany avenue at Bilar and finally the Chocolate Hills at Carmen, more than a thousand grass-covered limestone domes that turn brown in the dry season. With a hired car and driver it is a full day, and it is easy to shorten if parents tire.
The beach side is Panglao Island, joined to Tagbilaran by bridges and centred on Alona Beach. Here the days are slower: a morning on the sand, a boat trip to the Balicasag marine sanctuary or the Virgin Island sandbar, and an evening on the promenade. Quieter alternatives exist, such as Anda on the south-east coast. Many heritage churches were damaged in the 15 October 2013 earthquake, and several have been restored, so you will see both rebuilt buildings and the stories of their repair.
For Indian families the practical points are the visa rules (check the latest), the lack of direct India flights that we could verify, and food: vegetarian, Jain and Indian options are limited, and we could not verify a dedicated restaurant, so plan meals with your hotel. Three to four nights covers both sides of the island comfortably.
Before you plan
Bohol at a glance
- Best months
- February to May is the driest and…February to May is the driest and sunniest window, with dolphin watching best from March to June per Wikivoyage. June to December is wetter, and October to November are the wettest.
- Ideal trip length
- 3 to 4 nights: one day for the…3 to 4 nights: one day for the inland loop, one or two for Panglao beaches and boat trips, plus a buffer day
- Airport
- Bohol-Panglao International AirportBohol-Panglao International Airport (TAG) at Panglao, opened November 2018; Cebu's Mactan airport plus a fast ferry is the common alternative route
- Railway station
- There are no passenger trains in BoholThere are no passenger trains in Bohol, so there is no railway station; travel is by road and sea
- Getting around
- A hired car with driver for the…A hired car with driver for the inland loop; tricycles, habal-habal and jeepneys for short hops; vans and buses between towns; ferries to Cebu from Tagbilaran
- Daily budget
- Roughly ₹4,000 to ₹8,000 per person…Roughly ₹4,000 to ₹8,000 per person per day excluding hotel, for meals, tours and local transport; tours and boat trips vary widely by operator
- Senior comfort
- Reasonable with planning: the cruiseReasonable with planning: the cruise, churches and beach resorts are easy, but the Chocolate Hills have many steps and boat landings are wet
- Language
- CebuanoCebuano (Boholano) is widely spoken; Filipino and English are also widely used and English is usual in tourism
Prices, opening hours and weather change. Recheck live details before booking.
Best time to visit Bohol: February, March, April. Month-by-month weather →
How many days do you have?
Bohol itinerary
One good day
1 day in Bohol
Leave Tagbilaran early with a hired car and driver. Stop at Baclayon Church, then the Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary in Corella, keeping your voice low and your flash off. Take the Loboc River lunch cruise (tell the operator about vegetarian needs in advance), then pause at the mahogany forest in Bilar before the Chocolate Hills at Carmen. Return in the late afternoon; the drive back is long, so keep a rest stop in mind for older travellers.
Day-by-day plan →Two days
2 days in Bohol
Start with Baclayon Church, then visit the tarsier sanctuary and the Loboc River cruise. Continue through the Bilar man-made forest to the Chocolate Hills in Carmen, and return to your Panglao or Tagbilaran hotel.
Day-by-day plan →Three unhurried days
3 days in Bohol
Begin with Baclayon Church and the Loboc Church, then take the lunch cruise. Return to Tagbilaran or Panglao for a gentle evening.
Day-by-day plan →
