Bohol to Manila

Traveling from Bohol to Manila has never been easier. Depending on your budget, time, and travel preferences, you can opt to travel by air, land, or water.

The distance between Bohol and Manila is approximately 920 kilometres via the Pan-Philippine Hwy/AH26 but if you fly, Manila can be reached from Bohol in just 1 hour 30 minutes. This by far is the fastest and the most convenient option.

Though there are both buses and boats connecting Bohol to Manila, neither a bus ride nor a boat journey is comfortable in any way. Far from it. It will definitely be an extremely tiring 30-48 hour journey by either bus or boat. Expense-wise, there isn't much to save either. In our opinion, the only reason why it may make sense to travel by land or by sea is if you have an inherent fear of flying – or you have tons of luggage with you.

Flights from Bohol to Manila

Flying from Bohol to Manila can be as cheap as PHP1,500 or as expensive as PHP19,000 for a one-way ticket depending on the airline that you decide to fly with. As of this writing, there are three commercial airlines that serve the Bohol–Manila route via Tagbilaran airport located in the southwest of the island. All the three airlines have daily flights so it won't be a problem to choose the one that fits your itinerary best.

Popular budget airlines Cebu Pacific and Air Asia regularly announce seat sales – to grab the best deals plan your holiday months in advance and get their newsletters. Even without any special deals though, their airfare guarantees the most budget-friendly travel. Both of these budget airlines allow customization of your travel pack by adding meals, extra luggage or choosing seats.

Philippine Airlines might be on the pricier side but even their most basic airfare already includes a light snack and a 10-kg free luggage allowance so it's well worth your money. As far as travel time is concerned, you can expect to spend no more than one and a half hour on the plane.

Buses from Bohol to Manila

Well, to tell the truth, we do not know too many people – both foreign tourists and locals – who prefer travelling from Bohol to Manila by bus. Though you won’t find much information online about this long haul bus route, there is still one bus company that plies this route – it is Silver Star Bus Line.

Currently there is only one trip a day and thus tickets may sell out quickly – do plan accordingly and book in advance. The best way to do it is to buy your Bohol–Manila ticket at their terminal in Manila as it can be quite tricky to do in Tagbilaran – you will need to show up at their terminal in person or book in an old-fashioned way via phone with a ‘booker’ – who is actually the person in charge of booking tickets in Tagbilaran.

Bus takes anywhere between 30 and 48 hours to get to Tagbilaran making countless stops along the way for meals and toilet breaks. That said, it is not as bad as it may sound. The bus itself is a relatively comfortable 30-seater with air-conditioning and TV entertainment system. In theory, luggage included into ticket price is limited to 20 kg, but if you have more bags, you can always pay some pesos extra. One-way ticket costs around PHP2500.

Boat from Bohol to Manila

It is also possible to travel from Bohol to Manila by boat. The sea journey will take between 28 and 30 hours and won’t cost you less than an air ticket.

There are several shipping companies which usually make one voyage a week to Manila from Tagbilaran. Boats depart from Tagbilaran City Wharf with passengers disembarking at the Eva Macapagal Super Terminal at Pier 15 located in Manila South Harbor.

The M/V Dipolog Princess of Sulpicio Lines has a scheduled departure every Monday at 6pm arriving to Manila the following day at 10 pm. Other than Sulpicio Lines, Super Ferry and Negros Navigation also ply this route. Tickets normally cost between PHP2,000 and PHP8,000 depending on the type of the cabin you choose.

If you are prone to seasickness, bring meds or simply avoid travelling during the typhoon season when the waters can be really rough.