Getting around · Cebu · Philippines
Getting around Cebu
Public transport, passes, airport connections and when a car makes sense.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Patrickroque01, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Quick answer
Cebu City and Mactan are linked by bridges and the Cebu–Cordova Link Expressway, and traffic is heavy at peak hours. Beyond the city, buses run from the North and South Bus Terminals to the island's towns, and ferries and bangka boats connect the outer islands. Not in the city, where ride-hailing and taxis are easier.
Key facts
- Main way around
- Ride-hailing
- Airports
- CEB
- Need a car?
- Sometimes
Ways to get around
Ride-hailing
Grab operates cars across Cebu City and Mactan, with fixed fares shown in the app; it is the easiest way to get around the metro area.
Taxi
White metered taxis are plentiful in Cebu City and Mactan; yellow airport taxis charge higher rates.
Ask for the meter and carry small notes.
Bus
Air-conditioned and ordinary Ceres buses leave the South Bus Terminal for Moalboal, Badian and Oslob and the North Bus Terminal for Maya (Malapascua) and Hagnaya (Bantayan). In the city, jeepneys run numbered routes and MyBus links the airport with major malls.
Go early; journeys south take about 3 hours and buses fill up at weekends.
Ferry
Fast ferries run from Cebu City's piers to Tagbilaran in Bohol in about two hours, and regular ferries connect Hagnaya with Bantayan and Danao with the Camotes Islands.
Boat
Outrigger bangka boats handle island hopping from Mactan and the short crossings from Maya to Malapascua and from Oslob to Sumilon.
Car
A car with driver for the day is the most comfortable way to combine Kawasan, Moalboal, Osmeña Peak or Oslob, which are spread far apart.
From the airport
Mactan–Cebu International Airport (CEB) is on Mactan Island, about 15 km from Cebu City. Grab cars and taxis take about 30 minutes to an hour depending on traffic, and MyBus services run to major malls in the city. Resorts on Mactan are 10–20 minutes away.
Do you need a car?
Not in the city, where ride-hailing and taxis are easier. For the south and north of the island, hire a car with driver or use Ceres buses; self-driving is possible but roads are busy and slow.
Reaching the day trips
| Destination | Travel time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Bohol | About 2 hours by fast ferry, then 1 hour by road | Fast ferry from Cebu City to Tagbilaran, then a hired car or tour |
| Camotes Islands | About 1 hour by road plus 1.5–2 hours by ferry | Bus or car to Danao port, then ferry |
| Carcar and Simala Shrine | About 1.5–2 hours by road | Bus from the South Bus Terminal or car with driver |
| Sumilon Island | About 3–3.5 hours by road plus a short boat ride | Car or bus to Oslob, then boat |
Questions travellers ask
+Do you need a car in Cebu?
Not in the city, where ride-hailing and taxis are easier. For the south and north of the island, hire a car with driver or use Ceres buses; self-driving is possible but roads are busy and slow.
+How do you get from the airport to Cebu?
Mactan–Cebu International Airport (CEB) is on Mactan Island, about 15 km from Cebu City. Grab cars and taxis take about 30 minutes to an hour depending on traffic, and MyBus services run to major malls in the city. Resorts on Mactan are 10–20 minutes away.
+What is the best way to get around Cebu?
Ride-hailing: Grab operates cars across Cebu City and Mactan, with fixed fares shown in the app; it is the easiest way to get around the metro area.