You are considering coming to the Philippines to freedive in Panglao, and now you are wondering how to get to Bohol. Well, look no further. Traveling to Panglao, Bohol is very easy. There are many ways to visit us, and we will explain them all.
There are four places you need to think of;
- Panglao Island in the province Bohol
- Manila
- Cebu
- Tagbilaran
And to clear a few things up;
In Manila and Cebu, you will find big international airport hubs.
Tagbilaran is the capital of the province of Bohol and the closest and only ‘big’ city in the province.
Panglao Island is connected to mainland Bohol via bridges in Tagbilaran. Tagbilaran has a ferry port from where you can easily travel to our dive center in Panglao.
To be clear about Panglao, it is part of the province of Bohol, but Bohol Island is a different island. Panglao is situated on the west side of Bohol Island but is connected via two bridges, and traveling between Bohol and Panglao is very easy. It’s only 10 to 15 minutes by scooter from the academy to reach Bohol and Tagbilaran city.
You can now fly to Panglao Island directly.
On November 27, 2018, the first flight landed at Panglao Island’s brand-new airport. President Duterte officially opened Bohol Panglao International Airport on November 28, and the airport was operational immediately. The 28th was also the day that Tagbilaran National Airport closed. From this day onwards, all incoming flights to Tagbilaran were redirected to Panglao Island.
Bohol Panglao International Airport is the country’s first fully ecological airport. It’s expected that by mid-2025, we’ll have daily direct flights from Japan, Korea, China, Singapore, Malaysia, and Manilla. Now, you can only fly directly to Panglao from Korea, Hong Kong, and soon Shenzhen in China.
Just let us know your flight details, and we’ll organize the pick-up via tricycle or taxi. With the Panglao Tours and Taxi Service, a tricycle trip from Bohol Panglao International Airport to the academy is 500php ($10), and it’s 800php ($16) via private car.
Please don’t forget; if the flight or trip is delayed, please inform us as soon as possible. If the driver is delayed, he will ask for an additional 250php ($5) per hour.
How to get to Panglao via Manila.
If you’re not flying directly to Panglao Island via one of the International airport hubs, then traveling from Manila to Panglao is usually the easiest option. Manila is a big airport divided over four terminals, and switching between them used to be quite a pain but is now relatively easy to manage. But more about this in a bit. Manila is a big airport with many daily direct flights worldwide from the UK, Germany, Australia, etc.
You travel by domestic flight to Panglao Island from Manila. The duration of this flight is about one hour and 15 minutes.
Because Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila has four terminals, it used to be quite tricky to travel from 1 terminal to the other. Nowadays, it’s pretty easy to find the transfer desk in every terminal, and they will guide you to a lounge where you can wait for a minivan or bus to take you to the other terminal. Usually, they’ll transfer you within 15 to 20 minutes. The transfers are free of charge.
There are well over ten daily flights from Manila to Panglao. The airlines that fly this route are Air Asia, Cebu Pacific, and Philippines Airlines. The first flight departs at 6 am, and the last leaves at about 9 pm. The costs of the one-way tickets vary from 3000php to 4000php, which is about 60 to 80usd.
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How to travel to Panglao from Cebu.
Cebu is a big island just North of Panglao and Bohol. You can go to Panglao from Cebu on another flight or the ferry.
Flying from Cebu to Panglao.
The most convenient way to travel to Panglao from Cebu is by charter plane. It’s also the most expensive means of transportation, but it can be worth it. You will land in Cebu at Mactan International Airport on domestic or international flights. There are many daily flights from Kuala Lumpur, Korea, China, Singapore, and several other airport hubs in Asia.
Air Juan Aviation is the only airline flying from Cebu to Panglao and from Panglao to Cebu. Currently, the flights from Cebu to Panglao depart at 8:20 a.m., 11:50 a.m., and 2:30 p.m. The prices of the tickets depend on when you book, but usually, you can purchase a ticket for 2600php, which is about 52 USD.
The ticket cost is about five times as high as a ferry’s, but the flight from Cebu to Panglao only takes 15 to 20 minutes, whereas the fast ferry takes 2 hours. Additionally, because the airplanes are small 8—to 10-person charters, they don’t fly high, and you will enjoy a fantastic view of the waters and islands between Cebu and Bohol. Flying with the charter is highly recommended if you land in Mactan early and have the budget.
2024 Update: We have heard that Air Juan is no longer operating. We will try to find out if this is true or not.
Taking the ferry from Cebu to Panglao.
If you land at Mactan International Airport, you must first travel to the Cebu ferry port. Outside the airport, you can quickly grab a taxi. The Grab taxi app is quite popular in Manila and Cebu, so before you come to the Philippines, be sure to download and activate your app – it will result in excellent service, clean and nice cars, and honest prices. Do this; you will regret it if you don’t 😉 Usually, the trip to Pier 1, where the ferry departs, will cost you somewhere between 200 and 300php, which is around 5usd.
During the day, about every hour, different fast ferries depart for Tagbilaran. The two companies are Supercat and Oceanjet. Regular tickets are 800php, and business class tickets are 1,200php, which is about $25. Buying tickets is easy; the registration offices are in front of the ferry terminal.
The last fast ferries depart Cebu around 6 p.m. If you don’t want to stay overnight, you can take the slow cargo and passenger ferry of the Lite Shipping Company for about 400php, which is about $8. Every day of the week, one ferry leaves Cebu at 3 p.m. and one at midnight. The trip via slow ferry will take about four hours from Cebu to Tagbilaran.
Traveling from the Ferry port in Tagbilaran to the Academy in Panglao.
You have arrived in Tagbilaran, Bohol, and must get to the freediving center. This is relatively easy. You call, email, or WhatsApp us before you leave Cebu—there is public Wi-Fi at the ferry terminal—and we’ll arrange for a tricycle to wait for you on arrival. The tricycle will cost you 850php, which is about $16.
You can call, text, or WhatsApp us on the following two numbers;
The Academy
Phone: +63 995 883 1534
Opening hours: 7 days a week
Hours of operation: 7 am till 7 pm.
The Office: Sales & Customer Support
Phone: +63 905 965 9984
Office Hours: Monday to Friday
Hours of operation: 8 am to 5 pm.
Again, there is free internet at the ferry terminal.
If you arrange a taxi van on arrival in Tagbilaran harbor, you pay 1200php (~$25). If you organize your own transportation, ask the driver to bring you to the Freedive Academy in Tangnan. Take the North road on Panglao island, after the Tangnan elementary school, turn right, and then we are directly on the right side – can’t miss it 🙂 The trip shouldn’t cost you over 1000php (~$20). The tricycle driver can call the dive center at +63 995 883 1534.
If you want us to organize the tricycle, you will pay 850php ($16) or 1100php ($22) for a private car. Please note that tricycles and pickups are no longer allowed on the pier. This means you must walk to the main gate for about 3 minutes. And again, please message us when there are delays. Keeping the drivers waiting will cost an additional 250php ($5) per hour. Just call or WhatsApp the support numbers above.
Tricycle and Taxi Prices in Panglao.
Let us book your tricycle or taxi. You pay directly to the driver and never pay more than is needed. Below is an overview of the cost for the drivers we work with.
Please note: This page is best viewed on a tablet or desktop because of the table.
Route (vice versa)
- Airport - Alona
- Academy - Alona
- Academy - Bee Farm
- Academy - Tagbilaran
- Academy - Doljo (Modala)
- Tagbilaran - Alona
- Airport - Academy
- Seaport - Academy
Tricycle
- 500
- 500
- 600
- 850
- 500
- 850
- 500
- 850
Car
- 800
- 800
- 900
- 1,100
- 800
- 1,100
- 800
- 1,100
And that’s about it; if you have any additional questions about traveling to Panglao, please contact us.
See you soon in Panglao!