Colon Street
Cebu City's famous Colon Street: the busy downtown strip called "the oldest street in the Philippines", the truth behind that claim, the obelisk, cheap shopping, street food and nearby heritage sights.
Cebu, Philippines
Your friendly pocket guide to Cebu.
Turquoise beaches, cool mountain trails, old stone churches and the best lechon you will ever taste. Find where to go, what to do and how to get there.
Explore Cebu
Pick a mood. We'll show you where.
Dauin
A quiet coastal town south of Dumaguete, loved by divers for its muck diving and critters, a friendly marine sanctuary, and the easiest base for boat trips to Apo Island.
Bilar Man-made Forest
A cool, shady two-kilometre tunnel of mahogany trees on Bohol's interior road. An easy photo stop between Loboc and the Chocolate Hills, and a pleasant place to stretch your legs.
Dauin
A quiet coastal town south of Dumaguete, loved by divers for its muck diving and critters, a friendly marine sanctuary, and the easiest base for boat trips to Apo Island.
Balicasag Island
A tiny marine sanctuary island off Panglao, Bohol, with steep coral walls, clear water and green sea turtles. Snorkel or dive on a half-day boat trip from Alona Beach.
Nalusuan Island
A tiny resort island and marine sanctuary off Cordova, about 20-40 minutes by boat from Mactan. Calm, shallow snorkelling and a wooden jetty, with fees and rules explained.
Bilar Man-made Forest
A cool, shady two-kilometre tunnel of mahogany trees on Bohol's interior road. An easy photo stop between Loboc and the Chocolate Hills, and a pleasant place to stretch your legs.
Hinagdanan Cave
A naturally lit limestone cave in Dauis, Bohol, with stalactites and a cool, green underground lagoon. An easy, cheap stop on the way to Panglao's beaches.
Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary, Corella
Meet a tiny big-eyed tarsier in a quiet Bohol forest: a short guided walk at a conservation sanctuary in Corella, with strict no-flash and no-touching rules.
Colon Street
Cebu City's famous Colon Street: the busy downtown strip called "the oldest street in the Philippines", the truth behind that claim, the obelisk, cheap shopping, street food and nearby heritage sights.
Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House
One of the oldest surviving houses in the Philippines, built around 1675 in Cebu's old Parian district. Coral-stone walls, a timber upper floor, antique furniture and santos, for a small entrance fee.
Museo Sugbo
Cebu's provincial museum, set in the coral-stone Carcel de Cebu jail of the 1870s. See the galleries on Cebu's past, reopened in August 2025, in a quiet corner near Fort San Pedro.
Loboc River Cruise
Bohol's famous floating buffet lunch: drift along the green Loboc River with live music, then see Busay Falls and Loboc's old stone church, an easy day trip from Cebu.
Carbon Market and Larsian
Cebu City's oldest and biggest market by day, smoky barbecue skewers and puso at Larsian by night. A cheap, tasty and very local food trip in the heart of the city.
Sutukil in Lapu-Lapu
Pick your fish, have it grilled, simmered in soup or served as kilaw. How sutukil works at the seafood restaurants beside the Mactan Shrine, and how to order well.
Cebu at a glance
One long island, a hundred kinds of trips.
Cebu stretches nearly 200 km from tip to tip. Start in the city, then head south for sardines and waterfalls, or north for white-sand islands.
Beyond Cebu
Fly out to the Philippines' icons.
Cebu is a great base. Boracay, Siargao, Palawan and more are a short flight or ferry away. Here is how to get there and what to expect.
Camiguin Island
The "Island Born of Fire" off northern Mindanao: a white sandbar, a sunken cemetery, waterfalls, hot and cold springs and sweet lanzones. A slow scooter loop with a short flight from Cebu.
Hinagdanan Cave
A naturally lit limestone cave in Dauis, Bohol, with stalactites and a cool, green underground lagoon. An easy, cheap stop on the way to Panglao's beaches.
Bangui Windmills
A row of giant wind turbines along a grey-sand shore at the northern tip of Luzon, plus the classic Ilocos Norte loop: rock formations, a hilltop lighthouse, a UNESCO church and sand dunes.
Ready-made trips
No planning stress. Just follow the booklet.
Cebu City heritage walk
Magellan's Cross, Basilica del Santo Niño, Fort San Pedro, then sunset dinner at Tops Lookout.
See the itinerarySouth Cebu adventure loop
Canyoneering to Kawasan Falls, the Moalboal sardine run and sunrise on Osmeña Peak.
See the itineraryNorthern island escape
Slow days on Bantayan's white sand, then dawn dives with thresher sharks off Malapascua.
See the itineraryTravel tips
Good to know before you go
Car rental with a driver in Cebu
How hiring a car or van with a driver works in Cebu: typical costs, what is and is not included, good day-trip routes, questions to ask before booking and how to stay safe.
Cebu to Dumaguete overland: bus and ferry
The budget route from Cebu City to Dumaguete: bus south to Santander, ferry to Sibulan, then a short ride into Dumaguete. Steps, timing and honest tips.
Best photography spots in Cebu
Where to shoot in Cebu: heritage churches, city views, waterfalls, sunrise peaks, reefs and beaches, with light, timing, drone and respect tips.
Printable pocket booklets
Take your trip offline. Print it, pack it, go.
Every guide has a pocket booklet with the map, how to get there, day plans, what things cost and packing and safety checklists. It prints on A4 or A5 and works offline, even on the boat.
One place
A booklet for each guide
$2.99 each
Green for Cebu, yellow for the rest of the Philippines. Find it on every guide, under the quick facts.
Find your guideBest value
All of Cebu: 63 booklets
$9.99 instead of $188
Every Cebu booklet: Moalboal, Oslob, Malapascua, Bantayan, the Camotes Islands, Cebu City and more.
Get the bundle (opens in a new tab)Island hopping
Beyond Cebu: 46 booklets
$7.99 instead of $137
Bohol, Siquijor, Dumaguete, Palawan, Boracay, Siargao and the north of Luzon.
Get the bundle (opens in a new tab)Secure checkout with Payhip. Your download link arrives by email right away.
Want the full trip?
In every paid booklet
- Map and directions
- Best things to do
- Ready-made day plans
- Budget planner
- Packing and safety lists
Tourist Booklet
The Cebu Pocket Guide
Hover or tap to peek inside
Free printable guide
Get the free Cebu booklet in your inbox.
An island map, how to get around and the best spots in every region, in one printable guide.
- Island map
- Buses and ferries
- Top spots by region