Old centre
HistoryMagellan's Cross and the Basilica; quiet at night.
Cebu city guide
Things To Do In Cebu
The Philippines' oldest city and second flight hub, where Magellan landed, with the best lechon in the country, the huge Sinulog festival, and whale sharks, waterfalls and dive islands around it.
39
Hostels in the city
7.7
Average, from 4,322 reviews
1521
Magellan arrives
January
Sinulog
2 h
Ferry to Bohol
The Queen City of the South
Cebu is where the Spanish story of the Philippines began: Magellan arrived in 1521 and planted a cross that still stands, and the Basilica del Santo Niño holds the country's oldest religious image.
Today it is a busy city and the second flight hub, and the base for some of the best diving, beaches and waterfalls in the country.
One or two days in the city is right, before heading out to the islands.
Where to stay
The old centre, around Magellan's Cross and the Basilica, has the history but little else at night. IT Park and the area around Ayala Center have the restaurants, bars and newer hostels. Many travellers skip the city and head straight for Moalboal, Malapascua or Bohol.
IT Park
NightlifeRestaurants, bars and newer hostels.
Orange labels are neighbourhoods, dots are the 12 top-rated hostels. Map data from OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Cebu
Cebu is where Spain first arrived in the Philippines: Magellan landed in 1521 and planted a cross, now housed in a small chapel beside the Basilica del Santo Niño, the country's oldest church, which holds a statue of the infant Jesus given by Magellan. Fort San Pedro, nearby, is the oldest triangular bastion fort in the country.
Cebu claims the best lechon, whole roast pig with crackling skin, in the Philippines; try it at a lechon house.
For views, the Temple of Leah, a Roman-style temple in the hills built by a man for his late wife, and Tops Lookout look over the city at sunset.
Cebu is the gateway to the Visayas. Head south-west to Moalboal for the sardine run and Kawasan Falls, north to Malapascua for thresher shark dives at dawn, to Bantayan for white beaches, or by ferry to Bohol. At Oslob, whale-shark tours rely on feeding the sharks, which conservationists criticise.
Free things
Free things to do in Cebu
Magellan's Cross and the Basilica del Santo Niño are free, and so is the old centre around Colon Street, the oldest street in the country.
Carbon Market, the city's biggest, is free to wander. Fort San Pedro charges a small fee.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in Cebu
Cebu's lechon is the city's pride, often eaten without sauce because the meat is seasoned inside with lemongrass and spices. Puso, rice cooked in woven coconut leaf pouches, is eaten with grilled meats at street stalls known as larsiahan.
Try sutukil, seafood chosen and cooked three ways, and dried mangoes, a Cebu speciality to take home.
A meal is €2 to €6.
Nightlife
Going out in Cebu
IT Park and the area around Mango Avenue have bars and clubs, and Cebu's nightlife is lively at weekends.
Sinulog, on the third Sunday of January, is one of the biggest festivals in the country, with street dancing and parties across the city.
A San Miguel is €1 to €2.50.
Getting around
Getting around Cebu
Mactan-Cebu International Airport is on Mactan Island, thirty to sixty minutes from the city by Grab or taxi depending on traffic; it has international flights.
In the city, use Grab; jeepneys are cheap but confusing.
Ferries reach Bohol in about two hours from the city pier. Buses from the South Bus Terminal reach Moalboal in about three hours and Oslob in about three and a half; buses from the North Bus Terminal go to Maya for Malapascua and Hagnaya for Bantayan.
Costs
What Cebu costs
Cebu is cheap. Dorms start around €7 and a careful day is €18 to €30.
A bus to Moalboal is a few euros, a ferry to Bohol around €10 to €15, and lechon around €3 to €6 a plate.
The currency is the Philippine peso (PHP); prices here are euro equivalents, at roughly 65 pesos to the euro.
Safety
Staying safe in Cebu
Cebu is safe with ordinary city care: watch for pickpockets around Carbon Market and on jeepneys, and use Grab at night.
Typhoons hit roughly from June to November and can cancel flights and ferries for days; build slack into island plans.
Emergency number is 911.
Day trips from Cebu
Sardines, thresher sharks, white beaches and the Chocolate Hills.
Moalboal
The sardine run and Kawasan Falls.
Bohol
The Chocolate Hills and tarsiers.
What's on
What is on while you are there
Sinulog, in January, is one of the biggest festivals in Asia.
Third Sunday of January
Sinulog
Cebu City
A huge street festival.
March or April
Holy Week
Cebu
Processions.
Hostels
Where to stay in Cebu
The top-rated places to stay in Cebu right now, live from Hostelworld.
Cebu Guest Inn
Dorms from €6 a night
See dates and book
MoonStar Cebu
Dorms from €13 a night
See dates and book
Kasa Boutique Hotel
Dorms from €16 a night
See dates and book
Hostel Honeycomb Cebu
Dorms from €9 a night
See dates and book
Sustainable
Papabo Backpackers Mactan
Dorms from €9 a night
See dates and book
Nacho Hostel Cebu
Dorms from €3 a night
See dates and book
Jiji's Hostel
Dorms from €7 a night
See dates and book
Shejoje Poshtel Hostel
Dorms from €7 a night
See dates and book
The Stopover Hostel Mactan- For Regular Stays
Dorms from €5 a night
See dates and book
HappyNest Hostel
Dorms from €6 a night
See dates and book
Murals Mactan
Dorms from €11 a night
See dates and book
OTravel Hostel 5 Minutes from Mactan Airport
Dorms from €10 a night
See dates and book
When to go
December to May is dry. January brings Sinulog.
Jan
Sinulog
Feb
Dry
Mar
Dry
Apr
Hot, Holy Week
May
Hot
Jun
Rains begin
Jul
Typhoon season
Aug
Typhoon season
Sep
Typhoon season
Oct
Wet
Nov
Drying
Dec
Christmas
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs.
What your trip will cost
Pick how you travel. Per person per night, in euros.
Prices are in pesos locally; these are euro equivalents.
—
- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Cebu travel questions
The ones we get asked most.
Is Cebu City worth visiting?
For a day, for the history and lechon. Most people use it as a hub for Moalboal, Malapascua, Bantayan and Bohol.
What is Sinulog?
A huge festival on the third Sunday of January honouring the Santo Niño, with street dancing and parties across the city.
How do I get to Bohol?
By ferry from Cebu City pier, about two hours.
Should I see the whale sharks at Oslob?
The sharks are fed to keep them there, which conservationists criticise. Ethical alternatives exist elsewhere in the country.
How many days do you need?
One in the city; the islands deserve the rest of your time.
When is the best time to visit?
December to May.
What should I eat?
Lechon, and puso with grilled meat at the larsiahan stalls.
Say yes to hostels, meet the world
Compare Cebu hostels — live prices, real reviews and free cancellation on most bookings. Then meet the people already there in the app.
Get the App.