Over 13 Amazing Things to Do in Bohol Philippines

The Island of Bohol is full of some of the biggest highlights in the Philippines. From incredible primates and sharks to UNESCO sites and more, the island has a surprising array of must-see sites.

Here, we’ve compiled a list of the best things to do in Bohol. Sure, there may be more, but we recommend focusing on the following for most people with limited time.

Where to Stay

The only way to really explore Bohol to see all these sites is to be there overnight. While day trips are possible we recommend staying somewhere on the Island. Below are a options we recommend in a few different areas.

Coco Cabana: Panglao: Located inland from the beach. The hotel features lovely, clean rooms, a pool, and restaurant/bar. Serene atmosphere. A bit annoying that it’s not as well known by trikes/taxis.
Sweet Home Boutique: Tagbilaran: Lovely hotel located in the capital, Tagbilaran. Clean rooms, nice location, and staff. I like that it’s more central for exploring both Panglao and Bohol.
Matilde B&B: Carmen: Centrally Located in Bohol and close to the Chocolate Hills. Beautiful B&B with clean rooms and friendly staff. Excellent breakfast as well. Location can be a pain for getting to some tourist areas, though, especially on Panglao.

Chocolate Hills

The UNESCO-listed Chocolate Hills are a geological formation located in central Bohol. Comprising at least 1,260 hills, they are uniform in shape and primarily covered in green grass that turns brown during the dry season, giving them their chocolate-like appearance.

The listed origin is from uplifted coral reefs; however, there is still some scientific debate about their formation. Local folklore attributes their creation to a mythical giant who wept over the death of his beloved, forming the hills from his tears.

The best time to visit the site is during the dry season (Nov. – May), when the hills are browner. We were here during the dry season, and it was greener that year than expected.

The main visit location is from the Chocolate Hills Complex in Carmen. You can visit a viewing deck, restaurant, and gift shop. There are also other options for hiking and taking 4-wheelers between the hills.

View Over Alona Beach - Panglao Philippines

Beaches in Panglao

Beaches are one of the top activities in Bohol and nearby Panglao. I stayed in Panglao and explored the various beaches during the day and evening.

Alona Beach

This is where the action is among beaches on the island. The beach is full of activity, with restaurants, bars, and more dotting the beach and streets along the area. There are a lot of seafood restaurants here and some on the sand where you can people and sunset watch. It’s a lot of activity, so you’ll need to want to be around crowds if you go.

Doljo Beach

It is far quieter than beaches such as Alona. It felt like things were closed because it was so quiet in the evening when we came for dinner, too. If you want a bit more chill, it’s got a lovely beach and some good restaurants in the area. For food, we enjoyed dinner at La Vera, which had a cute vibe.

Momo Beach

Small and more rustic beach. Has a few small lodges on the beach, too. It feels quiet, small, and good if you want a reasonably priced set of places to stay on the beach (some have dive options). It’s also where the Oslob ferry leaves/arrives from.

White Beach

Like many others with the same name, White Beach is a beautiful stretch of white sand. It is a very long beach, and several other named beaches, such as Bohol Beach, are along its stretch. There are some cute little resorts along the various stretches. However, most food options outside the resorts are a bit further off the beach.

Blood Compact Shrine

Located in the capital, Tagbilaran, the shrine commemorates the blood compact, which was the first treaty between the Spanish and local indigenous people. The shrine depicts the ceremony between these two parties.

The site is free and open to the public daily. Most tours include a stop here, and most taxis/tricycles know the location and will stop if asked. There’s not much to do along the shrine besides viewing the impressive scene. Additionally, there are a few informational panels that discuss the history of the compact.

Tarsier Sanctuary

Established in 1997, The Bohol Tarsier Sanctuary is a conservation area dedicated to protecting and preserving the Philippine tarsier, the world’s second-smallest primate. The area is considered a natural habitat for the tarsiers. They are free to roam wherever they prefer within the sanctuary.

Each day, the sanctuary employees wander through the area to find and show visitors where the tarsiers have set up for that day. The cute primates tend to sleep much of the day, so they don’t move much once they’ve set up for the day.

The sanctuary is a dedicated and protected landscape for the tarsier and an important research center. It’s also a great place for visitors to see these beautiful primates up close in their habitat.

Entrance fees range from around $1 to $2 per person, with additional costs for guided tours if desired. There is also an opportunity to get your photo next to a tarsier taken by employees with an expected tip provided. There’s also a gift shop near the exit with lovely gifts to bring home.

Loboc River Lunch Cruise

I found no better way to spend lunch than along the Loboc River in Bohol. The River snakes its way through the middle of the island, and there are tons of opportunity for enjoyment and adventure along it.

The Loboc River Cruise is a fun way to explore the river and have lunch. The lunch cruise consists of an all-you-can-eat buffet and some entertainment. They had a singer on our cruise who was quite good!

Beyond that, we made a couple of “stops” on the cruise. They included cultural demonstrations, including a dance performance. This was particularly exciting for me as I participated in a similar one in college.

The price is 850PHP per person and includes food, entertainment, and some beverages. Additional beverages are available for purchase. The cruise is about an hour-ish in length.

Bilar Man-made Forest

It’s one of the only places in the country where you can see such Mahogany trees. The Bilar Man-made forest is part of a reforestation project about 50 years ago when these trees were planted. The 2 km of forest hugs the road between the towns of Loboc and Bilar. The beautiful reforestation project has become a very popular tourist attraction, too.

If you go on a tour, you’ll likely stop here on your way to or from the Chocolate Hills. The trouble, though, is that there are few spots to get off-road here and not be in traffic. Just be on the lookout while taking photos for cars and buses coming through. There’s not much to see, but it’s a perfect quick stop since you’ll likely pass this way anyway. And a testament to ecological projects.

Butterfly Conservatory

Located in Bilar, The Bohol Butterfly Conservatory is a fun stop for nature lovers and families. The sanctuary for various species is a great sanctuary and educational space to explore. The site offers guided tours, a collection of flowering plants, a souvenir shop, and opportunities for butterfly photography. It’s perfectly located along the route of many of these other top spots and reasonably priced.

Open daily from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Adults 50 PHP and Children 30 PHP

Firefly Watching

Firefly-watching is a popular and magical activity on Bohol. Unfortunately, fireflies are becoming more endangered, so the opportunities to witness them are becoming rarer. The most popular spots for this activity are along the Abatan River in Maribojoc and the Loboc River in Loboc.

The best way to experience this is part of a tour. Tours usually start after sunset (6 PM ish) and last roughly an hour. Some tours are along the river in a boat and some are more land-based.

The best time to see the fireflies is during the dry season from November to May. Prices for tours usually range from 500 – 800PHP per person. Be sure to inquire what’s included in your tour (and if hotel pick up / drop off is included).

Swimming with Whale Sharks

While they are called sharks, whale sharks are gentle giants of the ocean. These majestic creatures can span over 60 feet in length, and swimming with them was the highlight of my time in the Philippines.

You can swim with whale sharks in several areas of the country. The southern side of Bohol (in particular, Lila) is a popular spot to view and swim with the sharks. There are options to both dive or snorkel. I found snorkeling worked well enough (I got a cold and didn’t want to risk diving) and saw plenty.

Hinagdanan Cave

Hinagdanan (translated to “laddered” or “descending”) is a stunning limestone cave with some incredible and unique cave formations. What makes the cave even more impressive is the natural pool that you descend towards within the cave.

Visitors can wander through the cave formations, which are lighted along the pathways. They can also take a dip in the natural pool, which is even more impressive with its lighting from a small hole in the ceiling.

Open daily, visits to the cave are 25PHP for entrance or an additional 100PHP to swim.

Getting to Bohol

Several options, including air and ferry, are available to get to Bohol. We give a brief description of each here.

By Air

The main airport for Bohol is located on the island of Panglao. The Bohol-Panglao International Airport (TAG). The airport offers several connections within the Philippines as well as a handful of connections to Korea.

For those flying within the Philippines, we also recommend checking flights to Cebu City. You’ll need to take a ferry to Bohol but prices and schedules may be better for your trip.

By Boat

Ferries are a popular way to get to Bohol. Most ferries connect Bohol with Cebu.

Cebu City: Ferry Tickets

These depart from the Cebu Pier and stop at several different locations in Bohol, some of which can be pretty far apart (such as Getafe and Tagbilaran City).

For most visitors, Tagbilaran City is the preferred port. It’s the largest city and has the most services and hotels. Just be sure to check the destination before you book. We recommend booking your tickets ahead of time.

Oslob: Ferry Tickets

Another option for many folks is to travel south of Cebu to Oslob. Oslob is a popular beach location well known for its Whale Sharks. The ferry costs roughly 1000 PHP and goes from Oslob to Panglao.

Note: You’ll get wet as you’ll need to wade out to the ferry at Oslob and to the shore in Panglao.

Mindanao: Ferry Tickets

There are additionally ferries from northern Mindanao to eastern Bohol. Overnight ferries depart from Cagayan De Oro Pier to Jagna Bohol. It’s not as popular of a route for heading to Bohol for foreign tourists as others listed above. Which may be better or worse depending on your travel style. We recommend booking ahead of time when possible.