I absolutely LOVED Bohol!
Out of all the incredible islands we were able to experience in the Philippines, Bohol was easily one of my top 3!
The main town of Panglao is becoming increasingly touristy (they have just opened a Mcdonalds there!), but the rest of the island is a tropical paradise.
You will find an almost endless array of exciting things to see and do in Bohol.
Right through from waterfall jumping to island hopping.
It has some of the best beaches and sunsets anywhere in The Philippines and should be on everyone’s Philippines bucket list.
Just be prepared for some incredibly jam packed days of exploring!
30 things is a lot to squeeze in, but it is possible in just 3 days.
However, if you have a little longer to spend here then I would recommend doing so.
Either way, here’s 30 awesome things to consider adding into your own Bohol itinerary.
As Bohol is becoming an increasingly popular tourist spot, both for locals and for foreigners, you have a couple of options.
This is the option we used and is probably your cheapest choice.
Bohol is located not far from Cebu, so getting ferries over is very cheap and convenient.
For example, the journey over from Cebu cost us 600 PHP each, and it drops you in Tagbilaran.
From there, you just need to grab a tricycle from the port to wherever you are staying.
It cost us 350PHP to get from there to our hotel in Panglao.
Ferries to Bohol run from ...
It is possible to book ferries to Bohol in person, however, there are only a limited number of ferries each day and it is possible that they will book up in advance.
For all of our ferry journeys in the Philippines we booked online through 12GoAsia.
When you drive into Panglao, it’s hard to miss the brand spanking new airport they have built there.
The road outside the airport is the nicest stretch of road anywhere in Bohol (and possibly the whole of The Philippines).
Be aware that you can’t fly to Bohol from all islands in The Philippines, but there are a number of routes. Such as from
For example, we were coming from Siargao to Bohol and had to first fly to Cebu and then catch a ferry over.
However I imagine they will be expanding on their routes in coming years, so always check to see if it’s possible to fly there.
To find the best deals and availability on flights to Bohol I recommend using Skyscanner.
For transfers anywhere in The Philippines, you can find the best availability and prices with 12GoAsia.
In my opinion, there is only one way to get around Bohol, and that’s by renting your own moped!
Wherever we go in Asia, we always try to have a moped for the day, as it is so much fun in itself.
That’s why I included riding a moped as one of the best things to do in Bohol!
It gives you unlimited flexibility in where you go and how long you spend in each place.
It is also far cheaper than any other form of transport.
If you are a bit unsure of renting a moped and have never done it before, then there’s really no place like the present.
However, all of the itineraries above are pretty full on, so maybe extend your stay in Bohol by another day and spend your first day on a moped taking it easier, or break up the day into smaller chunks.
For more advice, here’s a useful guide I wrote on riding mopeds in Asia.
You can pick up mopeds in Bohol very easily, and most hotels hostels and homestays will offer them. The going rate in the Philippines is anywhere from 350PHP to 600PHP for a full 24 hour period.
Ours in bohol cost 500PHP and was the best moped I think I’ve ever ridden, which was handy seeing as there was a LOT of driving to be done.
So make sure you get a decent one as well, which may mean paying a hundred or so Pesos more. But trust me, it will be worth it ... your arse will thank you for it!
Also Check Out: Getting Around The Philippines: All Your Questions Answered!
We actually spent 3 nights at the same place in Panglao.
It was called Palm Rise Resort and it was very nice!
A little more than we would normally spend, but by paying a little more we had a big clean pool and a modern room with air conditioning, which was nice.
I would recommend staying there, but only for one or two of your nights.
As you can see from the Bohol itineraries below, it makes more sense to spend a night or two on the eastern end of Bohol, giving you more time to see all the sites and cut back on driving time each day.
You could always stay for one night in Panglao, leave your bags there and just take your day bags for an overnight stay somewhere nearer to Anda beach; such as:
For a full range accommodation in Bohol, I recommend using Booking.com. We used them all over the Philippines as they offer the best range, availability and prices.
For Panglao, here’s a few great value places to stay …
In the southern side of Bohol, you have a small municipality called Dimiao. Here you will discover a number of incredible waterfalls.
The first of which is Ingkumhan Falls.
Here, you will find a small sheltered pool to swim in, as well as a really fun rope swing and a job of roughly 6 or 7 metres.
When we visited, the water was actually very low, and there was very little flow even leaving the fall.
But even still, the water is plenty deep to jump and swim in.
It’s worth mentioning how you get to see all of these waterfalls. Well, from what we have read online, many people go to the markets in Dimiao and find a guide there.
Alternatively, you can just do what we did which is …
After visiting Ingkumhan Falls, the next stop is Dam-Agan Falls.
After parking up your moped, you will need to walk for roughly 15 minutes through gorgeous rice paddies to find these.
There is a path the whole way there, however, you will need a guide or a local to show you.
When we visited this set of falls was quite busy with local families clearly out for the day.
There are a number of large wooden huts with tables and chairs, so it’s naturally a good spot for food and some drinks.
Just make sure you take everything with you as you won’t find a shop or food for sale here.
After Dam-Agan Falls, you walk for another 5-10 minutes until you come to the aptly named “Secret Falls”.
I’ve seen no mention of these anywhere online and indeed there only seemed to be locals there when we visited.
However, they ended up being my favorite waterfalls in Bohol!
They are nicely secluded with a big deep pool and, what makes them so cool, is you jump out and over the falls into the water.
I had a lot of fun diving in with the other local guys there.
Perhaps the most famous of the waterfalls here are Dimiao Twin Falls. They are secluded and truly beautiful and are tucked away in the deep forest of Brgy. Therefore getting there by yourself is easiest via moped.
They’re free to enter (for now), so visit while they’re still quiet and beautiful.
We only discovered Can-Uba Beach by accident on our drive along the southern coastal road of Bohol.
It’s just under halfway between the waterfall zone of Dimiao and White Beach.
Here, you’ll find a pebbled beach with tonnes of locals there.
You can rent rubber rings over the road and chill out in the water for as long as you like.
There’s also a number of spots on the side of the cliff where you can jump or dive in.
White Beach is located about an hour or so further up the coast and was one of my favourite beaches in Bohol.
As you’ve probably guessed, the sand is completely white and the sea is just as beautiful as anywhere else in the Philippines.
There are a few resorts located right on the beach, so if you have the budget, then they would all be great spots to spend the night.
Alternatively, I recommend heading here for sunset.
If you are interested, some of the resorts located on White Beach include:
Just 10 minutes up the road from White Beach you have Cabagnow Cave Pool.
Though it’s slightly further along than White Beach, it would be better to visit here first if you plan on spending the sunset at White Beach.
When you arrive, you can park your moped in a small car park where a parking attendant will charge you just 20PHP.
It’s then a 10 minute walk to the Cabagnow Cave Pool.
Annoyingly, Cabagnow Cave Pool was closed when we visited and you weren't allowed to swim in it.
Hopefully they are fixing this, as the only reason you can;t swim is that there is no way to get in and out of it.
Either way, what they do is redirect you to Tibaw Cave Pool which is located just off the track on the way to Cabagnow.
I was pretty annoyed as they switched the signs around when we visited, displaying Tibaw Cave Pool as Cabagnow; when really Tibaw is crap compared to Cabagnow.
They also charge you to go in which was a complete waste as Tibawa is nothing special, though you can jump in it and swim in it if you wish.
I imagine swimming in cabagnow Cave Pool would be a really cool experience, and you’ll see what I mean when you visit.
If you’re following the Boho itinerary that I recommend below, then you will have just spent the night in Anda somewhere, meaning this is the first stop of your day.
These are some of the more famous rice terraces in Bohol, and it’s easy to see why.
They are free to see, you can just park up nearby and walk over to them.
They really are spectacular and I imagine seeing them at sunrise might be a pretty cool experience.
We didn’t unfortunately!
On your way back across Bohol, you can stop off at Cambuyo Rice Terraces.
Once again, these aren’t a strict tourist site as they are being farmed and worked by locals every day.
As such, they are really nice to see as you won;t have lots of other people all around snapping pictures.
To get to them, you simply stop off on the main road toward the Chocolate Hills Complex in the small town called Carmen.
From here it’s hard to miss the rice terraces, just ask around in town and they will show you a good spot to see them from if you are unsure.
Just up the road you have the main complex for taking pictures of the Chocolate Hills.
To get to this point you will have already been driving through the Chocolate Hills for a while, and don’t need to go to this complex to see them.
In fact, we saw signs for a few random lookout points on our journey here all offering “the best views of the Chocolate Hills”.
All I know is this one must be popular for a reason, and the views are really great!
Plus it’s very cheap to enter and you can drive most of the way up to the top of the viewing platform.
Form the car park up there, you will need to walk up a hundred-or-so steps to the viewing platform.
Here, you will also find a restaurant and toilets.
However, the food and drink there is a massive rip off compared to the prices of stalls at the entrance to the complex so you may as well purchase something before coming up.
It seems like Filipinos love their quad bikes as I’ve already mentioned quad biking as one of the best things to do in Coron as well!
Anyway, for some reason, there are a bunch of companies all offering quad bike tours around the complex.
You can speak to a company when you arrive and book your tickets there and then.
Alternatively, you can check out a tour package online.
We didn’t have time to do this ourselves, but I think it must be a pretty cool experience and one of the more random things to do in Bohol.
Now that you’re on the road down to Loboc, you can stop off at one of the more random things to see in Bohol, which is the Bilar Man Made Forest.
For a 2km stretch of road you drive through a road that is engulfed by Mahogany trees.
I’m not sure why there is even a man-made forest in Bohol as the island has plenty of natural forest everywhere anyway.
Anyhow, it’s there and all down this stretch you will see cars pulled over with their occupants taking pictures.
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If you head to the town of Loboc, you will find here lots of boats lined up, all offering cruises down Loboc River.
You can buy tickets just prior to boarding and it’s a wonderfully peaceful experience drifting down the river for an hour or so, travelling eventually back to Loboc.
You can do either a lunchtime or dinner buffet cruise.
It is just such a naturally beautiful setting, with bamboo and other trees lining the edge of the water the whole way up.
As well as this, you see kids swimming in the river and families going about their day-to-day lives.
Known officially as the SipatanTwin Hanging Bridge, this is one of the main reasons people have for visiting Loboc, aside from taking a river cruise.
If you don't pass it on your river cruise, then you can easily drive to it via moped or tricycle.
It’s a little further on up the river and is a great spot to capture some nice photos for good ol’ Insta.
The great thing about Bohol is it is filled with small back roads and villages that very few tourists go to.
This means that escaping the main roads and getting a little “lost” is actually a heck of a lot of fun!
One road we took and especially loved meant going north from Loboc and eventually crossing the Loboc River in a whole new spot.
The entire route took maybe an hour, and on the way we came across dozens of small towns and communities, all filled with friendly adults and children all waving and calling out to us.
Better still, you pass through breathtaking rice paddies and forests that you would otherwise have been unable to see.
Also, the bridge crosses Loboc River at another wonderful spot, perfect for us as we had our drone with us and wanted to capture some cool shots.
Tarsiers are these super cute animals with big googly eyes and they’re actually an endangered species, so this is a good place to check them out.
Sometimes their actually quite hard to spot, but if you look closely, you’ll eventually see them hidden amongst the trees.
We ran out of time to visit these cuties, but I definitely recommend as one of the top things to do in Bohol.
The entrance price is 50 PHP and it opens until 5 pm every day!
Before heading back to Panglao (if that’s where you’re staying), you should definitely try to make time to stop off at Mag-Aso Falls.
This is probably the most famous set of waterfalls in Bohol, as such, they are also the most touristy.
If you visit in the evening time, then you should hopefully find that the main rush of tourists have died down.
The other alternative is to schedule these in for another day and head there first thing!
We did this with a number of waterfall spots across the Philippines, such as when visiting the famous Cambugahay Falls in Siquijor.
On one morning of your stay in Bohol, you should make time to squeeze in the 6m to midday island hopping tour.
This is a standard tour offered by dozens of companies, and you will find seller everywhere in the main strip of town selling tickets onboard their boats.
We paid 900PHP each for our tickets,which included the standard tour, as well as free fins and snorkels.
The first stop on this tour is dolphin watching!
The dolphins seem to head to roughly the same spot every morning, and your boat will stop off for maybe 15 to 20 minutes allowing you to see them from all angles, leaping through the water.
Following this part of the tour, you then speed on over to Balicasag Island.
This relatively large island is fronted by a massive reef that is filled with colourful corals and a diverse array of marine life.
Out of all the snorkeling we did in the Philippines, this had the largest quantity of fish, with big holes of tiny fish regularly swimming past you.
It is also a great spot to snorkel as turtles live here as well, just off past the drop off point of the reef.
But don’t worry, you won’t be left to find the turtles on your own.
When you’re out in the water, you will have your own little boat filled with you and 4 or 5 others.
A local guide will steer the boat and you all hold onto the outside as he searches for the elusive turtles.
It is possible to stay on Balicasag island and to go diving here.
For more information, you can search online or speak to some companies down by the beachfront in Panglao.
On your way back towards Panglao, the final stop of the standard Bohol island hopping tour is Virgin island.
It’s a small island with a large sandbar stretching out into the water.
It’s a nice spot and your boat will moor up just off for the bad and you walk through shallow water to get to it and take some photos.
For us, I found it to be very overcrowded, but imagine it must be truly breathtaking when there’s only a few others there.
Either way, it’s nice to visit and worth a stop if you haven’t yet seen any other sandbars in the Philippines.
We saw a few boats moored up barbecuing food for their guests here!
I’m not sure which operators offer these tours but it seems definitely worthwhile asking around town to find them!
Another reason Panglao is such a popular place to stay in is that this small part of the island is surrounded by some really nice beaches, all within a 15 minute drive of the hotels and resorts.
Umaluan is one such beach.
When you arrive, you’ll find a bunch of wooden cabins where you can sit, eat drink and be merry.
When we visited, they were all filled with local Philippinos eating and singing karaoke, which is always great fun to watch!
The beach is long and it’s nice to either relax there or go for a stroll.
It’s also a good area for swimming as all of the boats are kept moored away from the shore and you’ll see loads of kids all playing in the water.
Read Also: Our 20 Best Backpacking Destinations
One of the best things to do in Bohol is to try your skills at a bit of cliff jumping or diving.’We always tried to track down the best spots on each island we went to in the Philippines.
Well, stupidly for us we marked the location of this spot wrong (thinking it was at the other end of the island at Anda Beach)!
As such, I didn’t get to try out the board, despite driving right past it.
Anyhow, it is really popular amongst tourists, largely because it’s not too high up.
And there’s an actual platform to jump off, as opposed to a dodgy rock face.
Just 5 minutes up the road from this diving spot you come to Hinagdanan Cave.
As a heads up, in my opinion, this is far from being one of the best caves in the Philippines.
Yes it is kind of cool and worth stopping off at, but it’s nothing spectacular if you've already visited tonnes of other caves in Asia.
It is nothing compared to the caves at Phong Nha in Vietnam, and they also get very busy in the middle of the day.
Therefore, I would probably recommend you check them out earlier in the day before they start getting too busy.
Also, if you wish to swim inside the pool there, then you have to visit before 4pm.
Doljo Beach is a long white beach, famed for its great sunsets.
As such, I recommend you head here an hour or so before sunset and just relax and enjoy the view.
There are a few resorts there either built or under construction, however it is rarely still very busy (at least according to Google and Tripadvisor reviews).
When we visited, the only people we saw were a group of local guys having a bbq and drinking beer.
You might want to consider staying here, as the resorts are relatively secluded and very luxurious.
Check out Homaja Beachresort and Ananyana Beach Resort & Spa.
Alona beach is the most touristy and popular beaches in Bohol which means there are lots of places to eat. The strip runs for miles and there is so much choice when it comes to cuisine. I had pad thai which was excellent and there are lots of opportunities for fresh bbq.
You’ll find lots of places offering happy hours on drinks, (not that they are expensive to begin with!) and lots of live music on offer. It’s definitely more lively on the weekends.
Need to relax after almost completing your list of things to do in Bohol? Then get a massage on the beach. The perfect time to do this is after sunset, when the weather is cooler and you won’t be sweating. They are cheap and you can get either a half hour or hour session.
Once you walk down the street people will shout at you for massage, so you won’t miss it.
As I mentioned earlier, there are lots of awesome bars along Alona beach, but there are also lots of places to party and dance the night away..
There are a couple of clubs which offer trance/dance music and there are lots of karaoke bars if you want to try the most popular thing to do in the Philippines!
Either way, there are lots of chances to drink and party in Bohol and with a new addition of a 24 hour McDonalds, drunk food it always on offer.
There is no better way to explore Bohol than moped. The roads are so beautiful and you are constantly finding secluded places, with no one around. You drive through local villages, wave at the children, drive through beautiful forests, it’s amazing.
Before we went we heard that Bohol was super touristy, so almost only spent 2 nights, but thank gosh we stayed longer, because 3 nights wasn’t even enough to complete this list of things to do in Bohol.
It’s not super touristy which you leave the main beach area, there are actually no tourists and it’s truly amazing.
Bohol is filled with amazing cathedrals and churches all around the island. The Philippines is a Christian country, which is why there are so many of them.
Lots of them are stunning, unique and grand. They make for awesome photos opportunities, and if you appreciate beautiful architecture, then you’ll fall in love.
Remember Sunday is a day of church and religious significance in the Christian holiday, so if you don’t want crowds at the church, then don’t visit in the morning, or on a Sunday.
If you’re a digital nomad and need a place to work, then Bo’s coffee is a good spot. But, if you’ve noticed, the Philippines has terrible coffee on every corner, but this is a place where you can get a brilliant cup of coffee, and for a great price too!
Highly recommended. They are actually a chain too, so if you find yourself craving more Bo’s coffee, you can find it on Cebu island too to satisfy those good coffee cravings!
I recommend spending the night somewhere near Anda Beach
The mistake we made was then having to drive alllllll the way back to Panglao after the whole day spent discovering waterfalls and driving the moped for hours.
This was NOT a nice way to end the day. Especially because we then had to drive the whole way back out the next day to see everything else!
Here are a few cool places located near to Anda Beach ...
This itinerary is pretty jam packed and it honestly felt it!
Instead, I would recommend you spend up to 5 days in Bohol if you really want to experience absolutely everything and not feel too rushed.
Bohol is more touristy, so it might seem ever so slightly more expensive than other Philippines islands. But we truly didn’t notice.
Moped rental is cheap, food is around $2-5 per meal, depending on where you eat, accommodation is cheap and entry fees are super cheap. The boat tours for island hopping where also the cheapest we’ve done.
I suggest a budget of around $30-35 a day to live comfortably in Bohol!
Bohol is super safe, we experienced no issues at all. Of course you need to take normal precautions such as, don’t fault your expensive items, and don’t walk around late at night alone, or get drunk alone, etc.
Follow the normal rules and you will be fine.
The best time to visit Bohol is around May to July, where the weather is clear and super hot. You can go a few months before or after that, but you will in a monsoon area so expect some rain.
However, the rain isn’t all day every day, so it should be fine. You’ll also fine flights are cheaper on the shoulder seasons, so personally we usually visit a place in these seasons, rather than the peak.
I think that’s a pretty extensive list of things to do in Bohol, and plenty to keep you buy for anywhere up to 5 days.
As stated throughout, I think the 3 days is a minimum amount of time to spend on Bohol as the island offers up some of the best attractions anywhere in the Philippines.
I really did fall in love with The Philippines and would love to return one day to see how it’s changed and discover even more things to do there.
But what I also love is that there is so much yet undiscovered and not yet published online!
We found a bunch of things there just by driving around and speaking to locals and encourage you to do the same.
That way, you won Bohol itinerary will be entirely unique to you.
So once you’ve been, if you discover any new things to do in Bohol then please do drop a comment below and keep me updated!
After Bohol you’re in a perfect position to explore the beautiful and quaint island of Siquijor, which is still relatively undiscovered but offers some amazing sights and natural beauty.
It’s only an hour and 30 minutes from Bohol and the boat leaves once a day at 10.20.
Or, if you want, you can head to Cebu and start exploring the South which offers an abundance of amazing waterfalls (notably Kawasan Falls), the whales sharks and of course the sardine rush in Moalboal!
For more help plannign your adventure in The Philippines, here are some other guides you might find useful:
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