Mactan-Cebu Airport

What to expect when visiting Cebu

Cebu is a highly urbanized city in the Philippines’ Visayas region. Often, it is the gateway to the province’s world-famous gems — diving in Malapascua, sardine run in Moalboal, canyoneering in Alegria, and snorkelling in Oslob.

If you have a day to spare, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to spend it here. Cebu City played a huge role in the country’s history. You can learn all about it with a visit to Magellan’s Cross and Fort San Pedro. Love trying good food? You will find the best lechon (the Philippines’ iconic roasted pig) in Cebu City!

Mactan-Cebu International Airport is located in Lapu-Lapu City on Mactan Island, next to Cebu Island. It’s the second-busiest airport in the Philippines, serving Cebu and the surrounding areas.

From Cebu Airport to other destinations in Cebu

If you’re heading to famous destinations like Moalboal or Malapascua, you don’t have to travel to the city to get a ride. Direct shared van transfers and taxis are already available from Cebu Airport to various tourist destinations in Cebu.

Fares start from 850 PHP ($14.60) for a van and 3,600 PHP ($62) for a private transfer, respectively.

3 ways to get from Mactan-Cebu Airport

The 3 ways to travel the distance of 15 kilometers (9 miles) from Mactan-Cebu Airport are by: bus (1 hour), minivan (3 to 4 hours) and taxi (1 hour). The journey duration ranges between 1 to 4 hours and the quickest way is by bus. The lowest priced tickets start from 40 PHP ($0.70) – 50 PHP ($0.90) for the bus.

Depending on your destination in the city centre, you can choose from 2 bus companies from Cebu Airport. MyBus parks at SM City Cebu to the north and Sugbo Transit stops at South Bus Terminal to the south.

MyBus

MyBus makes its final stop at SM City Cebu, a popular mall in the city centre. Also located here is the North Bus Terminal, where you can find all buses bound for northern Cebu.

From SM City Cebu, you can walk, take a jeepney, or hop on a short taxi ride to your hotel in the city. Note that jeepney fares start at 10 PHP ($0.20) and taxi flag down rate ranges from 40 PHP ($0.70).

MyBus departs every 20 minutes, whether it is full or not. Operating hours from Cebu Airport to SM City are 07:00 to 22:00. From SM City to the airport, it’s 06:00 to 21:00. A MyBus ticket costs 50 PHP ($0.90).

The bus route from Cebu Airport to SM City is as follows:

MCIA Terminal 1/2 Arrivals Halls – Island Central Mall/Island Souvenirs – Plaridel St. Maayo Medical Center – City Times Square/Big Hotel – Mantawi Int’l Drive (across Chong Hua Hospital) – Mantawi Int’l Drive (MO2 Restobar) – SM City Cebu

The bus makes the same stops on the way back to the airport.

Sugbo Transit Bus

If you’re only passing through Cebu City to get to the island’s southern destinations like Moalboal and Oslob, then take Sugbo Transit Bus. This makes its final stop at South Bus Terminal, from where you can transfer to another bus going south.

Sugbo Transit Bus operates from 05:00 to 18:00, with a 1-hour interval. A ticket costs 40 PHP ($0.70) – 50 PHP ($0.90).

Below is the Sugbo bus route from Cebu Airport to South Bus Terminal:

MCIA Arrivals Hall – Island Central Mall – Pacific Mall Mandaue – North Bus Terminal – Robinson’s Galleria – Robinson’s Fuente – South Bus Terminal

The bus takes the exact opposite route going back to Cebu Airport.

Hoping to head straight from Cebu Airport to Cebu’s famous tourist destinations without making a stop in the city? You can take a shared van or a private transfer.

Below we explain the options for how to get from Cebu Airport to various destinations in Cebu. If you already booked a night in Cebu City or the options below are not available, check our route guides to each of the destinations for more options:

• Cebu to Moalboal
• Cebu to Malapascua
• Cebu to Oslob
• Cebu to Siquijor

*COVID-19 UPDATE: The last time we checked (July 2022), the minivans are unavailable. You can check the booking buttons in the table below for possible changes. If it’s still not available, you can check the section about private transfers.

Pre-pandemic, Klook used to operate one daily van trip from Cebu Airport to Moalboal in the south and to Maya Port (gateway point to Malapascua) in the north.

Van ticket prices from Cebu Airport to Moalboal and Malapascua start from 850 PHP ($14.60).

You can also take a private transfer between Cebu Airport and your favourite destination in Cebu. We recommend pre-booking your ride via Klook so that your driver will be waiting for you at the airport as soon as you arrive.

Here are some famous destinations and their rates.

To destinations in the south of Cebu

We highly recommend booking a cab via Grab from Cebu Airport. Grab rates are a bit cheaper and you have a better chance of getting a nice car. If you have a local sim card, good news! You won’t have a hard time booking a Grab taxi at Cebu Airport.

Grab rates from Cebu Airport to the city centre start from 500 PHP ($8.60). The journey takes around 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on where you are headed. Note that taxi rates and travel time depend on the traffic in Cebu City.

Another option is to book a private car via Bookaway. Rates start from 1,000 PHP ($17.20) for a 3-seater private transfer. Divide the cost and that’s just about 330 PHP ($5.70) per person. Travel time is around 1 hour.

You can also prebook a private car from Cebu City to Cebu Airport through BookAway.