How to get from Donsol to Manila

Why visit Manila?

Manila is the capital of the Philippines — an old city often disregarded by travellers who use it only as a gateway to the country’s more visually appealing islands. But if you have an extra day in your itinerary, we think Manila’s colourful history is a great way to kick off your trip.

Explore the walled city of Intramuros, Fort Santiago, Manila Cathedral and San Agustin Church — all of which were first built in the late 1500s. Art and anthropology also attract many locals to Manila. You will find here the National Museum, a complex of three museum buildings that tell the story of the Filipinos.

There are 2 ways to travel the 500 kilometers (311 miles) from Donsol to Manila. You can choose between the bus and flight. The journey takes 2 hours 40 minutes to 14 hours 30 minutes and the quickest way is by flight. If you're on a budget, the cheapest option is by bus with tickets starting at 1,090 PHP ($19).

Philtranco Lines offers one daily trip from Donsol to Manila. The bus departs at 17:00 from Donsol Bus Terminal.

A ticket costs 1,270 PHP ($22) per person for a one-way trip. You can buy your ticket at the bus station.

The direct bus journey from Donsol to Manila takes 14 hours and the bus parks at Philtranco Bus Terminal in Pasay City.

An alternative route is to take a bus via Legazpi, which we explain below:

If the direct bus ride from Donsol to Manila is too long for you, you can divide it into two bus trips with an indirect bus route via Legazpi.

This way, you’ll have more bus choices and you can also book a lazyboy bus from Legazpi to Manila. Especially for such a long journey, this can be a very welcome luxury!

First, you’ll have to take a van or a jeepney from Donsol to Legazpi. Fares start from 120 PHP ($2.10) for a journey of 1.5 hours.

You are to get off at Legazpi Grand Terminal in the city centre. From here, you can easily transfer to your bus bound for Manila.

Read how to go from Donsol to Legazpi for more details.

There are several bus trips operating daily from Legazpi to Manila, with departures both in the morning and at night. We suggest that you take an overnight bus to save on valuable daytime as well as a night on accommodation.

Bus ticket prices from Legazpi to Manila start from 970 PHP ($16.90).

Departure and arrival station

All buses depart from Grand Central Terminal in Legazpi city centre, but they have several arrival points in Metro Manila.

Penafrancia Tours and Bicol Isarog park at Parañaque Integrated Terminal, located 9 km southwest of Makati.

DLTB Co., on the other hand, makes a short stopover in Pasay City before making a final stop at its terminal in Aurora, Cubao.

In order to travel from Donsol to Manila by plane, you’ll need to travel by land to Legazpi first. Plan your transfers well so that you don’t miss your flight to Manila.

TIP: If you decide to travel by plane, please consider including a carbon compensation fee to reduce your impact on the environment.

Take a jeepney or van from Donsol’s bus station to Legazpi. There are no designated departure times, both jeepneys and vans leave when they are full. Expect to pay 70 PHP ($1.20) + 50 PHP ($0.90) for the jeepney ride and 120 PHP ($2.10) for the van ride.

You will be dropped off at Grand Central Terminal in Legazpi city centre. From there, you can get to the airport via a tricycle or a taxi, with fares starting at 50 PHP ($0.90).

For more details, read how to go from Donsol to Legazpi.

Cebu Pacific, CebGo, and Philippine Airlines offer several flights from Bicol International Airport to Manila daily. These arrive at either Terminal 2 or 3 of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), depending on which airline you book with.

Airfares range from 1,100 PHP ($19.20) to 2,300 PHP ($40). Flight time is 1h 20m.

Read our article on how to go from Legazpi to Manila for more details.

Tip: Cebu Pacific offers many promotions annually. Keep an eye out for these promotions so you can book a cheaper flight for this route!