This post is in response to the query of Ms Cynthia from my post Tips in Navigating Cebu Jeepneys, I just decided to make this a separate post since I am pretty sure this Cebu guide on transportation is going to be a long post about using public transport like jeepneys to go to Cebu’s popular tourist sites.
*This post is updated today March 27,2013. Please see other “Cebu” posts as there may be more latest posts about these tourist destinations. Thanks.
Her question is how to commute by way of public transport if you are staying in Plantation Bay to the tourist sites of Mactan and Cebu City.
There are pros and cons if you choose to have your Cebu City day tour via jeepneys and public commute, the major disadvantage of course is the hassle of transferring from one jeepney to another. But this hassle translates to huge savings for the Cebu tourists and visitors.
Anyone staying in Plantation Bay or in the many resorts in Lapu – Lapu City can probably make use of this post.
So here goes…
Plantation Bay is a bit out of the way from the main highway. So my suggestion is you try to ask the front desk to hail a taxi for you to take you to Lapu-Lapu Monument, then from the Monument you can now use public transport to the other sites.
Although you can try to walk from Plantation gate to the main road (Marigondon road) and then just wait for a tricycle that can take you to the monument. (Fare will be around P50 – P60 per tricycle trip, max of 6 persons, this is ‘pakyaw’ system since there is no tricycle that goes directly to the Lapu-Lapu monument). Or once you reach the main road from gate, and you can’t see any tricycle, turn left and walk towards the tricycle terminal in Marigondon public beach kaso medyo malayo ng konti sa Plantation.
Once you get to the monument in Punta Engano you can eat out in the many sutukil restaurants there. Also, buy your keychains and other souvenirs in the stalls around Mactan Shrine as they are cheapest there; don’t buy your trinkets and beaded/pearl necklaces in the malls if you want to save.
When you are done, may taxi dun and meron din multicab.
If you want to go to Sto Nino Church, Magellan’s Cross etc:
Mactan Shrine – Mandaue Coliseum – Cathedral
*Wait for a multicab at the side of the Mactan Shrine with a “Bag-o/Highway” signboard, get off in Mandaue Coliseum. In Mandaue Coliseum ride a 22A, 21D or any Mandaue jeepney with the signboard of “Cathedral”.
So you are now on the way to the second stop and other famous Cebu tourist spots: Magellan’s Cross and Sto Nino Church.
Get down in Cebu Cathedral and just ask where is Sto Nino Church. The Basilica is just a few walks from the cathedral. And the Magellan’s Cross is just a few steps from Sto Nino Church. And if you decide to head to the Fort San Pedro, you can walk from Magellan’s Cross to the fort but it’s a bit far, maybe 15-20 minutes walk.
From Magellan’s Cross you can go to Taboan (remember that you will smell fishy after a trip to Taboan). Ask any bystander in Magellan’s Cross where to ride a 06A jeepney (Guadalupe-Taboan), these jeepneys are a street away from the Cross. Or you can walk back to cathedral and ride a 10H jeepney to Taboan. Fare is P7.50.
Or from Magellan’s Cross you can proceed to Taoist Temple. Ask a guard where you can ride a jeepney to Lahug. Any jeepney with “Lahug” signage is ok. Get down in JY Square and from there you have no choice but to take a taxi because only taxis and private vehicles are allowed inside Beverly Hills subdivision where Taoist Temple can be found. Catedral to JY Square fare is P7.50.
From Taoist Temple you can proceed to the Tops, but let me say this it is very expensive as you need to hire a taxi. That’s why some people just skip Tops. Aside from taxi, habal-habal motorcyles can take you there but I don’t advise this since the road to the Top is winding and uphill.
From Taoist Temple, you can take a breather and go to Cebu Asiatown IT park for snacks and meals. Or you can go back to Fuente and eat in Larsian.
I highly recommend Larsian for the experience. From JY Square ride any jeepney with signboard “Jones” or “Fuente”. Fare is P7.50. Larsian is a few walks from the Fuente Rotonda. You can find near Larsian the main Shamrock store for your otap and other delicacies pasalubong. They are open 24/7.
Now, this one day Mactan – Cebu City tour itinerary is doable trust me, as me and Titus have done it before. But it’s a bit tiring, that’s why I am suggesting skipping Taboan for this day.
You can go to Taboan Market on the following day after you ride the Sky Adventure Ride in Crown Regency Fuente.
For more related readings, you may want to check these posts:
Larsian sa Fuente Dining Experience
Cebu Taboan Market: A Fishy Tale
These are posts related to jeepney commute in Cebu:
Mactan Airport to Destination via Jeepneys
Tips in Navigating Cebu Jeepneys
UPDATE :
Pasencia na talaga kayo but I have become so busy lately that I will no longer be replying to questions on this post. Talaga pong di na kaya, I rarely have free time now. Sana maintindihan niyo.
Please read the other Cebu Travel Blog posts I have on this website as it may help you guys to have a do it yourself Cebu itinerary for 1 day tour or for a 2 or 3 day tour. Also, kindly check the replies on the comments on these posts as your questions may have already been answered there. Thanks!
Have a wonderful Cebu trip …. Cille
timely post for me 😛
thanks =) you won’t be lost, promise lol
soooo glad i was able to find this blog by scouring google… will print this out and study as much as we can so me and my friends can take advantage of it on our first ever Cebu trip… it’s the first time for all 3 of us.
Too bad the “cheap Cebu beach resorts” is not yet updated..that’s the search i ran which led me here. Hope it gets updated before Nov 15! 😀
muchas gracias!!!
Hi Phoebe!
Thanks for visiting! =)
>>>”Too bad the “cheap Cebu beach resorts” is not yet updated..”
Sorry about that regular life got in the way hehehe but I would suggest book yourselves in pension houses in the vicinity of Fuente. I have some friends who came over last week and we scoured the area. I’ll be posting about options for cheap Cebu pension houses details hopefully this Sunday, please visit Penfires again =)
and then just have a day tour in a Mactan beach like Portofino or Hadsan. If you are here for 3 or 4 days, its best to head out to Bantayan Island. That’s what my friends did and they are raving about Bantayan.
I’ll email you once my post on Pension houses is up =)
btw, any recommendation you can make where we can stay which is easy on the budget but does not skip on comfort, cleanliness, good customer service etc. (demanding much i know!)? We still don’t know where we should stay, i know it’s still 4wks off but I’d rather be booked than sorry. 😀
hey hey.. friend found a pension house, Robe’s i think it was. I think we’re booking that. we’re a bit short on time so we won’t be able to fit Bantayan because of the hours needed to be spent going to-from there so we may just do a day trip to the nearby waters..
we’re all looking forward to seeing Cebu for the first time!!!
Great!
That would be cool =) Enjoy Cebu!
=)
Hi Cecille!
Thanks so much to this blog I finally finalized an itinerary for our (me & bf) first Cebu trip. I do have a few questions though and I sent it over your email. Hope you can check it out during your free time..=)
Thanks and God bless!! =)
Hi Sel!
Thanks for visiting and leaving a wonderful comment hehhehe
I have replied to the questions in your email. If you need further clarifications or anything, just drop me a line again.
Happy vacation!
Cille =)
Just want to let you know, the best experience we had in Cebu, and the most proud, was being able to commute just like the locals do! YEhey! Thanks to you! Will be coming back in January!
Hi Phoebe,
I’m so happy hehehhe thanks for leaving a comment here in Penfires 🙂
Go, go, go explore niyo pa Cebu pag balik niyo January, sana makapunta na kayo sa outskirt towns like Bantayan, Camotes, Badian etc
🙂
iniisip ko pa nga, kasi medyo malayo ang commute sa mga outskirts ng Cebu. Maybe pag may mas mahabang time for the vacation siguro. Mostly city ang bisita namin then Bohol na. Pero sobrang thank You talaga.
Help naman po. We’re going to Cebu on January, and we’re staying in Mandaue. I’d like to go visit at least one beach in Cebu,what would you recommend? Budget friendly, of course, TIA.:)
Hi Florianne,
Is it just for a one day beach outing? or do you have more time to spend for an overnight and a bit longer trip (consider time + effort) ? If you can devote more time I suggest outskirts like Bantayan, Malapascua, Camotes etc. But if day trip lang and must be near, my top of mind recall is Portofino (please note though that I haven’t been there in ages and things may have changed since the last time I was there, but some friends claims Portofino is still good for a quick getaway.) It’s also affordable too.
Hi,
I’m visiting cebu with my wife and 2 kids for only a day. I’ll be arriving at 8:00pm from manila so i need a cheap but nice place to stay. then in the morning we’ll go to explore cebu city our flight going back to manila is 10:00pm. if i’ll be going around cebu with a cab how much would it cost me for the whole day travel or any suggestions and can you give me good travel itinerary wherein we can go. thanks!
Hi agbay!
I suggest you contact Verbena Pension House, this is in Fuente and so near Larsian, Shamrock, Guadalupe (in case you want to check out AA BBQ or Kuya J or STK Restaurant), Ayala etc. Please see this post: http://fieldtripboy.com/cebu%E2%80%99s-most-affordable-hotel-rooms-and-pension-houses/ Or you can choose to stay in Island Stay in Mactan, walking distance from Marina Mall. This way you go to Mactan Shrine first thing in the morning before heading to Cebu City. Just request them to leave your bag if possible to be picked up the following night on your way to the airport. I’m not sure kung puede to but sana.
If you are staying in Fuente, you have to get up real early if you want to include Mactan Shrine in your day’s IT. Make it the first stop.
Yah I think commuting by jeepney is not ideal for you guys coz you have kids with you. About a cab, I have no idea, I’ll try to ask some people here and will get back to you. When is your trip pala?
Where you can go? Since you only had a day and can’t go to the North or South of Cebu, then I suggest Cebu City Day Tour nalang and also Cebu Food Trip. The last time there was a family who requested possible IT, they actually love the food trip part of their vacation in Cebu heheh.
For your IT, you can refer to this post: https://penfires.com/cebu-city-day-tour-a-visitors-guide/
If you are staying somewhere Fuente, please make sure you leave Fuente at most 7:30pm since you have to be in the airport by at least 9pm. Travel time around 1 and a half hour cgro.
Possible IT: Mactan Shrine – Sto Nino – Magellan’s Cross – Taboan Market – Taoist Temple (closes at 5pm) – Larsian – Sky Walk.
BTW, ang ikli-ikli lang ng 1 day to spend sa Cebu :/
Will copy this reply to your email. Happy Vacationing!
hi.. we’ll be going to cebu on feb.can u suggest any affordable white beaches near the metro? coz its hard to find one online. ..errr.. help.
Hi Belz!
I’d be able to offer some suggestion by Sunday as this weekend I together with my friends will be checking out affordable beach resorts here in Mactan (hopefully we have enough time to check out several beach resorts). Will update this post when I am arm with more knowledge about good beach resort option that is near Cebu City.Hope you can wait!
Cille =)
hi cille,
plz. help me nmn po coz im having a trip w/ my boyfriend to cebu on march 22 to 25.i wnt to go to diff. places in cebu but i dnt know how to go there..
ung pasunod sunond po..i read alot of ur reply dun po sa mga ngtatanong sayo and it help alot pero po my prob parin po ako..kc po darating kmi ng mar. 22 around 2pm tapos po from airport pwd n po kmi mg lapu lapu shine that time? how? and i want to stay @ colon this are the places n gusto ko po puntahan:
1st day(3pm arrived @ mactan airport)
-lapu lapu shrine
-nuestra senora virgin dela sregla
-guadalupe tchurh
-pink sisters
2nd day:
-magellans cross
-basilica
-carmelites
-cap museum
-casa gordon museum
-fort san pedro museum
-carbon market
-crown regency
-guitar factory
-taboan dried fish market
-taoist temple
-IT park
3rd day
gusto ko po mg beach (white sand) khit po half day lng bka po my suggestion ka po n cheap pro mganda n beach sa mactan area n po ata..
last day ko po mar. 25 flight ko po 2pm so ano po ung pwd ko pa gwin from 7am to 11am?
gus2 ko rn po mtry ung AABBQ,DING QUA QUA,CASA VERDE,MOON CAFE,JOVENS GRILL,LARSIAN,AND UNG CEBU LECHON…Sna po ma insert nyo po sya sa pupuntahan ko..im planning to stay po pla sa cebu century hotel or sa europa mansionette inn (m.l quezon ave mandaue city) ung mandaue po malayo sa airport?
sna po mtulongan mo po ako since this is my first tym sa cebu po and this is one of my dream place thats y malayo pa po sobrang xcited nko to go in ur place…pls..pls..pls..help me po n mkuha ko po ung mga dapat n msakyan jeepney lng po pra mura pls pki sbay nrin po ng fare rate..thank you soooo..muccchhh…
hi mia hehehe natuwa naman ako sa comment mo parang blog post sa haba hehhehe no worries, I will look into your IT and make my suggestions. I’ve seen some Cebu attractions in your itinerary na hindi maganda ang pagkakasunod, will revise some. Will post my reply baka sa Sunday night pa since it’s Sinulog 2012 here and I’ll be so busy capturing the festival and the revelry.
And tama you come here in Cebu to enjoy Cebu’s Top Tourist Attractions and also for the Cebu Food Trip part =), mapapalaban kayo sa kain dito mura and masarap mag food binge sa Sugbo! hehehhe.
Cille =)
Hi Miss Cecille : D
Goodmorning.
Nakita ko po na napaka acommodating mo sa mga taong nag co-comment. 😀
Pwede rin ba akong mang hingi ng tulong? meron po ba kayong 2-day DIY tour inside CEBU city?
Ikot akong Cebu famous tourist spots via commute! thanks sa blog mo.
And katulad po ng request ni Ms. Mia, meron po ba kayong
ma re-recommend na white beach na malapit lang sa city? 😀
Will visit your site again later hoping for your reply! Thanks! 😀
-budgeted traveler here, from Marikina City, Manila 😀
Hi T-rex =)
Thanks! 🙂
I’ll also get back to you later, not today kasi Sinulog dito =)
Have a great weekend!
Cille =)
For mia and T-rex, pasencia na kayo, I was super busy for the Sinulog weekend, will try to answer your queries the soonest. thanks for your patience!
Cille
its ok po..w8 ko nlng po..tnk you po..
Hi there, what an informative post. I also read your proposed itinerary for some of your readers, and I hope you could also help me with mine 🙂 I’m really confused with the jeepney routes and which ones to take during the city tour.
Can I get your email address so I can share my itinerary? Or you can also send me an email. Thanks! 🙂
Hi 18th rainbow 🙂
Sorry ngayon lang na approve ang comment mo, nabusy sobra. I have received your itinerary for your Cebu trip, I’ll look at it soon and hope I can give you useful advise in commuting 🙂
Cille
hi ms. cille,
salamat sa blog! dako’g tabang! 🙂 We are planning to visit cebu next week, march 8-11.. kaya lng, so limited lng ang time kac may short visit kami sa bohol.. can you suggest a very short IT sa cebu city proper? Yung kahit half day lng? We will be staying at gran prix, and sana maka-suggest ka and please help me how to ride a jeep going to one place to another. Since we’re not Catholics, we are not planning to visit churches and religious places. Instead, trip namu mag cge ug kaon. Hehe.. 🙂 Salamat cille!
@Maye, half day cebu food trip around Fuente I would suggest (assuming half day lunch pababa ha) mag lunch kayo sa Casa Verde (walking distance from GrandPrix) then punta kayo Taoist Temple (technically this is a Church pero dinadayo sya even by non-catholics). Madali lang from Fuente yan. After Taoist, go to IT park for light snack, dami choices dun. I would suggest warm brownie cup from La Marea too. Then late dinner sa Larsian – walking distance ulit from Grandprix. Larsian is teeming with people until around 4am so walang problema dun and then just walk uli to your hotel.
For specifics on how to go to Taoist or to IT Park or IT Park back to Fuente, pls refer to my other Cebu City tour posts. Thanks!
Ms Cille!
thank God I found your blog. I’ve been to Cebu before but this time, I’m coming back as a backpacker. 😀
I’m preparing my itinerary and I already have your DIY City Tour suggestion. What a relief! Instant IT!
However, I want to modify it so that I could add the Mactan Shrine as the first stop. We’re 2 and planning to commute to Mactan Shrine from Fuente Osmeña. So the route goes Fuente>Mactan Shrine>Guadalupe [first on your suggested IT :)]
Hope you can help me out with this. It’s the key to my puzzle. Thanks po! 🙂
Hi Dy,
Welcome =)
Ang layo ng plan niyo pag purely public transpo Fuente to Mactan Shrine is close to 2 hours and then Mactan Shrine to Guadalupe is even longer, baka close to 2 hours and a half. Please take note Mactan Shrine is in Lapu – Lapu City, it is near the airport, puede una sa IT or your last depende sa flight out niyo. But if yan talaga gusto niyo – doable naman masyado nga lang time consuming.
Aww. Siguro last spot na lang in the afternoon then after ng Taoist Temple. Midnight pa naman yung trip namin back to Manila. It’s more confusing na. Haha.
Or maybe, we have to drop by the shrine na lang on our first day, from airport to pier4. (we’re going Bohol first then travel back to the Queen City.)
Thanks Ms Cille!
Hi Dy, please be guided that Mactan Shrine is close by 5pm. Hope maikot niyo lahat ng places na gusto niyo =)
Hello po.. we are going to follow this itinerary https://penfires.com/how-to-commute-to-popular-cebu-tourist-spots/ of yours but our 1st stop is gonna be Taoist Temple because we’re coming from a hotel in Capitol Site. what puj route are we gonna take from JY Square to Magellan’s Cross, Sto Nino Church, Cebu Catehdral, etc? And we also prefer Taboan be the last stop.. Help naman po.. sa Monday na kami lipad to Cebu. Hehe. Thanks in advance! 😀
Hi Cath, from JY you can take 04L to go back to SM, and in SM ride 12G, 12L or 10 H, 10M and get off in Cebu Cathedral.
Alternative, ride 04B or 17B in JY Square, get off in Colon tell driver (near Gaisano Metro) and just walk to Sto Nino Church, wala pang 10 minutes walk. Ask any local pag dating sa Colon.
After, you can just follow the other tips on the other Cebu City Tour posts.
Enjoy your Cebu trip!
good day po! we will be staying in cebu for 2 nites. should we book a hotel near the airport or find a hotel near fuente if our flight for hongkong will be at 7:45 am? how early should we depart from gran tierra to mactan airport should be decide to stay there? salamat po!
Hi Edna, I don’t know where Grand Tierra is located. If it’s in Fuente, please alot around 1 and a half hour to get from Fuente to Airport via taxi. And because it is advisable to be at the airport at least 3 hours before any international flight, that would mean around 4 and a half hours lead time, so if 7:45 am flight out to Hong Kong niyo, you must travel at the latest 3am.
If you stay in Mactan say Islands Stay Hotel near Marina Mall, the airport is just 10 minutes ride.
hi there i find your site very informative and friendly. kaya lulubusin ko na ding magpatulong my family will be ther on october 22 to 26. time of arrival is 19:45 oct 24 and departure is on 26 of 12midnight. patulong naman sa itenerary namin please. balak sana namin mag stay sa hotel stella since most recommended ito sa mga sites na na browse ko. or if may iba ka pang suggestion much better. if possible pwede kaya kaming makakuha ng cheap island hopping.
thanks in advance
hi aimee, i hope you were able to reserve a cheap place to stay in cebu for your october 2012 trip. So sorry i don’t have time to respond anymore to request for itinerary. some of my Cebu travel posts might be able to help, thanks for visitinng here.
hi ask ko lng pano pumunta ng mactan island from cebu city, mandaque?
Hi! Thanks for the update. 🙂 We are going to Cebu this November and your post are very informative. This is our first time in Cebu and we want to make the most of our stay.
Thanks so much for this! Very helpful 🙂