We traveled to Bohol separately before becoming parents. On our return trip, we wanted to enjoy the beach and introduce the island to our son with a chill Bohol itinerary on a budget, with only a few handpicked spots for our day tour.

Laid-Back Kid and Family-Friendly Bohol Itinerary

Here’s a free kid- and family-friendly Bohol itinerary, including the must-try restaurants and other food we ate as part of the experience. Wanting to make the most of the beach, we didn’t get an island-hopping tour but stayed at Alona Beach.

Note: We visited the Philippines with a multi-city trip, arriving directly in Cebu from Bangkok via Philippine Airlines.

Going Around Bohol

There are three options for going around Bohol:

1. Renting a motorbike. Bring your driver’s license and rent a motorbike to explore Bohol.

2. Tricycles. You can hail a tricycle around Bohol. Rates start at PhP 150.00 per way, and you can arrange for the driver to pick you up at a particular time. This is great when you’re visiting areas outside of the city center.

3. Booking Grab. For longer distances, you can book Grab.

Day 1

Arrival in Cebu. Philippine Airlines has direct flights from Bangkok to Cebu twice weekly, so we decided to take this instead of a connecting flight to Manila.

Take the Oceanjet ferry from Cebu Port to Tagbilaran. Taking a ferry from Cebu to Bohol is a convenient option. It’s only a 2-hour float per way. A return ticket costs PhP 1,760.00 per adult. Children 1 year old and below can ride for free.

Booked a Grab to Blue Ocean Panglao Resort. Grab is now in Bohol! We’re thankful this ride-hailing app was already available when we went. If you have an existing account registered in a different country, it will automatically change to Grab Philippines upon arrival.

Lunch at Jollibee. What’s a warmer welcome to the Philippines than this Filipino fast-food chain’s famous chicken joy?

Swim at Alona Beach. The main event for our first day is to swim to our heart’s content. We swam at Alona Beach right after we checked in at Blue Ocean Hotel.

Ice Cream at The Buzzz Cafe by Bohol Bee Farm. When in Bohol, everyone should eat a Buzzz Cafe ice cream at least once. They have branches all over Bohol, especially in tourist spots.

Dinner at MIST Bohol. Mist Bohol is among today’s most popular restaurants for its vibe and pyro chicken. It has many seats, and the servings are huge, perfect for sharing. You can read our review here.

Day 2

Breakfast at Blue Ocean Panglao Resort. Plated breakfast was included in our hotel stay. It’s nothing fancy, and guests don’t get to choose unless they are willing to pay PhP 350.00 for a different meal.

Swim at Alona Beach. Tip: In the morning, the beachfront transforms into a waiting area for tourist boats. To enjoy swimming, walk towards Hennan Beach Resort. Watch out for sea urchins.

Lunch at Jollibee. We missed this Filipino fast-food chain so much that we ate there daily.

Transfer to Canna Hotel. We moved to a more affordable hotel nearer to our following attractions.

Day tour and Coconut candy-making workshop at South Farm Bohol. We added some interactive elements to our trip with a day at South Farm Bohol. We booked their Coconut candy-making workshop for PhP 300, which includes snacks and a day pass.

Dinner at MOSA Bohol. Another aesthetic restaurant in Bohol, which we are guessing is a part of the MIST restaurant group. Mosa Bohol has plenty of seats, good service, and large servings. Taste-wise, the food we ordered was underwhelming.

Pool time at Canna Hotel. Although the Hotel is away from beaches, it has a pretty solid pool that we enjoyed after our day tour.

Day 3

Breakfast delivery via Grabfood. Canna Hotel does not provide breakfast; the nearest restaurants are 10 to 15 minutes away by foot. For convenience, we ordered breakfast via Grabfood.

Bohol Country Side Tour. We booked a car with a driver via Bohol Private Car Rental with Driver for a whole day to visit some of Bohol’s most popular spots. Most tour companies would have a day tour itinerary, but you can customize it with a standard 1-day all-in rate. We chose:  

1. Chocolate Hills. The entrance fee is PhP 100.00 per person

2. Tarsier Sanctuary. The entrance fee is PhP 80.00 per person

3. Bilar Man Made Forest. Bilar Man Made Forest is free and a common stop among Bohol tours.

4. Loboc River Cruise (lunch buffet). As the finalé of our Bohol countryside tour, we had our lunch aboard the famous Loboc River Cruise, the price of which is currently PhP 1,000.00 per head. Kids can enjoy a 50% discount. This fee only covers the food and juice. But if you want other drinks, you can order them in addition to the amount. The cruise takes 45 minutes to 1 hour, with some stops in between so guests can watch performances.

We arranged to be dropped off at the Tagbilaran port so we could return to Cebu. Bohol Private Car Rental with Driver only charged PhP 3,000.00 for everything. They didn’t require a down payment, and it was very easy to book with them.

How Much We Spent for a 3-Day Trip to Bohol as a Family of 3

If you’re wondering how much to prepare for a simple trip to Bohol like ours, here’s a breakdown of our expenses, excluding plane tickets:

Ocean Jet Ferry from Cebu to Tagbilaran (round trip): PhP 5,699.00

Blue Ocean Bohol Beachfront Hotel: PhP 5,658.00

Canna Boutique Hostel: PhP PhP 1,257.00

Grab and Tricycle fare for two days: PhP 2,500.00

Meals: PhP 5,000.00

Attractions: PhP 3,640.00

Private van with driver: PhP 3,000.00

For our family of three, we spent more or less PhP 26,754.00 for a 3-Day Bohol trip.

Save Time and Money with Klook!

Save Time and Money by Booking Bohol Activities in Klook! It’s a convenient option for families with small children so parents can enjoy their Bohol trip easily. Check out these Bohol activities from Klook:

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