The perfect Bohol 3 days itinerary

Bohol is full of unique, amazing experiences that make it a must-visit destination in the Philippines. The white sand beaches, the cave pools and water falls, and the iconic Chocolate Hills have become famous around the world!

But that’s not all Bohol has to offer – the island is home to some of the tiniest primates on earth – the extremely cute tarsier.

As there’s so much to explore in such a short time, it’s essential to plan your itinerary carefully so you don’t miss out. This Bohol 3 days itinerary includes all the main highlights.

Read next: The perfect 10 day Philippines itinerary

Bohol 3 days itinerary

You might be wondering how many days you need in Bohol to experience the highlights. Well, I’d say that 3 days in Bohol is perfect. In that time you’ll be able to discover everything the island has to offer, including off-shore sights such as whale sharks, sea turtles and a nearby tropical island.

Of course, you can always spend more time just relaxing at the beach, but this Bohol 3 days itinerary makes room for that, too.

Where to stay in Bohol

Most people stay in Anda in east Bohol or in Panglao, which is an island, just 20 mins drive south. It’s connected by a bridge.

Best hotel in Anda

Casa Amihan (8.9 ⭐) Beautiful turquoise waters just outside your door. Need I say more? There’s also a pool in case you need a change of scenery from the sea. Book here.

Best hotel in Panglao

Tamarind (9.1 ⭐) This hotel has a lovely pool and it’s less than 1 km from Alona Beach. We loved staying at the Tamarind hotel! Book here.

How to get around Bohol

You need to rent a scooter. Period.

Sure, you can also take a tricycle (tuktuk) or jeepney (public transportation), but with a scooter you decide when, what and where. Plus, it’s cheaper.

We rented a scooter for 8 hours and it costed us 400 pesos. If you rent it for more than one day, you should be able to get a discount so make sure to bargain for it!

The list of things to do in Bohol is long. But the good thing about Bohol is that most sights are in a close range, which makes it easy to get from one place to the other. It takes about 2.5 hours to drive across the island.

Day 1 (South Bohol and Panglao)

On your first day in Bohol, you’ll be in Panglao and southern Bohol. Make sure to bring some pesos for entrance to the cave and waterfalls.

Day 1 Bohol itinerary:

• Island hopping
• Hinagdanan cave
• Ingkumhan falls
• Pahangog falls
• Baclayon church
• Dumaluan beach

Island hopping

I don’t know about you, but when I just landed in paradise, the first thing I thought about was the beach. So, that’s the first order of business!

An island hopping tour from Panglao leaves early in the morning and lasts till midday. On this particular island hopping tour, you’ll get to visit Virgin island and Balicasag, watch dolphins and swim with sea turtles.

An absolute highlight of Bohol! Book here.

Read next: Why you should experience island hopping Bohol

Hinagdaman cave

Hinagdanan Cave is located on the northern coastline of Panglao, just a 15-minute drive from Alona Beach. The entrance fee is only 50 pesos.

Inside, you’ll find a beautiful large freshwater pool that glows with a fluorescent turquoise hue and stalagmite pinnacles hanging from the ceiling.

Waterfalls

In the south of Bohol is a small district called Dimiao. Dimiao is blessed with several beautiful waterfalls, and this is where your Bohol 3 days itinerary takes you next.

Dimiao twin waterfalls (Pahangog Falls)

The name says it all: Dimiao Falls is a two-part cascade that tumbles over 25-meter high limestone rocks and fills a large catch basin.

Visiting Dimiao Falls Bohol costs 20 pesos for entrance. If you’re looking to get the full experience, there are inflatable tubes that can be rented for an additional 20 pesos and undercover huts that cost 50 pesos each.

Ingkumhan Falls

Nearby is the Ingkumhan falls with a width of 10 meters and a height of about 8 meters. You can swim here.

Baclayon church

Admission fee: 50 pesos (goes to restoration of the church)

The Philippines has a vibrant Catholic culture; Bohol in particular. There are churches everywhere, both small town and village chapels and major churches like the one in Baclayon.

Baclayon church is the second oldest stone church in the Philippines, constructed in 1595 by Jesuit priests and it is home to several artefacts and old scripts. Next to the entrance is a small museum where you can view the relics.

Relax at Dumaluan beach (Panglao)

Dumaluan Beach is known as one of the cleanest beaches on Panglao Island, which makes it the perfect place to end the day.

Its off-white sand is powdery, while the crystal clear and shallow waters are just begging for you to swim. Am I right?

Day 2 (East Bohol)

Day 2 on your Bohol itinerary is all about Anda. If you’re staying in Anda, I recommend moving the whale shark swimming to another day, as it’s located further away.

Day 2 Bohol itinerary:

• Whale watching in Lila
• Binabaje hills
• Cadapdapan rice terraces
• Can-umantad falls
• Lamanok Island
• Cabagnow cave pool
• Quinale beach

Whale shark swimming

Price: 1,200 pesos

Whale shark swimming is awesome and if you get the chance you should definitely do it! I swam with whale sharks in Mexico and it was such a unique experience.

You can swim with whale sharks in Lila, Bohol! On the day of the tour, you’ll be picked between 6-8 in the morning, and the tour lasts 4 hours. Bring swimwear and towel.

Binabaje Hills

Bohol is full of beautiful beaches and waterfalls. But if you’re looking for a great hike, Binabaje Hills in Alicia is the one! It takes about an hour to reach the summit, where you’ll be rewarded with a panoramic views of the island and coastlines.

To get there, it’s about a 45-minute drive from Anda to Alicia. It costs 300 pesos for a guide and 50 pesos in entrance fee.

Cadapdapan rice terraces

There are rice fields everywhere on Bohol so you can’t miss them when you’re driving around. In the rice fields there are birds looking for water, and water buffalos in the mud. Lots of locals are working in the fields, too, collecting rice and farming.

One of the most picturesque rice terraces in Bohol is the Cadapdapan Rice Terraces. They almost reminded me of the rice fields in Bali, they’re just much less crowded.

The entrance fee is 50 pesos.

Can-umantad Falls

Right next to the rice fields, you’ll find the Can-umantad Falls – the tallest waterfall in Bohol at 18 m!

From the parking lot, it’s just a 5 minute walk along a clearly marked trail leading to the waterfall.

The entrance fee is 20 pesos.

Lamanok Island

Up for an off-the-path experience?

Lamanok Island has a history of being sacred ground for priests and healers, some even claim to have seen or heard paranormal activity here. The journey begins with a stroll through the mangrove forest along a boardwalk made entirely of bamboo.

Cabagnow Cave pool

Next up is the Cabagnow cave – one of the hottest new places in Bohol to visit. It’s possible to swim here, just know that cave water is coooold.

When you arrive, you can park your scooter for 20 pesos.

Quinale beach (Anda)

Let’s end the day with manners: relaxation on the beach.

While there are several great beaches in Anda, I recommend Quinale Beach.

Its powdery white sand makes it look like Boracay, El Nido, or Puerto Galera. Go see for yourself, and enjoy its clear waters while it’s still a hidden gems as opposed to other Bohol beaches like Alona and Dumaluan beach.

Day 3 (South-west Bohol)

Your Bohol itinerary for day 3 is all about the mid, south and west of Bohol. You’ll be seeing tarsiers, butterflies and the famous Chocolate hills, just to name a few.

Day 3 Bohol itinerary:

• Philippine tarsier sanctuary
• Loboc river cruise
• Butterfly farm
• Bilar man-made forest
• Chocolate hills
• Mag-Aso falls

Tarsier sanctuary

Admission fee: 50 pesos

Visiting the tarsiers is one of the highlights of Bohol. These little ones aren’t much larger than your fist and they can only be found in the Philippines, Indonesia and Borneo. Read my post about visiting the Tarsier Sanctuary here.

Loboc river cruise

Free activity (unless you take a boat cruise which is 300 pesos)

Just 14 km from the Tarsier sanctuary, you’ll find Loboc River surrounded by lush vegetation. This is an excellent way to see some jungle and combine it with a boat ride and lunch. You’ll be sailing in a boat like the one in the picture below for 45 to 60 minutes, and you will get a buffet during the trip. If you’re not into sailing, simply follow the river from the street where you’ll get a view, too.

You’ll find a number of boats lined up along the river in Loboc town. Simply buy your tickets prior to boarding, no need to pre book.

Butterfly farm

Admission fee: 40 pesos

You’ve made it the the Bilar Butterfly farm where you’ll see hundreds of butterflies, a nice garden with plants and flowers, plus a restaurant. The butterflies come in so many colours from red, blue to green and different sizes, too. It didn’t take me long to locate them, and they’re not too shy so it’s possible to snap some close-ups.

Read next: Visiting a butterfly farm in Bali.

Man made forest

Just 10-15 minutes drive further north is the Bilar Man Made Forest,

It’s a dense forest made up of red and white mahogany trees stretching for two kilometres. The tree tops almost block-out the light, making the forest a bit chilly and darker, but it feels nice when you’re driving on this stretch. 

Chocolate hills

Admission fee: 20 pesos

Two things make Bohol unique, and that’s the tarsiers and the Chocolate Hills.

The Chocolate hills consists of approximately 1,247 hills spread over an area of more than 50 square kilometres. They are covered in green grass, but during the dry season they become brown (hence the name).

There are two main viewpoints to see the hills from: the Sacbayan and Carmen, and the pictures below are taken at Sacbayan peak. I would definitely recommend you to go to Carmen, which is more impressive and allows you to get a full view of the Chocolate Hills.

Mag Aso falls

Last sight of your Bohol 3 days itinerary is Mag Aso falls.

Mag Aso falls is located in the town of Antequera. It requires an easy 5-10-minute hike down a set of concrete steps with metal handrails, with a beautiful viewpoint on the halfway mark that overlooks the stunning waterfall.

Mag-Aso falls is one of the most popular waterfalls in Bohol, so it can get quite crowded. You’ll be visiting in the late afternoon, which means the worst crowds will be gone.

Entrance fee is 20 pesos and parking is 15 pesos.

Before you go – check out these posts

• The perfect 10 day Philippines itinerary
• The ultimate Philippines bucket list: 20 places to visit
• Why you should experience island hopping Bohol
• Boracay Island, The Philippines Is Paradise
• Philippines Round-up
• Budget for 2 Weeks In The Philippines
• Things to do in Panglao, The Philippines
• The Insanely Beautiful Sunsets of Boracay
• Helmet Diving, Boracay: Everything you need to know
• Philippine Tarsier – The cutest animal alive