Bacolod City Travel Guide

WHAT TO DO BACOLOD FOR 3 DAYS

On our Bacolod City travel guide, we went to explore the city in the Philippines known for its name as the City of Smile. We went to explore Bacolod tourists, a visit to the mountain of Campuestohan Highland Resort, witness the ancient architecture of The Ruins and visit San Sebastian Church. Aside from this Bacolod is also known as the country’s local provider of sugar cane which in turns to be processed as refined sugar

BACOLOD CITY TRAVEL GUIDE – TABLE OF CONTENTS

Bacolod City
How To Go From Cebu To Bacolod
How To Go From Manila To Bacood
Bacolod-Silay Airport
How To Go From Silay Airport To Bacolod
Best Time To Travel Bacolod City
Bacolod Transportation
Where We Stay Stay In Bacolod
Where To Eat In Bacolod
Where To Go In Bacolod
Where To Buy Pasalubong
Final Thoughts For Bacolod
Bacolod City Travel Guide Itinerary

BACOLOD CITY

Bacolod City is located on the northwestern part of the island of Negros which is the capital of Negros Occidental. Bacolod is under the Western Visayas region which is the country main production of refined sugar. Sugar canes plantation is seen all over Negros Occidental. The city of Bacolod is famous for its yearly Mardi Gras event called Masskara Festival, This event is held every fourth Sunday of October, where you will witness lively street dancing of participants. One thing that sets apart from this event is that all participants are wearing various masks while dancing to the beat of the music. This is the grandest celebration held in the city which gathers other neighboring towns and cities of Negros joining this event. If you want to experience the most sought-after festival in Bacolod, then plan your visit in October to join and celebrate the Masskara Festival

HOW TO GO FROM CEBU TO BACOLOD

Bacolod City and Cebu are located in the Visayas region of the Philippines, Bacolod which is located in Negros Occidental while Cebu is located in Central Visayas. Based on the geographical map Bacolod is just the opposite island of Cebu, which covers the distance at about 110km between Cebu and Bacolod. Being said that there are three(3) ways in order to reach Bacolod from Cebu; which are plane, private car+ferry, and bus+ferry. Below is the detailed list of information on how to reach from Cebu to Bacolod.

BY AIR

The easiest and fastest way to reach to Bacolod from Cebu is via air, two of the Philippine domestic airlines Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines are catering daily direct flights. We have listed below the updated schedule of flights from Cebu to Bacolod and Bacolod to Cebu. The total flight distance from Bacolod to Cebu is about 112 kilometers which are about 50 minutes of travel time via air. As of writing average one-way travel fare from Cebu to Bacolod is Php 1,100.

CEBU TO BACOLOD (DAILY)

Philippine Airlines
6:00AM
11:10AM
5:00PM

Cebu Pacific
5:30PM
8:15PM

BACOLOD TO CEBU (DAILY)

Philippine Airlines
7:10AM
12:20PM
6:20PM

Cebu Pacific
6:50PM
9:30PM

BY LAND AND SEA

The total distance when traveling via land and sea is approximately 145km which is equivalent to a total of 6 hours of travel time. If you prefer to bring your own vehicle to travel from Cebu to Bacolod, you will need to drive to the city of Toledo for about 1.5 hours which is around 50km from Cebu City. Once you reach Toledo, you need to ride a ferry-barge that will carry your vehicle to the city of San Carlos which is a part of Negros Occidental. After you arrive in San Carlos, disembark from the ferry and continue to drive for almost 3 hours via the coastal highway to reach the city of Bacolod.

Below is the updated schedule list of ferry departure time from Toledo to San Carlos and San Carlos to Toledo. The ferry is operated by Lite Shipping which has a daily departure schedule every 3 hours. The estimated travel time of the ferry will be 2 hours and the one-way fare for your vehicle will be Php 800 + Terminal Fee: Php 20.

Estimated Total Distance: 145 km
Estimated Total Travel Time: 5 hours
Estimated One-way Fare: Php 900 (Ferry)

TOLEDO TO SAN CARLOS (DAILY)

4:30AM
7:00AM
10:00AM
1:00PM
4:00PM
6:00PM
9:00PM

SAN CARLOS TO TOLEDO (DAILY)

1:30AM
5:00AM
7:30AM
10:00AM
1:00PM
3:30PM
6:30PM

BUS + FERRY

Riding a public bus to Bacolod will be quite an adventure but it will also be time-consuming. This bus will depart from Cebu South Bus Terminal and bound to Bacolod via Toledo-San Carlos. This journey will also include riding a ferry at Toledo which is the same as riding a private car. The bus is operated by Ceres Liner which is scheduled to depart every 3 hours at Cebu South Bus Terminal. Below is the list of departure schedule at Cebu South Bus Terminal and Toledo Ferry.

Estimated Travel Time Duration: 6 hours
Estimated One-way Fare: P550 (Bus + Ferry)

After reaching San Carlos, the bus will depart and head to Bacolod with around a 2-hour ride.

CEBU TO BACOLOD

CEBU SOUTH TERMINAL
(Bus Departure)
1:30AM
3:30AM
6:45AM
9:30AM
12:00PM
2:30PM
4:00PM

TOLEDO FERRY
(Ferry Departure)
4:30AM
7:00AM
10:00AM
1:00AM
4:00PM
6:00PM
9:00PM

BACOLOD TO CEBU

BACOLOD TERMINAL
(Bus Departure)
2:00AM
4:30AM
7:00AM
10:00AM
1:00PM
3:00PM

SAN CARLOS FERRY
(Ferry Departure)
5:00AM
7:30AM
10:00AM
1:00PM
3:30PM
6:30PM

On the other hand, if you are coming from Bacolod and heading to Cebu, the bus is loaded at Bacolod South Terminal. Travel time duration and fare will be the same as per the above information. Given all the above transportation options from traveling Cebu to Bacolod, the easiest way will be taking the plane. It is a convenient and fastest way to reach Bacolod in less than an hour. But if you don’t mind the time and you want to explore more and be adventurous riding a bus and ferry will be the next budget-friendly travel to choose from.

HOW TO GO FROM MANILA TO BACOLOD

If you are coming from Manila, the easiest way to arrive in Bacolod is by riding an airplane. Currently, there are 3 airlines that operate from Manila to Bacolod, namely Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines, and AirAsia. These airlines have a daily departure schedule that operates between Manila to Bacolod. We have listed the below-updated flight schedule.

Estimated Total Distance: 466 km
Estimated Travel Time Duration: 1 hr. and 10 minutes
Estimated one-way travel fare: Php 1,200

MANILA TO BACOLOD (DAILY)

Philippine Airlines
4:25AM
8:45AM
12:25PM
4:25PM
8:20PM

Cebu Pacific
3:50AM
5:00PM
7:40PM
10:35AM
3:35PM
6:20PM
7:55PM
9:35PM

Air Asia
4:20PM
8:40PM

BACOLOD TO MANILA (DAILY)

Philippine Airlines
6:40AM
10:45AM
2:30PM
6:25PM
10:15PM

Cebu Pacific
5:45AM
6:55AM
9:50AM
12:35PM
5:35PM
8:15PM
10:35PM
11:45PM

Air Asia
6:15PM
10:50PM

BACOLOD-SILAY AIRPORT

Bacolod-Silay airport is the main airport of the island of Negros that caters mostly passengers within the Negros Occidental. It is located in the nearby city of Silay, Negros Occidental which is about 16km from the downtown of Bacolod. Bacolod-Silay airport started it’s operations since 2008 and now the airport operates domestic travel to cities like Manila, Cebu, Davao, and Clark under local airline carriers; Philippine Airlines. Cebu Pacific and AirAsia.

How To Go from Silay Airport to Bacolod

Since the airport is quite far from Bacolod city, there are 3 ways on how to go from Silay airport to Bacolod.

PRIVATE CAR

If you have a relative or friend who can drive you from the airport to the city it will be a great option. You will be able to ride FREE and save transport money. The easiest access will be taking the Bacolod Airport Access road which will take on average 25 minutes to reach the Bacolod city from the airport.

TAXI

The taxi which is one of the common transportation from Silay airport to Bacolod city is available outside the departure/arrival terminal. The flat-rate fare will usually be around Php 500 for one-way to the city.

SHUTTLE VAN

It is one of the popular choices for those who are on a budget trip and carrying a light day pack. The shuttle van is just located outside the airport where the van must be filled with passengers before it would leave. The fare will be at Php 150 one-way. For more details, Basia Transport Service operates a shuttle van from the airport and to Bacolod vice versa.

BEST TIME TO TRAVEL BACOLOD CITY

Bacolod is located in the Philippines and knowing that the Philippines has a tropical climate which mostly consists of hot and humid weather all year-round. The weather during the months of November to May is a usually dry while from June to October is considered a wet season. The average weather temperature is around 32°C which is experienced throughout the year, with the month May which record 34°C. Meanwhile, during its wet season, July has its highest rainfall period and the possibility of typhoons is experienced between the months of August to October which means that during this time it is not highly recommended to visit Bacolod. With this period, airline tickets are less expensive, hotel bookings are not as crowded compare to its peak season. Peak season usually starts in the month of November to April where this time the weather is cool and most of the days are sunny.

DRY SEASON
(November to May)
Average Temperature: 33°C
Hottest Month: May

WET SEASON
(June to October)
Average Temperature: 31°C
Highest Rainful Month: July

Our last visit to Bacolod was in the month of July and as expected it was not good. When we arrived at the airport we were greeted with a heavy downpour of rain, luckily after 30 minutes, the rain manages to settle. So during our entire 3-day stay in Bacolod, the weather was mostly cloudy which end up us staying at the hotel. We are lucky when we see that rain has stopped and at that time we managed to go out and explore the city.

BACOLOD TRANSPORTATION

Bacolod city mode of transportation is mainly by air-conditioned taxi and public utility jeepney, while buses are available when going to its neighboring towns. Private cars and rental cars are also available options for commuting within the city. The city road layout consists of two main street Lacson street and Araneta which consist of 4-way lines that usually increased traffic jams during rush hours especially in early morning 7:00 am to 8:00 am and also during the evening from 17:00 to 18:00. During this time a huge number of commuters are mostly students and working employees.

JEEPNEY

Riding a jeepney is the cheapest and one of the oldest modes of transportation within the city, where the regular fare will at Php 8 per single trip journey. Jeepney is a cost-effective mode of transportation that can carry up to 20 passengers. It is an open air-concept (not air-conditioned) type of vehicle where the air blows in all directions, it could be hot at times when the weather is on scorching heat. When alighting, inform the driver once you have reached your destination and the jeepney will stop

TAXI

Getting around the city by taxi is quick but quite expensive compare to Jeepney. All taxis are All metered with the flagged down rate of Php 40 and a Php 13 per kilometer charge and on top of the top is the Php 2 per minute charge. It is more comfortable since all taxi is now air-conditioned

BUS

Public Buses provides intercity bus service which commonly uses for most people who wants to visit neighboring town, cities and nearby island. The most known bus company is the Ceres Liner which has the largest transportation fleet of buses that operates from Bacolod and to the whole Negros Island.

Where we stay IN BACOLOD

During our 3 days stay in Bacolod, we had to book our accommodation at the Bell Hotel. The hotel is conveniently situated near the city center, a 10-minute walk to the San Sebastian Cathedral, and Bacolod Public Plaza, also its nearby location to Manokan Country and SM City Bacolod. Aside from that, there are also nearby coffee shops and food convenient store located nearby the hotel. We choose a standard room package, with a room size of 26 m² which is quite spacious, on top of that our stay includes a buffet breakfast. Their buffet breakfast is held at the nearby lobby and caters to 5 food types which include (hotdogs, fried rice, fried noodles, egg omelet), and also fruits and brownies.

The Bell Hotel
18 San Juan Street, Barangay 13, Bacolod
Room Rate: Php 2,400/night

WHERE TO EAT IN BACOLOD

Our Bacolod City travel guide shows you to visit popular seafood restaurant-Aboy’s Restaurant, Nena’s Rose Chicken Inasal, cake shops like Felicia’s Pastry Shop, and Calea Pastries and Cake, and taste of local Filipino food Quan Delicacies.

Quan DELICACIES

3 La Salle Avenue, Bacolod City
Opening Hours: 8:00am-7:00pm (DAILY)

Quan Delicacies s known for its Filipino food delicacies serving a wide range of products such as Napoleones. Dulce de leche, Puto, Kutsinta, Cassava Cake, and Suman. They have a dining area that has innovative interior design and good lighting. Their food menu is also creative which includes Palabok, Lomi with Braised meat. So far, with a lot of stores popping up in Bacolod, Quan delicacies have the best delicacies we’ve tasted in Bacolod.

Aboy's Restaurant

Singcang, Liroville Subd
Opening Hours: 9:00am-10:00pm (DAILY)

Aboy’s Restaurant is the homegrown restaurant in Bacolod that served Filipino local cuisine like Lechon Paksiw, Bicol express, Sisig, and Bulalo soup. They also serve seafood such as crab, squid and, scallops, and the famous blue marlin which highly recommended to eat. Restaurant ambiance was good and food service was great while the location was a bit difficult to navigate but when you reach the place it can compensate as it has a homey and relaxing atmosphere. The taste was good, while the food price ranges from Php 70 – Php 400. If you happen to come to Bacolod, this is a much visit place to taste the best seafood place.

How To Get There
The best way to visit the place is to ride a taxi or private car since the location is quite far from the main access road.

Nena’s Rose Chicken Inasal

No. 6 Burgos Extension
Opening Hours: 9:00am-10:00pm (DAILY)

Bacolod visit won’t be complete without trying their famous Chicken Inasal – also known as grilled chicken with special spices and the sauce that make it savory. One restaurant that stands out from the rest is Nena’s Rose Chicken Inasal which offers chicken inasal much tastier and juicer that makes it delicious, not to mention they have garlic rice which adds the mouthwatering experience. Aside from chicken inasal they also offer Fresh Oysters “Talaba” which is serve as an appetizer. The price of the food ranges from Php15-Php110. Overall they offer great tasting chicken inasal and oyster in Bacolod.

Felicia's Pastry Shop

6th St.Doll Building Bacolod City
Opening Hours: 9:00am-10:00pm (DAILY)

Felicia’s Pastry Shop is known for cakes and pastries in Bacolod City. We had our coffee and tasted their chocolate cake. The sweetness is just right It was not too sweet, but it was pleasing and delectable at a given good price.

Calea PASTRIES AND CAKE

Lourdes Bldg., Lacson Street
Opening Hours: 10:00am-10:00pm (DAILY)

Bacolod’s visit won’t be complete without a slice of cake from Calea Pastries and Cake, which is the most famous cake and pastry shop in Bacolod. They offered a wide variety of cakes, pastries plus coffee which is very delicious and has a unique taste. The most popular sought to order was Blueberry Cheesecake and paired it with a cup of Americano which was the best. We also ordered ice cream chocolate cake and definitely, it was tasteful and mouth-watering. I believe the chocolate was well refined and very rich.

WHERE TO GO IN BACOLOD

The most visited in Bacolod City tourist spots attractions are Campuestohan Highland Resort, The Ruins, San Sebastian Cathedral, and the Capitol Park and Lagoon. Below is some relevant information for our Bacolod City travel guide spots experience.

Campuestohan Highland Resort

Sitio campuestohan Barangay, Talisay City
Entrance Fee: Php150 (Adult and Children above 2 years old)
Opening Hours: 7:00am-6:00pm (DAILY)

Campuestohan Highland Resort is the most popular theme park in Bacolod, which is located 27 km from the city of Bacolod. The park offers a ride in a sky bike experience, zip line, rope course, horseback riding, hamster wheel, grand carousel, and mini train. It caters to people with different interests both young and old, and for families and friends who want to unwind and enjoy. They also have lodging houses for overnight accommodation and restaurant pavilion which serves a wide variety of foods.

How To Get There
The most convenient way to reach the resort is by private car. We highly recommend availing on Klook Campuestohan Highland Resort Tour where offer private tour day package and free pickup to any hotel within Bacolod service.

The Ruins

Talisay City, Negros Occidental
Entrance Fee: Php 100
Opening Hours: 8:00am-8:00pm (DAILY)

The Ruins is an ancestral house by the family of Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson and Maria Braga Lacson. The mansion-like structure is preserved where is built in a huge land near the sugar plantation.

How To Get There
Riding local public utility jeepney will be quite a hassle as the place is located far from the main road. It is recommended to hire a private car or ride an air-conditioned taxi to reach the Ruins. One-way fare for a taxi will be around Php 300.

San Sebastian Cathedral

Rizal Street, Bacolod City
Opening Hours: 6:00am-7:00pm (DAILY)

San Sebastian Cathedral is one of the 19th-century church in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental. The exterior and interior structure represents its beauty and grandeur built during the Spanish era. It is located in the heart of the Bacolod which is just in front of Bacolod Public Plaza, also it is walking distance to the famous Manokan Country.

Where to buy Pasalubong

BongBong’s Piaya and Baraquillos and Merzi
Our Bacolod City travel guide won’t be complete without a visit to two of the most famous pasalubong shops BongBong Piaya and Merczi. These two shops are widely known for selling the best Bacolod products such as Piaya, Baraquillos, and Napoleones. Almost in every famous street in Bacolod, we can see these local shops that are selling local food delicacies. For us, nothing beats Bong Bong’s Piaya and Butterscotch. On the other hand, Merczi Napoleones and Biscocho are our highly recommended delights.

FINAL THOUGHts

With this Bacolod City travel guide, we have visited the popular tourist landmarks such as The Ruins and Campuestohan Highland Resort. On top of that we went to dine the famous Chicken Inasal and local dessert Calea Pastries and Cake. Our trip to Bacolod was mainly to attend a friend’s wedding and at the same time to visit a close friend of ours who is currently residing in Bacolod. The three days trip was considered a somewhat short family vacation for us. Soon, we will be back to explore the wonderful city, warm culture, and delicious food. And hopefully, we can experience to travel by land with the kids but maybe not too soon because for sure they will get tired immediately to sit on the bus for long hours. We had fun and enjoyed our short trip.

Connect with Us