How To Get From Cebu City To Oslob (Quickest & Cheapest!)

As Cebu City is the largest city on the island of Cebu it’s likely you’ll end up here when flying to the island. However, in most cases, you’ll want to head to the coast as quickly as possible to truly experience the best that the Philippines has to offer.

There’s 116km between Cebu City and the popular coastal town of Oslob. The journey can only be made via road and takes between four and seven hours depending on the traffic.

The cheapest way to get from Cebu City to Oslob is by bus. The journey costs 150PHP or slightly more for one with air conditioning (totally worth it). A private taxi or minibus is available, however, it’s likely only going to reduce your travelling time by an hour and will cost circa 5,000PHP.

Transport	Duration	Cost	Book
Bus	6 hours	150PHP	Book Online
Taxi	5 hours	5,000PHP	Book Online

Costs and duration are averages. Exact durations and costs will vary depending on the class, date and time of travel.

Bus

Busses leave the Cebu City South Bus Terminal, buses on this route run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so any time you’re ready to begin your journey, head to the bus stop and look for the next bus heading in that direction.

If you have any trouble finding the right bus stop at the bus station (the station is split over two buildings) then speak to one of the members of staff who’ll be more than happy to point you in the right direction.

Buses go around Cebu on a road that circles the perimeter of the island from the city and includes calling points such as; Moalboal, CarCar and Santander as well as Oslob.

The bus from Cebu to Oslob costs around 150PHP (there’s a slightly higher fee if you’re looking at taking an air-conditioned bus) per person, one way.

We found the buses in the Philippines to be very comfortable, especially considering the price.

Sadly, it can take a while to get out of Cebu City and onto the main road down to Oslob but once you get going the journey will take anything from four to seven hours.

This varies depending on the traffic and the number of stops the bus makes to drop off and pick up passengers.

We used Google Maps on our phone to determine when we’d arrived in Oslob. There’s a number of different places on a stretch of road around 2km long that you could get off at depending on where you’re staying or what you plan to do when you arrive.

The whale sharks departure point and the departure point for Sumilon Island are both around a 2km drive from Oslob town centre.

Again, if you’re unsure ask the driving assistant who will have given you your tickets when you bordered and they will help you find the most suitable stop.

Taxi

If you prefer to travel in both comfort and style then you may want to consider travelling from Cebu to Oslob in a taxi or via a private transfer vehicle.

While you can arrange for a taxi driver to take you to Oslob from Cebu at the side of the road, I’d suggest booking a taxi as a private transfer in advance.

You will find plenty of drivers are not interested in the fare due to its distance. As it’s unlikely they’ll find anyone to make the return journey from Oslob back to Cebu.

Another benefit of pre-booking a taxi from Cebu to Oslob is that they’ll pick you up and of course, drop you off at your accommodation.

Alongside the custom pick up and drop off points, and of course the better legroom, you’ll also get to your final destination in Oslob slightly quicker than if you were taking the bus.

I’ve found the best place to book is either using the Grab application (it’s the same concept as Uber, just operated by a different company in the majority of Asia) or on the 12Go Asia website.