Is 1 Day in Cebu City Enough?
In this post I will be showing you some things to see in Cebu City, all of which I did in just one day. But is one day enough to explore Cebu City?
A lot of people will say no, but I am not a massive fan of the cities so for me it was almost enough, I probably should have spent 2 days here.
I would say one perfectly planned day is enough, but 3 full days would be better to see all of the museums, which I didn’t get to do due to time restraints and museum closures.
1 day is enough to see a lot, but not everything in Cebu City.
However if you’re like me and Cebu City is just a place that you transit through to visit places such as Oslob, Moalboal or Siquijor then you might find yourself with just enough time to explore a tiny bit of the things to see in Cebu City.
I like to think the following things are some of the best things to see in Cebu City, although I did miss one other thing I had wanted to do, which I will discuss later.
For now, enjoy the imagery of the best things to see in Cebu City and start planning!
Things to see in Cebu City Video
By the way, I have a video that shows all of the things to see in Cebu city that are listed in this post. So I’ll put this here in case you prefer videos than photos and text.
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5 Things to See in Cebu City in 1 Day
I was going through Cebu city purely as it is the location of the airport, my final destination was Oslob and then from there on to Siquijor.
I got up pretty early, I had a list of things to see in Cebu city ready to go and I knew what order I wanted to do them as well. This post lists the activities in the order that I did them, not necessarily my order of favourites.
TOPS Cebu
Shot on the Sony A1 (Amazon/eBay link) using the Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 (Amazon/eBay link).
TOPS
What is it?
TOPS is a large circular building that is builf for purpose as a lookout tower and vantage point. Built high in the hilss, it offers amazing views down towards Cebu city itself.
See their website here.
How much does it cost?
₱100 for entry.
₱30 for parking the scooter.
₱50 if parking a car.
Opening Hours?
TOPS is open 24 hours, which is great for those hoping to catch a sunrise, sunset, or star gaze.
However the top levels are only open from 11:00 until 03:00 in the morning.
What do you do here?
Get away from the heat and noise of the city, admire the views and depending on the time of day there are shops here as well.
How do you get here?
35-45 minute ride or drive depending on the time of day from Cebu City centre.
How long will I spend here?
If you are coming to photograph or watch the sunset/sunrise then probably a few hours.
I would say most people will come for at least an hour to relax and enjoy the view.
When to come?
In my opinion TOPS is only worth making the list of things to see in Cebu city if you do it for sunrise.
It has the best light, the least amount of people and it is the quietest time of the day. However shops won’t be open yet at this hour.
Do you recommend it?
I recommend it for sunrise, I am not sure if I would come here at sunset when it would be at its busiest.
Sirao Flower Garden
Shot on the Sony A1 (Amazon/eBay link) using the Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 (Amazon/eBay link).
Sirao Flower Garden (aka Little Amsterdam)
What is it?
This is a scenic and relaxing place to hang out that offers an array of bright and unique colours as well as some popular photography hotspots. Maybe you’ve seen pictures of a giant pair of hands in Cebu? Those are here.
That alone probably makes it high up on people’s lists of things to see in Cebu city, but there are other things to photograph here as well.
How much does it cost?
₱120 entry.
Photos are free after entry, you don’t have to pay per spot.
Opening Hours?
Officially it says 08:00 to 17:30 but I was there a little bit before 8 am and some people were already inside.
Shot on the Sony A1 (Amazon/eBay link) using the Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 (Amazon/eBay link).
What do you do here?
Similar to TOPS in that it is a good photo location that is up in the hills and is nice and cool in comparison to the city centre.
There are all sorts of cool little pieces that you can get photos of, or just enjoy the visual overload, walk the flower garden and relax.
How do you get here?
Add another 10 minutes to your ride to TOPS, so maybe 45-50 minutes from Cebu city if you were coming from the city centre dirrect.
How long will I spend here?
Some people come in and get a photo on the giant set of hands and then leave, but I think you should spend an hour.
Walk around the gardens and look at the finer details of things.
When to come?
Early morning, it gets busy (or at least it did when I was there). You could come here from TOPs and make the most of being in the area.
Do you recommend it?
Yes, it was good fun and beautifully coloured.
Also if you need a photo with the hands, as seen below, then you’ll just have to make the journey out here.
Shot with the DJI Mini 4 Pro Plus (Amazon link).
Magellan’s Cross
Shot on the Sony A1 (Amazon/eBay link) using the Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 (Amazon/eBay link).
Magellan’s Cross
What is it?
A relic of great importance to the people of the Philippines and Cebu. It marks the spot where Ferdinand Magellan, leader of the Spanish expedition, planted his cross during the first known circumnavigation of the world.
He died shortly after on the island of Mactan during battle.
This cross is tindaloo wood that supposedly houses the original cross inside, so that people cannot chip away pieces of the original cross as souvenirs.
How much does it cost?
Free entry.
Opening Hours?
08:00 – 18:00
What do you do here?
It is quite a small little enclosure with the cross itself erected in the centre, above it is a fresco painting that shows some of the scenes from Magellan’s arrival and the planting of the cross.
Just have a look and appreciate the scenes, it is a historic location.
How do you get here?
This is quite central, most accommodation options will be near Magellan’s cross and it should not be hard to get to. It is one of the easier things to see in Cebu city given its central location.
There is scooter parking nearby for a small fee.
How long will I spend here?
15 minutes.
When to come?
Whenever, it won’t take you long.
Do you recommend it?
Yes, it’s a cool spot and central to Cebuano history
Fort San Pedro
Fort San Pedro
What is it?
Although a number of structures may have been built on this site, the current construction was done in 1783.
It is a triangular fort, with two walls facing the water and the third facing the land. It sits right in the centre of the city in the Plaza Indepedencia
It has been used for fortification and also as army barracks for multiple conflicts throughout time and now also acts as a museum for those who want to walk the grounds.
See the Wikipedia entry here for more information.
How much does it cost?
₱30 entry.
Opening Hours?
08:00 – 17:00
What do you do here?
Walk around and read the informational plaques.
If you prefer then you can also take a tour guide with you to explain the history and various transformations of the fort.
How do you get here?
It is in the centre of Cebu City, so it’s one of the easier things to see in Cebu City as your accommodation will likely be nearby.
How long will I spend here?
30-45 minutes.
When to come?
Any time of the day is good (during opening hours obviously).
Do you recommend it?
Yes.
It was cheap, central, informative and had just enough information to be interesting without taking up too much time.
Shot on the Sony A1 (Amazon/eBay link) using the Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 (Amazon/eBay link).
Cebu Taoist Temple
Cebu Taoist Temple
What is it?
A Taoist temple built by the Chinese community in 1972 with good views over Cebu City itself.
There are a few pagodas to look at, the temple itself can be entered but photos are not allowed inside the temple. There are Taoist relics and paintings throughout as well as unique architecture.
How much does it cost?
Free entry.
Opening Hours?
08:00 – 17:00
What do you do here?
As a tourist you mostly walk around and look, but you are welcome to pray or meditate if you like.
Just be respectful and follow the signs.
How do you get here?
This is closer to the city than the Sirao flower garden and TOPS at about 20 minutes from the centre of Cebu City or Magellan’s cross.
How long will I spend here?
30 minutes.
When to come?
There’s no bad time to come.
Do you recommend it?
You could easily skip it if this sort of thing isn’t for you.
If you have travelled southeast Asia a lot and seen other temples, this one will not stand out for any reason.
However with free entry it doesn’t hurt to have a look.
Summary
There are 5 things to see in Cebu City.
There are more than 5 things to see in Cebu city, but those are 5 options you have at your disposal.
Below are some extra activities that were on my list of things to see in Cebu city but that I can’t personally comment on because I never made it to them.
What about (insert activity here)!?
Yes I missed a handful of things because I was short on time.
But to be honest there was only two other things to see in Cebu city that I actually wanted to get to, the rest of it outside of the two listed below did not interest me at all.
The Basillica de Santo Niño
The Basillica del Santo Niño is one activity I fully intended on seeing, especially as I was already at Magellan’s cross and it is just across the road.
I didn try to enter but was told I was unable to enter in shorts. I was not expecting this as I have travelled all over and am normally allowed in with my shorts which cover the knees, or a temple has offered to rent me coverings for the visit.
This wasn’t the case here unfortunately and as I only had the one day I didn’t have time to run back to the hotel to change and come back.
Also of interest to me was the associated museum of the Basillica.
National Museum of the Philippines Cebu
Another activity on my list of things to see in Cebu City was the National museum of the Philippines, located right next to San Pedro fort.
Unfortunately the day that I had in Cebu city was a Monday, the museum is closed on Mondays.
It’s probably for the best as museums are best not to be rushed through, they need to be done at a more leisurely pace which is hard to do with just one day in Cebu.
Next time I am in transiting through I will tick off those last few things to see in Cebu City.
Cebu is a good transit place for a number of other places so it is good to get out and see a few different sites, but to me the cities are not the most interesting parts of the county so I rarely spend multiple days there.
Hope this has helped someone get an idea of what things to see in Cebu City.