Want to visit a tropical paradise and wondering how to go from Manila to Boracay? We can help!
While it’s not far traveling from Manila to Boracay, this journey can seem complicated – at least until you take it step by-step. It’s relatively straightforward.
Boracay is a beautiful island that is popular among travelers to the Philippines so many people travel from Manila to Boracay every day. It’s a great place to visit along with Manila for two very different sides of the Philippines.
But before you can enjoy Boracay, you need to learn how to get there.
Below, I describe exactly how to get to Boracay from Manila so you know exactly what you need to do. Whether you are looking for Manila to Boracay flights, the Manila to Boracay ferry 2023 schedule or considering taking a bus ride from Manila to Boracay, it’s covered in this guide. This way, you will be in paradise as quick as possible!
I also describe the reverse journey from Boracay to Manila.
Map: Getting To Boracay From Manila
This map shows you how to go Boracay from Manila overland.
The distance from Manila to Boracay Island is 310 kilometers and the approximate Manila to Boracay travel time can take anywhere between 4.25 hours to 18 hours, depending on what transport you’re traveling from Manila to Boracay on.
BEST OPTION: How To Get From Manila To Boracay Island [2023]
How To Get To Boracay From Manila [2023]
Here’s a summary of your options:
| Mode of transport | Duration | Best For? | Book |
| Flight via Caticlan | 4.25 hours | People who like the quickest and easiest option | Book here |
| Flight via Kalibo | 6 hours | People who want a quick option but like to save money as well | Book here |
| Ferry/Bus RoRo | 18 hours | People who like to travel overland in the easiest way | Book here |
| Ferry/Bus via Batangas | 16 hours | If you want to travel overland and there isn’t a good RoRo option for your dates or you want to travel overnight | Book here for the bus to Batangas Book here for the ferry to Caticlan |
There is not an airport on Boracay so if you want to fly from Manila to Boracay, you have to go via Caticlan or Kalibo. Both options are described below.
No matter what option you pick from the four above, all of these will take you to Caticlan Jetty. From here, you need to take a boat across to Boracay. This boat section is described in its own section below.
Option 1: Flight Manila to Boracay Via Caticlan
As mentioned above, when it comes to getting from Manila to Boracay, the fastest way to travel is to take a Manila – Boracay flight. Since there are no airports on Boracay, there is no direct Manila – Boracay flights, so you’ll need to decide whether to fly to Kalibo Airport or Caticlan Airport.
The most convenient option is to fly to Caticlan as it is the closest. It’s just a 10-15 minute boat ride from Caticlan to Boracay. However, Caticlan Airport is small and there are a limited number of flights and seats flying into here which means tickets are usually more expensive than flying into Kalibo (option 2, coming up).
This Manila to Boracay flight time duration is an hour. You can fly on Philippine Air, Cebu Pacific, AirAsia or CebGO. There are flights throughout the day.
The Manila Boracay airfare costs between ₱1,000 – ₱4,500 depending on the promotion and season. Booking ahead is the best way to get the best price.
Click here to see the prices for your dates.
Once you arrive at the airport, you need to get to Caticlan Jetty. This is only about 500 meters away so you can walk if you want and don’t have much luggage. It will only take about 10 minutes.
However, more comfortable is to take a tricycle or van. This transport will take you directly to Caticlan Jetty where you can take a boat to Boracay Island.
You can buy tickets in advance for your transfers from Caticlan Airport to Boracay which include the van ride to the jetty and then the onward ferry ride to Boracay. This is the easiest way to go and a great price.
Click here to see the latest prices for this transfer from Caticlan airport to Boracay here.
There are more details below about how to take the boat to Boracay island.
Option 2: Manila to Boracay Flight Via Kalibo
If you’re looking for the cheapest flight Manila to Boracay, try taking a flight to Kalibo.
Kalibo is about an hour and a half drive from Caticlan, but its cheaper prices and more varied options of flights can make this a good option of how to travel to Boracay from Manila.
Philippine Airlines and AirAsia fly this route multiple times a day with flights taking around one hour and ten minutes. This fare Manila to Boracay starts at ₱800.
Click here to see the prices for your dates.
Once you arrive in Kalibo, you need to get to Caticlan Jetty for the boat to Boracay.
This is easy to do with vans available for the journey.
Click here to see the latest prices and to book a van to Caticlan.
You can also click here to book a transfer package which includes everything you need to get from Kalibo Airport to your hotel in Boracay.
I don’t recommend this option if you can fly to Caticlan via option 1 above for a better price.
Click here to read our full guide to traveling from Kalibo Airport to Boracay.
Option 3: Manila – Boracay Ferry/Bus RoRo
If you wish to save money and/or explore more of the Philippines, you may want to consider one of the overland options to get from Manila to Boracay. These journeys always involve both buses and ferries.
Note that these options aren’t necessarily cheaper than flying. Which option is cheaper depends on the flight prices for your dates. If you can book your flight tickets during a sale, it’s possible that it can be a fair bit cheaper to fly.
This first overland option details how to travel from Manila to Boracay via RoRo, also known as “Roll On – Roll Off.” Ceres is the company that offers this mode of travel on this route.
They will basically take you all the way from Manila to Caticlan for the boat to Boracay with several ferries and land journeys along the way. Your bus travels with you as you do this which simplifies what can be a complicated journey.
This journey takes 16 hours and generally departs at 6am. It doesn’t run every day. Tickets start at ₱1,585 which doesn’t include ferry tickets which you may need to pay for to the driver of the bus. It’s a tiring journey.
I recommend you purchase your Manila to Boracay ticket online in advance to avoid long queues and the hassle of buying your tickets on-site. Not many buses run this route so you don’t want to miss out either.
Click here to see the latest prices.
Option 4: Manila To Boracay Bus/Ferry Via Batangas
If you can’t get a ticket for the RoRo option above or if the journey times don’t suit, another option is to take a bus from Manila to Batangas and then a ferry from here to Caticlan for the boat to Boracay.
The upside of this option compared to the last is that your ferry is overnight and can be more comfortable.
Buses run regularly throughout the day from the Paranaque Integrated Terminal in Manila with Ceres. Buses take about two hours to Batangas arriving at the Batangas Port. Tickets start from ₱357. Some buses also go elsewhere in Batangas, but try to get one to the port so you are all set for the next step of your journey.
Click here for bus schedules, ticket prices and tickets.
When you arrive at Batangas Port, you can take a ferry to Caticlan.
2GO runs ferries on this route which take about 11 hours and depart in the evening so you arrive in Boracay first thing in the morning. The ferry runs most evenings with tickets starting from ₱1,346. The exact price depends on the accommodation you pick on the ferry.
Once you get to the Caticlan, take a short 10-20-minute local boat ride to Boracay. There are more details about this below.
In terms of how many hours from Manila to Boracay this route will take, the total travel time is about 16 hours. If you do decide to take this route, it’s recommended that you buy your ferry tickets in advance to make sure they aren’t sold out.
Click here to see the latest prices and schedules.
You can also read our full guide to traveling from Batangas to Boracay here.
Ferry From Caticlan To Boracay
No matter which option you choose above, once you have made it to Caticlan Jetty, you’ll need to take a boat across to Boracay. This can be a small bangka or a bigger boat. This only takes 10-15 minutes.
The boat schedule to Boracay is usually from 5am to 9pm with frequent departures.
The boat fare from Caticlan to Boracay is made up of the following:
- ₱50 for the boat ticket
- ₱100 for the terminal fee
- ₱150 for locals and ₱300 for everyone else for the environmental fee.
These are all per person fees.
You can purchase your ticket at the port or in advance. You can find ferry tickets here.
Boats arrive at Cagban Jetty on Boracay. They only take around 10-15 minutes. The distance is very small.
From this jetty, you can take a tricycle on to your accommodation.
You can read my full guide to traveling from Caticlan to Boracay here.
How To Get From Boracay To Manila
If you’re wondering how to go from Boracay Island to Manila, all you need to do is take the above transportation options in reverse.
In terms of how far is Manila from Boracay, the distance is only 310 kilometers, but travel times can take anywhere between 4.25 and 18 hours, depending on your chosen transport method.
As discussed above, you can either take a flight back to Manila from Caticlan or Kalibo or take ferries/buses/RoRo from Caticlan back to Manila.
The previously discussed transportation all works the same way in reverse.
I recommend flying if at all possible. It’s a long and tiring overland journey back.
Final Words – How To Go From Manila To Boracay
So there you have it! In this guide, I’ve covered the different transportation from Manila to Boracay in both directions.
The fastest and most convenient way is to take one of the flights from Manila to Boracay Island landing at Caticlan Airport (or vice versa and hop on one of the Boracay to Manila flights.) As an alternative, you can also catch a Manila ferry to Boracay (via Batangas and Caticlan) or travel on ferries and bus via RoRo.
You can find the flights you need here or your overland option here.
I hope you found this guide to how to travel from Manila and Boracay Island useful. You can also find our full guide to how to get to Boracay here, all the best things to do in Boracay with kids here or the best resorts in Boracay here. Otherwise, find our full Boracay travel guide here. If you need help while visiting Manila out check out our Manila itinerary here.
