Getting to Dumaguete: Flights, Ferries and Buses
This page is for travellers working out how to reach Dumaguete in the first place - by air from Manila or Cebu, by fast craft or vehicle ferry from Cebu, Siquijor, Bohol and Mindanao, or by bus across the island from Bacolod. It also tells you which links carry vehicles, which is what matters if you plan to arrive with a rental or take one away with you. Fares are moving with fuel surcharges, so treat every price here as a guide and check the operator's current schedule.
By air: Dumaguete-Sibulan Airport (DGT)
The airport is in Sibulan, immediately north of the city limit, roughly 4-5 km and 10-15 minutes from Rizal Boulevard. As of August-September 2026 there are non-stop flights from Manila with Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines / PAL Express (about 1 h 15-25 min), from Cebu with Cebgo / Cebu Pacific (about 25-30 min) and from Iloilo with Cebgo. AirAsia has flown Manila-Dumaguete in the past; whether it is operating in 2026 is uncertain, so check.
Tricycles and vans or taxis wait outside arrivals. Official fares are posted on a signboard after arrivals, and some drivers quote higher to first-timers, so read the board first. Most hotels offer airport pick-up. A new Dumaguete airport in Bacong is planned - the loan was signed in August 2024 - but no opening date has been confirmed.
By sea: fast craft (passengers only)
OceanJet sails from the Dumaguete city port to Siquijor in about 45 minutes, with departures around 7:20 am and 7:10 pm plus mid-day sailings on some schedules, and on to Tagbilaran in Bohol via Siquijor in about 2 hours (7:20 am out, 3:20 pm back). Published 2025 fares for Dumaguete-Siquijor are about PHP 350 tourist and PHP 580 business. Fast craft carry no vehicles.
By sea: vehicle ferries (RoRo)
Dumaguete-Siquijor
Montenegro Shipping Lines takes about 2 hours with roughly 6-7 sailings each way daily - first around 5:00-7:00 am and last around 6:00 pm from Dumaguete, last from Siquijor around 7:30 pm. Passengers pay about PHP 234; a motorcycle was PHP 728 in August 2026, and an April 2025 list had a motorcycle at PHP 676, a multicab or hatchback at PHP 1,352 and a 4-wheel private car at PHP 1,690.
Aleson Shipping Lines is the cheapest, also about 2 hours, roughly 10:00 am and 6:00 pm from Dumaguete in 2025; passengers about PHP 200-250, motorcycle PHP 800, multicab or sedan PHP 1,500, van PHP 1,800. Both use the port at Siquijor town. Whether a RODG vehicle may cross is confirmed with us at booking, and the outside-province add-on applies. Full details on Siquijor by Ferry.
Negros-Cebu
Two short crossings link the province to the southern tip of Cebu, and cars, SUVs and motorcycles board them routinely.
- Tampi (San Jose, about 15 km north) to Bato (Samboan): Maayo Shipping, about 30 minutes, roughly 7 departures each way (5:00 am, 8:00 am, 10:30 am, 2:00 pm, 5:00 pm, 8:00 pm, 11:30 pm). Passengers PHP 80-120 plus surcharge; vehicle fares are not published online, so call Maayo for vehicle rates.
- Sibulan to Liloan (Santander): Maayo RoRo, about 30 minutes, 9-13 sailings daily between 4:30 am and 10:30 pm. Passengers about PHP 120-130 plus surcharge, and up to 2 passengers ride free with a vehicle; an April 2025 listing had a motorcycle at PHP 275 including 2 riders and a 4-wheeler at PHP 1,420. Cuadro Alas runs a passengers-only fast craft on the same route, about PHP 150.
From Bato or Liloan it is about 3.5-4 hours by road via Oslob to Cebu City. MARINA raised the fuel-surcharge cap to 30% on 30 March 2026, so expect these fares to move. Taking a RODG vehicle to Cebu is a trip outside Negros Oriental: the per-vehicle add-on applies and the ferry crossing must be agreed with us at booking.
Dumaguete-Dapitan (Mindanao)
3-5 hours, with FastCat (up to 4 daily), Montenegro, Aleson, Cokaliong, Lite Ferries, 2GO and others, at about PHP 250-650.
Overnight from Cebu City
Cokaliong sails Cebu City-Dumaguete in about 6 hours, 2-3 times a week each way, departing 8:00 pm, from about PHP 480.
By bus: Ceres Liner
Dumaguete-Bacolod via Mabinay takes about 6 hours including a stop at Mabinay, with 16-17 trips a day each way, at PHP 410 non-aircon or PHP 510 aircon (September 2026). It runs between the Dumaguete Ceres Terminal, south of the city, and the Bacolod South Terminal; a slower service goes via Bayawan. Dumaguete-Cebu City via Oslob takes about 7 hours and about PHP 372; the bus boards the Sibulan-Liloan RoRo.
Summary
| Route | Operator | Time | Indicative fare | Vehicles? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manila - DGT | Cebu Pacific, PAL / PAL Express | 1 h 15-25 min | Varies | No |
| Cebu - DGT | Cebgo / Cebu Pacific | 25-30 min | Varies | No |
| Iloilo - DGT | Cebgo | Short flight | Varies | No |
| Dumaguete - Siquijor (fast craft) | OceanJet | 45 min | PHP 350 / 580 (2025) | No |
| Dumaguete - Siquijor (RoRo) | Montenegro, Aleson | About 2 h | PHP 200-234 passenger; motorcycle PHP 676-800; car PHP 1,352-1,690 | Yes |
| Dumaguete - Tagbilaran | OceanJet via Siquijor | About 2 h | Check operator | No |
| Tampi - Bato (Cebu) | Maayo Shipping | About 30 min | PHP 80-120 passenger; call for vehicles | Yes |
| Sibulan - Liloan (Cebu) | Maayo RoRo; Cuadro Alas fast craft | 25-30 min | PHP 120-130 passenger; motorcycle PHP 275, car PHP 1,420 (April 2025) | Maayo yes; Cuadro Alas no |
| Dumaguete - Dapitan | FastCat, Montenegro, Aleson, Cokaliong, Lite, 2GO | 3-5 h | PHP 250-650 | Check operator |
| Cebu City - Dumaguete (overnight) | Cokaliong | About 6 h | From PHP 480 | Check operator |
| Bacolod - Dumaguete (bus) | Ceres Liner via Mabinay | About 6 h | PHP 410 / 510 | No |
| Cebu City - Dumaguete (bus) | Ceres Liner via Oslob | About 7 h | About PHP 372 | No |
Getting there and parking
The airport is 10-15 minutes from the city centre; the fast craft and Siquijor RoRos leave from the city port near Rizal Boulevard; the Cebu RoRos leave from Sibulan (7 km, 15 min) and Tampi in San Jose (about 15-16 km, 25 min); and the Ceres terminal is south of the city. Street parking downtown and along the boulevard is tight, so ask us about pick-up and drop-off at the airport, port or your hotel rather than leaving a vehicle at a terminal.
Which vehicle to book
Think about how you arrive and how much you are carrying.
- Flying in with luggage: a Toyota Vios or Suzuki Ciaz swallows a couple of suitcases and is easy to manage on the short airport run.
- Groups arriving together: a Toyota HiAce or Nissan NV350 moves a whole party and its bags in one trip; note these need the B1 licence code.
- Arriving without a car but planning to explore: a Yamaha NMAX 155 is the cheapest way to cover the coast once you are here.
Plan your trip
Once you know how you are arriving, browse the full RODG fleet or contact us to arrange where and when to collect the vehicle. Then check When to Visit for the season, and start planning routes from the Explore Negros Oriental hub.
Facts last checked September 2026; fees, schedules and road conditions change, so confirm locally before you go.