How to Go to Boracay: Directions and Fees

Label(s): Aklan , Beaches , Boracay , Philippines , Travel ; Posted By Ry

[Last Updated: June 2013]

It's summer time and many are planning their vacation in the beautiful island of Boracay. I notice a number of people in online forums keep asking on the directions and fees so I hope this post can be of help in plotting your trip.

a well-deserved Boracay trip ;)

1.Book your flight
From Manila, there are four airlines to choose from: Philippine Airlines (PAL), Cebu Pacific Air, PAL Express (code share with PAL), Tiger Airways (formerly SEAIR) and Air Asia Zest. All these airlines provide online reservation for your convenience. The two most popular flight destinations to Boracay are:
a. Caticlan - a three-minute tricycle ride away to Caticlan Jetty port where you need to board a pump boat or fast craft to the island of Boracay; generally has more expensive flights than Kalibo. Curently, only propeller-type planes are allowed to land here due to its short runway.

b. Kalibo - a one and a half-hour van/bus ride away to Caticlan Jetty Port. I prefer to arrive here because it gives me the option to select a flight that utilizes a jet-type plane such as Airbus.

Another option is via Iloilo which is a six-hour bus ride away to Caticlan Jetty Port.

2. At the Airport
Don't get lost especially for first time travelers and for those coming from abroad. Three airport terminals in Manila are serving flights to Boracay:
a. Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2 – serves some (NOT all!) PAL flights; also known as the Centennial Terminal

b. NAIA 3 - Cebu Pacific, PAL Express and some (NOT all!) PAL flights; the newest terminal in front of Resorts World Manila

c. Manila Domestic Airport – Tiger Airways and Air Asia Zest flights

If you booked online, remember to bring your printed flight confirmation. You canNOT enter the airport without this.

NAIA 3 check-in counters

Terminal fee for domestic flights in the Philippines used to be paid separately in the airport. Fortunately, terminal fee is now inclusive on the ticket fare starting August 2012. So the picture below is NOT applicable anymore.

NO need to fall in line for the domestic terminal fee starting August 2012

3. Upon Landing

Upon arrival, take your appropriate ride to go to Caticlan Jetty Port.

a. From Caticlan Airport - There will be a tourist information sheet that needs to be filled up per group (yup, not per passenger). Outside the small airport, tricycles are waiting for you. It costs P7 per head or P50 per chartered trip and would only take a two or three-minute ride to reach the Caticlan Jetty Port.

b. From Kalibo Airport - Lots of vans are waiting outside the airport for P200-250 per head which already includes the pump boat ride from Caticlan Jetty Port to Boracay's Cagban Port. The price of the van ride alone ranges from P175-225. Travel time is more or less 1.5 hours; also give a 30-minute allowance for some waiting time and unexpected delays just to be sure. Another option is to ride the South West Tours; for more information on the latter, check their website: http://www.southwesttoursboracay.com/.

c. From Iloilo Airport - I haven't tried this route yet but I read in online forums that it would be a six-hour land travel via Ceres bus to Caticlan Jetty Port.

4. Caticlan Jetty Port to Cagban Port

The fees and boat ticket booths are located outside Caticlan Jetty Port. There are two common options for the boat ride: the more popular pump boat (P25) which departs every five minutes and the airconditioned Montenegro fast craft (P30). The latter seems to offer a more comfy ride but is very limited and has 30 (?) or so minutes of interval. Other fees include environmental fee of P75 (up from P50 last year) and terminal fee of P50.

The pump boat, environmental and terminal fees are to be paid in Windows 2 and 3 located at the left side of the port (facing the port). Montenegro fast craft (Window 1) is located at the right side.

Enter the port and have your bags and tickets inspected. Before boarding the boat, you have to list down your name on the boat manifest.

a short 7 to 10-minute pump boat ride to Boracay's Cagban Port

5. Almost There

Tricycles are already waiting for you at the Cagban Port. The fare per head depends on where you'll alight (ask your hotel/guesthouse); it normally costs P20 per head. For comfort, we prefer a chartered ride at P100 per trip.

travel time to common drop off points is approximately 15 minutes

Alight at the main road, walk straight ahead along the alley and finally...

Welcome to Boracay!

Let me know if I missed anything.

Enjoy Boracay! ;)

P.S.
You are probably thinking of your itinerary now. I have posted my recent 4-day Boracay itinerary which may help you decide on the things to do and try. Here are the links:
Click here for Part 1 (Days 1 and 2) --> Planning, ATV, Night Life, Food Trips, Etc.
Click here for Part 2 (Days 3 and 4) --> Reef Walking, Parasailing, More Food Trips, Etc.

47 non-violent reactions so far.

Unknown April 28, 2011 at 12:17 PM

very helpful guide! sayang wala pa kong VL hehe... it would be great to go to Boracay again! :)
Ry April 28, 2011 at 12:59 PM

go go go! at wag kalimutan ang zuzuni's chocolate sin ;)
tina May 3, 2011 at 4:35 PM

Nice post! Very detailed and informative.

Thanks for the info :)
Ry May 3, 2011 at 4:45 PM

you're welcome, and thanks too :)
Unknown May 8, 2011 at 2:59 AM

how about going back to manila is it the same list of expenses din?
Johanna June 30, 2011 at 1:40 PM

question, sa Php200 na fare sa van, you said na included dun yung sa boat ride going to the boracay island. no other fees to be collected? kasi my friend said that a separate Php150 is charged for the boat ride to the island. thanks
Ry June 30, 2011 at 1:46 PM

@Johana: your friend may be referring to the combined boat (25) + environmental fee (75) + terminal fee (50) = P150
Ry June 30, 2011 at 1:51 PM

for the P200 van payment, 175 dun is for the van itself and 25 is for the boat. excluding pa dyan ung environmental and terminal fee just to set things clear
Johanna June 30, 2011 at 2:19 PM

ah okay, so we have to pay additional Php125 for terminal and environmental fee... thanks a lot.. :)
Anonymous August 1, 2011 at 4:09 PM

I haven't yet visited the place, but thank you for the guide. Its a big help. Hope to see the place myself also. God bless!
bonek August 4, 2011 at 11:13 AM

hello...thanks for the very helpful guide...pag me aksama po na kids ages 1 and 4 yo me charge din po ba sila sa van transfer from kalibo?how abt po sa terminal fee etc?or me option na kandungin..thank you!!!
Ry August 4, 2011 at 11:23 AM

hi bonek, sa totoo lang wala akong idea. but i assume may bayad pa rin. it's about business/money matters i think. but again, im not sure.
ciano August 9, 2011 at 8:42 PM

boss parehas ba terminal at manila domestic airport?zest air kc kmi.thnx
ciano August 9, 2011 at 8:43 PM

**terminal 3
Ry August 9, 2011 at 10:45 PM

NAIA T3 is different from Manila Domestic.
Anonymous August 19, 2011 at 12:49 PM

Hi meron lang ako tanong sa'yo... 'yong terminal fee at environmental fee per head ba 'yon? salamat sa sagot!

Quel:)
Ry August 19, 2011 at 12:52 PM

yup, ung mga ganyang fees per head
Anonymous September 9, 2011 at 2:09 PM

hi, want to ask for your advice, is it a safe and an easy ride from kalibo to caticlan? We are planning to travel to boracay with kids and the airfare to kalibo is way cheaper than to caticlan. Thank you.
Ry September 9, 2011 at 2:27 PM

yup, it's safe. Although most vans there are somewhat old. Travel is generally convenient except that you need to add like 1.5-2hrs for the land travel.
Anonymous September 17, 2011 at 9:44 PM

Good day. Is there 24 hours public transportation available in Kalibo? We plan to book an overnight stay in Kalibo since our flight is 5:30am (and must be in Kalibo Airport 2 hours earlier around 3am). Can we easily find transportation that early? Thanks.
myla October 11, 2011 at 1:54 PM

Hi, your Boracay trips/tips are very helpful indeed...I'll go to this beautiful island tomorrow and try everything good you have mentioned and other stuff...thanks again :)
joanne November 16, 2011 at 10:07 PM

hi sir. are the fees mentioned still the same? we are booked this coming dec. booked flight and hotel last march pa. when i checked on the hotel's website now, round trip transfer from/to kalibo is P1300 per head. tama lang ba yung price na yun for the convenience or better na ride a van, boat and tricycle to the hotel? pa-enlighten naman po. thanks.
Unknown November 16, 2011 at 10:37 PM

hi, thanks for that review, i know it will be a big help for us when we go there next year March 5, 2012, same pa rin ba lahat ng fees? yong tricycle ba pwede hanggang station 2? Thanks.
Ry November 17, 2011 at 9:38 AM

not really sure if the rates are still the same, went there last april pa e.

@joanne: mas mahal tgla papa-transfer ka thru your hotel coz of the convenience. pero ndi naman hassle if u'll do it urself

@beka1121: yup pdeng hanggang station 2
Thea December 9, 2011 at 1:52 PM

Was looking for a concise Boracay guide and I came across your blog. Very good job! I'm so excited to visit Bora next year!!! :)

P.S. Daming fees sa airport. :/ Hopefully, they are put to good use.
Ry December 9, 2011 at 2:02 PM

@Thea: Thanks! Enjoy boracay and please explore also those that i've not mentioned. there are so much things to do there ;)
Anonymous December 17, 2011 at 9:03 AM

sir wala na po bang terminal fee pag pabalik na? boracay to manila? hehe base mo jan sa nabasa ko nasa 400 ung terminal fee and environmental fee from manila to boracay hehe salamat sir malaking 2long po ito lalo na sa mga tight budget and mga 1st timer like us hehe
Ry December 18, 2011 at 1:27 PM

hi, there are still fees going back to manila (inc terminal fee but they're way cheaper). i've indicated them here: http://www.ryramos.com/2011/04/my-4-day-boracay-itinerary-2011-part-2.html
blissfulguro January 11, 2012 at 12:02 AM

this is soo helpful for first-timers...good job!
Ry January 11, 2012 at 8:57 AM

thanks blissfulguru :)
bibitil January 18, 2012 at 4:19 AM

hi! thanks for the blogs.. really enjoyed reading it since i was looking at the internet about boracay experiences so me and my friend can manage our 4D3N in boracay. it is our first time to bora so i really need to research and read some reviews since we have only a low budgeted pocket money. lol. :D we got the cebu pac ticket roundtrip for only (1,945) yes, it's good for 2 pax already. actually i really don't have plans though but since last new yr cebu pac offered piso seat sale. i tried my luck via dvo-iloilo and it was confirmed. lol. now i was able to book our accomodation thru agoda.com. we wanted to have an affordable room since we also have to stay in iloilo for overnight because our flight to dvo will be so early. so in short, super duper tipid dapat. anyway, thanks tlaga. hehehe. at least maplanohan ko na ang bora trip nmn dis march24-28 :D
Ry January 18, 2012 at 10:07 AM

@bibitil: u'r welcome and thanks sa pag-read ng blog ko. naku sayang, i'll be at boracay on march 30- apr 2
Anonymous February 2, 2012 at 3:34 AM

This is a great blog indeed! I've been to Boracay many times since my parents are from Aklan but I still take time to look for additional info like these to forward to my friends.

I can say going home is cheaper.. no more environmental fee etc. Plus, if your going home via kalibo, the terminal fee is cheaper too.. before it was 20, i think they increased the fee but it's still at least 50% lower than than the charge in NAIA.

I'll be there March 25-27 too!
Anonymous February 14, 2012 at 3:41 AM

tnx po,magkano po lahat ang magagastos o ang dapat pocket money sa bora?
Anonymous February 27, 2012 at 9:20 PM

Hi Ry. Me and my gf went to Boracay last August for the first time and your blog was really very helpful (especially the "how to get there" post). In fact, we based our itinerary similar to yours. :)

This also inspired me to start my own food and travel blog as well, to be able to help other tourists. Do check out my Boracay post and tell me what you think.;)

http://rodifiedopinion.wordpress.com/2012/02/27/oh-my-boracay-part-1/

Thanks!
Anonymous March 4, 2012 at 11:45 AM

Very informative! Do you have any suggestion on your bag or luggage to bring? Tis will be my first time to travel to Boracay & you help me a lot of ideas, thank you
Steve L March 12, 2012 at 8:15 PM

Thanks for this - a great help!
mel March 14, 2012 at 11:04 PM

this indeed is very helpful. its my first time too, i never been there, so thank you for the information. I just have some question about sa "roro" or boat na going to boracay from caticlan jetty port.. how long does it operate? they said it ended at 5pm, but im hoping that there is this some special boat ride to cross the island that we can take. SO we don't end up spending more for a place to sleep in. kasi our arrival to kalibo airport is 6pm on April and we're traveling 2 hrs more to get to caticlan. So im looking for ways to save money just for the overnight stay, just because there's no more boat. we have kids with us, and i know hotel accommodation are expensive. So im just trying to get a better advice o save money :)thanks for helping us through this!
Rhejay April 11, 2012 at 9:15 PM

Nice blog... salamat po.. paghahandaan ko napo ang pagpunta dito...gsto ko napo tlgang makapunta...
Anonymous May 14, 2012 at 4:48 PM

nice blog.sana same fare pa din siya. coz' we are leaving on thurs. may 17, 2012 :-)
Anonymous June 16, 2012 at 8:19 AM

This is very helpful indeed! I'm glad nakita q e2 blog mo, while searching for best buffet resto in boracay. You save me so much money! Almost half price of everything compare sa agency! I was so hesitate paying it now since next year pa nmn trip namin. Buti na Lang tlaga!Really appreciated sir! Thanks God bless.
Ry June 17, 2012 at 2:47 PM

you're welcome :) enjoy boracay!
Unknown October 1, 2012 at 11:12 PM

Hi Ry, I'm going to Boracay by the end of the month. Do you know how early does the pump boat leaves Cagban's Port to Caticlan Jetty? Because I have an earlly flight to catch at Kalibo as early as 8.05am. Do u think i can make it?
Ry October 2, 2012 at 9:27 AM

@Feyo; i heard that the boat ride starts at 5AM. sorry im not really sure if marami nang byaheng van/bus paputnang Kalibo early in the morning as I haven't tried it yet. ask mo yung tutuluyan mong hotel/guesthouse kasi yung iba sa kanila nago-offer ng chartered airport transfer
Xtian November 19, 2012 at 3:01 PM

Hi. is the fees still updated? thanks much
Anonymous July 14, 2014 at 4:35 AM

been there yesterday, and ive met a girl who happens to be my seatmate on the plane. she asked if im going to boracay, i said yes. and she told me how much would be the cost of fares of van, tricycle and boat which is 100, 20, and 25 respectively and not to mentioned the terminal fees. this girl is living in aklan where in she is having a vl from dubai. but to my surpise they have no standard fare in van i jaz realized one thing, why tourist though still a Filipino would stil pay for terminal fees when actually if thyre going to manila...thyre not asking for fees! and also the govt would set a standard fees on van.
Boracay Rooms October 22, 2015 at 4:39 PM

Hi there!

Enjoy Boracay Island while experiencing extreme water activities.

BoracayRooms.ph/activities

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