Exploring the Best Cebu City Attractions
Transportation in Cebu City
Getting around Cebu is a bit more challenging than other Asian cities. There is no robust system of trains and subways, and busses are confusing for foreigners. The main way locals get around is the iconic Jeepneys, which are bright, colorful, open-air jeep busses. However, this system is hard for foreigners to understand. The easiest and most convenient way to get to the biggest attractions in Cebu City is Grab Taxi. This way, you can guarantee that the driver will know exactly where to take you and how much to pay.
However, the first destinations in our itinerary are well outside the city in the hills. Sirao Garden, TOPS, and Temple of Leah are 30-60 minutes from Cebu. Unfortunately, there is little to no Grab service that far out. You will have to wait at least 30 minutes for a grab to arrive. For this reason we recommend you book a day tour to this area ahead of time. Half day tours cost from 60-70 USD for 4-6 locations. We didn’t realize this, but our grab in the area offered us a tour on the spot for about 50 USD. We were thankful he offered this service, because it was true, there was absolutely no taxi service in that area and our day would have been over quickly.
Sirao Garden
Sirao Flower Garden is an iconic spot in Cebu, located in the mountains. Upon arrival, we paid an admission fee of 100 pesos. One of the main attractions is the giant hand statue, which many tourists line up to visit. It’s one of the most popular spots that come up when searching for the garden. We headed straight to the line to climb the short staircase and take pictures in the palm of the hand. While this spot is picturesque, the view is just as stunning, with the lush green fields captivating your eyes.
Afterward, we explored the rest of the garden, where we discovered other viewpoints and a variety of flowers in bloom. To our surprise, the garden is relatively small and easy to navigate. The majority of your time is spent finding the perfect photo opportunity. Depending on your interest, you can easily spend anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour there.
TOPS Cebu
If you’re looking for the best view of Cebu City, look no further than TOPS. This vista offers a stunning panorama over the valley with the city, mountains, and ocean all in one. Open 24 hours a day, TOPS gives you ample opportunity to enjoy the breathtaking scenery at any time. We initially thought it was just a viewpoint, but it turned out to be so much more.
In addition to the views, there are shops, restaurants, events, and even Sunday Mass. For an additional fee, you can climb up the spiral stairs and get a full 360 view of the surrounding valleys from the top, although we didn’t have time. Altogether this makes TOPS one of the most notable attractions in Cebu City. You could easily spend a couple of hours exploring everything it has to offer. With a modest admission fee of 100 pesos, it’s definitely worth a visit!
Temple of Leah
The Temple of Leah is located on the northern mountains of Cebu. It was built by wealthy business tycoon Teodorico Soriano Adarna in memory of his late wife, Leah Albino-Adarna. Their marriage lasted for more than five decades when Leah passed due to lung cancer. Adarna constructed this massive seven story Greco-Roman temple in her honor. The Temple of Leah houses a library, art gallery, museum, chambers, statues, and sculptures. All of the items in the many rooms were part of her personal collections.
As you walk through the front pillars, you are greeted by the whimsical sound of a love song played on the piano, which sets a serene and romantic atmosphere. Inside is a grand staircase leading up to a statue of Leah. The room is adorned with mosaics, chandeliers, and portraits. With the intricacy of the designs and the detailed decorations around the rooms, it’s clear how deeply Adarna loved his wife.
We truly underestimated the Temple of Leah. We had anticipated cheesy tourist attractions, but instead found the crown jewel of Cebu City. This place is not just a tourist attraction but a true monument to love and devotion. The admission fee is 150 pesos on weekends, and visitors are encouraged to dress respectfully to show their reverence for this special place.
Fort San Pedro
For San Pedro is one of the oldest remnants of colonialism in Asia. This fort was constructed by the Spanish in 1565, and was the first major launching point for the Spanish conquest of the Philippines. The original fort was a wooden construction, and was later fortified with stone. Now, it is a beautiful museum tucked away in the bustling city.
We weren’t prepared for how much we would like this place. The fort is very charming, with lots of lovely old stone and greenery. It’s not very large, but there is enough space to walk around for a little while. Sitting on top in the sun as the ocean breeze came over us was so refreshing. Of course the legacy of colonialism gives the experience a strange feeling, but it’s a great place to learn about the history of the country.
Honestly, it really reminds me of the kind of decoration in a Disney queue. There’s something about a stone fort like this that’s so unique and cozy in person. You only need about 30 minutes to enjoy everything here. However it was the end of our trip we were happy to chill and enjoy the great weather before going back to winter in Korea. The entry price was basically nothing, so it’s absolutely worth the visit if you have any time.
Cebu City Food
That’s all for attractions in Cebu City, but we’re not done yet. Cebu has a thriving food culture that we only scratched the surface of. With local restaurants on every corner, and hundreds of fusion dishes inspired by the diverse immigrant community, Cebu City has plenty of delicious options. We highly recommend you explore the many Korean, Japanese, and Chinese restaurants. As well as the amazing local Cubuano cuisine.
Good Cup Coffee Co.
Good Cup Coffee Co. is our new favorite coffee shop in the Philippines. Their menu is exclusively coffee with only three non-coffee items. They also roast their beans in the shop. As per usual Michael chose to get a pour over with beans from Ethiopia, but grown in the Philippines. I got a crème brûlée iced matcha with a walnut cookie.
Good Cup Coffee Co. wasn’t just a place to get good coffee, but it was an experience. After we ordered, the barista asked if we would like him to demonstrate how he would brew the pour over. We were in awe of how he explained the origin, process, measurements, and temperatures. It was perfect! He was a very personable barista that we had a great conversation with.
The barista asked if we had been to Cebu before, and we said no. He presented us with some amazing homemade matcha soft serve ice cream as a welcome gift. It was so amazing, rivaling the famous matcha ice cream from Jeju in Korea. Our experience at Good Cup Coffee Co. proved once again the overwhelming kindness of the Filipino people. If you are a coffee lover, you will not regret coming here!
Tightrope Coffee
Tightrope Coffee is a 3rd wave specialty coffee shop exclusively in Cebu with several locations. They also have great breakfast and lunch items available. We went to their location at One Paseo Banilad, as it opens the earliest. The atmosphere in the shop is very chill with lots of open space, big windows, and seating. As I continue to visit more coffee shops, I’ve been very observant of their bar layouts, and I loved how simplistic and clean theirs was.
Michael ordered a pourover with beans from Colombia and I got an iced matcha latte with oat milk. I’m currently on a matcha kick as I experienced a revival for matcha. To pair with our drinks, we had a warm raspberry white chocolate cookie. While we didn’t have an amazing personal experience like at Good Cup Coffee Co., we still had a great time chilling out at Tightrope. We’d recommend this shop as one of the best specialty shops in Cebu.
Gogoes Lechon
Lechón is one of the must try foods when visiting Cebu. Lechón is a whole roasted pig which was fed by its mother’s milk. Filipinos typically have this dish for most big gatherings such as birthdays, festivals, Christmas, and etc. The whole pig is slowly roasted over charcoals for hours until the skin is caramelized and the meat is tender. We decided to try lechón for the first time at Gogoes Lechon. Mark Weins always inspires our food adventures, so we visited this lechón restaurant due to our schedule and distance.Â
We ordered 500 grams of meat and some rice on the side. They offer other foods to have as sides but we just came for the lechón. Biting down was a magical explosion of flavor! The tenderness of the meat with the slight juices and the crispiness of the pork skin was unreal. I’m glad I don’t live near that restaurant because I would go everyday if I could. Gogoes Lechón has seating, but it is popular so it can get quite busy. Since we were visiting during the end of the busy season, we were able to get our food right away.Â
Jollibee
Jollibee is the largest fast food chain in the Philippines, with hundreds of locations domestic and international. We’ve tried Jollibee once before, but this time, we wanted to give it another go since we had more time to enjoy the food. When you’re in the Philippines, you don’t have to worry about finding a Jollibee – they’re everywhere! We visited the nearest one to our accommodation for dinner, and it was quite busy. We ordered spicy chicken, a cheesy Yumburger, Jolly Spaghetti, a Coke Float, and pineapple juice.
Due to the crowd, we decided to do takeout. The chicken, just as we remembered, was really good. I prefer chicken with spicy breading rather than spicy sauce, so I can understand why their chicken is so popular. We had never tried their spaghetti or burgers before, so we were curious. Unfortunately, we didn’t enjoy them as much. The spaghetti had a sweet, ketchup-like tomato sauce with what seemed like chopped Vienna sausages. The Yumburger was on the sweeter side, likely due to its mayo-ketchup-style sauce, which I’m not particularly fond of. Since I prefer dry burgers, it makes sense why I didn’t enjoy it as much. Overall, Jollibee’s chicken is definitely the standout item, and I’d be happy to have it again. If you’re not a fan of spicy food, they also offer regular chicken as an option.
Final Thoughts
We really enjoyed our time in Cebu City and would love to return for a longer stay to explore more. While the island life in the Philippines is amazing, we’re glad we took the opportunity to experience what the city has to offer as well. The bustling streets, rich culture, and delicious local food made our visit truly memorable. From historical landmarks to modern attractions, Cebu City has so much to offer for every kind of traveler. We’re already looking forward to our next trip to see even more of the city’s hidden gems.
