Manila is a good place to start your visit to the Philippines. The country’s capital is a bustling metropolis that mixes old and new, with an impressive walled city from the Spanish colonial era and ultra-modern skyscrapers. Quieter but also bustling is the city of Iloilo. If you like Manila’s Spanish colonial atmosphere, you’ll enjoy Iloilo for its churches, cathedrals, and old houses, but in a more relaxed environment. It has a nice nightlife, and if you are going with family or friends, you will surely have a great time at the city water park. A little further from the center there are also beaches, and we recommend visiting the neighboring island of Guimaras. Read on to find out how you can travel from Manila to Iloilo.
Travel options from Manila to Iloilo
The flight distance from Manila to Iloilo is not too far. As the crow flies, it’s 465 kilometers (290 miles) and direct flights from Manila to Iloilo are a popular travel option between the two cities. You can also take the road, but since there are several islands between the islands of Manila and Iloílo, you would also need to use several ferries. Since the route is not directly on the road, the journey takes a lot of kilometers and time, so we do not recommend it. Aside from flights, the most common way to get from Manila to Iloilo is by direct ferry. Ferries are not the fastest way to get from one city to another, but they can be a good opportunity to see the sights and have fun.
Flights from Manila to Iloilo
Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Cebu Pacific on the runway © Rainier Martin Ampongan / Shutterstock.com
Flights are usually much more expensive than other transport options. Therefore, if you are on a tight budget, flying is usually not a realistic option. But flights from Manila to Iloilo have many advantages. First of all, they are very affordable, probably because there are several airlines operating on this route and competition helps keep prices down. Secondly, because there are several airlines, there are many flights every day, which gives you a lot of flexibility. The last big advantage of flying is the duration of the trip. Flights from Manila to Iloilo are expected to take between 1 hour and 1 hour 25 minutes. Even if you add the transfer time to the airport and hotel, passing security checks and waiting, it is still the fastest option to get from Manila to Iloilo.
The airlines that serve this route are Cebu Pacific, Philippines AirAsia and Philippines Airlines. The first two are low-cost carriers, so you’re more likely to find cheaper tickets by looking for tickets from these carriers. But flights from Manila to Iloilo with Philippines Airlines can also be very affordable. Cebu Pacific is the company with the most flights, with around eight departures per day. If you want to save some money, be as flexible as possible when choosing your departure time and date, as these can make a big difference to the cost of your ticket.
The flights of these three airlines can be booked on their travel website 12Go.asiawhere you can see the search results on the same page to easily compare prices and schedules.
From Manila to Iloilo by ferry
Overnight Super Value Philippines © Happy Auer / Shutterstock.com
Traveling by car and taking several different ferries is an option, but not the most recommended one. Instead, if you want to fly from Manila to Iloilo but don’t want to fly, you can choose a direct ferry. The ferry company 2Go Travel operates direct ferries from Manila to Iloilo with a journey time of approximately 20 hours. If you choose multiple ferries, the trip will take approximately 27 hours. At the moment, direct ferries run on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and indirect ferries on Thursdays. But if you can’t get a ticket on one of the direct ferries, there’s no advantage in going indirectly.
You can book a Manila to Iloilo ferry ticket through the 12Go website where you can compare ferries and flights on the same site. You will see that ferries can be cheaper than flights, but it is not an excessive difference. Depending on the class you choose, if you are traveling by ferry, this option may be more expensive than the plane. Super Value and Mega Value classes have similar prices and are cheaper than a plane ticket. For the price you get a bed in a very spacious room shared with many other travelers so no privacy at all. The Mega Value class is the same but with air conditioning which is highly recommended when sharing space with so many people.
If you don’t like the idea of sharing such a large room, you can spend more on cabin travel. Economy cabins are simple but smaller and hold fewer people. You can also find the option of 4-berth cabins or Business Class cabins which are more comfortable and are shared between 4 or 8 people. As you can imagine, the more comfort and privacy, the more expensive the ticket. But if we consider that this includes an overnight stay, the Manila to Iloilo ferry is quite affordable.
The ferries are well equipped with everything you need including places to eat, a small market, gift shop, bar and even a spa and hair salon so you can arrive in Iloilo at its best. It cannot be compared to a cruise, but it is enough to spend the night on board.
Given that ferry and flight tickets have comparable prices, it can be difficult to decide which mode of transport to choose. If you don’t like traveling by ship, don’t hesitate to go by plane. It’s also a good option if you don’t have much time and want to get from Manila to Iloilo as quickly as possible. But if you’re not in a hurry, the ferry can be fun and allows you to enjoy the landscape from a different perspective, as well as meet other travelers who are traveling the same route.