Bohol to Siquijor by ferry
Siquijor sits just south-west of Bohol, which makes it one of the most common onward hops from a Bohol trip and one of the easiest to plan badly. There is a direct crossing from Tagbilaran, but far fewer sailings than the Cebu corridor most people are used to, so the ferry is the fixed point and everything on the Bohol side has to be built backwards from it. This guide covers which gateway to use, what to do when the direct boat is full, and how the departure day actually runs.
The direct crossing leaves from Tagbilaran
Siquijor is a province of its own, lying south-west of Bohol, and the direct link from Bohol is a fast-craft crossing out of Tagbilaran City port - the same sea gateway the Cebu ferries use. OceanJet's destination list names Tagbilaran, Siquijor and Larena, and its published daily schedule carries a Tagbilaran-Siquijor crossing in each direction.
- Tagbilaran City port is the departure point, so a Panglao, Alona or countryside stay needs a road transfer to the pier first.
- The direct crossing is published as a connecting service, not an all-day corridor, so expect very little choice of sailing and book the boat before you fix the rest of the day.
- The operator names both Siquijor and Larena on the island - check which port your ticket actually uses, because it changes where you are met on the far side.
Dumaguete is the fallback gateway, and sometimes the better one
When the direct boat is full, badly timed or not sailing, the island is still a day away through Dumaguete on Negros. The same operator publishes Tagbilaran-Dumaguete and Dumaguete-Siquijor sailings, so the trip becomes two shorter hops instead of one crossing. It is worth deciding between the two shapes before you travel, not at the ticket counter.
- Siquijor sits within the Negros Island Region and faces Negros Oriental, which is why Dumaguete works as its busiest mainland gateway.
- The via-Dumaguete version still starts with the same Bohol-side drive to Tagbilaran City port, so the transfer we quote does not change.
- If you are undecided, tell us both options in the enquiry and we will quote the pier transfer around whichever sailing you end up holding.
What we quote is the Bohol side of the trip
We are a Bohol transfer and day-tour service, not a ferry agent. The piece we handle is the road leg: getting you and your bags from wherever you are staying to Tagbilaran City port in time to check in, and meeting the boat on the way back if Bohol is where your trip continues.
- Panglao, Alona and the Tagbilaran hotels are the usual pickups; Loboc, Anda and the northern stays are longer runs and need an earlier start.
- A returning crossing can be met at the pier and turned straight into a transfer to your next Bohol hotel, or into the first leg of an onward itinerary.
- Tell us the sailing you hold and the number of bags, and the quote covers the right vehicle rather than a guess.
Plan the departure day backwards from the sailing
The mistake that costs people the boat is planning the day forwards from checkout. Start at the departure time, subtract the check-in the operator asks for, then subtract the drive, and you have the pickup time your Bohol day has to fit inside. Anything you want to see that morning goes in what is left, not the other way round.
- Fix the ferry first, then the pickup, then the sightseeing - never the reverse.
- If the sailing is late enough, a short countryside or Panglao morning ending at the pier is a normal departure-day quote.
- Travelling with early flights, small children or a lot of luggage? Say so, because it changes how much slack the driver builds in.
Questions we get asked about this
The things people check before they send a quote request. If yours is not here, put it in the message box and we will answer it with your price.
Is there a direct ferry from Bohol to Siquijor?
Yes. OceanJet sails to both Tagbilaran and Siquijor, and its published daily schedule carries a direct Tagbilaran-Siquijor crossing in each direction. The catch is choice: the operator publishes it as a connecting service rather than an all-day corridor like Cebu-Tagbilaran, so there are very few sailings to pick from and they can sell out. Check the operator's own schedule before you commit to dates, and treat the sailing you book as the fixed point your Bohol day is built around.
What happens if the direct crossing is full or cancelled?
Go via Dumaguete. The same operator publishes Tagbilaran-Dumaguete and Dumaguete-Siquijor sailings, so the island is still reachable in a day when the direct boat is not an option, at the cost of an extra hop. It is worth knowing that route exists before you travel rather than discovering it at the ticket counter, and it is the reason we ask which sailing you actually hold before quoting the pier transfer.
Do you book the ferry ticket as well?
No. The ferry is a separate public booking you make yourself; what we quote is the Bohol-side vehicle and driver. Send us the operator, the sailing date and the departure port with your enquiry and we will time the pickup around the boat you have actually booked, including the check-in you need to be there for.
Can we still see something in Bohol on the day we sail?
Often, yes, if the sailing is late enough in the day and the bags travel with you. A departure-day plan that ends at the pier is a normal thing for us to quote: hotel checkout, one or two stops, then the pier drop-off with time in hand. Say so in the enquiry rather than booking a plain transfer, because it changes the vehicle, the timing and the luggage the driver needs to allow for.
Keep planning
Turn this into a fixed quote
Tell us your dates, where you are staying and which of these days you want. We will reply by email with one fixed, all-in price for the vehicle and driver.
Sources
The facts in this guide are checked against these public sources.