I occasionally travel between Bacolod and Cebu and most of the time, I just take the Ceres Liner bus. That’s because of two reasons—my fear of flight and expensive plane tickets. I can do a lot with the extra ₱1500 I save by choosing to travel by land and sea. Also, the cost of a bus ticket is fixed and it rarely changes, whereas an airline fare gets more expensive the sooner your travel date is. This is not ideal if ever I suddenly decide to take the trip the next day.
Every time I travel by Ceres Bus from Cebu City to Bacolod City or vice versa, I would always take pictures of the schedules and take note of possible fare changes. I do this to help other would-be travelers because I know it can be difficult to look for updated bus schedules as these can constantly change. There are trips every day and there are five different bus routes between Cebu and Bacolod.
Note: Because of the pandemic and travel restrictions, there is still no trip between Bacolod and Cebu by bus.
- Don Salvador-San Carlos-Toledo route
- Escalante-Tabuelan route
- Escalante-San Carlos-Toledo route
- Canlaon-San Carlos-Toledo route
- Mabinay-Tampi-Bato route
Table of Contents
ROUTE: Don Salvador-Toledo
Bus Schedule
| Bacolod to Cebu (via Don Salvador-San Carlos-Toledo) | Cebu to Bacolod (via Toledo-San Carlos-Don Salvador) |
|---|---|
| 1:30 AM | 2:00 AM |
| 4:30 AM | |
| 6:45 AM | 7:00 AM |
| 9:30 AM | 9:50 AM |
| 12:00 NN | 1:00 PM |
| 2:00 PM (Wednesday only) | |
| 2:30 PM (Unavailable on Wednesday) | 4:00 PM (Wednesday only) |
| 8:00 PM | 6:00 PM (Unavailable on Wednesday) |
| 9:30 PM | 11:00 PM |
The Don Salvador route a.k.a. the San Carlos-Toledo route is the quickest route if you want to get to Bacolod City or Cebu City as fast as possible. The buses will be traveling through the ports of San Carlos City and Toledo City.
Bus Terminals
- Bacolod City SOUTH Bus Terminal (depart/arrive)
- Cebu City NORTH Bus Terminal (depart/arrive)
Travel Time
The total travel time is around 7 to 8 hours between Cebu and Bacolod for the Don Salvador-Toledo route of Ceres Liner.
Passenger Fare
- Bus fare – ₱375.00
- Boat fare (Lite Ferries) – ₱190.00
- Terminal fee – ₱20.00 (San Carlos Port) or ₱15.00 (Toledo Port)
The total fare for each passenger is ₱585.00 if you are traveling from Bacolod and ₱580.00 if you are traveling from Cebu. This already includes the ferry boat fare. For students and senior citizens with valid IDs, you will only need to pay ₱480.00.
Travel Guides
- Bacolod to Cebu via Don Salvador Travel Guide for First-Timers
- Cebu to Bacolod via Don Salvador Complete Travel Guide
Map Route
ROUTE: Escalante-Tabuelan
Bus Schedule
| Bacolod to Cebu (via Escalante-Tabuelan) | Cebu to Bacolod (via Tabuelan-Escalante) |
|---|---|
| 8:00 AM | 5:00 AM |
| 6:00 PM | 8:00 AM |
| 9:00 PM | 11:15 AM |
| 5:30 PM | |
| 7:30 PM | |
| 10:30 PM |
Bus Terminals
- Bacolod City NORTH Bus Terminal (depart/arrive)
- Cebu City NORTH Bus Terminal (depart/arrive)
Travel Time
The total travel time is around 9 to 10 hours between Cebu and Bacolod for the Escalante-Tabuelan route of Ceres Liner.
Passenger Fare
The total fare for each passenger is ₱550.00. This is just an estimate as it has been a long time since I’ve taken this route. So please bring extra money just in case.
Travel Guide
Map Route
ROUTE: Escalante-Toledo
Bus Schedule
| Bacolod to Cebu (via Escalante-San Carlos-Toledo) | Cebu to Bacolod (via Toledo-San Carlos-Escalante) |
|---|---|
| 5:00 AM | 9:00 AM |
| 7:00 AM | |
| 10:00 AM |
Bus Terminals
- Bacolod City NORTH Bus Terminal (depart/arrive)
- Cebu City NORTH Bus Terminal (depart/arrive)
Travel Time
The total travel time is around 9 to 10 hours between Cebu and Bacolod for the Escalante-Toledo route of Ceres Liner.
Passenger Fare
The total fare for each passenger is ₱550.00. This is just an estimate as it has been some time since I’ve taken this route. Always bring extra money.
Map Route
ROUTE: Canlaon-Toledo
Bus Schedule
| Bacolod to Cebu (via Canlaon-San Carlos-Toledo) | Cebu to Bacolod (via Toledo-San Carlos-Canlaon) |
|---|---|
| 4:00 AM | 4:30 AM |
Bus Terminals
- Bacolod City SOUTH Bus Terminal (depart/arrive)
- Cebu City NORTH Bus Terminal (depart/arrive)
Travel Time
The total travel time is 8 hours between Cebu and Bacolod for the Canlaon-Toledo route of Ceres Liner.
Passenger Fare
- Bus fare – ₱380.00
- Boat fare (Lite Ferries) – ₱190.00
- Terminal fee – ₱20.00 (San Carlos Port) or ₱15.00 (Toledo Port)
The total fare for each passenger is ₱590.00 if you are traveling from Bacolod and ₱585.00 if you are traveling from Cebu. For students and senior citizens with valid IDs, the bus fare is only ₱305.00 instead of ₱380.00.
Map route
ROUTE: Tampi-Bato
Bus Schedule
| Bacolod to Cebu (via Mabinay-Tampi-Bato) | Cebu to Bacolod (via Bato-Tampi-Mabinay) |
|---|---|
| 2:00 AM | 1:00 AM |
Bus Terminals
- Bacolod City SOUTH Bus Terminal (depart/arrive)
- Cebu City SOUTH Bus Terminal (depart/arrive)
Travel Time
The total travel time is 10 hours between Cebu and Bacolod for the Mabinay-Tampi-Bato route of Ceres Liner.
Passenger Fare
- Bus fare – ₱580.00
- Boat/Barge fare (Maayo Shipping) – ₱70.00
The total fare for each passenger is ₱650.00. This already includes the fare for the barge. For students and senior citizens with valid IDs, the bus fare is only ₱465.00 instead of ₱580.00.
Map Route
Frequency Asked Questions
No, I do not work for Ceres Liner. I am just a traveler taking photos and notes wherever I go, hoping that my content will be of benefit to others.
On each route, I’ve added a section called “Bus Terminals”. The terminals listed there are the ones where the buses will depart from and arrive at.
The fare is usually paid outside the bus. You will be paying for the TOTAL FARE of the trip, which includes the bus fare, ferry boat fare, and the terminal fee. However, there are times when the passengers are made to pay for the terminal fee themselves at the port.
Based on my experience, only the buses that will travel via Don Salvador have comfort rooms.
No.
No, there is no online booking.
Yes. But you must provide a valid student ID, senior citizen ID, or PWD ID to avail of the discounted fare.
Yes. As long as they sit on your lap.
No, you can’t.
Please take the time to read the article ಠ‿ಠ The bus schedule, travel time, and total fare are all listed above. If something’s unclear, then feel free to comment below 🙂
References
Below are some of the photos I took or sent to me by other people of the different bus schedules, fare rates, and travel times. These are the basis for my content, along with a bit of research and personal inquiries. Whenever I have a new photo where the information is different, I upload it here and remove the outdated ones.
Final Reminders
- Get to the bus terminal at least 2 hours before your planned departure time especially during long weekends (4 hours if holidays)
- Always bring extra money in case the fares suddenly change
- The arrival times can vary (e.g. assigned ferry is unavailable)
- Christmas and New Year’s Eve are the busiest days to travel. There will be so many people at the bus terminals lining up for hours. If you don’t want the hassle, I’d suggest booking a flight instead.
A chirpy web developer from Bacolod City, I left my full-time job to create and manage my own websites. I now make a living from advertising revenue, commissions, sponsored posts, and my personal web hosting service, HostMeCheap.
Hello Sir. Since Cebu is now under MGCQ, do you have an idea if there’s already a trip from bacolod to cebu? And what are the possible travel requirements to bring? Thank you
Hi Sheila. I don’t think there are scheduled trips yet however, you should contact the LGU in Cebu City to let them know that you’re an LSI and ask them when you’re allowed to travel and how. The LGU is usually the one that sets your travel schedule before they provide you with an Acceptance Letter.
Hi sir kylan po ma resume ung byahe ng Ceres from Cebu-Bacolod itong month ng August
Hi. Sorry there are still no trips between Cebu and Bacolod for Ceres. Not sure when it will resume 🙁
good day boss..pa update nmn kung may byahe na bus cebu to bacolod.salamat
Hi rey. Sorry wala pa po byahe between Bacolod and Cebu.
Hi good day! May byahe na po ba ngayon ang cebu to Bacolod via Toledo-San Carlos? pwede po ba mkahingi ng sched nila? thank you po
Hi Menette. Sorry for the late reply pero parang wala pa po byahe between Bacolod and Cebu via San Carlos sa ceres. Cebu City has just been under ECQ today.
Good day! My byahi naba from cebu to bacolod?
Hi Judy ann. Sorry parang wala pa po kasi restricted pa yung entry to Negros Island.
hi po may biyahe na po ba from bacolod to cebu? kung wala pa mga kelan po kaya?
Hi Oj. Sorry pero parang wala pa po kasi restricted pa yung entry to Negros Island. Not sure when trips will resume baka after pa ng GCQ or when restrictions are lifted.