The best time to visit Cebu, month by month
Cebu is warm all year, with temperatures usually around 25 to 32°C. What changes is the rain and the sea. Here is what to expect through the year, so you can pick the right time for beaches, diving and festivals.
Dry season: December to May
This is the most popular time to visit. Days are mostly sunny, the sea is calmer and boat trips run more reliably. January to March feels the most comfortable, with a light breeze. April and May are the hottest months: great for the beach, but plan waterfalls and hikes for the early morning.
Rainy season: June to November
Expect more rain, often as short, heavy showers in the afternoon, with sunny spells in between. Prices are lower and places are quieter. This is also typhoon season, with the highest risk usually from about July to November. Ferries and boat tours can be cancelled at short notice, so keep a spare day and follow the weather news from PAGASA, the national weather service.
Festivals and busy dates
- Sinulog (third Sunday of January): Cebu City's biggest festival, with a huge street parade and celebrations for the Santo Niño. Book your room months ahead.
- Holy Week (March or April): many Filipinos travel, and beach towns and ferries, especially to Bantayan, get very busy.
- Christmas and New Year: a lovely, festive time, but also busy, with higher prices.
- Long weekends and school holidays (around April and May) bring crowds to the popular beaches.
Best time for...
- Beaches and island hopping: December to May.
- Diving and snorkelling: all year, with the calmest seas and best visibility in the dry season.
- Sardine run in Moalboal: all year.
- Thresher sharks in Malapascua: all year, at dawn.
- Waterfalls: fuller after rain, but clearest water in the dry months.
- Hiking: January to March, before the hottest months.
- Fewer crowds and lower prices: June to November, outside holidays.
Our short answer
If you can choose, go between January and April on weekdays, outside Sinulog and Holy Week if you prefer it quiet, and right in the middle of them if you love a festival.
Photo: "Sinulog Festival Dancers 5" by Victor D. Kintanar, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
