Bohol is a beautiful small island in the Philippines. It is located next to the more populated island of Cebu. With stunning beaches and some unique natural wonders, Bohol attracts many visitors every year. Two of the most notable natural wonders that can be found on the island of Bohol are the tarsiers and the Chocolate Hills. One of the best places to see this amazing wonder is to go to the Chocolate Hills Viewpoint. When we made our trip to Bohol with our kids, we knew we wanted to make our way to see the Chocolate Hills.
We spent a few days on Bohol exploring the wonderful beaches, trying out some of the delicious restaurants, and seeing the tarsiers. When it comes to things to do with kids on Bohol, we felt that seeing the Chocolate Hills ended up being one of our highlights. It was unique enough of an experience, and it didn’t tire the kids out too much. Both of those are a huge plus in our book. They had fun, and we had fun!
What are the Chocolate Hills?
The hills are made up of over 1,200 rounded treeless hills. They are made of marine limestone, which causes the hills to stay grassy and not grow other vegetation on the top of the mounds. All clumped together they create a truly unique land formation.
The chocolate hills are named thus because of their brown treeless tops. The best time of year to visit is during dry season in the Philippines which is the months between November to May because this is when the grass turns brown from lack of rain. It will be the brownest in April and May just before the rains return.
How were the Chocolate Hills they formed
The Chocolate Hills in Bohol are a unique landform, and the exact reason why they are formed into mostly uniform mounds is not known for sure. However, scientists believe that the formations are a result of eroded limestone formations that sit on hardened clay. The mounds have a lot of marine fossils within them, showing that they were at one point under the ocean. It is believed that volcanic activity pushed the area above sea level, then erosion by streams and rainwater made them what they are currently.
Limestone often erodes and forms unique land formations, and they can be seen in many different places around the world. Having them form small mini domes mounds is unique to this area. The only other place in the world with a similar geological formation is on the island of Java, Indonesia. The ones in Java are more irregular in size and shape.
Legends on How the Hills were formed
There are multiple myths in the region that have arisen which offer alternative reasons as to the formation of the chocolate hills. Interestingly they all revolve around giants that once lived in the area.
The first is that there were two giants who once lived there. One rainy day while there was a lot of mud, the giants had a mud flight and threw lots of mud balls at each other. After the mud fight they ended up dying and the mud balls dried up into the hills.
Another legend is that a giant fell in love and married a human in that area. After the human died the giant cried over the loss of his wife and his tears fell to the ground and formed the hills.
The final legend is that there were once giant children who lived in the area. They played making mud cakes and left them to dry into brown chocolate hills.
Location of Bohol’s Chocolate Hills
The island has beautiful beaches around the perimeter and is mountainous through much of the inner parts of the island. The Chocolate Hills are scattered around the center area of the island. While you can see the landform while driving about the center, it is recommended you go to the official viewpoint to get the best view!
How Can I Get to Bohol?
The first thing you have to do when it comes to getting to the Chocolate Hills is to first get to Bohol. You can do this in two ways.
The first is to fly directly to Panglao International Airport, which is the local airport on the Island of Bohol.
The second is to fly into Cebu, which is the large city on an adjacent island. Cebu is the largest city in the central part of the Philippines, and you can often find cheap tickets to Cebu. From there you can get a ferry that will take you over to the island of Bohol. If you are flying in from International and can get a flight into Cebu, this may be your best option.
If you are already in the Philippines, or find flying into Manila is the best, then finding flights direct to Panglao International Airport may prove to be the most convenient and easiest option. Flying into the Manila Airport and changing from international and over to a domestic flight is a tricky and often confusing thing. You can read all about how to do it on our post dedicated to helping navigate that transition.
When traveling with kids we often consider what is the most convenient and balance that with the cost to make an educated decision. We flew into Manila first and found a domestic connecting flight directly to Panglao International Airport worked the best option for our family.
How to Get to the Chocolate Hills?
Once you have made it to Bohol, your options to get to the Chocolate Hills are arranging a tour with an agency such as Viator or with your hotel, taking a public jeepney, or self-driving.
Taking a tour has the advantage of you not having to worry about planning or taking care of any of the details yourself. This can sometimes be nice when you are traveling with a family, but we seldom opt for this option. This is because we like to have the freedom to explore on our own and often using a tour limits your movements.
If you want to take public transportation, then you are in for a treat. Riding a jeepney is a fun and unique Philippine experience. Make your way to the jeepney terminal in Tagbilaran City. From there you will be able to get a jeepney that will take you to the Chocolate Hills Viewpoint. Taking a jeepney will cost you very little money and will be your cheapest option.
A jeepney ride from Tagbilaran City to the Chocolate Hills Viewpoint will take approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.
The option we chose to take is to self-drive. We were able to rent a vehicle for a reasonable price, and since we were a large group, we felt that this would keep attitudes at their best. Interestingly, we ended up having to start the vehicle by using a screwdriver placed just-so in the engine. Thank goodness we were all in good moods about it! Self-driving gave us the option to stop along the way and easily pick up snacks and such.
Price and Hours of the Chocolate Hills
If you are driving you will need to go to the main parking lot at the visitor center first. If you add Chocolate HIlls into your Google Maps or GPS, it will take you to the main viewpoint, which is NOT where you will need to drive to. You must buy your tickets at the visitors center first.
Chocolate Hills Price (The ticket prices for April 2024)
Adults - P100
Children - P50
Five-year-olds and under are free
Opening Hours
8:00am - 5:00pm
The Chocolate Hills Viewpoint is officially open from 8:00am until 5:00pm. If you are observant, you will see that this does not include the sunrise or the sunset time. The sun rises at 5:30am and the sun sets at 5:20pm. You are still allowed to visit outside the hours of operations. This just means that the shuttle going from the visitor center where you buy your tickets up to the viewpoint is not running outside of opening hours.
This means a bit more hiking, or if you are self-driving, taking your vehicle up to the top area. During opening hours, you are not permitted to take a personal vehicle up the hill.
A Step by Step Through the Chocolate Hills
Arrival to the Chocolate Hills Visitors Center
You know you have arrived at the visitor centers because it is a small building in the middle of a very large gravel parking lot. Once you arrive at the visitor’s center you will need to proceed to the ticket counter and pay for your tickets. When we were there it was a couple of guys sitting at a folding table with a tiny poster behind them showing the price.
Transport to the Chocolate Hills Viewpoint
After you receive your tickets, you will sit in the provided seats outside the building and wait for the next shuttle bus. While we were there, the shuttle buses were running pretty consistently, and we only waited a few minutes for the next shuttle. The shuttle bus is part of the ticket price, and you will not need to pay any extra going up or down.
Take the shuttle bus up to the next visitor’s center near the top of the hill. On this level you will find a tourist help desk and many souvenir shops. There is also a I ❤️Chocolate Hills sign that many people were taking pictures with. Behind the sign is a nice panorama view of the chocolate hills.
From this second visitors center you will see a set of stairs that will take you to the top of the hill. While the views from the visitors center are great, the views from the very top are even better view.
Where to Get the Best Views of the Chocolate Hills
The top of the hill is the best Chocolate Hills viewpoint. However you need to hike 220 steps up to get to the top views. There is a ramp that you can choose to take part of the way up. However, it does not go all the way up to the top, and you still have to take the second half of the stairs. There are multiple places to stop on the way up to admire the view.
On the way up you will see a sign with information about how scientists believe the Chocolate Hills were formed. This was a great chance to answer some of our children’s questions about the special geological formation that we were visiting. There are also some other fun signs to laugh about.
From the top, you can take in the view from all different directions. We enjoyed discussing the different hills with our kids – which one won the award for looking most like chocolate, which ones were most pointy, how the clouds changed the look of the hills under them, etc.
Taking the Shuttle Back Down
After you have taken in every direction of the hills, it is time to climb back down. Take time to peruse the gift shops and look at the hills from a lower angle before waiting for the shuttle bus at the tourist help desk. There is a large map inside the tourist help desk with more Bohol attractions that we enjoyed looking at to help us in our planning of the rest of our stay in Bohol.
The shuttle bus will take you right back to the parking lot. Again, no need to pay as the shuttle bus is included in your 100 peso ticket price.
If you self-drive, there is also no fee for parking and you can just leave. If you want to do some more shopping, there are more souvenir shops along the road outside of the parking lot.
If you came in a jeepney, then you will need to wait for the next jeepney to come that is heading back to the town.
Is there Food Available at the Chocolate Hills?
There are snacks and drinks available for purchase both at the second visitors center and at the very top of the viewpoint. The snacks are reasonably priced at both locations. At the second visitors center, at the base of the stairs, you will find a small restaurant that sells food and has coffee. We had just eaten before arriving, so we cannot say the quality of the food at the restaurant.
Best Months to Visit
The Chocolate Hills get its name because during the dry seasons in the Philippines the grass on the hills dry up and turn a ‘chocolate brown’ color. While the hills are always here, it is best to go during the months from November to May. During this time they will have their classic color. We went at the beginning of April and the color was brown but to its fullest potential. Even during the dry season it can rain, and that will bring back some life and color to the hills. So it is a hit or miss as to how brown the hills will be when you are there.
When is the Best Time of Day to Visit the Chocolate Hills
A lot of people say they like to go to watch either the sunrise or the sunset. When we travel with kids, we usually avoid super early morning things like watching sunrises. If your family is an early rising family, then the sunrise at Chocolate Hills is supposed to be the best time to visit. The sunset is also supposed to be a good time to go to the Chocolate Hills. However, late afternoon and sunset does tend to be the busiest time at the Chocolate Hills.
We went to the Chocolate Hills right at the peak heat of lunchtime. It was quite hot and bright at the top. But our family loves the heat and the sun! Plus going during peak heat times usually means less crowds, which proved to be true when we went. While we were there were a few other people, but it was by no means crowded. We could let our kids run around the top and enjoy the views without having to be nervous about them bothering other visitors.
Can I Climb Around on the Chocolate Hills
You must view the hills from the Chocolate Hills Viewpoint. You cannot go climbing on the hills yourself. The hills span a large area of the island, so you do have the ability to drive around and see the hills from the road if you have your own rental car or rented motorbike.
The best views, however, are from up high and the viewpoint does offer some of the best views. We recommend going to the viewing area to see it.
If you kids are older and able to ride ATV’s independently, it is possible to rent ATV’s and see some of the hills on designated trails. You can check out options on Viator or GetYourGuide and see if there is any ATV tour that works for your family. You can also just show up at an ATV rental place to get a tour.
How Long Do I Need to Spend at the Chocolate Hills
When you are traveling with kids we recommend spending enough time here that they enjoy the experience, and not longer than needed. The views are amazing and we enjoyed spending time at the top as a family.
Our family spent about 15 minutes at the summit of the hill enjoying the view before we decided the kids had had enough.
Other Attractions to Visit around Bohol
The Bohol Chocolate Hills are certainly a must-see when you are on Bohol Island. However, there are many other places to check out with your family. For other off the beaten path adventures, try the Tarsier Conservation Center in Carmen or explore the beach on Panglao Island! Bohol also has fireflies you can see, caves to explore, and a pretty nice river cruise. Read about our family’s visit to Bohol for more inspiration for a cultural and an off the beaten path experience.
Places to Stay to Near Chocolate Hills
If you are eager to stay as close to the Chocolate Hills as possible, then the Matilde B&B is the place for you. The accommodations are rustic, but breakfast is included and it is located extremely close to the viewpoint. It is less than three kilometers away from the hills. Rooms can hold up to 4 people comfortably. This is also a good option is you are wanting a budget friendly place to stay.
Camelo Farm is another place worth considering that is relatively near the Chocolate Hills. At this property you can stay in little bungalows that look like nipa huts (traditional Philippine huts). It is 12 kilometers away from the viewpoint.
We chose to stay further away on the beach of Panglao, which is about 1 hour and 30 minutes away. The beach we stayed on was amazing and offered great swimming and was great for viewing starfish. A few hotels on this stretch of the beach, Nickels Park (midrange), The Whitehouse by the Sea (expensive but great for large family groups), and Panglao Transient House (budget and good for large family groups but rather rustic).
Final Thoughts
The Chocolate Hills in Bohol are a geological formation that is unique to this area. The formations are unique enough that they are being evaluated for UNESCO Heritage Site status, although they have not received it yet. We feel like it is a great opportunity and place to visit with your family. The hike to the top is rather easy for even smaller kids, and the views are worth it. It does not require very long to see the sights, so we recommend joining a visit to the Chocolate Hills with another activity such as a tarsier sanctuary or hitting up the beach to fill your day.