Christmas & New Year in Cebu
Sunny, festive and the busiest few weeks of Cebu’s year. Here’s what to expect, and when to book your driver.
Book your holiday driver- Weather
- Dry season
- Warm, mostly sunny, 24-32 °C
- Christmas weekend
- 24-27 Dec
- Four days off for most families
- New Year weekend
- 30 Dec-3 Jan
- Three holidays in a row
- Sinulog 2027
- 17 Jan
- City-centre parade, Cebu City
Holiday calendar
The dates that fill Cebu up
Wed
16 Dec
Simbang Gabi starts
Thu
24 Dec
Christmas Eve
Fri
25 Dec
Christmas Day
Wed
30 Dec
Rizal Day
Thu
31 Dec
New Year’s Eve
Sun
17 Jan
Sinulog Grand Parade
Public holidays from Proclamation No. 1006 (2026), plus New Year’s Day, Friday 1 January. Checked Oct 2026.
Two long weekends, back to back
Only Monday 28 and Tuesday 29 December are working days in between, so Christmas Eve to 3 January runs like one long holiday.
- Christmas: Thu 24 to Sun 27 DecChristmas Eve and Christmas Day are both holidays. Travel peaks on the days just before.
- New Year: Wed 30 Dec to Sun 3 JanRizal Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, three holidays in a row.
- The gap: Mon 28 and Tue 29 DecThe quietest days of the stretch. A good window for a day trip.
- Also a holiday: Tue 8 DecFeast of the Immaculate Conception, a special non-working day.
Christmas the Cebuano way
- Simbang Gabi, 16-24 DecNine dawn masses in parishes across Cebu. Churches fill early; times vary by parish.
- Noche Buena, 24 DecThe big family meal after Christmas Eve mass. Book dinner ahead, many places close early.
- New Year’s EveFireworks across the city and the resorts at midnight. Have your ride home sorted.
What gets busy, and what helps
- Airport arrivalsBusier halls and longer taxi queues. A driver waiting with your name skips all of it.
- City trafficHeavier all December, worst before each long weekend. Leave extra time for flights.
- FerriesBohol, Negros, Bantayan and Malapascua boats all fill. Book sailings early.
- Resorts and restaurantsFull around 24, 25 and 31 December. Reserve ahead.
Weather
December is dry season: warm days around 24 to 32 °C and less rain than the second half of the year. Typhoons mainly come June to November, but Cebu has been hit in December too, and storms can stop ferries. Keep a spare day if your trip includes a boat.
Sinulog: the season’s last big weekend
The Sinulog Grand Parade is Sunday 17 January 2027. It closes city-centre roads for the day and fills city hotels; the airport, south coast and islands run as normal. See our Sinulog 2027 guide for the announced dates.
Book your driver early
Same as any time of year: send your flights and dates, get one fixed, all-in price. Over the holidays, just send them as soon as your flights are confirmed.
- Airport pickupYour driver tracks your flight and waits at the exit with your name.
- Driver for several daysOne car and driver for family visits across the island.
- Day tripsOslob, Kawasan, Moalboal and more, all running through the season.
Still open all season
Where to go between the parties
Every day trip runs through the holidays. Go early and beat the crowds.
Questions
Is Cebu very busy at Christmas and New Year?+
Yes. It is the busiest stretch of the year, combining the dry season with the Filipino Christmas homecoming and the New Year break, and Sinulog in January extends the peak further. Resorts, popular restaurants and drivers book up earlier than in a quieter month.
Which days are holidays in the Philippines over Christmas and New Year 2026?+
Under Proclamation No. 1006 (2026): Christmas Eve, Thursday 24 December (special non-working day), Christmas Day, Friday 25 December (regular holiday), Rizal Day, Wednesday 30 December (regular holiday), and the last day of the year, Thursday 31 December (special non-working day). New Year’s Day, Friday 1 January 2027, is a regular holiday every year. That makes two long weekends: 24 to 27 December and 30 December to 3 January.
When is Sinulog, and does it affect getting around Cebu?+
Sinulog falls on the third Sunday of January each year, which makes the next edition Sunday 17 January 2027. The Grand Parade closes sections of the route through Cebu City for the day and fills city-centre hotels for the weekend, but the rest of the island (the south coast, the islands, the airport) operates as normal, so it is only city-centre timing that is worth planning around. Our Sinulog 2027 guide has the announced dates and the parade-weekend detail.
How far ahead should I book a private driver for Christmas, New Year or Sinulog?+
Earlier than you would for a quieter month. There is no fixed cut-off, but the earlier you send your flights and dates, the more certain you can be of your preferred pickup time and vehicle size, since this is when Cebu is at its busiest.
Do Oslob, Kawasan and the other day tours still run over the holidays?+
Yes, all of Cebu’s day trips and destinations operate through the Christmas, New Year and Sinulog season, they simply get busier. A private car and driver still gets you there and back on your own schedule, just book your dates a little earlier than usual.
Can a typhoon affect a December trip to Cebu?+
It can. December is in the dry season and typhoons mainly come between June and November, but Cebu has been hit in December before, and storm warnings can suspend ferries. Keep a spare day if your plan includes an island or a ferry, and check the forecast near your travel date.
Does the price change for Christmas, New Year or Sinulog?+
Every quote is for your specific dates, route and vehicle, agreed with you before you travel, so there is no meter and no surprise on the day. Booking early over the holiday season is about securing your preferred time and vehicle, not about the price itself.
What does a private car and driver quote for this trip include?+
One fixed all-in price for the trip, agreed in writing before you travel, with fuel, tolls and parking inside it - along with any waiting time or extra stops you tell us about when you ask. What stays separate is what you would choose anyway: entrance, activity and boat fees at the places you stop, your meals, and your accommodation. We do not invent activity prices, so those you pay directly on the ground.
What the quote covers
- A private air-conditioned car or van with an English-speaking local driver for the whole journey
- Door-to-door pickup and drop-off at the exact addresses you give us, not a meeting point
- Fuel, tolls and parking
- Waiting time and any extra stops you tell us about up front, priced into the quote rather than added afterwards
- One fixed all-in price for the trip, agreed in writing before you travel
- Entrance, activity, guide and boat fees at places you choose to stop (paid locally)
- Meals and personal spending
- Accommodation, including a driver overnight on a multi-day trip unless we have set it out in the quote
- Inter-island ferry and boat crossings, unless we have set them out in the quote
We never invent activity or entrance prices - you pay those directly on the ground.
Keep planning
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