Cebu highlands guide: Temple of Leah, Sirao Garden and Tops in one loop
How do you visit Temple of Leah, Sirao Garden and Tops above Cebu City?
Short answer
The Busay highlands above Cebu City hold three sights close together: Temple of Leah, a grand colonnaded monument with sweeping views; Sirao Flower Garden, bright terraced flower fields nicknamed “Little Amsterdam”; and Tops, a ridge-top lookout over the city and Mactan that is especially good at sunset. They sit roughly 8-15 km and 30-45 minutes up from the city centre on steep, winding roads with no direct public transport linking them, so most visitors do all three as one private half-day loop, timed for a late-afternoon finish at Tops for sunset.
- The three stops
- Temple of Leah, Sirao flower gardens and the Tops lookout, all in the Busay highlands
- From Cebu City
- About 30 to 45 minutes up steep, winding roads (roughly 8 to 15 km)
- From the airport
- About 45 to 60 minutes (roughly 20 to 25 km)
- Tops lookout
- Open 24 hours, every day, holidays included
- Sirao gardens
- Daytime only. They close roughly 5:00 to 6:30 PM, by garden and day
- Temple of Leah
- Shortened hours since April 2026, no fixed schedule published. Confirm on the day
- Sunset plan
- Gardens and temple first, Tops last
- Entrance fees
- Each site charges its own, paid on the day. Not part of our quote
Last checked: Oct 2026
Just above Cebu City, the Busay highlands climb quickly into cool mountain air and wide views over the metro and the sea. Three sights sit close together up there: Temple of Leah, Sirao Flower Garden and the Tops lookout, and together they make the easiest half-day trip from the city, no ferry or long drive required.
The one thing to plan around is the clock. The three sights are run separately and keep different hours, so the order you visit them in decides whether every gate is still open.
This guide covers what each sight is, the order that works, how to get up there, and when to go for the best light.
Temple of Leah: the "Taj Mahal of Cebu"
Temple of Leah is a grand colonnaded monument built as a tribute, perched on a ridge above Cebu City and the strait beyond.
Its scale and Romanesque-style columns earned it the nickname "the Taj Mahal of Cebu". It is one of the most-photographed stops in the highlands.
It sits closest to the city of the three sights. Since its hours were shortened in April 2026, treat it as a daytime stop, not an after-dark one.
Sirao Flower Garden: "Little Amsterdam"
A short drive further up, Sirao Flower Garden is a hillside of bright terraced flower fields, mostly celosia, that has picked up the nickname "Little Amsterdam" for its rows of colour. It is a simple, photogenic stop.
Two gardens sit side by side, run separately, and both close in the late afternoon. Visit in the cooler morning or mid-afternoon light, before closing, rather than the midday sun.
Tops: the sunset lookout
Tops is a ridge-top viewpoint that looks straight down over Cebu City and across to Mactan.
It is open around the clock, which makes it the natural last stop. Clear late-afternoon light gives the best views, and after dark the same view turns into the city lights below.
Doing all three in one loop
Hours do not match across the three sites. Work the day backwards from the time you want to be at Tops.
| Stop | Open | Where it goes in the loop |
|---|---|---|
| Sirao flower gardens | Daytime only. Close roughly 5:00 to 6:30 PM, by garden and day | First or second, well before closing |
| Temple of Leah | Shortened hours since April 2026. No fixed schedule published | First or second, in daylight. Confirm on the day |
| Tops lookout | Open 24 hours, every day | Last, for sunset and city lights |
When each stop is open (checked Oct 2026)
They sit close together
Temple of Leah, Sirao and Tops are all within roughly 30-45 minutes of the city centre and not far apart from each other, which is what makes a single half-day loop realistic.
No public transport links all three
The roads are steep and winding. Tops runs its own round-trip service from the IT Park transport terminal in Lahug, but it serves Tops only. For the full loop most visitors charter a taxi, habal-habal (motorbike taxi) or private car.
Cool mountain cafés along the way
The Busay road is dotted with view cafés and restaurants, an easy place to break up the loop for coffee or a meal between stops.
A private car keeps it relaxed
At your own pace, with stops for photos and coffee, and a driver who knows the steep highland roads and can time the loop to finish at Tops for sunset.
Best time to go
For a sunset day, start in the early afternoon. That leaves the gardens and the temple in daylight and puts you at Tops for sunset.
Mornings are quieter, with flatter light for photos at Sirao. Clear days give the best visibility from the lookouts.
Getting there without the stress
The fiddly part of a highlands visit is stitching the loop together, not any single leg of it.
A private car and driver handles that end to end: pickup from your hotel or the airport, all three stops at your pace, and a safe drive back down the steep roads after dark.
Tell us your date and what time you want to be at Tops. We work the pickup back from it and quote a fixed half-day price.
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.
Frequently asked questions
How far are Temple of Leah, Sirao Garden and Tops from Cebu City?
All three sit roughly 8-15 km and 30-45 minutes up from Cebu City centre, on steep, winding highland roads. From Mactan-Cebu Airport it is about 20-25 km, roughly 45-60 minutes.
Can I visit Temple of Leah, Sirao Garden and Tops in one trip?
Yes. They are close together in the Busay highlands and make a natural half-day loop. Since there is no direct public transport linking them, a private car or a chartered taxi/habal-habal is the practical way to link all three at your own pace.
Is Tops worth visiting at sunset?
Yes. Tops looks straight over Cebu City and Mactan, and it is especially good at sunset and after dark when the view becomes the city lights below. A late-afternoon pickup lets you time the loop to finish there and be driven safely back down afterwards.
What is Sirao Flower Garden known for?
Its rows of bright terraced flowers, mostly celosia, which have earned it the nickname "Little Amsterdam." It is a simple, photogenic stop best visited in the cooler morning or late-afternoon light.
What time do Temple of Leah, Sirao Garden and Tops close?
Tops is open 24 hours. The Sirao flower gardens are daytime only and close roughly between 5:00 and 6:30 PM, depending on the garden and the day. Temple of Leah shortened its hours in April 2026 and has published no fixed schedule, so confirm on the day. For a sunset trip, visit the gardens and the temple first and finish at Tops.
Do I need a tour, or can I get to the highlands on my own?
There is no single public route connecting all three sights, so most visitors charter a taxi, habal-habal, or private car for the loop. A private car is the most comfortable option, especially if you want to finish at Tops after dark for sunset.
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.