Cagayan de Oro City: Travel Guide + 3 Days Itinerary
One thing comes to mind when you hear Cagayan de Oro City: adventure! The capital city of Misamis Oriental is best known for white water rafting, as well as nature and adventure parks. It’s also considered the gateway to northern Mindanao since nearby provinces are easily accessible from here.
Aside from these attractions, this bustling city is also known for its blend of urban sophistication and rich cultural heritage. If you’re up for some shopping, there are places like Centrio Mall that will take care of your needs. On the other hand, if you want to see where the locals go, you can head to the local markets, stroll along the city, and visit the city museums.
Cagayan de Oro City is also known as the “City of Golden Friendship,” referring to the warmth and hospitality of its people.
Here’s our travel guide to Cagayan de Oro City, including a Cagayan de Oro itinerary for you to discover its best attractions.
Contents
How to get to Cagayan de Oro
The easiest way to get to Cagayan de Oro is by air since it has its own airport. From Manila, you can also get here via ferry. If you’re coming from other places in Mindanao, you can look for buses and vans with route going to the city.
By air
- From Manila or other airports, take a local flight to Laguindingan Airport. Travel time is 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- From the airport, ride a van to Cagayan de Oro city proper. Travel time is 45 minutes, depending on traffic.
By water
2Go Ferry also has a Manila-Cagayan de Oro route. Travel time is 30 hours.
How to get around
There are taxis, jeepneys, motorelas and habal-habals to take you around the city. Booking apps Grab and Angkas are also available.
Best Things to do in Cagayan de Oro
Here are the best activities you can do in Cagayan de Oro.
1. White water rafting
If you’re visiting CDO, the one activity that you shouldn’t miss is white water rafting. This is a half-day activity wherein you have to ride an inflatable raft and navigate the waters of Cagayan River.
I recommend booking your activity with CDO Bugsay. You will be fetched from anywhere in the city and then travel for 1 hour to the jump-off point for the rafting. Rafting takes 2-3 hours depending on the river current.
Here is our experience on White Water Rafting in Cagayan de Oro.
You can contact CDO Bugsay at: Facebook | 09173284729.
2. DIY city tour
The city offers attractions such as public parks, museums and markets. Take a half-day to explore the city via commute or simply charter a habal-habal to take you to these places.
- Gaston Park
- St Augustine Cathedral
- Vicente de Lara Park
- Plaza Divisoria (Golden Friendship Park)
- City Museum
- Museum of Three Cultures
- Museo de Oro in Ateneo de Cagayan’s Xavier Center for Culture and Arts
3. Explore Mapawa Nature Park
There are several nature parks which can be found in CDO, but the most popular one is the Mapawa Nature Park.
This is a 2500-hectare forest reserve in the mountains of Malasag, just 30 minutes away from the city. Here you can enjoy gorgeous views, experience wildlife encounters, and do activities in the wild. If you want a challenging activity, try rappelling in a waterfall.
4. Day trip to Bukidnon
It’s possible to do a half-day or whole-day trip to Bukidnon from Cagayan de Oro. The most common places to visit are the Del Monte Pineapple Farm and Dahilayan Nature Park.
From the city, ride a bus or van to Camp Phillips. Then ride a jeep to take you to the pineapple farm. Here you can take picture at the iconic pineapple statue or the plantation and eat at their restaurant.
From there, take a habal-habal to Dahilayan Nature Park. If you’re heading there directly from the city, there are vans that drop off directly at the park. You can also avail of the park’s packages which includes round-trip transportation.
There are various activities you can try in Dahilayan Nature Park including the 840-meter zipline which is considered Asia’s Longest Dual Zipline and a 120-feet freefall ride.
5. Day trip to Iligan City
Iligan City is dubbed as the “City of Majestic Waterfalls”. In a day trip, you can visit the waterfall triumvirate: Tinago Falls, Mimbalot Falls and Maria Cristina Falls.
From the city, head to Bulua Terminal and then ride a bus to Iligan. Once you get off at the terminal, there are habal-habals offering to tour you to the waterfalls.
Here’s our separate post on our Day Trip in Iligan City.
Others
There are also beaches in Cagayan de Oro — specifically Rohan, Centinela, Bonbon and Opol beaches. However, they aren’t as beautiful as that in other places such as Cebu. You can visit these beaches if you want to have a relaxing afternoon along with other local guests.
If you are with kids, you can also visit the Seven Seas Waterpark and Malasag Gardens.
For other activities, check out our separate guide on Top Things to do in Cagayan de Oro.
Where to eat
If you’re staying in the city proper, you are walking distance to malls including Ayala Centrio, Gaisano and SM where you can easily find restaurants. There are also restaurants within the city that are highly recommended for their local dishes.
For a more detailed food guide, check out separate article on Where to Eat in Cagayan de Oro.
1. Cucina Higala
Cucina Higala is one of top-rated restaurants in CDO. It has a beautiful old-world ambiance and offers great local dishes.
Some of the best ones include sinuglaw (Cagayan’s signature dish), surol (chicken soup in coconut milk), humba and kare-kare. They also offer pompano, which is a flavorful, delicate fish.
2. Kagay-anon Restaurant
Kagay-anon Restaurant is one of the oldest restaurants in the city. Come here if you want to taste authentic Cagayanon dishes including ostrich salpicao, baked clams, liempo and sweet & sour pork. They also have veggie side dishes.
3. Panagatan
Every local in Cagayan knows about Panagatan. It’s a seafood restaurant offering favorites such as grilled squid and fishes, steamed shrimps, kinilaw and more. They also have bilao specials for groups.
The original branch of Panagatan is located along the National Highway, about 20 minutes drive away from the city proper. It is open air and has great ocean views especially at night. For those staying in the city proper, it also has a branch in Ayala Centrio Mall.
Nigh Life: Lifestyle District
If you’re looking for a place to hang out at night, check out the Lifestyle District. It houses restaurants and bars, with live band performances on selected nights.
The Lifestyle District is walking distance from Gaisano and Ayala Centrio malls.
Another place check out is the Sky Bar, which is also located at the city proper.
Where to Stay
Cagayan de Oro is the gateway to its neighboring provinces so you can book your stay here even when taking day trips to Bukidnon, Iligan or Camiguin — unless of course you plan to stay overnight in any of these places.
I suggest staying in the city proper so you are close to establishments such as malls and restaurants and also several minutes away from the terminals. Here are some accommodations you can look at:
Budget options:
Most recommended hotels in CDO:
- Seda Centrio Hotel | Here is my review of Seda Centrio Hotel
- Malberry Suites Hotel
- Limketkai Luxe Hotel
3 Days Cagayan de Oro Itinerary
Here’s a sample 3 days itinerary in Cagayan de Oro.
| Day 1 | Arrival in Laguindingan Airport Check in at accommodation Morning – Mapawa Nature Park Afternoon – city tour |
| Day 2 | Morning – white water rafting Afternoon – Half-day trip to Bukidnon (Del Monte Pineapple Farm, Dahilayan Nature Park |
| Day 3 | Day trip to Iligan Back to CDO / check out of accommodation / buy pasalubong Flight back to Manila |
You may also want to check out our 5 Days Itinerary to CDO, Bukidnon, Iligan and Camiguin.
Budget and expenses
Here are the current rates for Cagayan de Oro City (Updated as of 2020):
| Fare | Van from CDO airport to city proper: P200 |
| Activities | White Water Rafting via CDO Bugsay: Beginner course – P1200 per person / Advance course – P1800 per person Mapawa Nature Park: Entrance fee – P70 per person Bed and Breakfast – P650 per person (min 5 pax) / Dorm-type room – P350 per person (min 10 pax) Dahilayan Nature Park: Entrance fee – P100 per person Zip all you can: P600 + P100 photo copy / All-in ride package: P1000 per person* *You can also avail each rides separately OTHERS: Habal-habal tour in Iligan: P600-700 per person |
Budget depends on how many you are in the group and activities you wish to avail (e.g., rides in the Dahilayan Nature Park or activities in Mapawa Nature Park). If you are a couple, a safe budget would be P7000-8000 per person (excluding flights).
Has our Travel Guide to Cagayan de Oro been helpful to you? Do you have questions or suggestions? Let us know in the comment section below!
What to read next:
Planning a trip to Cagayan de Oro? Here are our guides!
- Cagayan de Oro: Travel Guide and Itinerary
- Cagayan de Oro Tourist Spots + Things to Do
- Cagayan de Oro Restaurants and Local Food Spots
- Where to Stay in Cagayan de Oro: Seda Centrio Hotel
- White Water Rafting in Cagayan de Oro
Other related articles:
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Katherine Cortes is a long-time backpacker and a freelance writer/editor. She likes beaches, snorkeling trips, and relaxing staycations (preferably with bath tubs!).
