Davao Region · Philippines
Where to stay in Davao City
Davao City is a city in Davao Region, Philippines, home to about 1,849,000 people.
- Nearest airport
- DVO8 km · Francisco Bangoy International Airport
- Currency
- PHPPhilippine peso
- Time zone
- Asia/Manila
- Language
- English, Filipino, Taglish
About
About Davao City
Davao City, officially the City of Davao, is a highly urbanized city in the Davao Region, Philippines. The city has a total land area of 2,443.61 km2 (943.48 sq mi), making it the largest city in the Philippines in terms of land area.
As in most of Mindanao, Cebuano (known locally as Davao Bisaya) is the main local language. English and Tagalog are also widely used and understood. Davao's first inhabitants were the Bagobo tribe, one of the Lumad ethnic groups, and the Muslim Moros. The surrounding area was explored by the Spaniards from the coast, but only in the late 19th century were they able to penetrate the area. Modern Davao started as a Spanish colonial outpost, as the town of Nueva Vergara (named after a town in the Spanish Basque Country).
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Davao City
See
- Mt. Apo
- Crocodile Park
- Eden Nature Park
- Jack's Ridge
- Philippine Eagle Center
- People's Park
- San Pedro Cathedral
- Shrine of the Holy Infant of Jesus
- Lonwa Buddhist temple
- Dabawenyo Museum
- Davao Museum
Do
- Forest Hill Resort
- Camp Holiday Resort and Recreation Area
- Wake Board Park
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Which part of Davao City to stay in
There is no shortage of accommodation in Davao, ranging from the four-star accommodation of the Marco Polo Davao on Claveria, the Royal Mandaya Hotel and the Apo View Hotel, where Casino Filipino 2 is located, to lodges and inns, pension houses, backpacker hostels all around the city. You can find townhouses or apartments for rent, all for negotiable rates.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Davao City
45 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata; the 40 best known are shown, by the number of Wikipedia editions that cover them. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Apo View Hotel | 1948 | 0.4 km |
| Acacia Hotel Davao | 4.2 km | |
| Alu Hotel Davao | 0.6 km | |
| Blueberry Tourist Hotel | 1.4 km | |
| Capital O 461 Asrodel Hotel OYO Rooms | 0.5 km | |
| Crown Regency Residences Davao | 3.2 km | |
| D'Leonor Hotel | 2.0 km | |
| Davao Royal Suites and Residences | 0.2 km | |
| First Pacific Inn | 0.8 km | |
| Go Hotels Lanang - Davao | 5.2 km | |
| Hotel Esse Davao | 1.3 km | |
| Hotel Uno | 0.4 km | |
| Infinity Suites | 2.0 km | |
| Jotel Inn | 0.9 km | |
| La Anclar Hometel | 0.3 km | |
| Las Casitas de Angela Hotel | 0.3 km | |
| Microtel by Wyndham Davao | 4.8 km | |
| Mlin Dormitel OYO Rooms | 7.3 km | |
| OYO 150 Davao Airport View Hotel OYO Rooms | 7.8 km | |
| OYO 162 The West Inn OYO Rooms | 5.2 km | |
| OYO 163 Goldentown Hotel And Residences OYO Rooms | 2.9 km | |
| OYO 414 Humberto's Hotel OYO Rooms | 0.4 km | |
| OYO 421 Deck 360 Dormitel OYO Rooms | 2.7 km | |
| OYO 496 D'Abirus Inn OYO Rooms | 0.3 km | |
| OYO 548 Braveheart Residency OYO Rooms | 5.7 km | |
| OYO 604 Chateau Cinco Dormitel OYO Rooms | 5.1 km | |
| OYO 727 Casa Buena OYO Rooms | 3.8 km | |
| OYO 826 Green Windows Dormitel OYO Rooms | 0.8 km | |
| OYO 833 Ln Apartelle OYO Rooms | 4.6 km | |
| Park Inn by Radisson Davao | 4.4 km | |
| Red Knight Gardens | 5.4 km | |
| Red Planet Davao - Multi Use Property | 3.9 km | |
| Red Planet Davao City - Multi-Use Hotel | 3.9 km | |
| RedDoorz near Davao International Airport RedDoorz | 5.1 km | |
| RedDoorz near G Mall Bajada Davao RedDoorz | 1.8 km | |
| RedDoorz Plus @ Poblacion District Davao RedDoorz | 0.3 km | |
| RedDoorz Plus @ Roxas Street Davao RedDoorz | 0.7 km | |
| RedDoorz Plus near Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Davao RedDoorz | 1.2 km | |
| RedDoorz Plus near SM Lanang Davao RedDoorz | 4.3 km | |
| Seda Abreeza Davao | 2.6 km |
All 45 hotels in Davao City, with their history and operators
When to go
The best time to visit Davao City
Davao City has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. April is the warmest month, with average highs of 33 °C; May is the wettest, with about 218 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Davao City: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Francisco Bangoy International Airport (DVO), about 7.7 km from the city centre in a straight line; General Santos International Airport (GES, 126 km) is also within reach.
Getting in
Davao is the third most important Philippine city after Manila and Cebu. Three domestic airlines fly several times a day between Davao and Manila: AirAsia, Cebu Pacific, and Philippines Airlines. There are also direct flights from other Philippine cities: Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo City, Zamboanga City, Bacolod, Angeles, Puerto Princesa, Boracay, Dumaguete, Tacloban, Tagbilaran. If you have Davao as your main destination in the Philippines, you might want to consider coming in through Singapore as it has direct flights to Davao.
Getting around
If you are up for more adventure, then do as the locals and catch a colorful jeepney. Ask around for which route to take to avoid getting lost. They are usually available 24 hours and cover most of the nooks and crannies of the city. This is the cheapest option for getting around.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
DVO · Francisco Bangoy International Airport
GES · General Santos International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Davao City
Eat
Davao is renowned for its durian and pomelo. Durian is definitely an acquired taste, but those who do end up liking it will swear that the bad smell is worth it. Pomelo is a citrus fruit that most closely resembles a grapefruit and is quite common in South East Asia. Beware of bringing durian inside airplanes, hotels and other establishments. They may have strict regulations on allowing durian inside and some do not allow durian to be brought in at all.
Drink
There is the local Tanduay Rum, billed around town as "the Number One Rhum". Mindanao has a large Seventh Day Adventist population. Adventists do not drink and any stores they own will typically not sell alcohol.
Stay safe
Visiting Mindanao has its risks. Foreigners have been kidnapped, murdered and held for ransom. For this reason, many governments advise against all but necessary travel to Mindanao, Davao included. In most cases this means your travel insurance will not pay out if you make a claim. Contact your embassy and insurer before travelling to Davao. The last major terrorism-related incident in the city was in 2016, when a bomb exploded at the Roxas Night Market, killing 15 people.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Davao City: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Davao City?
Davao City has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. April is the warmest month, with average highs of 33 °C; May is the wettest, with about 218 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Davao City?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Francisco Bangoy International Airport (DVO), about 7.7 km from the city centre in a straight line; General Santos International Airport (GES, 126 km) is also within reach.
What currency is used in Davao City?
Philippine peso (PHP).
Nearby
Destinations near Davao City
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.