Bacolod City, famously known as the City of Smiles due to its annual MassKara Festival, which is a colorful festival with a mixture of dance and music
Fresh Grilled Seafood & Local BBQ
The Ruins
Dec – May (Dry Season)
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MassKara Festival
Dubbed as the "Sugar Bowl of the Philippines," and "The Gateway to Sugarlandia," Bacolod is a highly progressive and the richest elite city in Negros Occidental in the Visayan Islands cluster (NIR Region 18).Image Credit: ©kodakero123/123RF.COMFamously known as the City of Smiles due to its annual MassKara Festival, which is a colorful festival with a mixture of dance and music. Its economy relies on the sugarcane industry, coconut and rice; however, their people also raise livestock & fish and create potteries.
Activities in Bacolod CityGo Food TrippingYour Bacolod trip would not be complete without a gastronomic tour. Don't miss the opportunity to try the best food of Bacolod, and make it a point to feast on Bacolod's iconic tasty chicken inasal, Kansi or Cansi, and don't forget to set aside the time and budget for bringing home well-known native delicacies and Bacolod pastries like napoleones, Biscocho, butterscotch, and piaya.Go on a Day Heritage TourSilay City is considered by many people as the Paris of Negros due to the prevalence of old ancestral houses of influential families during the 1900s. Visit grand mansions turned museums in the town proper such as the Balay Negrense Museum, Bernardino-Jalandoni Museum (Pink House), Ramon Hofileña Heritage House, Cinco de Noviembre Marker, and San Diego Pro-Cathedral.Paint and bring home a Smile with your own Bacolod MasksTraveling to Bacolod City during the non-busy months and missing the annual Masskara Festival? No worries! Get a glimpse of the Smiles Festival by visiting the Jojo Vito Designs Gallery, which offers interactive activities like "painting your mask" available for tourists.Photo walk at Famous Iconic PlacesEnjoy and take a trip down the memory lane by taking pictures of the reflection of the status of Negros Occidental as it reached its peak through the boom of the sugar industry, and by visiting notable historic places during World War II in the city such as the Bacolod City Bandstand, Negros Museum, Provincial Capitol and Lagoon, Panaad Park and Stadium and the Pope John Paul II Tower.
Verified flight routes, ferry schedules, bus terminals, and insider transit tips.
Daily flights to and from Bacolod City are available in most Philippine major cities. From Manila, the trip takes approximately an hour. The landing destination is the Bacolod-Silay Airport, located in Silay City and 15km away from Bacolod City, 20-30 minutes from downtown by car.
Going to the city proper, you can ride a public shuttle van via metered taxi or Grab Car or flag a tricycle at Silay highway to take a jeepney to Bacolod City. However, private transfers from the airport to Bacolod City proper are also available. By Land Transport If you are from nearby cities and provinces, local bus transports daily and travel time may differ depending on your point of origin.
From Manila to Iloilo, ferry boats are also available as means of transportation, and most of the dock at the BREDCO port in Bacolod City. Travel time usually differs based on your location and which travel line you choose. If you opt to ride a cruise, Bacolod is 20 hrs away from Manila. By Combined Sea and Land Through RORO (Roll On Roll Off) vessels, you can reach Bacolod City 18 hrs from Manila via land and sea transport. Points of origin are in the ports of Iloilo, Caticlan, Roxas, and Batangas.
Verified local food stands, iconic provincial specialties, and culinary favorites.
Signature DelicacyatLocal Night Market & Grills
Authentic fresh catch and grilled skewers served with garlic rice and spiced calamansi vinegar in Bacolod City.
Signature DelicacyatPasalubong Center of Negros Occidental
Regional specialties made with native coconuts, rice cakes, and seasonal tropical fruits.
Known as the "Taj Mahal of Talisay" - the Ruins are private remains of the ancestral home mansion of the family of Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson.
Masskara festival is held every 4th Sunday of October in Bacolod City. The festival features dancers wearing colorful masks in a street dance competition.
Authentic traveler photography, scenic island landscapes, and local captures across Bacolod City.
Scenic panorama of Bacolod City
3-star central hotel, popular heritage restaurants, full-day city highlights tour, metered taxi or Grab rides.
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Live atmospheric data for Bacolod City (Open-Meteo Edge Forecast)
Color, rhythm, and local heritage celebrations you won't want to miss.
Bacolod's world-famous festival of smiles, born in the 1980s to uplift community spirits, featuring electrifying samba-beat street dancing in dramatic jeweled masks.
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