Cheap Flights Davao to
Manila ✈️
Piso fare deals, seat sales, and cheapest prices on DVO → Manila. Cebu Pacific, PAL, AirAsia & Cebgo — tracked 24/7, updated daily.
Davao → Manila, Philippines
🔍 Search DVO → Manila flights
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Ferry alternative: Davao → Manila by sea
Not flying? 2GO Travel runs a weekly sailing from Sasa Wharf in Davao City straight to Pier 4, Manila North Harbor. This is a genuinely long haul — the crossing takes approximately 59–61 hours (about 2.5 days), cutting across the Visayas. Fares start around ₱2,500–₱2,700 for Value Class, inclusive of meals and a 50 kg baggage allowance — useful if you're moving house or bringing home a motorbike, but the flight is almost always the better choice on cost-per-hour. Book via 2go.com.ph or the 2GO Travel app.
DVO → Manila flight deals today
Cheapest one-way fares from Francisco Bangoy International (DVO) to Ninoy Aquino International (MNL) · Prices in PHP
📅 DVO → Manila Price Calendar
See the cheapest days to fly — click any date to book at that price.
Best time to fly DVO → Manila
Month-by-month price guide for Davao to Manila flights
Real costs for Dabawenyo travellers
Here's what ₱6,000 vs ₱18,000 all-in actually gets you in Manila for a long weekend — flight included
Things Dabawenyos always get wrong about Manila
Five mistakes first-time Davao-to-Manila travellers consistently make
Cebu Pacific and Cebgo land at Terminal 3, Philippine Airlines and PAL Express at Terminal 2, and AirAsia Philippines at Terminal 4. These terminals are kilometres apart and not connected by a walkway — if you're being picked up, tell whoever's meeting you the exact terminal on your boarding pass, not just "NAIA." If you have a same-day connection to another domestic flight, check whether it departs from a different terminal before you book; you may need 90+ minutes just to transfer.
In Davao, a Grab from the airport to almost anywhere in the city takes 20–30 minutes. In Manila, the same trip from NAIA to Makati or BGC during weekday rush hour can take 60–90 minutes for a similar distance. Coupon taxis and airport Grab pickup points also involve longer queues than Dabawenyos are used to. If your connecting flight, meeting, or hotel check-in has a hard deadline, add at least an hour of buffer beyond what Google Maps says.
Kadayawan Festival runs mid-to-late August (the grand street-dancing and floral float parades usually fall on the third weekend). Fares on this route can double in the days around it, and Davao hotels for visiting relatives sell out weeks ahead — even though the festival happens on the Davao end, not the Manila end. If your trip has any flexibility, shift your return date a few days before or after the festival weekend to avoid paying the surcharge on both legs.
A ₱150 carinderia meal in Davao easily becomes ₱300–400 for the same type of meal in Makati or BGC. Grab surge pricing in Metro Manila during rain or rush hour is also far more aggressive than what Dabawenyos are used to. Budget 40–70% more per day for food and local transport than you would at home, especially if you're staying anywhere near the business districts rather than Quezon City or Manila proper.
Davao sits outside the typhoon belt, so Dabawenyos often don't think to check weather advisories before a Manila trip. Manila and Luzon get hit by typhoons regularly from June through November, and NAIA flight cancellations during a signal-3-or-higher typhoon are common. If you're travelling during this window, avoid the cheapest non-refundable promo fare and consider Cebu Pacific's Fare Flex add-on, or at minimum check PAGASA's forecast a few days before you fly.
Airlines flying DVO → Manila
The longest-haul major domestic trunk route in the Philippines — Davao is a regional hub for three of these carriers
💡 Baggage tip: Cebu Pacific and AirAsia sell 7 kg cabin-only fares — a real risk on a ~2-hour flight if you're bringing durian, dried fish, or pasalubong. Add checked baggage at booking, not at the counter. PAL Economy Classic includes 23 kg free, which often makes it competitive once you factor in luggage costs.
Manila travel guide for Davao visitors
Everything you need to know before you fly from DVO to Manila
🚢 Ferry & sea alternatives
- 2GO Travel: Sasa Wharf, Davao City → Pier 4, Manila North Harbor, ~59–61 hours
- Value Class from ₱2,500; higher cabin classes up to ₱10,000+
- Only one sailing per week — check the schedule before planning around it
- Best for: cargo, motorbikes, or travellers who genuinely want the multi-day sea crossing
- Book at 2go.com.ph — not a realistic option if your dates are fixed
🚕 Getting around Manila
- Grab is the default choice, but surge pricing during rain or rush hour is aggressive — check the fare before confirming
- LRT/MRT lines are the fastest way to cross the city during traffic, from ₱15–₱30 per ride
- Traffic is significantly worse than Davao — a 5 km trip can take 45+ minutes on a weekday
- P2P buses connect NAIA to Makati, Alabang, and Cubao at a fixed fare, no haggling
- Walking between attractions is rarely realistic — Manila is spread out, not compact like Davao's Poblacion
💰 Budget in Manila
- Budget: ₱1,500–₱2,800/day covers a hostel bed, street food, and LRT/jeepney transport
- Mid-range: ₱4,000–₱7,000/day for a 3-star hotel in Makati/BGC and restaurant meals
- Expect to pay noticeably more than Davao for the same category of meal or room
- Mall food courts (SM, Ayala Malls) are the best value-for-money middle ground
- GCash and Maya work everywhere in Metro Manila — better coverage than in most of Mindanao
🗺️ Where to go from Manila
- Intramuros — the walled Spanish colonial city; half-day, ₱75 entrance to Fort Santiago
- Tagaytay — Taal Volcano views, cool climate; 1.5–2 hours by van from Manila
- Batangas / Anilao — beaches and diving; 2.5–3 hours south, popular weekend escape
- Baguio — mountain city, cool weather; 5–6 hours north, or a short domestic flight
- Subic / Clark — duty-free shopping and adventure parks; 2–2.5 hours northwest
🏨 Where to stay in Manila
- BGC (Bonifacio Global City): modern, walkable, best for business travel (₱3,500–₱8,000/night)
- Makati: nightlife, malls, central location (₱2,500–₱7,000/night)
- Quezon City / Cubao: budget-friendly, closer to LRT/MRT lines (₱1,200–₱3,000/night)
- Malate/Ermita: near Intramuros and the bay, budget hostels from ₱800
- Avoid staying right by NAIA unless your connection is under 6 hours — the surrounding area has limited food and mall options
🍖 Must-eat in Manila
- Sisig — sizzling chopped pork, a Kapampangan dish Manila does exceptionally well; try Aling Lucing's-style stalls
- Lomi and goto — hearty noodle soups, best from a neighbourhood carinderia, not a restaurant chain
- Manila's dimsum and Binondo food crawl — the world's oldest Chinatown, cheap and packed with options
- Halo-halo — order from Razon's or a local turo-turo, not a mall chain, for the real version
- Bring back Davao pasalubong instead of buying Manila souvenirs — durian candy and pomelo travel better than most Manila-side "delicacies" and cost less than what you'd pay at NAIA on the way back
Manila trip budget from Davao
Typical costs for a 3-night Manila trip — all amounts in Philippine Peso (PHP)
| Item | Budget | Mid-range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ✈ Flight (one-way) | ₱1,199–1,999 | ₱2,500–4,500 | Seat sale vs regular; baggage add-on extra on 5J/Z2 |
| 🏨 Hotel (per night) | ₱800–1,500 | ₱3,000–7,000 | Budget hostel in QC vs 3-star in Makati or BGC |
| 🍖 Meals (per day) | ₱400–700 | ₱1,200–2,500 | Carinderia + street food vs sit-down BGC/Makati restaurants |
| 🚇 Local transport/day | ₱150–300 | ₱600–1,500 | LRT/MRT + jeepney vs Grab |
| 🏛️ Activities | ₱500–1,200 | ₱2,500–6,000 | Intramuros entry vs Tagaytay day tour + shows |
| 🎁 Pasalubong / shopping | ₱300–800 | ₱1,000–3,000 | Divisoria/Greenhills is the cheap-shopping equivalent of Davao's Bankerohan |
| 📊 Total (3 nights) | ~₱4,600–7,800 | ~₱14,500–26,000 | Excludes flights. Manila runs noticeably pricier than Davao. |
7 tips to get the cheapest DVO→Manila flights
The longest domestic trunk route in the country — use these to keep the fare down
Subscribe to piso fare alerts
Cebu Pacific runs DVO–Manila piso fares several times a year, usually tied to anniversary promos in March and October. Base fares can drop to ₱199–₱799. These sell out in 24–72 hours. Subscribe to piso-fare.com alerts and be first to know.
Book 6–8 weeks ahead, not 2
Unlike the MNL–CEB shuttle route, DVO–Manila has fewer daily frequencies relative to demand. Booking data shows the sweet spot is around 40–80 days out. Waiting until 2 weeks before departure on this route usually means paying regular fare, not a deal.
Compare Cebgo and AirAsia against Cebu Pacific
Cebu Pacific dominates this route by frequency, but Cebgo (PAL Group) and AirAsia Philippines regularly undercut it by ₱200–₱500 one-way on specific departure times. Always check all four carriers before booking the first result.
Fly Tuesday or Wednesday, avoid Friday
Friday evening and Sunday departures are the priciest on this route — OFWs and balikbayans flying home for the weekend push demand up. Shifting to a Tuesday or Wednesday flight can save 20–30% on regular fares with the same flight time.
Never book a return date during Kadayawan week
If you're a Dabawenyo flying to Manila and back, check the Kadayawan Festival dates (mid-to-late August) before locking in your return flight. Fares in the days around it can double, and this is specific to Davao-origin routes — Manila-origin travellers rarely think to check it.
September is the cheapest month of the year
Low demand between the Ber-month rush and the tail of the rainy season means September consistently posts the lowest average fares on this route — sometimes ₱1,999 one-way even without a seat sale. Combine with a midweek departure for the best possible price.
Check the all-in price, not just the base fare
A ₱1,199 base fare with 20 kg baggage, seat selection, and a meal on a 2-hour flight can become ₱3,000+. Compare Cebu Pacific's all-in total against PAL's sale fare (which often includes 23 kg baggage) before assuming the budget carrier wins.
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Davao to Manila flights — what to know
Searching for cheap flights Davao to Manila puts you on the longest-haul major domestic trunk route in the Philippines — roughly 964 km and 1 hour 50 minutes to just under 2 hours in the air, connecting Mindanao's biggest city to the capital. Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines (and PAL Express), AirAsia Philippines, and Cebgo all fly it direct, with Cebu Pacific running the most frequencies since Davao is one of its regional hubs. Unlike the MNL–CEB shuttle, this route sees a lot of family travel — OFWs going home, Dabawenyos visiting relatives in Luzon, students starting a semester — which shapes when fares spike and how far ahead you should book.
The cheapest time to book this route
Our honest read: book 6–8 weeks out, not the 2–3 weeks that works fine on shorter domestic hops. DVO–Manila has fewer daily frequencies relative to demand than MNL–CEB, so the cheap seats in each fare bucket clear faster. We've seen Cebu Pacific and AirAsia Philippines base fares on this route drop to ₱1,199–₱1,999 one-way during seat sale periods — usually tied to Cebu Pacific's March and October anniversary promos — but those windows close within days. September is consistently the cheapest month to fly regardless of sale activity, with regular fares as low as ₱1,999–₱2,500 even outside a promo.
What Manila actually costs a Davao traveller
This is the part most fare-comparison sites skip: Manila is genuinely more expensive to live in for three days than Davao is. A carinderia meal that costs ₱150 in Davao runs ₱300–400 in Makati or BGC. Grab surge pricing during Metro Manila rain or rush hour is sharper than anything you'll pay at home. Budget 40–70% more per day for food, accommodation, and local transport than your Davao baseline, and pick Quezon City or Malate over Makati if the trip is leisure rather than business — it roughly halves your hotel cost for a 15–20 minute LRT trade-off.
The Kadayawan effect — a spike this page's competitors won't mention
Every generic flight blog talks about Holy Week and Christmas, and those absolutely apply here — Holy Week fares can hit ₱4,000–₱8,000 one-way, and December 15 to January 5 regularly pushes past ₱9,000. But there's a spike specific to this route that most sites miss entirely: Kadayawan Festival, Davao's own harvest festival, held mid-to-late August with the grand parade usually on the third weekend. Because the festival happens at the Davao end, it's easy for a traveller booking a round trip from Manila back to Davao to not realize their return leg lands during the surge — both flights and Davao hotel rooms for visiting relatives get scarce weeks ahead. If your dates have any flexibility, shift the return by a few days either side of the festival weekend.
How piso-fare.com tracks this route
The deals grid above pulls live one-way fares from Travelpayouts, refreshed regularly, so what you see reflects actual bookable prices rather than a static estimate written once and left to go stale. We also track the 30-day, 90-day, and 1-year low so you can judge whether today's fare is genuinely good or just average dressed up as a deal. If you're not flying this week, the single most useful thing you can do right now is subscribe to route alerts below — that's how you catch a ₱1,199 fare inside its 24–72 hour window instead of finding out about it after it's gone.
Content reviewed 2026-07-30 · Prices update automatically every day
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