Cebu City's three best-known stops in the Busay hills, the Temple of Leah, Sirao Garden and Tops, sit along the same mountain road, so they fit into one half-day trip if you plan the order. The simplest plan is a mid-afternoon start, a flower garden and a Greek-style temple while the light softens, then Tops for the city lights. Count on four to five hours in total, about ₱320 to ₱350 in gate fees for one person, and a ride you arrange yourself, because none of the three share a ticket or a shuttle.
Each place has its own owner, its own hours and its own gate. That is the main thing to understand before you go. The Tops shuttle that runs from IT Park only serves Tops, so the other two stops need a hired motorcycle taxi, a car or a driver who will wait for you.
All three are in the hills above the city, noticeably cooler than downtown but with little shade at the first two. Cash is the safe way to pay at every gate, and a hat, water and shoes with grip will do more for the day than any camera gear.
What Each Stop Gives You
Temple of Leah is a Parthenon-inspired building in Barangay Busay, about 8 kilometres from the city centre. Engineer Teodorico Adarna built it in the early 2010s in memory of his wife, Leah, and it has been nicknamed the Taj Mahal of Cebu ever since. Most of the visit is outdoors: the wide stone staircase, the columned terrace, the lion statues and the view back toward the city. Gate fees reported for 2026 are ₱120 on weekdays and ₱150 on weekends, with parking around ₱50 per vehicle. Allow about an hour and a half.
Sirao Garden is a flower farm along the Transcentral Highway in Barangay Sirao, roughly 4 to 5 kilometres from the temple. It is known for its celosia beds, windmills, painted props and photo set-ups, and it is a photo stop rather than a botanical garden. Entry is about ₱100 per person. There are two separate gardens in the area, the original Sirao Garden and Sirao Pictorial Garden, each with its own gate fee and opening hours.
Tops is the hilltop lookout, best at dusk. Our Tops Cebu Lookout guide covers the shuttle, the ₱100 entrance fee and what to expect on the deck, so this plan treats it as the final stop.
A Sensible Order for the Day
The sunset plan. Leave the city around 1:00 PM. Start at Sirao Garden by about 2:00, when the afternoon light is gentler than at noon. Move to the Temple of Leah for about 3:30, so you are on the terrace as the heat eases, and keep Tops for the last stretch, arriving close to sunset and staying until the lights come on. This order saves the best light of the day for last.
The morning plan. If you would rather avoid evening traffic and a dark ride down, do Sirao and the temple between 7:00 and 10:00 AM, when both are cooler and quieter, then have lunch at one of the view cafés along the road. Visit Tops on a separate evening if you want the city lights.
Avoid Saturday and Sunday afternoons if you can. The temple and the gardens are busiest then, and weekdays also cost less at the temple.
Getting Around and What It Costs
- Hired motorcycle taxi (habal-habal): Roughly ₱150 to ₱250 one way from JY Square in Lahug. For a multi-stop loop, agree a fixed price that includes waiting time before you set off.
- Taxi or ride-hailing: About ₱200 to ₱350 one way from the city centre. Hailing a car back down from the hills can take time, so arrange your return when you arrive.
- Car with a driver: Often the easiest option for the three-stop loop. Ask for a round-trip price with waiting, as ₱500 to ₱800 has been typical for the temple alone.
- Jeepney: Lahug to Busay routes such as 04L, 04D and 04H run for about ₱20, but you will still need a short walk or ride at the top.
- Gate fees on a weekday: about ₱120 for the temple, ₱100 for Sirao and ₱100 for Tops, or ₱320 in all.
All of these figures are approximate and change, so confirm them at the gate or with your driver.
Check Before You Go
- Temple hours: The temple announced reduced hours in April 2026. Its usual hours are 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM, so plan on daylight and confirm the day's hours before you leave the city.
- Flowers: The beds are replanted in cycles, and the fullest blooms are usually reported between March and May. No month guarantees a hillside of colour, so treat any particular bloom as a bonus.
- Weather: Showers become more frequent toward the end of the year. Pack a light rain layer, and keep the afternoon flexible, since the first two stops are mostly open air.
- Sirao gates: Check which garden you are entering and that you are carrying enough cash for the fee.
Is It Worth Doing All Three?
If time is short, pair the temple with Tops, because those two give the most for the least effort and the temple takes only an hour or two. Add Sirao if you like gardens and photo props, or if flowers are in season. Seeing all three in one trip works best when you treat it as an easy afternoon, not a checklist.
Planning more days in the city? Our 3-day Cebu itinerary shows where a Busay half-day fits, and the month-by-month guide to visiting Cebu helps you choose the right season for the flowers and the views.