Cebu Taoist Temple: Free Entry, the 81 Steps, and the View from the Dragon Roofs
A practical guide to Cebu Taoist Temple, including respectful visitor etiquette, transport, stairs, city views, and why you should confirm current opening hours.
The Cebu Taoist Temple in Beverly Hills, Lahug, is free to enter, open roughly 9 AM to 5 PM, and worth the climb for two things: green-tiled roofs crawling with dragons, and a terrace view south over the whole city. It is a working temple built by Cebu’s Chinese community in 1972, so cover your shoulders and knees, keep your voice down, and avoid Wednesdays and Sundays if you want it quiet.
Cebu Taoist Temple · Beverly Hills Subdivision, Lahug, Cebu City · 10.3338° N, 123.8877° E (Wikipedia) · Checked 31 October 2026
Lahug · Cebu City
Before you climb
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Free, about 9 AM to 5 PM
Entry is free; donations are welcome. Klook (June 2026) and other travel sites list about 9 AM to 5 PM daily. Suroy.ph found no hours published by the temple itself, so arrive by 4:30 PM.
Cover up, shoes off inside
It is a working temple. Travel guides advise no sleeveless tops, short shorts or beachwear, and shoes may have to come off in the indoor prayer halls. Photographs are fine outside; follow the signs inside and ask before photographing anyone praying.
81, for the Tao Te Ching
Devotees climb 81 steps, said to stand for the 81 chapters of the Tao Te Ching, to light joss sticks and have fortunes read, mostly on Wednesdays and Sundays. Those are the busier days.
Lahug and the skyline
The upper terraces look south over Lahug and Cebu City. Suroy.ph’s frames, filed August 2026, show the green tiled roofs with dragons on the ridges and the skyline beyond the balustrade.
Jeepney, then a ride up
Jeepney 04L runs to JY Square and Lahug and 04B to Lahug, from ₱14 (₱17 modern) for the first 4 km since 28 September 2026. None goes up into Beverly Hills, so take a taxi, Grab or habal-habal for the last climb. A 2025 blog puts a taxi from downtown at ₱200 to ₱300.
Klook (June 2026); LakbayPinas (May 2025); TravelCebu.ph; Wikipedia; Suroy.ph jeepney guide (Oct 2026); Suroy.ph photographs filed August 2026. Checked 31 October 2026.
Fee, hours and the rules
| Item | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Entrance | Free; donations welcome |
| Hours | About 9 AM to 5 PM daily, per Klook (June 2026) and other listings; not published by the temple |
| Dress | No sleeveless tops, short shorts or beachwear |
| Shoes | May have to come off in the indoor prayer halls |
| Photos | Fine outdoors; follow signs inside, and ask before photographing anyone praying |
Arrive by 4:30 PM. Suroy.ph could not confirm a phone number for the temple, so there is no one to call ahead; the listed hours are the best guide.
What you will see
The complex climbs the hillside in tiers from a gate styled on the Great Wall. Devotees walk up 81 steps, said to stand for the 81 chapters of the Tao Te Ching, to light joss sticks and have fortunes read, mostly on Wednesdays and Sundays. The halls are red and green with painted gables. Suroy.ph’s August 2026 frames show two green dragons coiled on a painted gable above a mural of the temple itself, and a black pillar lettered in gold beside a pond pavilion with white statues and a round moon window.
The view
From the upper terraces Lahug falls away to the downtown towers, with the hills behind. Keep to the paths and give way to anyone carrying offerings.
Getting there
Jeepney 04L runs to JY Square and Lahug, and 04B to Lahug; since 28 September 2026 the minimum fare for the first 4 km is ₱14 on a traditional jeepney and ₱17 on a modern one. See the Cebu City jeepney guide. None goes up into Beverly Hills, so take a taxi, Grab or habal-habal for the last stretch. A 2025 blog put a taxi from downtown at ₱200 to ₱300.
Make it a hills day
Start here while you still have legs for the steps, then continue up the mountain to the Temple of Leah and finish at Tops for sunset. Back in Lahug, the Latter-day Saint temple on Gorordo Avenue is a different kind of landmark entirely.
Cebu’s skyline from a dragon’s roof is a Cebu icon. So is the Cebu Icons tee.
Suroy Wear · Island Series
Cebu, in landmarks.
For the city you just looked down on. Made in the Philippines. ₱999.
Wear the story
Frequently asked questions
Is there an entrance fee at the Cebu Taoist Temple?
No. Entry is free; donations are welcome.
What are the Taoist Temple opening hours?
About 9 AM to 5 PM daily per travel listings; the temple does not publish hours.
Can non-Taoists visit?
Yes, in the public areas. Dress modestly and follow attendants’ instructions.
What is the dress code?
No sleeveless tops, short shorts or beachwear; shoes may come off in prayer halls.
How do you get to the Taoist Temple by jeepney?
Take 04L or 04B to Lahug or JY Square, then a taxi or habal-habal up into Beverly Hills.
Sources: Klook (11 June 2026); LakbayPinas (19 May 2025, updated January 2026); TravelCebu.ph; Temples.org; Wikipedia; Suroy.ph jeepney guide (updated 24 October 2026). Photographs by Suroy.ph, frames filed 26 August 2026. Checked 31 October 2026.
