Tri-City Bacolod, Silay & Talisay Day Tour: The Ruins & Food

Walk through three cities' colonial past, then eat your way through Bacolod's signature dishes

A day tour of three cities near Bacolod that strings together ancestral houses in Silay, the Ruins mansion in Talisay, Campuestohan Highland Resort's gardens and zipline, and a food tour of Bacolod's native delicacies. The tour includes pickup and an air-conditioned vehicle, running five to eight hours depending on how long you linger at each stop. You'll see the sites that define the region's sugar-baron history and taste the dishes locals eat: chicken inasal seasoned with batuan, kansi, and sweets like piaya and napoleones.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Bacolod, Silay, and Talisay

• Visit The Ruins mansion in Talisay
• Tour Victor Fernandez Gaston Ancestral House in Silay
• Relax and enjoy activities at Campuestohan Highland Resort
• See Cinco De Noviembre marker in Bacolod
• Walk around Capitol Park and Lagoon
• Visit San Diego Pro-cathedral in Silay
• View San Sebastian Cathedral in Bacolod
• Explore Bacolod Provincial Capitol building
• See Bacolod Welcome Marker
• Visit Bacolod City Government Center
• Enjoy native delicacies food trip in Bacolod

The experience

How do you fit three cities into one day? This tour threads them together in a route that starts with the ancestral houses of Silay City (grand colonial mansions built by sugar barons in the late 1800s), then moves to Talisay to see the Ruins, a mansion known as the "Taj Mahal" of Negros. Built in the early 1900s by Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson for his Portuguese wife Maria Braga, it burned during World War 2 when Filipino guerillas set it alight to keep Japanese forces from using it as a military office. The shell of the mansion still stands, and the story behind it is what draws people back.

Between the historical sites, you stop at Campuestohan Highland Resort in the mountains, where you can swim in the pool, walk the gardens, ride horses, or take a 340-meter zipline if you want something with more adrenaline. The resort sits high enough to give you views across the landscape, and there's no rush. You spend as much time there as you want. You'll also pass the Bacolod Welcome Marker, the Capitol Park and Lagoon with its water buffalo sculptures, and the San Sebastian Cathedral, one of the province's most recognizable landmarks.

The food part of the day happens in Bacolod itself, where you taste the native delicacies the city is known for. Chicken inasal comes seasoned with batuan, a souring agent that gives it a flavor you won't find elsewhere; kansi is a beef soup; KBL mixes meat, legumes and jackfruit. On the sweet side, piaya is a pastry with brown sugar filling, napoleones are layered and crispy, and ensaymada is a spiral pastry. The tour includes all fees and taxes, an air-conditioned vehicle, and pickup from your hotel.

What’s included

• All fees and taxes.
• air-conditioned vehicle.
• hotel pickup.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:30

AgesAdult (10 to 90 years) · Child (4 to 9 years) · Infant (under 4)

GroupPrivate

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 14 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Bacolod Tour Guide

Is this one for you?Five to eight hours leaves room for a full afternoon or evening in Bacolod after the tour ends, or a morning departure if you want the day to start early. If you're planning to spend time in just one or two of the cities, or want a slower pace at Campuestohan's activities, the longer end of that window is what you'll use.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 9 years); Infant (under 4).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is the Ruins in Talisay, and why does it matter?

The Ruins is a burned mansion built in the early 1900s by Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson as a memorial to his Portuguese wife Maria Braga, who died giving birth to their eleventh child. During World War 2, Filipino guerillas burned it down to prevent the Japanese from using it as a military base. The shell remains standing and has become one of the most photographed sites in the region because of the love story behind it and its dramatic appearance.

Can I do activities at Campuestohan, or is it just sightseeing?

Campuestohan is built for doing things. You can swim in the pool, walk through the gardens, use the playground, ride horses, or take a 340-meter zipline. There's no set schedule for how long you stay, so you choose what appeals to you and how much time to spend on it.

What food will I actually eat on this tour?

You'll taste Bacolod's signature native dishes: chicken inasal seasoned with batuan (a souring spice), kansi beef soup, and KBL, which combines meat, legumes and jackfruit. For sweets, you'll try piaya (brown sugar pastry), napoleones (layered pastry), and ensaymada (spiral pastry). These are the dishes locals eat, not tourist versions.

How long does this tour take, and what time does it start?

The tour runs five to eight hours depending on how long you spend at each stop and how many activities you do at Campuestohan. Pickup is included from your hotel, and the vehicle is air-conditioned throughout.

What are the ancestral houses in Silay like?

Silay City is known for its late 19th-century colonial mansions built by sugar barons. The tour includes the Victor Fernandez Gaston Ancestral House, which is now a museum and was the first museum established in Negros Occidental. These houses show how wealthy the sugar industry made the region and what life looked like for the families who built it.

Will I see other landmarks besides the main three cities?

Yes. The route includes the Bacolod Welcome Marker at the city boundary, the Capitol Park and Lagoon with sculptures by Italian artist Francesco Riccardo Monti, the San Sebastian Cathedral, and the Cinco De Noviembre marker, a former pharmacy that secretly collected donations for the revolution against Spanish rule.