The 8 Firefly Watching Tours in Puerto Princesa That Earn Their Price

1.Firefly Watching Bay Cruise with Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 175 reviews · 4 hours · from $34Our pick

You’ll cruise Puerto Princesa Bay at dusk, eat a local-style dinner aboard a motorboat, then transfer to a smaller boat near the mangroves. Guides such as Dong, Dodong, Edward, and Kail add natural-history stories and humor while you look for fireflies and bioluminescent plankton. Hotel pickup, drop-off, boats, dinner, and a life vest are included.

“Just be sure you can handle different boat transfer situations.”

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2.Underground River and Firefly Watching Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 116 reviews · 10 hours · from $86

Spend 10 hours exploring Palawan’s Underground River and watching fireflies near Puerto Princesa. Your day includes hotel transfers, boat rides, an audio-guided cave tour, local lunch and dinner, plus a choice of zipline or mangrove paddle boat. Guides speak English or Tagalog, and the evening cruise may reveal bioluminescent plankton.

“An amazing day with the underground river system and firefly watch. The dinner was great too.”

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3.Firefly Watching Paddle Boat Tour & Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 47 reviews · 4 hours · from $27Best value

You’ll start with hotel pickup, dinner at Swag Restaurant, and a short boat ride from Baywalk before entering the river by paddle boat. An English-speaking guide explains the fireflies’ role in the ecosystem. Bring insect repellent, breathable clothes, and patience for a rain-or-shine evening under dark mangrove trees.

“Great evening activity. The guide was excellent, food was good, and the boat trip accords the bay way lovely and relaxing”

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4.Jungle Firefly Watching Boat Tour & Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 39 reviews · 4 hours · from $32

Leave Puerto Princesa around 4:30 PM for a local dinner, then ride 45 minutes to a darker village for a paddle-boat trip through mangroves. An English or Tagalog guide explains fireflies and conservation. The tour usually ends between 8 and 10 PM, depending on tides and weather.

“Pilotka organizacja świetliki ogólnie całe miejsce super”

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5.Iwahig Firefly Watching & River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 21 reviews · 3 hours · from $38

You’ll ride a quiet boat along Iwahig River as fireflies flicker in the mangroves beneath the night sky. This three-hour trip includes hotel pickup, a guide, safety briefing, and an optional buffet dinner with live music. Bring insect repellent, wear light clothing, and keep your camera flash off.

“Seeing the fireflies was amazing, and the boat guide was great - knowledgeable, funny and really good at spotting fireflies. Travelling down the river in the dark with only fireflies showing up was an amazing experience. However, the transport was a mess. There was already a large pickup window which was missed, without any notification from the organiser. There didn't seem to be great records of who was going, leading to confusion. On arrival, it was again unclear what was happening and where to go. There is little to do at the dock apart from the boat tour. Still a worthwhile trip!”

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6.Puerto Princesa Jungle River Firefly Watching

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 19 reviews · from $31

Leave Puerto Princesa around 5:30 pm for Kitu-KiTo D’Makarios Firefly Watching Place. A boat carries you through the mangroves to look for fireflies and bioluminescent plankton, followed by dinner at an off-site restaurant. Pickup and drop-off are included within 5 kilometers of the city airport.

“Our tour guide was so knowledgeable and kind. All the bioluminescence from the fireflies to the plankton was very cool. Dinner was great!”

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7.Iwahig River Cruise and Firefly Watching Tour in Puerto Princesa

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · from $36Top rated

Head south from Puerto Princesa to Iwahig Eco Park for an evening river cruise among mangroves and fireflies. Hotel pickup, an English and Filipino-speaking guide, air-conditioned transport, parking, and dinner are included, though dinner must be selected when booking. Expect about 60 to 90 minutes of road travel and a total outing of roughly 2 to 4 hours.

“I was picked up at the hotel and driven to Iwahig. Travel time was so 30-45 min. First there was a delicious dinner where I was served beach crabs for the first time. This was followed by an entertaining tour of the mangroves with fascinating exRead moreAuto-translated”

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8.Firefly Watching with Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 3 reviews · 1 day · from $40

You’ll leave Puerto Princesa by air-conditioned van between 5:30 and 6:30 PM for the Kito-Kito Area, about 35 minutes away. A licensed English-speaking guide leads a boat ride through mangroves, where you may see fireflies and plankton. Roundtrip transport, a professional driver, boat trip, and unlimited buffet dinner are included.

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