The 9 Shore Excursions in the Philippines That Earn Their Price

1.Shore excursion: Puerto Princesa Island Hopping Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 27 reviews · from $100Our pick

Spend about eight hours island-hopping in Honda Bay from Puerto Princesa. Swim and sunbathe at Cowrie, Lu-Li, and Starfish Island, watch fish, and enjoy a buffet lunch served picnic-style. Ana is one guide praised for personal care, though snorkeling gear costs extra and weather can change the route.

“Beautiful islands. I think a must have. The Starfish Island was my favourite. I never saw so many starfishes. :)”

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2.Puerto Princesa Honda Bay Island Hopping Shore Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 16 reviews · from $173Top rated

Meet your guide at Puerto Princesa Port for a private Honda Bay outing to Cowrie Island, Lu-Li Island, and possibly a third stop. Snorkel gear, island fees, lunch, and port transfers are included. Guide TJ Echo has been praised for clear English, careful safety advice, marine-life help, and useful iPhone photo tips.

“We had a remarkable guide for our private tour for 6 people (we aren’t spring chickens), TJ Echo spoke perfect English (Spanish, too), stopped for what we needed, informed us of marine life, considered safety judiciously, and taught us many iPhone photo tricks. The lunch was lovely..”

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3.Intramuros Walking Tour by Don’t Skip Manila | Shore Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 15 reviews · from $83

Spend four to five hours tracing Manila’s Spanish colonial past with guides such as Anne, Andrew, or Andrei. Visit Rizal Park, Fort Santiago, the Rizal Shrine, Manila Cathedral, San Agustin Church, and Casa Manila, with museum fees, transport, water, and a horse-drawn carriage ride for groups of more than four included.

“We were not cruise passengers but they accommodated us, and met Andrei, our tour guide by Fort Santiago. The history story telling was excellent, kudos to Andrei. It was a good refresher for me and my husband who studied in ManilRead more”

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4.Puerto Princesa Underground River Shore Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 12 reviews · from $200

From Puerto Princesa Port, you’ll ride by private transfer to the famous Underground River with a professional guide, park fees, lunch, and refreshments included. Guides such as Brian, Roman, Vel, and Xander have been praised for clear information and friendly help. The tour lasts about six hours and returns you to the port.

“I really wanted to give this tour 5 stars because the people are really nice and they really go the extra mile to try and please. But…it’s not very well organised and there’s a lot of waiting around. In all honesty a cruise organised excursion may be better for cruise passengers.”

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5.Puerto Princesa shore excursion to Luli, starfish, cowrie island

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 12 reviews · from $60

Spend about eight hours island-hopping in Puerto Princesa Bay, with stops at Cowrie Island, Luli Island, and Starfish Sandbar Resort. Your guide handles the boat schedule, lunch, and island access, while you swim, snorkel, sunbathe, and take photos. Guides Jake and Ana have earned praise for safety and clear communication.

“Due to the looming typhoon in the Philippines our ship did not port here due to dangerous conditions and safety of the passengers. To date I have not received a refund after requesting one twice.”

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6.Shared Cruise Shore Excursion of Manila Old and New City Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 10 reviews · from $112

This four-hour shared shore excursion takes you from Manila South Harbor through Makati and downtown Manila to Intramuros, Rizal Park, and the Manila American Cemetery. You’ll visit San Agustin Church and Fort Santiago, ride in air-conditioned transport, and hear the city’s story from an English-speaking guide such as Frank or Richard. The group may include up to 15 people.

“Manila contrasts of the old and new are remarkable. The only way to really see and appreciate this is by car. However the dreaded Manila traffic makes this difficult. Essentially we sat in the car in traffic for 3 of the 4 hours of the tour. That being said from the air conditRead more”

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7.Private Puerto Princesa Palawan Underground River shore excursion

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 10 reviews · from $130

Travel from Puerto Princesa to Subterranean River National Park for a guided boat ride through the UNESCO-listed Underground River. The roughly eight-hour trip includes hotel pickup, lunch, permits, entrance fees, audio equipment, and boat transport. Guides such as Mul and Anna have earned praise for patient, attentive service.

“We had an enjoyable day cruising the Underground River of Palawan. However, we would like to point out that there was a mis-communication between the tour company and our tour guide: our guide and driver were not aware of the fact thaRead more”

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8.Puerto Princesa City sightseeing tour shore excursion

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · from $50Best value

Cover six Puerto Princesa sights in about four hours with an air-conditioned ride and a group capped at 12 people. You’ll visit Baker’s Hill, Plaza Cuartel, Baywalk Park, Immaculate Conception Cathedral, the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center, and Mitra Farm. Guide Ernie is known for adding humor, magic, and local insight along the way.

“It was our first visit to Palawan and I was so glad that I booked this tour. Our tour guide, Ernie, was the best. He was a comedian, a magician, and ventriloquist all at the same time. He was very informative and knowledgeable. We got to visit Read more”

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9.Cruise Shore Excursion of Taal Volcano with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 4 reviews · from $160

You’ll leave Manila port with a private English-speaking guide for Tagaytay’s Taal Volcano views, Museo Orlina glass art, Peoples Park in the Sky, a local lunch, and a Gourmet Farms visit. The seven-hour outing includes air-conditioned transport, water, soft drinks or iced tea, and timing adjusted to your ship.

“It was a cloudy day when we went to Tagaytay, so we could not see Taal Volcano very well; nevertheless, we had a pleasant time visiting a local organic farm and glass museum.”

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