13 Philippines River Cruises to Build a Day Around

1.Puerto Princesa: Underground River, Zipline, Paddleboat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 158 reviews · 10 hours · from $77Our pick

Travel from Puerto Princesa to Sabang for a 45-minute audio-guided river cave tour, an 800-meter coastal zipline, a mangrove paddleboat ride, and a Filipino buffet lunch. English and Tagalog guides lead small groups of up to 13 people. Expect a long day, plenty of walking, and PHP 150 in cash for the environmental fee.

“Jeff our tour guide was amazing. Activities really nice. Not a big fan of the mangrove boat tour, its just me….”

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2.Bohol Countryside Day Tour From Cebu City | Lunch at Loboc River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 157 reviews · from $145

Travel from Cebu to Bohol by ferry, then tour the island by air-conditioned vehicle. You’ll see the Chocolate Hills, Bilar Mahogany Forest, tarsiers, Baclayon Church, and the Blood Compact Monument, with lunch, music, and dancing on the Loboc River. Guides such as Dolly, Jojo, Janis, and Raiza add local stories and humor.

“Great day tour! Loboc river cruise was the highlight, had a stunning scenery! Our guide (Genesis) was amazing!”

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3.Bohol: Chocolate Hills Tour with Loboc River Cruise & Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 132 reviews · 8 hours · from $68

Spend a full day seeing Bohol’s top sights by air-conditioned van, from the Blood Compact Monument and Baclayon Church to the Tarsier Conservation Area, Man-Made Forest, Chocolate Hills, and a Loboc River buffet cruise. Driver-guides such as Jason, Julius, and Andrew have helped make the day personal, but this is a free-and-easy tour without a dedicated guide.

“interresting places to visit excep the river cruise which was a tourist trap.”

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4.Shared Firefly Watching Cruise on Bohol’s Scenic Loboc River

★★★★★★★★★★3.1 · 29 reviews · 3 hours · from $32Best value

Ride from Panglao or Tagbilaran to Loboc River, then board a shared evening boat for about 27 to 30 minutes of firefly watching. An English or Tagalog guide explains the river and helps with photos, while round-trip van transfers, entrance fees, and environmental charges are included. Expect a lovely natural sight, but a lot of the three-hour outing is spent on the road.

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5.Private Tour of Bohol Countryside | Cultural Tour w/ River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 23 reviews · from $104

Spend 6 to 9 hours exploring Bohol with a private driver-guide. Visit the Blood Compact Monument, Baclayon Church, Loboc River, Sevilla’s bamboo hanging bridge, the Manmade Forest, tarsiers, and Chocolate Hills. Hotel pickup, lunch, transport, and admission fees are included. Guide assignments may vary, with Wilfredo, Alex, Charles, and Louis among the named guides.

“Guide-driver arrived in a comfortable sedan. Was flexible in making slight changes to itinerary. Very friendly and informative guide. Surprised with nice local dessert delights at the end of the tour. Just somewhat puzzled why he needed to take photos of us during the tour with his camera...”

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6.Puerto Princesa: Iwahig Firefly Watching & River Cruise

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

You’ll cruise Iwahig River after dark as fireflies gather in the mangroves and flash beneath the stars. The 3 to 4-hour outing includes hotel pickup within 5 kilometers of Puerto Princesa Airport, a guided boat ride, safety briefing, and optional buffet dinner with live music. Bring insect repellent and leave your camera flash off.

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7.Bohol Highlights Tour: Chocolate Hills, Tarsier Spotting and Loboc River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 17 reviews · from $45Top rated

Spend about eight hours touring Bohol from Tagbilaran with hotel pickup, an English-speaking guide, and air-conditioned transport. Visit Baclayon Church, the Blood Compact Monument, a butterfly center, Chocolate Hills, and a tarsier area, then enjoy a Filipino buffet and live music on a 50-minute Loboc River cruise. Guides such as Jai, Jru, and Joicy bring added local insight.

“Tour conductor was fantastic with wonderful knowledge and a good sense of humor. The tour was interesting. Especially enjoyed the Loboc River cruise with buffet lunch. It was clean, well run and the lunch had a great selection of American and Phillipino food including crab. The duet on board was a nice touch. Overall it was a fantastic day...well worth the price and highly recommended....fz”

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8.Private Firefly Watching Night Cruise on Bohol Abatan River

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 15 reviews · 3 hours · from $57

You’ll ride from Panglao or Tagbilaran to the Abatan River, then take a quiet night boat beneath mango trees lit by fireflies. The private tour includes hotel transfers, a driver, river guide, entrance fees, and a short guided cruise. Ask about current river time before booking, since the ride may last about 30 to 40 minutes.

“All activities were enjoyable. Guide made it better by being knowledgeable and friendly with conversation between stops as well as providing tidbits of information at each stop along the way.”

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9.Beyond Boracay River Fun & Sunset Cruise by Haqqy Life

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 7 reviews · from $37

Spend seven social hours beyond Boracay with an English or Tagalog-speaking host, a countryside jeepney ride, a swim at Nabaoy River, boodle-fight lunch, games, four drinks, and a DJ sunset boat party. Bring swimwear, a towel, sunscreen, insect repellent, and cash for the 50 PHP river fee.

“We had a lot of fun. The crew is really great and brings so much joy”

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10.Shared Underground River with Mangrove Paddle Boat & LUNCH

★★★★★★★★★★3.6 · 3 reviews · 8 hours · from $56

You’ll visit Puerto Princesa’s UNESCO-listed Underground River, ride a motorized boat to the cave, then paddle through its limestone chambers for 45 minutes. A buffet lunch and community-led mangrove tour follow, with a Tamilok woodworm demonstration and optional tasting. Hotel pickup, English guiding, and return transport are included.

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11.From Cebu: Bohol Countryside Private Tour & Loboc River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 3 reviews · from $139

Travel from Cebu to Bohol by fast ferry, then explore the Chocolate Hills, Tarsier and Butterfly Sanctuary, Man-Made Mahogany Forest, and Sikatuna Mirror of the World with a private driver-guide. A Loboc River buffet cruise is included. Andrew may be your guide, depending on availability.

“Andrew is a very congenial, knowledgeable, & professional tour guide. Made every one as ease. Explained landmarks, historical sites & gave brief history of each site we visited. Has sense of humor that helped since we were awaken to an eRead more”

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12.Bohol: Chocolate Hills, Loboc River Cruise, and Buffet Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · 1 day · from $68

Spend 8 to 9 hours exploring Bohol by private air-conditioned vehicle, with hotel pickup in Tagbilaran or Panglao. Guide Jehu brings a friendly spirit to the day, while the route covers the Chocolate Hills, Bilar Man-Made Forest, tarsier conservation area, Baclayon Church, and a buffet cruise on the Loboc River. Optional stops are available.

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13.Cebu: Bohol Countryside and Loboc River Cruise Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · 14 hours · from $139

You’ll leave Cebu early for a private Bohol tour with round-trip ferry tickets, a driver-guide, and lunch on the Loboc River. Visit the Blood Compact Shrine, Baclayon Church, a giant python, tarsiers, St. Peter’s Ruins, the mahogany forest, Butterfly Garden, and Chocolate Hills. Driver Danillo is noted for making the most of a full day.

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