Whale Shark Encounter and Kawasan Canyoneering: A Thrilling Dive into Cebu's Marine Wildlife

Embark on a thrilling adventure with our Whale Shark Encounter, Kawasan Canyoneering, and Sardines Run tour in Cebu. Swim with whale sharks, explore canyons, and witness the mesmerizing sardine run. Dive into Cebu’s marine wildlife today!

Duration: 12 hours
Highlights
  • Oslob Whale Shark Watching - You will have the opportunity to witness and swim alongside the magnificent whale sharks. These gentle giants, known as the largest fish in the world, gather in the waters of Oslob, Philippines. During your visit, you will be able to observe these incredible creatures up close and personal, creating a truly unforgettable experience. Local guides will ensure your safety and provide you with information about the whale sharks and their conservation efforts. Remember to follow the guidelines and regulations in place to protect both the whale sharks and their natural habitat.
What's Included
  • Private transportation
  • Lunch
  • Use of snorkeling equipment
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • Canyoneering equipment and safety gears
  • All fees and/or taxes
What's Not Included
  • Underwater Camera ($15)
Additional Information

Our Whale Shark, Kawasan Canyoneering, and Sardines Run tour is the combination of three incredible experiences in one package.

Firstly, the Whale Shark encounter allows you to swim alongside these gentle giants. It’s a rare opportunity to witness these magnificent creatures up close in their natural habitat. Secondly, the Kawasan Canyoneering adventure takes you on an exhilarating journey through the stunning canyons and waterfalls of Badian, Cebu. You’ll navigate through crystal-clear waters, jump off cliffs, and rappel down waterfalls, creating unforgettable memories and a sense of adventure.

Lastly, the Sardines Run showcases the mesmerizing sight of thousands of sardines moving in unison, creating a breathtaking underwater spectacle. Combining these three distinct experiences into one tour allows you to explore the beauty of the ocean, the thrill of adventure, and the marvels of marine life all in a single trip.

  • Total duration includes transportation time.
  • A screenshot of any IDs per participant is needed
Location
SM City Cebu
Meeting point will be at the Traveler's Lodge at SM City Cebu if your hotel is unavailable. Please be there at 3 am. Don't forget to contact us for easier communication.
Cancellation Policy

All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.

Customer Ratings
4.7
(23 Ratings)
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864sophiae
Aug 9, 2024
One of the best days of my life!!!! - We started the day off with our ride with Ryan at exactly 4 am on the dot when they said they'd come get us! Off to a great start. Then we went to see the whale sharks which was very cool but a bit chaotic. Then we went to Kawasan falls and had the absolute best time of our lives adventuring and joking around with our guides. We started with a motorcycle ride to the zipline and got some awesome views from that. Then for canyoneering, we were a group of 4 and we had 4 guides for our group that always made us feel safe, taken care of, and heavily instagram photo ready. These guys are so funny and take some really good pictures and videos. Canyoneering was such an adventure of a lifetime. Definitely requires you to be in good enough shape because it is a long adventure, but every second of it is worth it. Things ran a bit long in Kawasan falls, but we never felt rushed or pressured. Then we got to lunch at the owners house and the food was spectacular. One of our group couldn't eat chicken or fish and they were nice enough to accommodate that! By that time the day had gotten really late, so we tried our best to make it to Sardines, but when we got there the conditions weren't the best and we ended up heading home after that. Overall I couldn't have asked for a better trip and if you're considering these people for this activity, do it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Caitlin_s
Jul 11, 2024
Highly recommend! - Great experience! It was everything we wanted. Super fun packed day. Catherine was our personal driver for the whole day - really lovely. You spend a decent amount of time in the car. As for the experiences, really amazing. There were plenty of whale sharks. It was touristy of course but the sharks didn’t seem to mind being there. Recommend bringing a go pro or renting one (550 pesos - the diver will be your personal photographer) and maybe hiring flippers but goggles and life vest are provided (if desired). Canyoning was good with Sanjet and Jason guiding each of us. Easy experience with lots of photography (make space in your camera roll). The lunch was nice and the people were lovely. We got to see a turtle in the wild, which was a first and lots of sardines to end the day. Overall good value for money!
Review provided by Viator
Jamesbond1000
May 17, 2024
The ultimate comprehensive Cebu experience!! - If you want to experience the top 3 highlights of Cebu this is the tour to take! From swimming directly with amazing whale sharks in Oslob to canyoneering the turquoise Kawasan Falls in Badian to the breathtaking sardine run (and sea turtles!!) in Moalboal, this tour was unforgettable! Ryan was my driver and was super attentive and got me to each location safely and in record time, and Dwinz was my tour guide for Kawasan Falls and took the best photos imaginable while insuring we ventured safely and adventurously through the canyon, and the owner of the company was very sweet and had a huge authentic Filipino lunch waiting for me once I reached their base! I’m telling you guys, if you’re looking for the ultimate Cebu experience this is the one to go with! Have fun!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cruiser60534434330
Apr 19, 2024
Fun tour with great guides! - We went on a Kawasan Falls canyoneering tour with these guys. We stayed at Moalboal and had our own car so we didn't ask for the pickup. Their office was easy to find based on the instructions. We started around 7.30 am and were back by 1 pm. This tour was the highlight of our 2 weeks at the Philippines! We booked a private tour for our family of 4 and we got 4 guides. Eric, Jarson, Danilo and Sanjet were the best guides we could wish for. We could tell from the first moment we met that we were going to have a great time with them. They took very good care of us, making sure we were safe all the time. They were funny and entertaining as well. They didn't get tired of our 10 years old daughter who wanted to jump several times and swing even more. They took us behind the waterfall which was the best experience (after the big jump). We didn't bring a camera or phone with us and they asked one of their friends to take some pictures and send them afterwards. After the tour we got a delicious lunch at their office, it was the perfect ending of our trip. The canyon is really beautiful, the zipline at the beginning was also fun and the motor ride to get there was even more fun 😁 You don't need to bring anything with you (beside your camera), you can get drinks and even basic food along the way and pay after you got back. If you are thinking about doing the canyoneering, book these guys! You won't regret it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Roxlavin
Apr 16, 2024
Everyone was so welcoming and friendly. They picked us up on time, had excellent communication and made it really fun! - They were very welcoming and friendly. Picked us up on time and made it really fun. The guides were excellent and the lunch was so good!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Raissalynn_s
Apr 13, 2024
Long day, but 10/10 would do again! - PH Canyoneering Review TLDR: If you’re committed to hit all of Cebu’s ecotourism highlights in one day, this is the tour for you! It’s a long day, for sure, but we enjoyed it all and felt comfortable and safe throughout the whole experience. Staff, guides, drivers, and owners are so kind and made sure we felt welcomed and had an incredible time! Full Review: We booked this private tour (just me and my husband) on Viator prior to our travels to the Philippines. Tour operator/owner, Maan, texted me on WhatsApp to confirm our hotel address and pick-up time a few nights before our tour. She also gave the contact info of our driver and a short list of essentials to bring with us. We were scheduled for a 03:00 pick-up time as it takes about 3-4 hours to drive from our hotel in Cebu City to our first stop in Oslob for the Whale Shark sighting tour. Our driver, Catherine, was an excellent and safe driver! We were able to catch some more sleep en route. We arrived in Oslob around 06:30, with plenty of time to change, use the restroom (20PHP each), and grab a coffee and light breakfast (not included). Our guide, Vince, kept us well-updated and even went out of his way to find seats for us in the waiting area. Our turn was called by 08:30 and we stayed in the water for about 45min, plenty of time to swim around, see the whale sharks, and grab footage. Afterwards, it was about another 90min drive to the next stop: Kawasan Canyoneering. We met with our canyon guide, Charlito aka Cha-Cha, who set us up with the required helmet and life vest. He, among many of the other guides there, were EXCELLENT. Cha-cha has been a guide here for over 7 years; he walks through the slippery 5-mile canyon hike with such ease! He carried our small dry bag and kept my phone handy to take all our footage so all we had to do was enjoy the beautiful scenery and waterfalls. There are a few pit stops for food and snacks along the way (which is honestly impressive and hilarious; imagine a bbq pit in Zion National Park’s slot canyons?!) which were delicious! You don’t bring money with you for this; you pay your guide at the end if you choose to indulge in snacks. It was 14:00 by the time we reached the car to meet Catherine. About 20min drive to PH Canyoneering’s HQ for lunch prepared by Maan’s mom and family. Traditional Filipino food was served (vegetable pancit, lumpia, rice, pork sisig, fried chicken), as well as some local fresh fruit and iced tea. So delicious after a long day! I don’t know if they accommodate other nutrition preferences, so please ask ahead if these are things you can’t eat. After lunch, we went to our last stop in Moalboal, about an hour away, to see the sardine run and hopefully find some sea turtles. With luck, our guide was able to spot a sea turtle right away! If you’re a snorkel and ocean fan, the sardine run is impressive. We didn’t spent so much time here, though, because we were really quite exhausted. Beautiful nonetheless! There’s a rinse-off hose for 20PHP near the parking area. After doing so, we got back in the car for the long 4-hour drive back to Cebu City. PRO TIPS: The 3am wake-up call is tough, especially if you’re jet lagged! But I promise you the sunrise over the ocean as you’re driving past (left side of vehicle) is beautiful and worth it. Hundreds of guide operators are working as early (or late) as 12am just to make sure their guests have a prime time whale shark experience (6am, 7am, and 8am). These slots fill up quick and are only available to be picked on the same day. If your work is in logistics, as mine is, the process to do this can seem chaotic but once you relinquish the idea that you can control anything, the experience becomes way more enjoyable. If your work is in wildlife conservation, there’s much to debate on this process, but again, I don’t live and work here. Not my lane. The Kawasan area is impressive, but be prepared with the right outdoor nonslip shoes (such as Keen, Tevas, or water shoes). THE ROCKS ARE SLIPPERY. Some British girl in the group in front of us was wearing crocs and sprained her ankle. You can wear whatever is comfortable for you, but if I were do it again, I’d probably wear some kind of dry-fit shorts and shirt; there’s a number of spots that you slide off of. I wore a bikini like most of the westerners there and had major wedgie after every waterfall jump 😂. Your guide will happily take your phone or GoPro to take all the video and pics that you’ll ever need. Make sure they’re in the proper casing. I have an iPhone 14 Pro and used it without a waterproof case, relying on its “water resistant up to 6ft” claims with no issues afterwards (use the Eject Water function on Shortcuts). This is also obviously an incredibly popular attraction so the crowds can feel overwhelming, but it’s the price to pay when the conservation effort isn’t a lottery system or limited guest entry policy (like what I’m used to in the US). Tips are appreciated and I cannot wholly emphasize to make sure to bring enough small bills to share with each of your guides. They truly make it worth it! Lastly, I wish I didn’t have to say this, and I’m not sure if there’s any other way to phrase it, but for the love of God please don’t be mean. No local, especially a tour guide, is going to tell you you’re being rude, but from one foreigner to another, I’ll tell you. Just be nice and considerate. Yes it’s their job, but you can make the experience more enjoyable for you and people after you if you’re kind and open to an experience you wouldn’t have had at home! Packing List: - dry bag - Snacks for the road - Cash for snacks, tips; coins for using the restrooms - Wipes/tissue paper (most toilets don’t have this stocked or they charge, even at the malls!) - Action camera or waterproof casing for your phone - Towel - Swim suit - Change of clothes - Sunscreen (the only time you can’t use it is during the whale shark experience)
Review provided by Viator
Kate_c
Apr 4, 2024
Well organized your with great guides - Loved this tour. Very organized and great guides. My friend and I were picked up at our hotel in an air conditioned van. We were transported just the two of us to the southern part of the island for whale sharks. We met our guide who directed us and got us set up with go pro ($10ish to rent and have pics directly uploaded to our phones). Got in boat just offshore to see whale sharks that seemed blocked in and were being fed so they get super close to you. Life jackets, snorkel gear provided. Spent 30 min in the water with whale sharks. Then back to our private car and transported to kawasan falls and met our two guides. It was still just the 2 of us. The canyoneering area was gorgeous. It takes anywhere from 2-4 hours to get through depending on your fitness level. Not for the unfit. You can zip line to start of canyoneering area for a small extra price, otherwise it’s like a 20 min walk. The canyoneering combines hiking, cliff jumping, sliding over waterfalls and floating. The guides take awesome pics and videos so you can bring your phones with you. After finishing canyon, transported to a private homemade lunch at the house of the company’s boss. The lunch was fresh and delicious with a wide variety of local foods and fruits and tea. Then we were taken to moalboal for the sardine snorkeling. I wished we could’ve borrowed a GoPro for this too as we wanted pics here, but that’s unfortunately not an option. We saw sardines and sea turtles here, but this area was a bit more busy than the rest though the two of us still had a guide to ourselves. We were then transported back to our hotel. It was overall a long day, but very fun and worth it. A lot of time is spent in the car but it was comfortable and had ac with a safe driver. We definitely recommend this tour.
Review provided by Viator
Eva_l
Mar 31, 2024
Highlight of our Cebu Trip - The pick up time was 3:00 am at the hotel but the entire experience was worth it. Very timely whatapps communications from booking, the day before and event day confirmation Tour guides Cha Cha & Clyde were very friendly, helpful and they took great family photos for us. Highly recommend this activity to those who enjoy nature. One warm reminder to wear water shoes with thicker bottom as it required a lot of walking on rocky roads for canyoneering.
Review provided by Viator
Es
Mar 29, 2024
Action packed - My friend and I felt so welcome and safe during the whole guide experience! The whale watching tour was so amazing be prepared for the workout of the week as depending on currents you need to use strength. Catherine the driver was flexible when it came to needs. The canyoneering experience was also great with DELICIOUS food afterwards. An activity packed tour that really delivers.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
John_c
Mar 24, 2024
great company, most of the most amazing adventures ever - I don't normally do reviews, but this was so good I had too. This company did an excellent job, picked up on time, friendly driver and patient. Then the handoff to each of the respective excursions went great. It was nice watching the walk up people wait 4 hrs, but we got on whale shark within 45 minutes. Then the canyoneering was AMAZING one of the top 3 things ever done. One of the 4 guides, wow, 4 for us, made it feel safe and even took pics for us. Then to our surprise the lunch was at the owners large compound house - WOW. Private, intimate good food, great ambience with trees all around. Lady owner made great food and it was nice. Then off to Sardines and Turtles. Back home by 8pm. Many of the employees are family so it was great they all seem to really care. Nice to help a small business/family that does a great job.
Review provided by Viator
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September 2024
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