The 7 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, then transfer to a smaller boat for firefly viewing near the mangroves. Guides such as Dong, Dodong, Edward, and Kail bring humor and nature facts, while the estuary may glow with bioluminescent plankton.

“The tour was a lot of fun and very informative! Our dinner was delicious too! The river cruise and fireflies were beautiful! Salamat po- we really enjoyed it!”

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2.Underground River and Firefly Watching Tour

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

Spend a full day pairing Palawan’s famous Underground River with an evening firefly cruise. Your English or Tagalog guide handles transport, boats, meals, and entrance fees. Choose a short ocean zipline or mangrove paddle tour, then return after dark to watch fireflies and bioluminescent plankton.

“Too much rain shut down underground but we still enjoyed a tour and the guides were great”

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3.Firefly Watching Paddle Boat Tour & Dinner

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

You’ll begin with hotel pickup, dinner at Swag Restaurant, and a motorized boat ride from Baywalk before boarding a paddle boat for firefly watching. An English-speaking guide explains the insects’ role in the ecosystem. Bring repellent and skip flash photography.

“Great great tour! Very well organised and didn’t feel touristy at all. We were pretty much the only boat there until the very end and felt super private. The guide was great, very well spoken and super friendly and enthusiastic. Food was amazing. If I had the food in a restaurant I would be very happy.”

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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 drive 45 minutes to a dark riverside village. A guide such as Kyle leads the paddle-boat firefly cruise, with English and Tagalog commentary. The tour usually ends between 8 and 10 PM.

“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

Join an English or Tagalog guide for a nighttime boat ride on Iwahig River, where fireflies glow in the mangroves beneath the stars. Hotel transfers, a safety briefing, and guided viewing are included. Add the onsite buffet dinner if you want a longer evening.

“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 ride through mangroves brings you close to fireflies and possible bioluminescent plankton, followed by dinner at an off-site restaurant. Pickup is included within 5 kilometers of the airport.

“It was a lovely peaceful experience watching fireflies and bioluminescent plankton. Bring insect repellent.”

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7.Firefly Watching with Dinner

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

You’ll leave Puerto Princesa by air-conditioned van around 5:30PM to 6:30PM for Kito-Kito, about 35 minutes away. A licensed English-speaking guide leads the mangrove boat ride, where you look for fireflies and plankton before an unlimited dinner buffet.

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