Most reviewsMost reviewed tour
Pickup in Moalboal
- Guided
- 3 hours
- Groups
- Up to 13
- Rating
- 4.87
- Price
- from $45
Guides
Language
EnglishCurrency
US dollar · $Your currency applies on GetYourGuide too.
Guide · Canyoneering
Moalboal canyoneering: down the river to Kawasan Falls
Kawasan Falls lies in Badian, a short drive south of Moalboal. Here is what Moalboal canyoneering involves, which tours pick you up in town, the age and fitness rules they state, and how to pair it with the sardines.
Check availabilityfrom $108 · cancel at no cost
Editorial team, moalboalwhaleshark.comUpdated October 22, 2026Read time: 6 min17 sources
Quick answer
- 01Where
- Kawasan Falls in Badian, 30 to 40 minutes from Moalboal.1
- 02What you do
- Cliff jumping, sliding and trekking along a river.1
- 03Most reviewed tour
- Rated 4.87 from 967 reviews, from $45, with Moalboal pickup.
- 04Minimum age
- 7 years on two listings, 10 on another.
- 05Best season
- December to May, the dry months, says the province.2
Kawasan Falls and the river above it
Badian borders Moalboal to the south, and Cebu Provincial Tourism says it is best known for Kawasan Falls and for canyoneering, trekking and river adventures.34 The municipality of Moalboal describes the falls by their famous turquoise water and puts them 30 to 40 minutes from town.1 That short drive is what makes Moalboal such a convenient base for the day.
Canyoneering here means following the river downstream on foot and in the water. The municipality lists what it involves: cliff jumping, sliding and trekking along a river.1 You wear a helmet and a life jacket, wade through pools, swim short stretches and climb over rocks, with a guide setting the pace and showing you where to jump or slide.
Below the main cascade, a wide pool collects the turquoise water the falls are famous for.1 It is a full, physical half day, and the reward is a landscape of limestone walls and green water that feels far from the beaches only half an hour's drive away. Bring the energy for the swim at the end, not just for the jumps.
The most reviewed tour
A morning on the river from Moalboal
-
Pickup
Moalboal
The listing names a street food spot as the meeting place.
-
30 minutes
Van to Kawasan
The short drive south into Badian.
-
3 hours
Guided canyoneering
Jumping, sliding and trekking down the river.1
-
Afterwards
Lunch
Named in the listing's title.
-
30 minutes
Back to Moalboal
The van returns to the pickup point.
The most reviewed tour from Moalboal
One canyoneering listing stands far ahead in numbers: it is rated 4.87 from 967 reviews and starts from $45, with lunch named in its title. Pickup is in Moalboal, at a street food spot named in the listing, followed by 30 minutes in a van to Kawasan Falls and a guided tour of 3 hours. The whole outing is listed at 6 hours.
Its rules are clear and worth reading before you book. It is not recommended for travelers with back problems, pregnant travelers or anyone with heart problems, and it asks for a moderate level of fitness. Confirmation comes at the time of booking, and the instructor speaks English.
Weather can stop the day, and the listing says so: canyoneering needs good weather, and if a date is canceled for that reason you are offered a different date or a full refund. It can take up to 100 travelers split into groups, with at most 13 people in one group. Free cancellation runs up to 24 hours before.
Minimum ages
Youngest age allowed on the canyon, by listing
years
Six canyoneering listings
Kawasan canyoneering tours compared
| Listing | Pickup | Duration | Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Most reviewed tour | Moalboal | 6 hours | 4.87 | from $45 |
| With lunch in Badian | Moalboal | 1 day | 4.61 | from $77 |
| Sardines and canyon, small group | Moalboal | 5 hours | 5.0 | from $68 |
| Sardines and canyon, full day | Many towns | 1 day | 4.8 | from $135 |
| From a Moalboal cafe | Moalboal | 7 hours | 5.0 | from $82 |
| Joiners tour from the city | Cebu City | 12 hours | 4.85 | from $91 |
Pickup, duration, rating and from-price as each GetYourGuide listing states them.
Three ways down the river
Fast, relaxed or with the sardines
Most reviews
UnhurriedWith lunch in Badian
Pickup in Moalboal
- At the falls
- 3.5 hours
- Jumps
- Optional
- Rating
- 4.61
- Price
- from $77
Two in one daySardines and canyon
Many pickup towns
- Snorkel
- 1.5 hours
- Canyon
- 3 hours
- Rating
- 4.8
- Price
- from $135
Decision helper
Which canyoneering day fits you?
Start from what matters most
The most reviewed tour
Rated 4.87 from 967 reviews.
The Badian lunch tour
Jumps are optional, with routes around them.
The small-group combo
1.5 hours of swimming, then the canyon.
A tour with a lower age limit
Two listings accept children from 7; the cafe pickup tour starts at 10.
The joiners tour
Pickup in the city, 3.65 hours out, 3 back.
December to May: Dry season, ideal for canyoneering, trekking, and waterfall activities. June to November: Wet season; heavy rains may affect outdoor and river-based activities.
Other ways to do it: transfers, lunch and the sardines
A second Moalboal listing builds a more relaxed day around the same river. It picks up in Moalboal, drives 30 minutes, spends 3.5 hours at Kawasan Falls, then stops in Badian for 45 minutes of lunch and free time before the drive back. It is rated 4.61 from 15 reviews and starts from $77.
If you want the sardines and the canyon on the same day, two listings combine them. A small-group trip limited to 10 participants swims in Moalboal for 1.5 hours, then spends 3.5 hours on canyoneering with lunch; the listing gives 5 hours in all, from $68. A longer day with pickup in many towns, Moalboal included, snorkels for 1.5 hours and canyons for 3, rated 4.80 from 78 reviews.
From Cebu City the river is a long day trip; one joiners tour drives 3.65 hours out and 3 hours back and needs at least 4 people to run. Staying in Moalboal avoids that drive entirely. A smaller listing also picks up at a cafe in Moalboal, provides a helmet, a life jacket and plastic water shoes, and sets the minimum age at 10.
Map
Moalboal on the west coast, the whale sharks on the east
South Cebu with the bus terminal, the airport, Moalboal, Kawasan Falls and the Oslob whale shark site, then a closer look at the Moalboal coast.
1Cebu South Bus Terminal2Mactan-Cebu International Airport3Moalboal4Kawasan Falls5Tumalog Falls6Tan-awan, Oslob
7Moalboal Public Market8Panagsama Beach9White Beach (Basdaku)10Pescador Island
- 1Cebu South Bus Terminal
Buses to Moalboal leave from this terminal on N. Bacalso Avenue; look for a Ceres Liner marked Bato via Barili.56
In Google Maps ↗ - 2Mactan-Cebu International Airport
Allow 30 to 60 minutes to the bus terminal, or 3 to 4 hours straight to Moalboal by private van or taxi.57
In Google Maps ↗ - 3Moalboal
Reached from Cebu City by an 89 km road; the public bus needs roughly 3 hours.8
In Google Maps ↗ - 4Kawasan Falls
In Badian, 30 to 40 minutes from Moalboal, known for its turquoise water and the canyoneering upriver.1
In Google Maps ↗ - 5Tumalog Falls
The stop after the whale sharks on the booked day, 20 minutes away by car.
In Google Maps ↗ - 6Tan-awan, Oslob
The whale shark site, in Barangay Tan-awan on the far side of the island from Moalboal.9
In Google Maps ↗ - 7Moalboal Public Market
You can leave the bus here; Panagsama is 10 to 15 minutes on by tricycle or habal-habal.1011
In Google Maps ↗ - 8Panagsama Beach
The sardine shoal a few meters off the shore, with bars and live music after dark.1213
In Google Maps ↗ - 9White Beach (Basdaku)
A long stretch of soft white sand with cottages, food stalls and BBQ spots.14
In Google Maps ↗ - 10Pescador Island
Part of the municipality; spearfishing and compressor fishing are banned around it.1516
In Google Maps ↗
Checklist
What to bring to the river
01
Wear and pack
- Swimwear, towel and a change of clothes
- Sneakers or river shoes, not flip-flops
- Sunscreen
- A waterproof bag for your phone
02
Before booking
- Check the minimum age for your children
- Moderate fitness, comfortable in water
- A spare day in the rainy months
Cost calculator
Your group's canyoneering day
Starting totals for three tours from Moalboal.
People
Total from$89
from, per person $45
Check availabilityfree cancellationEach sum takes the listing's lowest GetYourGuide fare per person, converted at the day's euro reference rate; checkout shows the real figure for your date and group.
Video
Cebu’s Best Adventure? Canyoneering Kawasan Falls!
Nothing loads until you tap play.
Jumping is optional: what the day asks of you
The jumps are what people remember, but you do not have to make them. One Moalboal listing states that cliff jumps are optional and that alternative routes are available for guests who prefer not to jump. Another says jumping is optional and that the tour suits both beginners and confident swimmers.
What you cannot skip is the effort. The listings ask you to be comfortable swimming and physically fit, because the day involves trekking, climbing and jumping. One describes canyoneering as an extreme sport that includes jumping off cliffs and trekking downstream, and expects good health from every participant.
Judge your own comfort honestly. If you are a nervous swimmer, wear the life jacket, stay close to the guide and take the walking route around each jump. If you have back or heart problems or are pregnant, the most reviewed listing advises against joining at all. A swim at Kawasan Falls itself, without the canyon, is a gentler alternative.
Ages and group sizes
Age limits vary from listing to listing, so check yours. One Moalboal tour is not suitable for children under 7, and another sets the minimum age for canyoneering at 7 years. A smaller operator asks for a minimum age of 10. The combo day that adds Kawasan to the Oslob whale sharks sells canyoneering as an add-on from age 4.
Group size changes the feel of the day. The most reviewed listing runs groups of at most 13 people, while the small-group sardines and canyoneering trip is limited to 10 participants. With younger teenagers, a small group makes it easier for the guide to wait at each jump without holding up a long line behind you.
Whatever the age, everyone gets the same safety kit. One listing names it plainly: a helmet, a life jacket and plastic shoes for walking in the water, with a warning that suitable sizes are not always available, so bring sneakers or river shoes of your own. Sandals and flip-flops are not suitable on the river.
Moalboal to Kawasan Falls: getting there on your own
The drive from Moalboal to Kawasan Falls is short. The municipality puts the falls 30 to 40 minutes away, and the tours that pick up in Moalboal list 30 minutes in the van.1 The road runs south into Badian, the next municipality along the coast.3
You can reach the falls without a tour if you only want to swim, by scooter or by hired tricycle. Canyoneering is done with a guide, a helmet and a life jacket, which the listed tours provide. A guided tour also settles the question of where to start on the river and how to get back to your vehicle at the end.
If you drive yourself from Cebu City instead, the route to Badian passes through Carcar, Barili, Dumanjug, Ronda and Moalboal, about 3 hours depending on traffic.17 That is a strong argument for sleeping in Moalboal the night before and starting fresh, rather than arriving tired after a morning on the road.
When to go, and when the river says no
Cebu Provincial Tourism names December to May as Badian's dry season, ideal for canyoneering, trekking and waterfall activities.2 From June to November, it warns, heavy rains may affect outdoor and river-based activities.2 A river that runs high and fast after a storm is not one to jump into, whatever the itinerary says.
That is why the weather clause on the listings matters. The most reviewed tour offers another date or a full refund if poor weather cancels it. Another states that weather conditions may affect the activity and that tours may be rescheduled or canceled for safety. Keep a spare day in your Moalboal plans in the rainy months.
Pack light for the river: swimwear, a towel, sunscreen and a change of clothes, which the listings recommend. A waterproof bag for your phone helps, and a small waterproof camera is worth more here than anywhere else in Moalboal. Leave everything else at your hotel; you will be in the water most of the time.
Your dawn date
Whale sharks at sunrise, turtles by lunch
Choose your morning now and settle up later; plans can still change free of charge until a day ahead.
You ask,we answer.
How far is Kawasan Falls from Moalboal?
30 to 40 minutes. That is the municipality's time; Moalboal tours list 30 minutes in the van.1
Do I have to jump?
No. One listing says jumps are optional, with alternative routes for those who prefer not to.
How long does canyoneering take?
Usually 3 to 4 hours. That is one listing's estimate, depending on the group's pace.
What is the minimum age?
Usually 7, sometimes 10. Two listings set 7 years, one sets 10.
Is lunch included?
On some tours. The most reviewed tour names lunch in its title; another stops for lunch in Badian.
What if it rains?
The tour may move. The most reviewed tour offers a different date or a full refund if weather cancels it.
Who should not go?
People with back or heart problems. The most reviewed tour also advises against it for pregnant travelers.
Sources
Sources and evidence
- 1Municipality of MoalboalWhat to do↩
- 2Cebu Provincial Tourism OfficeBadian - Explore Cebu↩
- 3Municipality of MoalboalAbout Moalboal↩
- 4Cebu Provincial Tourism OfficeBadian - Explore Cebu↩
- 5Municipality of MoalboalHow To Get There↩
- 6Municipality of MoalboalHow To Get There↩
- 7Municipality of MoalboalHow To Get There↩
- 8Municipality of MoalboalAbout Moalboal↩
- 9↩
- 10Municipality of MoalboalHow To Get There↩
- 11Municipality of MoalboalHow To Get There↩
- 12Municipality of MoalboalWhat to do↩
- 13Municipality of MoalboalWhat to do↩
- 14Municipality of MoalboalWhat to do↩
- 15Municipality of MoalboalAbout Moalboal↩
- 16Municipality of MoalboalWhat to do↩
- 17Cebu Provincial Tourism OfficeBadian - Explore Cebu↩
Keep reading
