From Manila: Amazing Taal Volcano Island Boat Lake Tour w/ Guide
Overview
Available languages
7 hours
Mobile ticket
Explore Taal Volcano on a Scenic Boat Tour Around Taal Lake
Embark on an unforgettable journey to Taal Volcano, one of the Philippines' most iconic and active volcanoes. Enjoy hotel pickup and drop-off from Manila, and learn about Taal’s history, including the dramatic 2020 eruption that sent ash plumes as far as Manila, forcing over 150,000 people to evacuate.
Your adventure begins with a drive to Tagaytay City, where you’ll stop at Tagaytay Picnic Grove, 665 meters above sea level. Enjoy breathtaking views of Taal Volcano rising majestically from the lake, and capture the perfect photo with your driver’s help.
At Taal Lake, take a small-group boat ride (max of 5 people plus local guide for safety) with a local guide who will point out significant sites on Volcano Island. Get up close to the steaming volcano, learn about its ongoing activity (currently under Alert Level 1), and enjoy stunning panoramic views of the lake and surrounding landscape before returning to your hotel.
Additional Info
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
This is a small-group private tour, accommodating a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 5 participants per boat with Local Guide.
Picnic Grove will serve as an alternative to Palace in the Sky, depending on visibility and weather conditions.
OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES: Available at guests' expense, payable upon entry (e.g., Zipline, Horseback Riding, etc.)
Taal Lake and Taal Volcano activities are weather-dependent. In the event of heavy rain, typhoons, storms, flash floods, or an eruption alert, local authorities may suspend activities for safety reasons without prior notice.
Please provide your hotel name in the Special Requirements section, private message, whatsapp when booking. We offer pickup directly from your hotel lobby.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Tagaytay Picnic Grove
Head over to the Taal Volcano ridge in Tagaytay City and see first hand the steams coming from Taal Volcano eruption. This is a sightseeing tour. Taal Volcano suddenly erupt at 2:36pm on Sunday, January 12, 2020 ,making all flee from the island volcano. For the next 24 hours, ashes coming from the crater reach Metro Manila and nearby areas as 150,000 people flee from their homes. Taal Volcano is now considered the most active complex volcano after this eruption. See the devastation firsthand and the dramatic views of Taal Lake and steaming Volcano Island from the ridges of Tagaytay City.
Taal Volcano
Boat ride in front of the Volcano (No Trekking in the Crater as the Volcano still under Eruption Alert)
What‘s Included
Picnic Groove Entrance and LGU Fees
Island Volcano Boat Sightseeing operated by Government Regulated Station (Local Guide, Boat Captain)
We offer convenient pickup and drop-off services directly from your hotel lobby or the airport.
TripAdvisor Experiences brokerage fee
Round Trip Transportation, Driver, Fuel, all Toll Fees
Boat rental fees, all taxes, entrance fees, Local Boat Tour Guide and environmental fees included.
Breakfast and lunch are not included, but delicious local cuisine is available for purchase on site.
Personal expenses, including optional activities like ziplining, horseback riding, other add-ons.
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Options
From Manila: Amazing Taal Volcano Island Boat Lake Tour w/ Guide
Pickup included
Reviews
24 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Unreliable, irresponsible operator. Don't book!
juliebB8175LC,,Jan 19, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00UNRELIABLE, UNPROFESSIONAL. DON’T BOOK We were very excited for our volcano and boat drive on our last day in the Philippines. We did not hear from the travel company with confirmation and detailed pick-up the day before, as is the norm, so in the evening we started texting and then calling. We said please tell us if you are coming because we don’t want to get up at 4:30 a.m. for a 5:30 a.m. pick-up unless someone is coming. At 8:30 p.m. the driver confirmed, saying he might be early. We went early to the lobby at 5:20 a.m. At 5:52 a.m. the driver texted he was on his way. At 6:21 a.m. we texted that we had been waiting for an hour, was he coming. At 6:31 I called and he said he was having problems with his navigation and the vehicle, could we wait for him. Then at 6:40 we asked him to talk to his boss to see what was happening. He called and said the trip would be cancelled due to problems with the vehicle. We then received a text from some other person, saying the trip was canceled due to an auto accident (an obvious lie). Well, our day was wasted, and we lost the chance to ever see this area. Additionally, we were tired all day from getting up at 4:30 a.m. and waiting for nothing. This company was unprofessional to not confirm properly the day before; then they provided a string of excuses and lies. They should have just canceled the night before. Clearly, they either did not want to take us, and/or they did not have a functioning vehicle. Additionally, why did the driver have to do all this? I spoke with him 3 times on the phone as he made excuses and apologized. No manager or owner called, they stuck it all onto him.
Great Day Trip from Manila
krobins7,,Jan 15, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Really cool day trip experience from Manila, Edwin picked us up and got us food, and took us to an overlook area. We went on a boat tour around the volcano and it was amazing. Lunch with a view then we went to the American cemetery in Manila. Great experience overall
Taal Lake and Pasanjan Falls tour
Travel47684992638,,Jan 14, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We went on the Taal Lake and Pasanjan Falls tour 13th January 2026 our driver and guide Edwin was fabulous went out of his way to make sure we were happy and he is very accommodating he was also a good driver and knew how to cut through Manila traffic and turned up the morning of the tour 30 minutes early and we arrived back at our Hotel on time. My wife and I would happily recommend this company and their services but Edwin is the driver to ask for as he must be the best driver they have there so ask for him to be your driver you won't be disappointed. Rob & Ashly Watson Sydney Australia
Everything was great...
Nurlan M,,Jan 7, 2026
- Review from Viator
3.00Everything was great except for one point. It's unclear why the tour starts at 5:30 AM, when it could easily be moved to 6:30 or even 7:00. Because of such an early start, guests lose their paid hotel breakfast and are forced to grab something at McDonald's or Starbucks. By the time you return around lunchtime, you're already exhausted and sleep-deprived. So it’s not clear why the tour needs to start this early, when shifting it by an hour or so wouldn’t affect the program but would make it much more comfortable.
Early start to beat the...
Bianca C,,Jan 6, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Early start to beat the traffic. Amazing scenery and guides worked well we got a good experience changing the order to allow for visibility. Larry was a great driver and I was impressed how he navigated the traffic coming back into Manila.
Getting close up
Thomas H,,Dec 23, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Carlo was a great tour guide. Explained a lot on the way to Tagaytay and kept the great music and conversation flowing. The picnic area was beautiful area to take it all. My favorite part was the boat ride and seeing the fish farms and volcanoe in the lake
Wonderful tour of Taal volcano
Lilibeth A,,Dec 10, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00My family had a wonderful time. Pick up was on time and Carlo was an excellent driver. He anticipated our needs for appropriate rest stops and even bought us bananas and buko pie....they were delicious. We felt well taken cared of. The boat ride around Taal volacano and views of the lake were amazing. Our boat tour guide was great....she gave us informations that we otherwise would not have known since she used to live on the island. Overall, it was a wonderful experience worth the cost and traffic.
Amazing experience!
Matthew F,,Jul 20, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Flor, our guide, was awesome. He is friendly and very knowledgeable of the area. Taal Volcano was amazing. I highly recommend this experience to anyone.
A once-in-a-lifetime experience
Adi A,,Feb 5, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00The guide was really nice and it was a breathtaking experience. The way from the hotel was a bit long, but it was worth it. We arrived at the location of the volcano, first we saw it from above, and then we went on a boat trip that took about two hours. We took a tour and the boat driver explained everything to us. Highly recommended!
Up Close to an Active Volcano
U3260TKjoer,,Nov 28, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I was looking for something unique that was kind of close to Manila and stumbled across this. Perfect. I booked at 11:00 at night and Carlo was there at 5:20am as promised. Wow, great service. It's a two hour ride south to the Taal lookout. Awesome. Lots of scenery along the way. Carlo is an extremely safe driver, and made appropriate pit stops. Patient, friendly and conversational the entire time. A ride down the mountain to the dock where a tour guide, Van, and a pilot, Runell, loaded us into an outrigger and drove us around the ACTIVE VOLCANO, providing commentary all along the way. Although the water was choppy the boat was pretty stable. If you're adventurous this is great, if not, this might not be for you. My scaredy cat girlfriend made it through the two hour boat ride just fine. It was very beautiful, pretty fun, and unique. Altogether an eight hour adventure. Drop off back at my hotel. Glad I did this.
From US$125.00
Want a private experience? Upgrade to a private tour
Related Experiences
Operated by Esquieres Excursions PH