Manila Cruise Excursion: Taal Volcano, Tagaytay and Taal Heritage Town

Taal is the name of a lake, a volcano and a town. Taal Lake is the third largest lake in country and is actually the caldera of a very large extinct volcano. In the center of this lake is Taal Volcano which is very active. A volcano within a volcano, Taal’s beauty and uniqueness make it one of the country’s must see sights. On this trip we get a spectacular view of Taal Volcano and Taal Lake from Tagaytay ridge, the country's most popular weekend destination.

Just off the shore of Taal Lake is Taal Heritage Town, established in 1572. It is one of the oldest towns in the country and home to Asia's biggest Catholic church as well as a collection of old houses that showcase traditional Filipino-Spanish architecture. The town and its people played an important role in the Philippine revolution against the Spanish and is a great place to learn about the country’s history and culture. Taal Town is also known for making the country's best barongs, our traditional formal men's attire, and it is the birthplace of the famous balisong or butterfly knife.

This trip takes 8 hours and is the perfect excursion to take if you are making a cruise ship stop in Manila.

Highlights and activities

• See Taal Lake and Taal Volcano, two of the country's must-see sights.
• Drive through the beautiful countryside outside Manila.
• Visit 19th century churches and houses and learn about Philippine culture and history.

• hiking / trekking

1. 

   Day 1: The ideal cruise excursion day

   We pick you up at your cruise ship's port and take a 1.5-hour drive from Manila to Tagaytay. The drive involves a winding climb up to Tagaytay ridge and we see fields of rice, pineapples, fruits and vegetables along the way. Tagaytay is actually on the crater lip of the huge extinct volcano and it offers the best view of Taal Volcano and Taal Lake. After enjoying the view we then drive an hour to Taal Town. Taal is a very old town established in 1572 that has Asia’s biggest Catholic church and a collection of old houses that showcase traditional Filipino-Spanish architecture. We visit churches, old houses and other points of interest in the town and have lunch at a restaurant serving local specialties before driving 2 hours back to Manila in late afternoon.

There are currently no set schedules for this tour. Tell us your preferred date and we'll open that date as a trip departure in which others can join.

This trip is designed for passengers of cruise ships. Each departure date is meant for a specific ship. Pick up and drop off will be at the cruise ship ports specified in the Schedule.

The departure dates listed above are for the following cruises:

• 20 Nov 2017 – Celebrity Millenium - Celebrity Cruises
• 30 Jan 2018 – Silver Shadow - Silversea Cruises
• 18 Feb 2018 – Celebrity Constellation - Celebrity Cruises
• 05 Mar 2018 – Silver Shadow - Silversea Cruises
• 07 Mar 2018 – Arcadia - Silversea Cruises
• 13 Mar 2018 – Crystal Serenity - Crystal Cruises
• 17 Mar 2018 – MS Volendam- Holland America

Departures are guaranteed once two (2) persons sign up for the trip. If you are the only person to sign up for a scheduled departure, you have the option of getting a full refund, rescheduling to a guaranteed departure, or doing a private tour for an additional USD 140.00.

If you'd like to go on this adventure but there are no dates which suit your schedule, please contact us, and we will set up a group departure date for you. You can also do this trip as a private tour.

Includes

• Private transportation.
• Entrance fees.
• Guiding service.

Excludes

• Travel insurance.
• Lunch.

Price is per person for a minimum group of two (2) persons.

Kindly contact us for information for smaller or larger groups.

• This trip is designed for passengers of cruise ships. Each departure date is meant for a specific ship. Pick up and drop off will be at the cruise ship ports specified in the Schedule.
• Yellow fever vaccination is required for entry to the Philippines if you are coming from a yellow-fever infected country; if you are not, this vaccination is unnecessary. The following vaccinations are recommended:
  • Hepatitis A and B
  • Typhoid
  • Japanese encephalitis
  • Measles, mumps and rubella