Dao Waterfall offers not only an epic waterfall finale but it is the trek in that is truly astounding. For thirty minutes you wade through those trademark Cebu blues, while ferns and palms cover the canyon walls on either side. The trek to Dao Falls itself isn’t hard but it does require you to walk through the water and navigate your way around boulders and rocks. It is a moderate adventure with incredible scenery, which is far away from the crowds at Kawasan Falls.
Wondering what Camera and Photography Gear I take all my photos with while traveling around the world? Click Here to view my detailed guide about all of the gear I use and recommend for travel photography.
My travel insurance: One last thing before you get started! Have you got your travel insurance yet? You can Click Here to find out how I get the best deal on travel insurance, which insurance recommend using in Southeast Asia and why I never travel without it. *This blog post involves photos of my bike crash.
What to pack for the Philippines?: After four trips to the Philippines, there are some items you NEED to pack. You can Click Here to view my recommended Philippines Packing List.
DAO WATERFALL TREK
Dao Waterfall has had a recent upgrade and signs now direct you into a parking lot where you will find the ticket office. Here the locals of the community will collect the entrance fee of 60 pesos (which is $1.20 USD).
These friendly locals of Samboan are also the people maintaining the trail and may offer to guide you down. If you aren’t very adventurous you may opt for a guide as many places are slippery and often you are navigating through waist-deep water. A guide would be helpful and many in our group were thankful to have a helping hand steady them along slippery rocks and unstable sections of the trail.
The Dao Waterfall trail begins with a short downhill section of stairs through the palms. You will then come to a bamboo bridge, which is out of action. Do not use the bridge as it is fragile and will likely snap. Instead, cross the river to the right of the bridge and head up the very clear trail on the other side of the river.

From this point on the trail is beautiful. Cebu is covered in limestone and this means that the rivers and waterfalls have an incredibly smoky blue color to them. My friend has described it as ‘Tiffany Blue’, which I can confirm is an accurate depiction. It isn’t just the Tiffany-Blue water that makes this an incredible trail.
The vibrant green ferns, palms and jungle plants come at you from all angles and contrast against the blues. The final piece of this incredible natural puzzle is the high canyon walls that slowly close in on you as you make your way up the cascades until you are walking through a narrow trail.











In the final parts of the trail, the locals have built a staircase, which is quite necessary as the waterfall gets fierce and steep. This is a very scenic part of the trail and you can actually get a glimpse of Dao Waterfall from the base of the stairs with the smaller waterfalls below it. This was probably my favorite spot on the trail.


Dao Waterfall is about 40-50m high and pours down into a large pool. You can swim safely in the pool and near the falls when the flow isn’t too crazy but of course be careful depending on the conditions. It was a great pool to refresh in after the short trail hike. I’ve heard that the falls used to be double the width but a landslide impacted the flow and it isn’t quite as impressive these days but it still impressed me!
HOW TO GET TO DAO WATERFALL
Dao Falls is super easy to find. It is marked here on the Google Map below and the pin is accurate. From the main road there is a sign and then as you follow the road into the village there is another small wooden sign pointing to the left, which is directing you to the parking lot.
ADVENTURE BAG FROM DAO WATERFALL TREK
This is an adventure bag. It is full of trash. Every time I go on an adventure I collect one adventure bag full of trash. It’s my small way of saying thanks to mother nature for allowing me to enjoy her beautiful creations.
If we have time to go on an adventure we have time to collect an adventure bag on the way back out of the trail once we have enjoyed the waterfall, the hike or the beach. Adventure hard!
Tag your @adventurebagcrew on Instagram and mention @adventurebagcrew in your Instagram stories to be featured and inspire your friends, family, and followers to join the movement!


WHERE TO STAY ON CEBU?
I really think that if you are going to be exploring Cebu, the best place to stay is in Moalboal. There are a few reasons why!
Cebu City might be where you land at the airport but if you are looking for adventure, you will need to head south as soon as possible. Most of the best waterfalls, whale sharks, snorkeling with sardines and turtles are all down south.
So where do you stay to do all of these adventures? Moalboal! Trust me I know… I rent an apartment in Moalboal and that is my base for all of the adventures you have just read!
Moalboal is a cool town, which is the free-diving and scuba capital of Cebu and even the Philippines. Here there are tons of hostels, hotels, and homestays.
There are plenty of restaurants and even a small mall. This is really the last spot as you travel down south where you will have good wifi, 4G connection, western restaurants and lots of facilities. Once you head further south to Alegria and Ginatilan those towns just aren’t set up for tourists really.
Moalboal is just a short drive from most attractions and even all the way down to the Whale Sharks is just a 1-hour drive. There are a variety of accommodations in Moalboal but I will tell you my favorite for each style of traveler. I have a recommendation for budget travelers, mid-level and luxury.
MoHo Moalboal Hostel – Budget: I stayed at this cool hostel for a few days. It is brand new and pretty modern with a huge chill-out space. The WIFI works! I was blogging and using WordPress and the connection was fine.
The dorm rooms are clean and modern with each bed having a blind for privacy. The staff were super chill and helpful. There was free water to refill your bottle and free coffee and tea. It is the cheapest option on booking.com at just 8 USD.
Teobas Homestay – Value: You need to click on that link just to see how rad this place is. It has a staircase down to the ocean into crystal clear water. I can tell you, I have snorkeled out the front of this place with turtles many times.
For about $30 USD you get a private room with all of the facilities you need. There is not much better than having ocean access and a bit of a sunset view!
Dolphin House Resort – Luxury: If you are looking for a nice resort, Dolphin House is a 5-star resort with a huge pool for less than $200 USD per night. It has ocean access, great restaurant, chilling areas and a beautiful garden throughout the property.
To view all of the accommodation options in Moalboal head to the Moalboal search page on Booking.com
MORE CEBU TRAVEL GUIDES
Awesome Things to do on Cebu: 16 AWESOME THINGS TO DO ON CEBU
Kawasan Falls Canyoneering: KAWASAN FALLS CEBU CANYONEERING ADVENTURE
Oslob: WHAT TO DO IN OSLOB CEBU
Osmena Peak: OSMEÑA PEAK IN CEBU – A BEAUTIFUL SUNRISE HIKE
Digital Nomad Guide to Moalboal: THE DIGITAL NOMAD GUIDE TO MOALBOAL, CEBU
The Ultimate Philippines 3-4 week Itinerary: ULTIMATE PHILIPPINES TRAVEL ITINERARY FOR 3-4 WEEKS
The Backpacking Guide to the Philippines: PHILIPPINES BACKPACKING GUIDE: 1 MONTH FOR $800
Mig
Friday 15th of October 2021
Hi, I plan on going to Samboan next week to visit the falls. In what order should I visit Dao, Aguinid and Binalayan?
Michelle Balbastro Alecha
Saturday 16th of January 2021
Can i know if dao fall isnopen on jan. 18 2021
Jackson
Saturday 16th of January 2021
Hi not sure if it is open at this time.
Dao Falls Canyoneering
Sunday 12th of April 2020
Excellent write-up Jackson! When are you back in Cebu I would like to invite you or anyone else to experience rappelling adventure at Dao Falls. Rappel 30 meters down of Dao Falls and explore gorge above and under the falls in a classic canyoneering style by jumping and rappelling.
ULTIMATE PHILIPPINES TRAVEL ITINERARY FOR 3-4 WEEKS - Travel Guides Info
Tuesday 1st of January 2019
[…] Dao Waterfall trek […]
romanwheel
Friday 16th of November 2018
A easy process of generating new bitcoins through mining process, Antminer S9 for sale at cheap rate with free power supply direct from china, Get it now with free express shipping worldwide