Malaysia · KOTA KINABALU TOURS

The 15 Best Kota Kinabalu Tours & Island Trips

92 tours  ·  from $14

Sabah’s capital is twenty minutes from a reef park and two hours from a 4,095-metre mountain. The 15 below cover the island snorkelling days, the Kinabalu park trips, the river cruises and the sunset boats, each priced and timed honestly.

2D1N Mount Kinabalu Climbing - The first 6 kilometres to Laban Rata
2-Day Experiences, Kota Kinabalu Tours, Mount Kinabalu Tours, Tour Reviews

2D1N Mount Kinabalu Climbing

1.2D1N Mount Kinabalu Climbing

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 494 reviews · from $1,000Our pick

Climb Mount Kinabalu to Low’s Peak at 4,095.2 metres on a private two-day trip from Kota Kinabalu. You’ll get transport, permits, insurance, meals, a shared Laban Rata dormitory, and an English-speaking coordinator. Guides such as Shukki and Johnson have earned praise for calm support, but the steep climb and 1:30am start demand solid fitness.

“Climbed with my 13 year old son. Very organized tour. From pick up to drop off. Plenty of communication leading up to tour. Clean vehicles, kind and helpful staff. All the information we needed was shared with us. Plenty of food and dietary requests covered. Our guide Shukki was wonderful!!”

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Bongawan River Cruise: Proboscis Monkey & Fireflies Mangrove - Starting at the Floating Mosque
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Bongawan River Cruise: Proboscis Monkey & Fireflies Mangrove

2.Bongawan River Cruise: Proboscis Monkey & Fireflies Mangrove

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 437 reviews · 8 hours · from $58

Spend eight hours with guides such as Timmy, Eddie, Simon, or Zai visiting Kota Kinabalu’s Floating Mosque and Cocoa Kingdom before a Bongawan mangrove cruise. Look for proboscis monkeys and macaques, watch the Sky Mirror sunset, and finish with fireflies and dinner. The $58 price includes transport, food, guiding, and all listed stops.

“Eddie was a great guy and guide. Carmen was friendly and helpful, she was nice to talk to me as a solo traveller. The tour is totally worthy if you have a free day in KK. also the groups was small which was nice”

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Guided Snorkeling Day Trip, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia - The Trimaran Ride and Practical Comfort
1-Day Tours, Guided, Kota Kinabalu Tours, Snorkeling, Snorkeling Trips in Kota Kinabalu, Tour Reviews

Guided Snorkeling Day Trip, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

3.Guided Snorkeling Day Trip, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 282 reviews · from $65

Join Borneo Dream from Kota Kinabalu for three guided snorkeling sessions in Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. A PADI professional leads a group of up to 12, with equipment, boat transfers, purified water, and island lunch included. Guides such as Alex, Didi, Ian, and Azmi are praised for calm, attentive help.

“Fun short day out with 2 snorkelling trips and some chill time on the beach after lunch. Friendly guide and skipper”

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Cultural Village Tours, Cultural Village Tours in Kota Kinabalu, Kota Kinabalu Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Kota Kinabalu: Mari Mari Cultural Village Tour with Lunch

4.Mari Mari Cultural Village Tour with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 152 reviews · 5 hours · from $67

Visit Mari Mari Cultural Village from Kota Kinabalu with an English or Chinese-speaking guide such as Eddie or Timmy. Explore five traditional houses, try Congkak, Lansaran, bamboo cooking, tree bark craft, fire-making, and blowpipe shooting, then watch cultural dances and eat a traditional buffet lunch.

“Timmy our guide was excellent and the show at the end was an added bonus as I did not expect that. All the young tribespeople were amazing, authentic and I would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Sabah”

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Bongawan Wetland: Proboscis Monkey and Fireflies Shared Tour - Dinner with a local touch
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Bongawan Wetland: Proboscis Monkey and Fireflies Shared Tour

5.Bongawan Wetland: Proboscis Monkey and Fireflies Shared Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 137 reviews · 1 day · from $65

Spend an afternoon and evening at Bongawan Wetland with guides such as Timmy, Eddie, James, or Nick. Cruise the mangroves for proboscis monkeys, long-tailed macaques, birds, monitor lizards, and perhaps crocodiles, then enjoy dinner, sunset, and fireflies glowing in the trees. Hotel pickup, transport, entry, guide, tea, and dinner are included.

“There are not enough words to describe how much we enjoyed this tour! And it all because of our guide Timmy. He has great personality, he is full of interesting facts about Borneo, he was very thoughtful and polite! He tried his best to make our day special and we can’t thank him enough! Beautiful boat ride in mangroves, funny monkeys, glowing fireflies and the most beautiful sunset we’ve seen! Highly recommend this activity!”

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Borneo (Klias) River Cruise & Fireflies Tour - The 1pm pickup and two-hour ride south
Boat Tours in Kota Kinabalu, Cruises & Boat Tours, Firefly Tours, Firefly Tours in Kota Kinabalu, Kota Kinabalu Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Borneo (Klias) River Cruise & Fireflies Tour

6.Borneo (Klias) River Cruise & Fireflies Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 126 reviews · from $50Best value

Leave Kota Kinabalu around 1pm for the Klias Wetlands, about 132 kilometers away. Cruise the river for proboscis monkeys, langurs, macaques, birds, and possible crocodiles, then eat a Malaysian buffet before a night boat ride among fireflies. Guides may include Khatty, Sulani, or Roddy. Expect a long, sometimes bumpy drive.

“The transfer is a little bit long but totally worth it. Our guide was amazing for the first time in Kota Kinabalu. Well organized and communicated trip to the Klias river. We have seen a raptile lots of monkeys and the fire flies. Thanks.”

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Sky-Mirror Photographing and Proboscis Monkey & Fireflies Watching River-Cruise - Searching the Mangroves for Proboscis Monkeys
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Sky-Mirror Photographing and Proboscis Monkey & Fireflies Watching River-Cruise

7.Sky-Mirror Photographing and Proboscis Monkey & Fireflies Watching River-Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 109 reviews · from $81

Leave Kota Kinabalu for Bongawan, where you will cruise mangroves for proboscis monkeys, watch macaques, pose at Sky Mirror Beach, and search for fireflies after sunset. Guides such as James, Nick, and Bird help with wildlife spotting and beach photos. Pickup, snacks, drinks, dinner, and hotel return are included.

“Driver didn't speak at all after picking us up. No idea where we were going or how long it would be. Two guides spoke at the same time in Chinese and English so you couldn't hear anything. Left sitting around for ages with no info most of the time. The mirror photography is just a bit of beach when the tide comes in. There was a massive storm and they said we'd leave the beach if it started raining. Instead they left us for an hour in a tin shack whilst they played on their phones and said nothing. Then the weather got too bad to leave so we had…”

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Full-Day Guided Snorkeling Tour from Kota Kinabalu - How the snorkeling is matched to you
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Full-Day Guided Snorkeling Tour from Kota Kinabalu

8.Full-Day Guided Snorkeling Tour from Kota Kinabalu

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 101 reviews · 7 hours · from $66

Meet at 8:45 AM at Kota Kinabalu’s DBKK Jetty for a guided catamaran trip into Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. Guides such as Didi, Alex, and Asri tailor the snorkel sites to sea conditions and your confidence, with reef fish, turtles, rays, and clownfish possible. Lunch is served at an island café.

“Highly recommend this tour. Alex was a very knowledgeable and wonderful tour guide for our snorkelling day tour.”

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Island Hopping - The 20-minute ride to Sapi Island
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Island Hopping

9.Island Hopping

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 99 reviews · from $125

Leave Kota Kinabalu at 8:30 a.m. for a 20-minute boat ride to Sapi Island, where you can swim, snorkel, sunbathe, and eat lunch by the beach. A speedboat then takes you to Manukan Island before returning to the city. Snorkel gear, transfers, a guide, and lunch are included, but fins and water sports cost extra.

“The tour guide was helpful; she watched our bags while we swam. However, it would have been more enjoyable if the tour guide or someone on the boat had some historical background on the various islands we visited.”

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Kota Kinabalu: Snorkeling & Island Hopping Sapi & Manukan - From your hotel to Star Marina Jetty
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Kota Kinabalu: Snorkeling & Island Hopping Sapi & Manukan

10.Snorkeling & Island Hopping Sapi & Manukan

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 97 reviews · 1 day · from $67

Spend a full day touring Sapi and Manukan islands from Kota Kinabalu. You’ll get hotel pickup, boat transfers, snorkeling gear, a guide, lunch, and beach time. Sapi offers easy shore snorkeling and optional water sports, while larger Manukan gives you more room to swim, stroll, and relax.

“Tour guide was friendly and positive, spent over three hours on the first island (sapi) and an hour on the second (Manukan) which was nicer of the two. Felt like the long stay on sapi was mainly to pressure you into paying for the additional activities. Lunch wasn’t bad but quite greasy and not worth the price”

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Leisure Diving | Fun Dives | 3 Dives in TARP, Kota Kinabalu - Coral, Fish, Turtles, and the Chance of Sharks
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Leisure Diving | Fun Dives | 3 Dives in TARP, Kota Kinabalu

11.Leisure Diving | Fun Dives | 3 Dives in TARP, Kota Kinabalu

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 94 reviews · from $105

Join PADI-certified guides such as Alex and Jack for three underwater sessions in Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. You’ll use provided equipment, travel by trimaran from Jesselton Point, stop for a free restaurant lunch on a tropical island, and return to Kota Kinabalu the same day. This suits certified, moderately fit participants who want more time in the water and small-group guidance.

“Alex and Jack were excellent guides! The water was warm, the weather was good, and we saw so many fish and corals!”

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2d1n Mount Kinabalu Via Ferrata - Walk The Torq - Day one: Kota Kinabalu to Pendant Hut
2-Day Experiences, Kota Kinabalu Tours, Mount Kinabalu Tours, Tour Reviews, Walking Tours

2d1n Mount Kinabalu Via Ferrata – Walk The Torq

12.2d1n Mount Kinabalu Via Ferrata – Walk The Torq

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 90 reviews · from $1,200

You’ll climb Mount Kinabalu with a private guide, sleep in a shared Pendant Hut dormitory, watch sunrise from Low’s Peak, then complete the Walk the Torq via ferrata. Borneo Calling arranges transport, meals, permits, insurance, and equipment. Guides and staff named in the service include Mei, Sky, Conan, Bi An, and Mr. Nizam.

“It’s a wonderful memory for me thanks to the great arrangements during the tour. They provide all necessary support, so there’s no worry throughout the trip.”

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Kinabalu Park & Poring Hot Spring & Canopy Walk - Nabalu Market and the best chance for a mountain view
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Kinabalu Park & Poring Hot Spring & Canopy Walk

13.Kinabalu Park & Poring Hot Spring & Canopy Walk

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 80 reviews · from $125

Travel from Kota Kinabalu to Tamparuli, Nabalu Market, Kinabalu Park, and Poring Hot Springs on a 12-hour guided outing. You’ll walk the botanical garden, seek Mount Kinabalu views, soak in open-air tubs, and cross a 105-meter canopy walkway. Guides such as Diana, Tan, Neil, and Tiana have been praised for plant knowledge and patient help.

“Generally a good tour with much to see but it would be better without the rain (even in the rain forest). The tour guide Diana) was fantastic …. Very knowledgeable and helpful. The driver was punctual and friendly. Highly recommend this tour.”

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Learn to Dive | RAID Open Water 20 Diver Course | Kota Kinabalu - What your three days are likely to feel like
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Learn to Dive | RAID Open Water 20 Diver Course | Kota Kinabalu

14.Learn to Dive | RAID Open Water 20 Diver Course | Kota Kinabalu

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 79 reviews · from $375

Learn scuba skills and work toward RAID Open Water 20 certification during three boat-based days in Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. Borneo Dream supplies equipment, permits, meals, water, study materials, and instruction. Instructors including Basir, Yadi, Amir, Alex, and Didi are known for patient, safety-focused teaching.

“Recently completed my RAID Open Water 20 certification with Borneo Dream Travel, and I honestly couldn’t have asked for better instructors than Alex and Didi. Both were incredibly professional, patient, and made every dive feel safe, fun, anRead more”

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Kota Kinabalu: Manukan & Sapi Islands Snorkeling with Lunch - From your hotel to Jesselton Point
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Kota Kinabalu: Manukan & Sapi Islands Snorkeling with Lunch

15.Manukan & Sapi Islands Snorkeling with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 61 reviews · 7 hours · from $74

Join an English-speaking guide, including guide Cris on some departures, for a full day at Manukan and Sapi Islands. You’ll ride from Jesselton Point, snorkel, swim, enjoy lunch, and have time for optional watersports at your own cost. Shared transport covers pickup, boats, entrance fees, and return to your hotel.

“Bardzo profesjonalna obsługa. Przewodnik był cały czas z nami i troszczył się abyśmy byli zadowoleni. Polecam tego organizatora.”

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New in Kota Kinabalu Tours

★ 4.7Sabah: White Water Rafting Grade 3-4 at Padas RiverFrom $1213 reviews
★ 4.5Island Hopping ( Manukan & Sapi Island ) From Kota KinabaluFrom $909 reviews
★ 5.0Sunset E-Foil Experience in Tanjung Aru BeachFrom $6410 reviews
★ 5.0Mangrove Kayaking Experience in BorneoFrom $298 reviews
★ 5.0Join us for a RAID Try Dive in Kota KinabaluFrom $11027 reviews
★ 4.5Monsopiad Cultural Village Visit with Private Transfer from Kota KinabaluFrom $505 reviews
★ 3.5Padas River White Water Rafting from Kota Kinabalu (Grade 3 & 4)From $1834 reviews
★ 5.0Mount Kinabalu Climbing 3 Days 2 NightsFrom $1,2007 reviews
★ 4.5Mari Mari Cultural VillageFrom $10011 reviews
★ 5.0Mari Mari Cultural Village Tour from Kota KinabaluFrom $1456 reviews
★ 4.5Mamutik + Sapi Island SnorkelingTrip from Kota KinabaluFrom $957 reviews
★ 5.0(3 Days) PADI Open Water Diver Course Kota KinabaluFrom $43723 reviews
★ 4.0Kota Kinabalu Half Day City Tour with Professional Tour GuideFrom $943 reviews
★ 3.5Kinabalu Park & Poring Hot Springs Tour with Desa Dairy FarmFrom $1253 reviews
★ 4.0Kinabalu National Park TourFrom $1354 reviews

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