“Worth it if you're active, love wildlife and culture, and value a guide who genuinely knows Sabah. Think twice if you need lots of free time or prefer a slower pace.”
- About £152/day across 11 days
- At its lowest in the 90 days we've tracked it (£1,676)
- We only rate a price against this trip's own history once we've tracked it for 21 days — no guessing before that.
- About average per day vs 4 similar trips (~£150/day)
- 4.5★ from 25 traveller reviews
Price movement, fill and the all-in cost come from our own daily tracking— not the operator’s feed. You book on TourRadar; the live price always applies there.
About this trip
Eleven days across Sabah, Borneo, built around wildlife, jungle and a proper mountain climb. You'll spend time in conservation sanctuaries, along the Kinabatangan River and inside Kinabalu National Park, with a night or two in a remote village along the way.
The centrepiece is climbing Mt Kinabalu for sunrise, a serious undertaking at altitude that the trip is structured around. Alongside that you'll watch sea turtles nesting with a local ranger, search the riverbanks for wildlife by day and night, and spend time with local hosts in a village setting.
Accommodation shifts a lot to match the terrain — shared hostel dorms, a homestay, a jungle lodge, a resort and hotels. Some of it is basic by design, traded for locations that put you right next to the nature you've come for.
What you'll do
- Climb Mt Kinabalu for sunrise in Kinabalu National Park
- Watch sea turtles lay their eggs with a local ranger
- Search for wildlife, including pygmy elephants, along the Kinabatangan River by day and night
- Visit orangutan and wildlife conservation sanctuaries
- Stay in a remote village with local hosts
- Involves a serious high-altitude climb — check the medical and health guidance before booking
- Specific gear is required, so review the packing list in advance
- Accommodation ranges from shared hostel dorms and a homestay to jungle lodges and hotels, some fairly basic
Day by day
Exactly what you do each day, where you sleep, and how it flows — written by us, from the real itinerary.
What's included
- Guide: All group trips are accompanied by one of our group leader or local representative. The aim of the group leader or local representative is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. Intrepid endeavours to provide the services of an experienced group leader or local representative however, due to the seasonality of travel, rare situations may arise where your group leader or local representative is new to a particular region or training other group leader or local representative. Your group leader or local representative will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense, you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the places visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious, and social aspects. At Intrepid we aim to support local guides who have specialised knowledge of the regions we visit. If you are interested in delving deeper into the local culture at a specific site or location then your group leader or local representative can recommend a local guide service in most of the main destinations of your trip.
- Meals: 10 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 7 dinners
- Activities: Kg Lobong-Lobong - Village walking tour Kg Lobong-Lobong - Orchid farm Kg Lobong-Lobong - Village farming activities Kg Lobong-Lobong - Community cooking experience Kg Lobong-Lobong - Cultural performance Mt Kinabalu National Park - Mt Kinabalu Climb Kinabatangan River - Afternoon Wildlife Cruise Kinabatangan River - Night jungle walk Kinabatangan River - Fish Trap Making & Story Telling Kinabatangan River - Dawn Wildlife Cruise Sepilok - Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre Turtle Island - Turtle Island Marine Park Turtle Island - Turtle Hatchery Visit
- Transport: Private mini van, River boat, Speed boat
- Accommodation: Please note some of the multishare or dormitory accommodation on this trip may be mixed gender. Chalet (1 night), Resort (1 nights), Homestay (2 night), Hostel (2 nights), Hotel (2 nights), Jungle Lodge (2 nights)
- Activities: Other activities and services not included.
- Flights: International flights not included.
- Optional: Kota Kinabalu - Sabah Museum entrance fee - MYR15 Kota Kinabalu - Tunku Abdul National Marine Park Snorkeling Trip (min. 2 - without transport) per person - MYR345 Kundasang - War Memorial (Entrance Fee) - MYR15 Poring Hot Springs - Hot Springs (Open Bath Tub) - (3 hours) - MYR10 Poring Hot Springs - Canopy Walk - MYR10 Poring Hotspring (Entrance Fee) - MYR50 Poring Hot Spring (Slide Pool) - MYR5 Poring Hot Spring (Entrance) - MYR50 Walai Tokou Day Trip Package (Min 2 people) - MYR260 Sepilok - Rainforest Discovery Centre - MYR30 Sepilok - Sun Bear Conservation Centre - MYR50 Turtle Island - Snorkel Hire - MYR35 Sandakan - Agnes Keith House - MYR15 Sandakan - St Michaels and All Angels Church - MYR10 Sandakan - Puu Jih Shih Chinese Temple - Free Sandakan - War Memorial - Free
- Insurance: Insurance is not included. Travel insurance is required for this tour. Please make sure you are adequately covered. If you require travel insurance, TourRadar has partnered up with Cover Genius to provide a hassle-free experience. More information can be found here (https://www.tourradar.com/travel-insurance).
How travellers rate it
Cheapest live departure per day, in £, recorded by our tracker since 18 Jul. Never a brochure “was” price.
Your free day in Kota Kinabalu
Landing early, staying on, or filling free time? The best-rated day experiences in Kota Kinabalu — you book on Viator (we may earn a commission).
Worth it if you're active, love wildlife and culture, and value a guide who genuinely knows Sabah. Think twice if you need lots of free time or prefer a slower pace.
- Guides (Nelson, Bryan, Jeffry) are exceptionally knowledgeable about wildlife, culture and local customs with genuine passion.
- Intrepid handles logistical stress—transport, registration, restaurant sourcing—so you focus on experiences, not admin.
- Activity mix balances hiking, culture, nature and relaxation; designed to suit varying fitness levels within group.
- Programme offers flexibility and free time options, but demands active participation if you want full value.
Distilled from real traveller reviews on TourRadar — we don't edit out the bad bits.
The same-vibe trips, side by side — price, value per day, and how each is moving. Only we can lay two operators' trips out honestly.
Sorted by fit — never by who paid. Price moves and availability come from our own daily tracking.
Departing in Sep is cheapest — from £1,675, about 18% below the priciest month (Jan).
Getting there
One-way so you can book your return whenever. Prices & booking shown on Trip.com.
Hotels in Kota Kinabalu
View more accommodationLive prices via Booking.com & partners, booked on their site — separate from your tour. We may earn a commission; it never changes your price.
On a budget?
Hostels in Kota Kinabalu for the night before your tour · 2 Sept – 3 Sept
Booked on Hostelworld, separate from your tour. We may earn a commission — it never changes your price.
Common questions
How long is Sabah Adventure?
It's a 11-day trip. It starts in Kota Kinabalu and finishes in Sandakan.
How much does Sabah Adventure cost?
The land price starts from £1,676 per person for the 11-day trip. You book on TourRadar, where the live price always applies.
What's included in the price?
The price covers all your accommodation, 24 meals (10 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 7 dinners), transport during the trip, a group leader/guide. Anything the operator lists as optional or not included — see the full breakdown on this page.
What's not included?
international flights and travel insurance (required) are not included, so factor them into your budget. We show typical flight costs and can point you to insurance on this page.
How big is the group?
Groups are capped at around 16 travellers — a small-group trip, mostly solo 18–35s travelling to meet people, not a coach tour.
When does Sabah Adventure run?
It runs across roughly 24 months of the year, so there's usually a departure to fit your dates. Check live availability and prices in the dates section above.
Sort the essentials
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