Itinerary · Philippines
Palawan first trip: how do you get from the airport to town and El Nido, and how many days do you need?
Domestic flights via Manila, Puerto Princesa Airport to town by tricycle (about 10 min, about PHP 50), Sabang and El Nido, a 5-day route and the weather.
Published
How many days for Palawan? 5 to 6 days
Palawan, the long island on the Philippines' western edge, is famous for limestone cliffs and clear water. Like the guide, this article covers the north only: start in Puerto Princesa with its World Heritage underground river, then head up to El Nido to boat between lagoons and islands. The guide suggests 5 to 6 days.
Walk Puerto Princesa city on the first day, see the Underground River at Sabang on the second, and take a van up to El Nido on the third. The fourth day is an El Nido island tour, and on the last you spend half a day at Nacpan Beach before heading to the airport. Island tours and boats can be cancelled by weather, so keep a spare day.
Via Manila to Puerto Princesa, then airport to town
The guide shows fares to Manila Airport. Domestic flights run from Manila to Puerto Princesa (about 1 hr 15 min) and El Nido; for El Nido, the flights go to an airport near El Nido. Check airline official information for routes, times and schedules.
Puerto Princesa Airport (PPS) is close to town. Tricycles (motorbike sidecars) outside the airport reach the Baywalk in about 10 minutes, at about PHP 50 (up to 3 people, per city tourism info). Agree on the fare before riding.
The city has the Baywalk, the cathedral and restaurants, and it is the starting point for Underground River and Honda Bay day trips, so it suits your first and last nights.
- Manila → Puerto Princesa domestic flight: about 1 hr 15 min; check routes and times with the airline
- Manila → airport near El Nido domestic flight: check routes and schedules with the airline
- Airport → Baywalk: tricycle about 10 min, about PHP 50 (up to 3 people, per city tourism info)
Going straight from the airport to Sabang (Underground River) or El Nido
For Sabang, home of the Underground River, take a tricycle to Irawan terminal, then a jeepney or shuttle van to Sabang. Jeepneys run roughly 6am-2pm and vans 6am-4pm, and the ride to Sabang takes about 1-2 hours. Fares start from about PHP 150 per person (per city tourism info; may change).
No permit, no entry at the Underground River. Visitors are capped at 900 a day, so book early; going straight to Sabang or staying overnight there does not guarantee a permit.
To go straight to El Nido, head north by van or bus. It takes about 5-6 hours, so leave early. Check official information for schedules and fares.
- Airport → Irawan terminal (tricycle) → Sabang (jeepney or van): about 1-2 hours, from about PHP 150 per person
- Jeepneys roughly 6am-2pm, vans 6am-4pm
- Underground River: permit required, capped at 900 a day
- Puerto Princesa → El Nido: van or bus about 5-6 hours; check schedules and fares officially
Getting around: tricycles, jeepneys, vans and boats
Short rides in the city by tricycle are about PHP 10-30. Fares for visitors vary by distance and group size, so confirm before riding. Jeepneys, shared vehicles on fixed routes, cost about PHP 13-25 in the city, and some run toward Honda Bay (Santa Lourdes).
Vans are the usual way to far-off places like Sabang or El Nido. Book through your hotel or a licensed transport operator.
Honda Bay and El Nido island tours, and the trip to the Underground River entrance, are all by boat. The Coast Guard may suspend sailings in bad weather. Cash is handy for tours and tricycles, so carry enough pesos.
- Tricycles: about PHP 10-30 in the city; confirm the fare before riding
- Jeepneys: about PHP 13-25 in the city; some run toward Honda Bay (Santa Lourdes)
- Vans: long distance; book through your hotel or a licensed operator
- Boats: island tours and the Underground River; sailings may stop in bad weather
A basic 5-day route: Puerto Princesa to El Nido
On Day 1, take a tricycle into town and walk Plaza Cuartel, the Immaculate Concepcion Cathedral and the Baywalk. Plaza Cuartel is a national historical site where American prisoners of war were killed in World War II. In the evening, take a boat on the Iwahig River, about 35 minutes from the city, to see the fireflies; trips run from 6pm and cost about PHP 600 per boat (3 people).
On Day 2, use your pre-booked permit to head to Sabang for the Underground River boat tour. A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1999, it is explored on park-operated paddle boats in a tour of about an hour. Add a mangrove paddle, then return to the city. Or swap in Honda Bay island hopping from a wharf about 20 minutes by road from the city.
On Day 3, take an early van to El Nido (about 5-6 hours), check in and watch the sunset at Las Cabanas Beach. Day 4 is an El Nido island tour of Big Lagoon, Small Lagoon and hidden beaches. Routes are set by the municipality and Big Lagoon entry is capped per hour. El Nido charges a municipal eco-tourism development fee (about PHP 400). On Day 5, spend half a day at Nacpan Beach, about 4 km of sand, then head to the airport with plenty of time for boats and roads.
- Day 1: airport → tricycle into town → Plaza Cuartel, cathedral, Baywalk → Iwahig fireflies in the evening
- Day 2: permit in hand to Sabang → Underground River boat tour → mangrove paddle → back to the city (or Honda Bay island hopping)
- Day 3: early van to El Nido (about 5-6 hours) → sunset at Las Cabanas Beach
- Day 4: El Nido island tour (may be cancelled by weather)
- Day 5: half a day at Nacpan Beach → airport
When to go: December-April has calm seas
According to the guide, December-April brings calm, clear seas for island tours. June-October is southwest monsoon season, when island tours and boats are often cancelled; during typhoons the Coast Guard can suspend sailings and the Underground River may close. Schedule island tours early in your trip and keep a spare day.
By the climate normals, Puerto Princesa has daytime highs of 31-33°C and night lows of 24-25°C all year. January-April is the least rainy stretch at 31-56 mm a month, with February (31 mm) the driest. December still gets a fair amount at 175 mm, and June-November sees 157-213 mm a month, peaking in October (213 mm).
The climate figures are 1991–2020 normals for Puerto Princesa station submitted by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) to the WMO normals collection (NOAA NCEI). The sun is strong, so bring a hat, long sleeves and water.
- December-April: calm, clear seas for island tours
- January-April: 31-56 mm a month; February (31 mm) driest
- June-October: southwest monsoon; island tours and boats often cancelled
- June-November: 157-213 mm a month; October (213 mm) wettest
Budget, safety and entry checks
Daily budgets per person: about PHP 2,000-3,000 (guesthouse, local eateries, shared tours), about PHP 5,000-9,000 (hotel, island tours, restaurants) and about PHP 25,000+ (resort, private boat).
Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has southern Palawan (south of Aborlan, Narra and Quezon) at travel alert level 3 (leave the country), so leave it out of your plans. In the Underground River park, don't feed the monkeys, and don't bring food or plastic bags, swim or smoke. Don't step on or touch coral, and take care swimming where currents are strong, such as Nacpan Beach.
Entry conditions (visa-free stay length, the eTravel online arrival registration, etc.) can change, so check Philippine government or embassy official information before you travel.
- Budget: about PHP 2,000-3,000 per day
- Mid-range: about PHP 5,000-9,000 per day
- Comfort: about PHP 25,000+ per day
- Southern Palawan (south of Aborlan, Narra and Quezon): alert level 3 (leave the country); leave it out
- Entry conditions: check Philippine government or embassy official information
Plan your Palawan trip
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FAQ
How do I get from Puerto Princesa Airport to town?
Take a tricycle from outside the airport; it's about 10 minutes to the Baywalk and about PHP 50 (up to 3 people, per city tourism info). Agree on the fare before riding.
How many days do I need for Palawan?
The guide suggests 5 to 6 days. That covers Puerto Princesa city, the Underground River, an El Nido island tour and Nacpan Beach.
Can I just turn up at the Underground River?
No, a permit is required. Visitors are capped at 900 a day, so book early; going straight to Sabang or staying there does not guarantee a permit.
When is the best time to visit Palawan?
December-April has calm seas for island tours. By the 1991–2020 normals, January-April gets 31-56 mm of rain a month, while June-October is southwest monsoon season, when island tours and boats are often cancelled.
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