Puerto Princesa Underground River Day Trip with Lunch

Inside the Puerto Princesa Underground River

The river runs for more than eight kilometres beneath a limestone mountain range before it empties into the sea, and its lower reaches rise and fall with the tide. Visitors explore the first part of it, roughly one and a half kilometres, in a paddle boat steered by a local boatman with a lamp. The boat ride inside lasts about forty-five minutes, with an audio guide explaining what you see.

The beam lights up towering chambers, curtains of stalactites and rock shapes that boatmen have nicknamed over the years, while swiftlets and bats circle overhead. It is cool, quiet and humbling, and keeping silent and avoiding flash protects the colonies. Is the Underground River worth visiting? For most travellers it is the highlight of a Puerto Princesa stay and the main reason to make the drive north.

Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park

The national park protects the river and a complete landscape from mountain to sea, with lowland rainforest, limestone karst, mangroves and coral reef in one compact area. UNESCO listed it as a World Heritage Site in 1999 for this rare continuous ecosystem and the river's underground course, which includes a remarkable cave system of stalactites and chambers.

The park is also home to wildlife found only in Palawan. Around the cave entrance you often see long-tailed macaques and large monitor lizards. They are wild animals, so keep food in your bag, never feed them and keep a respectful distance. Visitor numbers are limited each day by permit, which is why the entry permit is arranged for you in advance with this booking.

Sabang wharf and the boat to the cave

Sabang is a small village on the northern coast of Puerto Princesa, about one and a half to two hours by road from the city. From the wharf, outrigger boats take visitors for about twenty minutes along a coastline of jungle-covered cliffs and pale beaches to the park landing, where a short boardwalk through the forest leads to the cave mouth.

While you wait for your group's turn at the wharf there is time for photos and a short stroll on the beach. The sea here can be choppy in the windy months, and boats may be held for safety, which is why a small change in timing is normal. Helmets and life vests are provided on the paddle boat inside the cave.

Buenavista viewpoint and Ulugan Bay

On the road north, the van stops at the Buenavista viewpoint above Ulugan Bay, a wide bay dotted with small islands and lined with mangroves. It is a good place to stretch your legs and take photos of the green hills of central Palawan rolling down to the sea. On clear mornings you can see the outline of the coast all the way toward the national park.

Along the way your guide talks about Puerto Princesa, its farms and villages and the indigenous communities who live in the uplands. The drive is part of the day: winding roads through rice fields, coconut groves and forest. If you are prone to motion sickness, take a tablet before you leave and sit near the front of the van.

How to get to the Underground River and best time to visit

How to get to the Puerto Princesa Underground River: fly to Puerto Princesa International Airport (PPS), about one hour twenty minutes from Manila or one hour fifteen from Cebu, then join a day trip like this one, which handles the road transfer, boats and permit. Pickup is from hotels in the city within about five kilometres of the airport. From El Nido the drive is about five to six hours, so most travellers stay in Puerto Princesa the night before.

The best time to visit the Underground River is the dry season, December to May, when the sea at Sabang is calm. From June to November weather can delay or cancel the boat ride, and on those days the park may close for safety. Start early, keep your day flexible and book ahead, as permits sell out in busy periods.