Puerto Princesa Underground River

Puerto Princesa Underground River in Palawan offers a unique and awe-inspiring experience for nature enthusiasts, adventurers, and those seeking to appreciate the beauty of the Philippines’ natural wonders.

OVERVIEW MAP NEED TO KNOW STAY TIPS & HACKS GALLERY NEARBY

OVERVIEW

Tourists inside the cave.

Officially called Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, Puerto Princesa Underground River (PPUR) is known for its stunning limestone karst mountain landscape and 8.2 kilometer underground river, 4.3 kilometers of which is navigable by a paddle boat only. The park boasts of its stalactites and stalagmites formations, and several large chambers, one of which is considered as one of the largest cave rooms in the world. It also has a rich flora and fauna making it an ideal habitat for biodiversity conservation. It has a variety of forest formations and is inhabited by almost a thousand plant species, about 250 bird species, 30 mammal species, 19 species of reptiles, and nine species of bats. Long-tailed macaques, the only primate in the area, can be found wandering around freely.

PPUR is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and voted as a New7Wonders of Nature.

Fast Facts

Attraction:

Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park

Type of Attraction:

Cave | National Park | Natural Attractions | River

Address:

Puerto Princesa, Palawan

Website:

undergroundriver.puertoprincesa.ph

Phone:

(48) 434 2509 | (48) 723 0904

Hours:

Monday-Sunday 6:30-15:00

Closed:

During bad weather

Best Time to Visit:

December to May

Food & Drink:

YES

FREE WiFi:

Cost:

$15+ per person

Payment Type:

Cash

Fees:

Entrance fee (including paddle boat fee, hard hats, and life vests):
P100 ($2 USD) – minors 3 to 12 years old
P150 ($3 USD) – minors
P250 ($5 USD) – adult
P100 ($2 USD) – Senior Citizens and disabled

Palawan resident rates:
P175 ($3.5 USD) – adult
P75 ($1.5 USD) – minors (3 to 12 years old)
P100 ($2 USD) – minors

P3000 ($60 USD) – commercial video fee

Notes:

No permit, no entrance policy is strictly enforced.

Children 2 years old and below are not allowed inside the cave.

Hiking shoes, drinking water and insect repellant are recommended.

Feeding or teasing the wildlife is strictly prohibited. Bringing a plastic bag is discouraged as the monkeys have the tendency to grab it thinking that it contains food.

You can find tour packages which include land transfer, boat transfer, buffet lunch, entrance fee, tour guide, and processing of permits.

MAP

This attraction is located on Palawan Island in Puerto Princesa City.

NEED TO KNOW

How to get to Puerto Princesa Underground River?

Getting a complete tour package is the easiest and stress-free way to get to Puerto Princesa Underground River, however if you prefer to do it on your own, here’s the step-by-step guide to get there.

By Air

Step 1
Book a flight to Puerto Princesa City. Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines have multiple direct flights everyday from Manila to Puerto Princesa while one or two flights from Cebu.

Step 2
From the arrival area, walk to the gate of the airport and hail a tricycle that can take you to San Jose Terminal. Travel time is around 10 minutes and the fare is P120 ($2.4 USD) which can be split if you are in a group.

Step 3
At the terminal, you can ride a van, bus, or jeepney to Sabang.

Lexxus van leaves Puerto Princesa to Sabang at 7:00 AM and 4:00 PM while the Sabang to Puerto Princesa schedule is at 8:30 AM and 3:00 PM. Travel time is about two hours and the fare is P400 ($8 USD) per person.

Meanwhile, the schedule for bus departures are 7:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 12:00 NN, and 2:00 PM. Travel time is between two to three hours depending on the number of stopovers to pick up or drop off passengers along the way.

Step 4
Alight at Sabang and proceed to the information center/tourism office. Pay the permit fee of P250 ($5 USD), environmental fee of P150 ($3 USD), and terminal fee of P5 ($0.1 USD). Once everything is paid, proceed to the wharf and arrange your boat transfer to Sabang Beach, the entry point to the cave. Tourists enter the cave by batches so be patient and wait for your turn.

By Sea

Step 1
Take a boat from Manila to Puerto Princesa through 2Go Travel. Currently, there is only one trip per week. A ferry leaves Manila every Tuesday at 1:30 PM and arrives Puerto Princesa at 6:00 PM the next day. Take note that before arriving in Puerto Princesa, the ferry makes a stopover in Coron at 2:30 in the morning.

The fare ranges from P1790 ($35.80 USD) to P5550 ($111 USD) depending on the type of accommodation.

Step 2
Ride a tricycle to San Jose Terminal.

Step 3
At the terminal, you can ride a van, bus, or jeepney to Sabang.