The Puerto Princesa Underground River is a navigable cave river that flows straight into the sea on Palawan's west coast, protected as a national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This guide explains how the permit system works, what you pay, how the boat trip from Sabang wharf runs, whether to join a day tour from Puerto Princesa and what happens when the weather turns.
The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park covers about 22,202 ha of limestone karst, old-growth forest and coast around 76 km northwest of the city, according to UNESCO, which inscribed it as a World Heritage Site in 1999. Its centerpiece is an 8.2 km underground river that runs beneath the karst and empties directly into the sea. The lower half is brackish and rises and falls with the tide, which is a large part of why it is considered globally significant.
Inside, the cave opens into chambers that UNESCO describes as up to 120 m wide and 60 m high, decorated with stalactites and other formations and home to thousands of bats and swiftlets. The park management says 4.3 km of the river is navigable. UNESCO notes that it was the first national park devolved to and managed by a local government, and it is also one of the New7Wonders of Nature.
Every visitor needs a Visitor Entry Permit, and the park states that a "no permit, no entry" policy is strictly enforced. Numbers are capped at 900 visitors a day, a limit set to protect the cave and its wildlife. Each visitor registers individually and must show a valid ID, so carry your passport.
Permits are issued at the Underground River Booking Office in Mendoza Park, Barangay Model, about ten minutes from the airport. The park warns that going directly to Sabang or spending the night there does not guarantee a permit, despite claims online. In practice most visitors let a tour operator or their hotel secure it, as the permit is bundled into the tour. In the dry season and around Philippine holidays slots sell out, so book a few weeks ahead and keep your travel dates flexible.
We could not find a current official fee table online, so treat these figures as a guide. Recent sources consistently give an entrance fee of ₱500 (about $9) for adults aged 21 and over, lower rates for children and teenagers, a ₱150 (about $3) city environmental fee, around ₱85 (about $1.50) for the mandatory audio guide and a ₱5 terminal fee. The environmental fee covers the city's main tourist sites, so keep the receipt for Honda Bay.
The boat from Sabang wharf to the cave mouth is paid separately: the city tourism office lists it from ₱700 (about $12) per boat for up to six passengers. On a day tour all of this is usually included; check whether the environmental fee is, as some operators collect it on the day.
The road from Puerto Princesa crosses the island to Sabang in about 1 h 30 min-2 h. At Sabang wharf you register, wait for your boat number and ride an outrigger boat for about 20 minutes along the coast to a beach inside the park. A short boardwalk through the forest leads to the cave entrance; long-tailed macaques hang around here, and the park asks visitors not to feed them and not to carry food or plastic bags, which the monkeys have learned to grab.
At the entrance you get a helmet and an audio guide, then board a paddle boat steered by a park boatman for a tour of about an hour into the cave and back. Tours run between 8 am and 4 pm so as not to disturb the bats and swiftlets as they leave and return. Expect drips from the ceiling, keep your mouth closed when you look up and avoid flash photography. Some operators sell an extended tour that goes further into the cave.
A day tour from the city is the easy option: hotel pickup around early morning, permit, boats, audio guide and usually a buffet lunch in Sabang, back by late afternoon. The downside is the timing, as most tours reach Sabang at the same hour and you can wait a while at the wharf.
Going independently works if you secure the permit yourself at the booking office first. Vans and jeepneys run from the city's Irawan terminal to Sabang, or you can hire a car and driver. Staying a night in Sabang lets you take an early boat and add the mangrove paddle-boat tour or a zipline nearby. Our Palawan transport guide has more on vans and drivers, and Palawan tours lists the trips available.
The boat ride from Sabang crosses open sea, and the park operates daily except in extreme weather. When waves are high, usually during the southwest monsoon from June to October or when a storm passes, tours are suspended, and the park can also close after very heavy rain. Build a spare day into your stay in Puerto Princesa and check with your operator the evening before.
The calmest conditions come in the dry season, roughly January to April, which is also the busiest time; see our weather and best time to visit guide. For a beach day on the other side of the city, combine your stay with Honda Bay island hopping.
Yes. The park enforces a no permit, no entry policy and caps visitors at 900 a day. Permits are issued by the Underground River Booking Office in Puerto Princesa or arranged by tour operators, and you need a valid ID.
The paddle-boat tour inside the cave takes about an hour, plus about 20 minutes each way by boat from Sabang wharf. A day tour from Puerto Princesa City takes most of the day.
Recent sources give ₱500 (about $9) for adults, plus a ₱150 environmental fee, an audio guide and the boat from Sabang. Confirm current rates with the booking office or your operator.
The park lies about 76 km northwest of the city; the drive to Sabang wharf takes about 1 h 30 min to 2 h.
Usually yes, but tours are suspended when the sea is too rough for the boats from Sabang or after very heavy rain, most often between June and October.
Suits travelers basing themselves in Puerto Princesa who want to visit the famous cave river park on a single outing. Allow about eight hours for the whole excursion from the city.
from ~$45 per person
Check availabilityvia GetYourGuide
A group-format visit to the famous Puerto Princesa cave river, suited to budget-minded travelers. Bring your own meal money, since lunch is not part of this option.
from ~$41 per person
Check availabilityvia Viator
Suits active travelers based in Puerto Princesa who want cave, zipline and paddleboat activities in one outing. A long day of about 10 hours.
from ~$73 per person
Check availabilityvia GetYourGuide
For travelers who want to see Palawan's New7Wonders site and add some adventure. Combines coastal and forest walking with a zip line descent at Sabang.
from ~$60 per person
Check availabilityvia Viator
Combines the famous cave river with an evening firefly cruise, handy for travelers with just one day around Puerto Princesa. Expect a long day of roughly ten hours.
from ~$82 per person
Check availabilityvia GetYourGuide
Suits first-time visitors who want to see the limestone caverns and clear waters of this UNESCO-listed natural site. The day is led by DOT-licensed guides.
from ~$61 per person
Check availabilityvia Viator
For travelers wanting the national park cave without arranging transport. The drive north takes about 2 hours, then a 20-minute boat ride and a jungle boardwalk lead to the cave, where a boatman guides.
from ~$100 per person
Check availabilityvia Viator
Three activities in one day for active travelers: the UNESCO underground river, caving inside Ugong Rock and a zipline over karst scenery. Ugong Rock is run by a local community cooperative.
from ~$122 per person
Check availabilityvia Viator
Prices are indicative and may change. The final price is shown by the booking platform. Prices checked: October 17, 2026.
