Puerto Princesa Underground River: Permits, Boats, and Visitor Planning
Photo: David Milmont / Unsplash
Contents
Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is managed by the City Government of Puerto Princesa and combines a limestone cave, an underground river, forest and coast.[1] The river is 8.2 kilometers long and navigable for up to 4.3 kilometers.[1] Park-operated paddle boats take you on a one-hour tour through the cave, past rock formations and the thousands of bats and swiftlets that live there.[1]
The visit has four parts: the permit, the road to Sabang, the boat across the bay and the cave tour itself. Cave tours run daily from 08:30 to 15:30, except in extreme weather.[1] A park notice gives 08:00 to 16:00 as the tour window, so take the time on your permit as the one that counts.[2]
Secure the Permit Before Going to the Park
The park enforces a no permit, no entry policy. Every visitor needs a Visitor Entry Permit before going to the park, and tours are limited to 900 visitors a day.[2] Arriving in Sabang or staying overnight there does not guarantee a permit.[2] Permits cost PHP 175 to PHP 250 and are issued at the PPUR booking office on the ground floor of the City Coliseum in Barangay San Pedro, Puerto Princesa.[3] Book early.
Things to Do
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Getting from Puerto Princesa to Sabang
From Puerto Princesa Airport, take a tricycle to the Irawan terminal (PHP 150 or more, for up to 3 people). From there, jeepneys and shuttle vans run to Sabang in 1 to 2 hours. Jeepneys leave from 06:00 to 14:00 and shuttle vans from 06:00 to 16:00, each at PHP 150 or more per person.[3] Vehicles for hire are also available at the airport terminal and from licensed car rental agencies.[3] Allow extra time for the airport transfer and for waiting.
From Sabang Wharf, pump boats reach the park in about 20 minutes and cost PHP 700 or more for a boat that holds 6 people.[3] The price is per boat, so share it with your group, and ask whether the return trip is included.
For questions, call the PPUR Office at (048) 434-2509.[3] If you book through an operator, ask for a written breakdown of what the price covers: permit, land transfers, boat, cave tour and meals.
Inside the Cave Tour
The paddle boat glides into the cave to see rock formations and, overhead, the bats and swiftlets that roost there.[1] The 4.3 kilometers is the river's maximum navigable section, and the one-hour tour covers part of it. With the permit, the road and boat transfers and the waiting, the tour is one part of a day trip.
A multi-sector Protected Area Management Board oversees the park.[1] Follow the guide's briefing and conservation instructions. The macaques around the park are used to being fed and tend to grab food from people. Leave food and plastic bags behind, and do not feed or tease the monkeys.[2]
Check the Trail and Other Park Activities
A 5.3-kilometer jungle trail leads from Sabang to the entrance of the Underground River, open 08:00 to 15:00 daily, but it is temporarily closed for renovation.[4] Until it reopens, use the boat from Sabang Wharf.
The park offers more than the cave: a community-run paddle-boat tour through the mangroves of the Sabang River, wildlife watching, white-sand beaches at Sabang, Panaguman and Marta Fe, adventure caving at Ugong Rock and other caves, and an Ethnographic Museum at the Park Visitor Center on the Batak and Tagbanua cultures.[4] Birdwatchers should start early and bring binoculars: at least 165 bird species have been recorded in the park, including all 15 endemic bird species of Palawan.[4]
Practical Checklist
- Secure the Visitor Entry Permit before going to the park. Arriving in Sabang or staying overnight there does not get you one.
- Bring your permit and be at Sabang Wharf in time for your assigned tour.
- Budget for the land transfer, the boat (priced per boat, not per person) and the permit.
- Check the weather. Tours do not run in extreme weather.
- Keep your distance from wildlife. Do not feed or tease macaques, and leave food and plastic bags behind.
Sources and background
Numbers in the text such as [1] refer to these sources.
- [1] City Government of Puerto Princesa: Underground River visitor information. Retrieved October 20, 2026.
- [2] Puerto Princesa Underground River, City Government of Puerto Princesa: Notice to the Public. Retrieved October 20, 2026.
- [3] City Tourism Office of Puerto Princesa: PPUR. Retrieved October 20, 2026.
- [4] Puerto Princesa Underground River, City Government of Puerto Princesa: Points of Interest. Retrieved October 17, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
The tour is one hour on park-operated paddle boats. The river is navigable for up to 4.3 kilometers, and the visitor tour covers part of that section. Allow extra time for the permit, the boat from Sabang Wharf and waiting.
Permits cost PHP 175 to PHP 250, a pump boat from Sabang Wharf costs PHP 700 or more for up to 6 people, and jeepneys or shuttle vans to Sabang cost PHP 150 or more per person. Ask for a written breakdown and check whether the return boat and meals are included.
Every visitor needs a Visitor Entry Permit before going to the park, and the park enforces a no permit, no entry policy. Permits are issued at the PPUR booking office on the ground floor of the City Coliseum in Barangay San Pedro, Puerto Princesa. Going directly to Sabang or staying overnight there does not guarantee a permit.
Cave tours run daily from 08:30 to 15:30, and a park notice gives 08:00 to 16:00 as the window. Your permit shows your assigned tour time. Tours do not run during extreme weather.
Yes. You arrange the permit, the road transfer to Sabang, the pump boat and the cave tour yourself. Get the permit first, because walk-in visitors are not guaranteed one, then book transport.
The 5.3-kilometer trail between Sabang and the cave entrance is temporarily closed for renovation. Take the boat from Sabang Wharf instead.
The macaques are used to being fed and tend to grab food. Do not feed or tease them, keep your distance, follow staff instructions and leave food and plastic bags behind.
