Puerto Princesa 7-day itinerary

Arrive at Puerto Princesa Airport (PPS) — Palawan's main gateway. The airport is just 3km from the city centre; a tricycle ride costs 100 PHP. Check into your accommodation — guesthouses on Rizal Avenue start at 800 PHP/night, air-con rooms from 1,500 PHP. Puerto Princesa is the capital of Palawan province — the gateway to both the Underground River and the islands of Honda Bay. The city is clean, safe, and surprisingly green for a Philippine city.

Visit Baker Hill, a hilltop garden and bakery on the outskirts of the city, known for its hopia (filled pastries) and ube (purple yam) bread — Palawan snacks that locals buy by the box. The gardens have colourful sculptures and photo spots overlooking the city. Continue to Mitra's Ranch for panoramic views of Puerto Princesa's coastline and the surrounding mountains. Both are free to enter and popular with local families on weekends.

Walk the Baywalk boardwalk along the harbour at sunset — fishing boats bob in the warm evening light and the Palawan mountains glow pink behind the city. For dinner, Ka Inato on Rizal Avenue serves traditional Palawan dishes cooked over charcoal — try the chicken inasal (marinated grilled chicken, 180 PHP) and pinakbet (mixed vegetable stew with shrimp paste). The flavours are distinctly Palaweno — different from Manila or Cebu cooking.

Depart at 6am for Sabang (1.5 hours by van). Board a motorised outrigger at Sabang Wharf for the 20-minute ride to the cave entrance. The cave mouth is a grand arch in a limestone cliff rising from the beach, with a river flowing out into a jade-green lagoon. Inside, the cave opens into chambers up to 60 metres high — the "Cathedral" chamber with organ-pipe stalactites, the "Italian Chamber" stretching beyond the tour route. Paddle boats carry 8 passengers and a guide with a spotlight.

After the cave, hike the Jungle Trail — a 3.5km boardwalk through primary forest from Sabang to the park's inland entrance. The forest is home to monitor lizards (up to 2 metres long), long-tailed macaques, Palawan bearded pigs, and over 200 bird species. The boardwalk passes through dramatic limestone karst landscape with buttress-rooted trees and dripping cave mouths along the way. Return to Sabang Beach for a swim and lunch — fresh seafood at one of the beachside restaurants.

Return to Puerto Princesa and head to the Iwahig River at dusk for a firefly boat tour (500 PHP per person). As darkness falls, thousands of synchronised fireflies light up the mangrove trees along the riverbank — entire trees pulse with green light like living Christmas decorations. The boat drifts silently through the mangrove channel as the guide explains the firefly lifecycle. The Iwahig colony is one of the largest in the Philippines and the experience is genuinely magical.

Join a Honda Bay island-hopping tour departing Sta. Lourdes Wharf at 8am (1,500–2,000 PHP all-inclusive). The bangka (outrigger boat) crosses the calm bay to Starfish Island — a sandbar in turquoise shallows where orange and blue starfish rest on the sandy bottom. Wade across the sandbar with water barely above your ankles. Next is Cowrie Island with better beach facilities, a volleyball court, and reef snorkelling off the southern point where butterflyfish and wrasse swim among staghorn coral.

Visit Luli Island at low tide when the sandbar emerges from the water — wade across a submerged sand path surrounded by turquoise sea. Some tours include Pandan Island, the most developed Honda Bay island with a small resort, good snorkelling, and cleaner reef. Lunch is served on one of the islands — typically grilled fish, rice, mango, and watermelon. The afternoon boat ride back to the wharf passes through Honda Bay's island-studded seascape.

Browse the evening food scene along Rizal Avenue. Try isaw (grilled chicken intestines on sticks — crunchy and delicious, 5 PHP each), banana cue (deep-fried banana with caramelised sugar, 15 PHP), and buko juice (fresh coconut, 30 PHP). For a fuller dinner, Haim Chicken is a local chain with excellent fried chicken at Filipino prices. The city centre is safe for evening walks and the street food culture is welcoming.

Rent a scooter (500 PHP/day) or hire a tricycle (800 PHP round trip) to reach Nagtabon Beach — a stunning, near-empty beach about 45 minutes west of the city. The road passes through rural Palawan with coconut plantations and small barangays (villages). Nagtabon is a long crescent of fine sand backed by coconut palms with no development other than a few basic shelters. The water is crystal clear and the beach is often deserted on weekdays.

Spend the afternoon on Nagtabon — swim, nap in the shade of the coconut grove, and enjoy having a beautiful Filipino beach almost entirely to yourself. The surf can be moderate here, making it fun for body-surfing. Local fishermen may bring in their catch on the beach — if you're lucky, you can buy fresh fish and have it grilled at one of the basic shelters. The beach faces west, so the sunset here is spectacular — Nagtabon is not on the tourist circuit.

Return to Puerto Princesa for dinner. Try Ima's Gulay Bar and Restaurant for a healthier take on Filipino food — native vegetable dishes, fresh seafood, and no MSG. The dalandan (local citrus) juice is refreshing, and the pinakbet is excellent. Alternatively, Kinabuchs Grill and Bar on Rizal Avenue has a festive atmosphere with live music, cold San Miguel beer, and excellent inihaw (barbecue) platters.

Kayak or stand-up paddleboard through the Iwahig River mangroves in the morning when wildlife is most active. The mangrove channels are quiet and shaded, with roots arching over the water creating natural tunnels. Spot mudskippers, fiddler crabs, kingfishers, brahminy kites, and monitor lizards. The paddle takes 1.5–2 hours and several operators in Puerto Princesa offer guided tours (500–800 PHP) or board rental.

Visit the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Centre (100 PHP). See the critically endangered Philippine crocodile breeding programme — fewer than 200 survive in the wild and this centre is a key part of their recovery. Also see binturongs (bearcat), Palawan porcupines, and the spectacular Palawan peacock pheasant — a stunning blue-green bird found nowhere else on earth. The adjacent Palawan Butterfly Garden (50 PHP) has over 100 species of butterflies native to the island.

Visit Rancho Sta. Monica, a scenic hilltop park outside the city with zip lines, ATVs, and a swimming pool (entry 200 PHP). Or simply relax in the city — Puerto Princesa's pace is slow and pleasant. For dinner, try Balinsasayaw Chicken Grill for the best inihaw na manok (charcoal grilled chicken) in the city, served with sawsawan (dipping sauce) and unlimited rice for 250 PHP.

For a different perspective on Palawan, consider a day trip to Port Barton — a sleepy beach village 3 hours north of Puerto Princesa on the west coast. The village has no ATMs, limited electricity, and some of the most beautiful island-hopping in Palawan. If a day trip feels too rushed, stay overnight in a basic beachfront cottage (500–1,000 PHP) and return the next morning. Alternatively, spend the day revisiting Honda Bay with a focus on snorkelling at Pandan Island's reef.

If staying in Puerto Princesa, explore the city's quieter attractions. The Palawan Heritage Centre in the city hall has exhibitions on Palawan's indigenous peoples and natural history. The Immaculate Conception Cathedral — a simple white church built in 1872 — sits on Rizal Avenue. Browse the souvenir shops for Palawan pearls (the South Sea variety found here are among the world's finest), cashew products, and woven baskets.

For your final evening, treat yourself to Ka Lui Restaurant's seafood tasting menu (1,500 PHP for two) — multiple courses of the day's freshest catch prepared in traditional and creative Palaweno styles. The restaurant is an experience in itself: shoes off, sit on the floor, surrounded by local art. End the evening with a walk along the Baywalk as the fishing fleet lights twinkle on the bay.

Visit the Puerto Princesa public market early — the morning fish market is a fascinating window into local life. See the day's catch laid out on ice: tuna, lapu-lapu (grouper), squid, and prawns brought in from Honda Bay and the Sulu Sea. Buy tropical fruit for the road — Palawan mangoes (in season March–June) are the sweetest in the Philippines. Take a last walk through the city centre, soaking in Palawan's warm, unhurried atmosphere.

Puerto Princesa Airport (PPS) is 3km from the city centre — a 10-minute tricycle ride (100 PHP). Direct flights connect to Manila (1.5 hours, from 2,500 PHP), Cebu (1.5 hours), and Clark. For El Nido, vans depart from San Jose Terminal throughout the day (5–6 hours, 600–800 PHP), or fly AirSwift direct (50 minutes, from 4,000 PHP). For Coron, overnight ferries depart from the pier (8 hours).

Puerto Princesa is just the beginning of Palawan. El Nido (5–6 hours north) has the most dramatic island-hopping in the Philippines — towering limestone lagoons, hidden beaches, and crystal-clear water. Coron (8 hours by ferry) offers world-class wreck diving and pristine lakes. San Vicente (3 hours north) has a 14km beach — the longest in the Philippines. Each destination deserves at least 2–3 days. Puerto Princesa is the practical base that connects them all.