Puerto Princesa
Puerto Princesa: Underground River, Honda Bay
Photo: Bert Andone, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Puerto Princesa’s two signature day trips pull in opposite directions: the Underground River is a drive north to Sabang, and Honda Bay is a short hop out from the city’s own coast.
The Underground River: a permit, then a paddleboat
A UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the New7Wonders of Nature, the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River runs about 8.2km through limestone caves. Every visitor tours by paddleboat with a guide, covering roughly 45 minutes of the river by torchlight.
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| Item | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Park entrance + environmental fee + audio guide + terminal fee | ≈ ₱740 pp | The DIY park-side total at Sabang. |
| Shared paddleboat into the cave | from ≈ ₱140 pp | Boats hold up to 6 people; cost per person drops with a fuller boat. |
| Packaged day tour with transfer and lunch from the city | ≈ ₱2,200–2,500 pp | Mainly pays for the roughly 2-hour drive each way from Puerto Princesa to Sabang. |
Fees sourced against park and operator listings current on 11 October 2026. The park caps visitors at 900 a day, book a permit ahead rather than arriving and hoping.
Honda Bay: island hopping close to the city
A short boat ride from Puerto Princesa’s own coast, Honda Bay is a cluster of small islands and sandbars, closer and easier to arrange than a full day trip to Sabang.
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| Item | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Shared island-hopping tour | ≈ ₱1,500–2,500 pp | Usually includes boat, guide, lunch and life vest; price per person drops in a bigger group. |
| Honda Bay environmental fee | ₱150 pp | One fee, covers Honda Bay for the rest of your stay in Puerto Princesa. |
| Island entrance fees | Starfish ₱50–100, Luli ₱70–120, Cowrie ₱100–150 | Paid per island visited, on top of the environmental fee. |
Fees sourced against operator and tour listings current on 11 October 2026. Which islands you stop at (commonly Cowrie, Luli and Starfish) depends on the operator and conditions that day.
Doing both on one trip
The two don’t combine into a single day: Sabang is a two-hour drive from the city in one direction, Honda Bay is a short boat ride in the other, and each is most of a day on its own. Most visitors give each its own day, with Honda Bay as the easier, closer option if time is tight.
See where to stay in Puerto Princesa for whether basing yourself in the city or in Sabang fits your plan better.
Before you book
Book the Underground River permit a few days to a couple of weeks ahead, especially in peak season (roughly December–April), the daily cap means it sells out in a way most other Palawan activities don’t. See a 3-day Puerto Princesa itinerary for how to split both trips, things to do in Puerto Princesa beyond the Underground River for a cheaper city half-day, or how to get to Puerto Princesa from Manila if you haven’t booked your flight yet. A session with me is the fastest way to ask how these two fit into a wider Palawan itinerary alongside El Nido.
Questions people ask
How much does the Puerto Princesa Underground River cost?
DIY, the park-side fees (entrance, environmental fee, audio guide, terminal fee) add up to roughly ₱740 per person, plus a shared paddleboat from about ₱140 per person for up to six. A packaged tour with transfer and lunch from the city runs roughly ₱2,200–2,500 per person, mainly for the return transport from Puerto Princesa to Sabang.
Do I need a permit for the Underground River?
Yes. Every visitor needs a permit, and the park caps entries at 900 people a day to protect the site, so booking ahead matters more here than at most Palawan attractions, especially in peak season (roughly December–April).
How long is the Underground River tour?
The paddleboat ride through the cave itself is about 45 minutes, covering part of the roughly 8.2km subterranean river. The full day trip from the city, including the drive to Sabang and back, runs most of a day.
How much does Honda Bay island hopping cost?
A shared group tour from Puerto Princesa runs roughly ₱1,500–2,500 per person depending on group size, plus a ₱150 environmental fee that covers all of Honda Bay for your whole stay, and separate small entrance fees per island, Starfish (₱50–100), Luli (₱70–120) and Cowrie (₱100–150).
Which islands do you visit in Honda Bay?
Most standard tours stop at a selection of Cowrie, Luli and Starfish Islands, sometimes with Pandan or Snake Island as alternatives depending on the operator and conditions that day.
Can I do the Underground River and Honda Bay on the same day?
Not comfortably. Sabang is about two hours from the city by road and the Underground River trip takes most of a day on its own, Honda Bay is a separate half-to-full-day boat trip in the opposite direction. Most visitors split them across two days.
Is the Underground River worth staying in Sabang for?
If it's your main reason for visiting Palawan's south, yes, basing a night in Sabang saves the long round-trip drive. See where to stay in Puerto Princesa for how the city and Sabang compare as bases.
Do I need to book these tours in advance?
For the Underground River, yes, the daily visitor cap makes advance booking the safer default year-round. For Honda Bay, a day ahead through your accommodation or a Puerto Princesa tour desk is usually enough outside peak season.
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