Robert Tramp
Puerto Princesa City Subterranean River National Park, Philippines

Puerto Princesa

Where to stay in Puerto Princesa (2026): the city or Sabang

By Robert Tramp· Published · Updated

Photo: Bert Andone, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Puerto Princesa city is where the airport is, and for a lot of visitors it is a stopover rather than the main stay. The real choice is whether your trip centres on the city and Honda Bay, or on the Underground River further north in Sabang.

Quick picks

  • First time, flying in or out: Puerto Princesa city. Closest to the airport, with the most restaurants and the Honda Bay pier nearby.
  • Underground River as the main goal: Sabang. Saves the two-hour drive each way and gives you an early start before the tour groups arrive.
  • On a budget: Puerto Princesa city has by far the wider choice.
  • With kids: Puerto Princesa city, for the shorter transfer from the airport and easier access to a pharmacy or restaurants if needed.

Comparing the two areas

Scroll across for the rest of the columns.

Area Feel Distance from the airport Price bracket Best for
Puerto Princesa city The city itself: airport, baywalk, restaurants, the Honda Bay pier At the airport Budget to mid-range First-timers, a stopover night, Honda Bay
Sabang A small, quiet base at the Underground River pier, little else going on in the evening About 2 hours by road Budget to mid-range The Underground River as the main goal, an early start before the tour groups

Travel times as in the Underground River and Honda Bay compared.

Puerto Princesa city: the gateway

Restaurants, the baywalk, the airport and the pier for Honda Bay island-hopping are all here. It is the easiest base if your flight times are tight or if Honda Bay is on your list, and a reasonable one-night stop either way.

Why here: closest to the airport, about 15-25 minutes and roughly ₱50-150 by tricycle special trip into the Rizal Avenue hotel strip, with most of the city’s restaurants nearby and a roughly ₱200-300 special trip out to the Honda Bay pier rather than a cross-peninsula drive. Why not: no beach of its own, and a two-hour, roughly ₱150-450 van ride each way if the Underground River is your only reason to visit Palawan.

Map of places to stayPlaces to stay in Puerto Princesa cityLive prices and availability for your dates.Show places to stay on the map

Sabang: for the Underground River

The Underground River tours start from Sabang, about two hours from the city by road. Staying here instead of day-tripping saves a long return drive and gives you an early start before the tour groups arrive. It is a small, quiet base with little else going on in the evening.

Why here: closest to the Underground River pier, a short walk for the beachfront resorts, and an early start beats the tour vans that leave the city as late as 7am and only reach Sabang around two hours later. Why not: a two-hour, roughly ₱150-450 van ride from the airport each way since tricycles aren’t allowed on the national highway north, and little to do after dark beyond the handful of restaurants on the one street behind the beach.

Map of places to stayPlaces to stay in SabangLive prices and availability for your dates.Show places to stay on the map

Getting around Puerto Princesa

Tricycles are the default transport inside the city itself. A standard shared ride over a short distance in town runs roughly ₱20-50 per person, and chartering the whole tricycle for yourself costs more, from around ₱60-150 for a short hop up to roughly ₱200-300 for a one-way special trip out to the Honda Bay pier on the city’s north side.

From the airport, a tricycle special trip to a hotel on Rizal Avenue or around the baywalk covers roughly 3-5 kilometres and takes 15-25 minutes, for ₱50 to ₱150 depending on how hard you negotiate. Grab and metered taxis cost more, typically ₱200-500, but take the haggling out of it.

Tricycles aren’t allowed on the national highway north to Sabang, so the Underground River trip means a shared or chartered van instead, covering the roughly two-hour drive for somewhere between ₱150 and ₱450 depending on whether you share the van or book it privately. Vans leave from Irawan Terminal, on the edge of the city. Confirm the pickup point and departure time with your hotel or driver the day before. The vans south to Rio Tuba, for the boat to Balabac, also leave from Irawan; see how to get to Balabac.

Best time to stay

The dry season, roughly January through April, is the easier window for both areas: calmer seas for Honda Bay’s boats and for the stretch of water tour boats cross at Sabang, plus the lowest rainfall of the year. February is typically the driest month, averaging around 31mm of rain over 3 days, while October is the wettest, averaging around 213mm over 15 days.

Rain itself rarely closes the Underground River tour, since the cave runs year-round, but rough sea conditions at the Sabang entrance do, and these weather suspensions cluster from June to September. If your dates fall in that window, building in a spare day in Sabang is safer than planning a same-day in-and-out, so a cancelled morning slot isn’t also a missed flight.

Peak season for both accommodation and Underground River permits runs roughly December through April, covering Christmas, New Year and Holy Week. The river park caps visitors at 900 a day, split between slots booked through agencies or online well ahead and a smaller walk-in quota given out each morning at the Sabang wharf, so travellers on fixed dates in this window should lock in the tour, not just the room, before they fly in.

Before you book

Decide first whether the Underground River is a must-do. If it is, basing a night in Sabang beats a very long single-day round trip from the city. See the Underground River and Honda Bay compared for what each day trip costs and takes, things to do in Puerto Princesa beyond the Underground River for lower-cost city stops, how to get to Puerto Princesa from Manila for the flight in, and a 3-day Puerto Princesa itinerary for how the days split.

Places to stay in Puerto Princesa

The best hostels, budget stays, resorts and hotels in Puerto Princesa, with the area each one is in.

The best hostels in Puerto Princesa

The best budget stays in Puerto Princesa

The best resorts and hotels in Puerto Princesa

Prices checked 21 October 2026, they change with dates.

More places to stay: every stay I recommend in the Philippines and the best hostels in the Philippines.

Questions people ask

Should I stay in Puerto Princesa city or in Sabang?

The city if you are flying in or out and want restaurants and the Honda Bay island-hopping pier close by. Sabang if the Underground River is your main reason to be in Palawan and you do not want a long day-trip drive both ways.

How far is Sabang from Puerto Princesa city?

Around two hours by road, so it is its own base rather than a quick side trip, see the comparison table above.

Is Puerto Princesa a base for El Nido or Coron too?

It can be a stopover if you are travelling overland or by a connecting flight, but El Nido and Coron are separate trips with their own where-to-stay guides, not something you day-trip from here.

Where should I stay in Puerto Princesa for Honda Bay?

Puerto Princesa city, close to the Honda Bay island-hopping pier on the city's north side. Sabang is on the opposite side of the peninsula and not a practical base for Honda Bay.

Where should I stay in Puerto Princesa with kids?

Puerto Princesa city for the shorter transfer and easier amenities. See Puerto Princesa city: the gateway above for why, and Sabang still works as a long day trip.

Where to stay in Puerto Princesa on a budget?

Puerto Princesa city has the widest range of budget hotels.

How many nights should I spend in Puerto Princesa?

One night in the city is usually enough if Honda Bay is your only stop, plus one night in Sabang if you are adding the Underground River, since the two-hour drive each way makes a same-day round trip from the city a long day.

Do I need to book Puerto Princesa accommodation in advance?

During peak season (roughly December-April) Sabang's small number of rooms near the pier fill up faster than the city's larger hotel supply, so book Sabang further ahead if the Underground River is on your list.

How far ahead do I need to book an Underground River tour slot?

900 visitors a day, split between pre-booked and walk-in slots. See Best time to stay above for how far ahead to book and the sourcing.

Is it worth staying overnight in Sabang instead of day-tripping the Underground River?

Yes, for one night, if the Underground River is your main event. Tour vans from the city take about two hours to reach Sabang, so a guest who slept in the village can be on the first boats while day-trippers are still on the road, avoiding the longer queue at the boat terminal.

What are the budget options for staying near the Underground River in Sabang?

Everything from fan rooms to beachfront resorts. See Sabang: for the Underground River above for the trade-offs.

Are there ATMs in Puerto Princesa city and Sabang?

Puerto Princesa city has plenty: Robinsons Place mall has both a money changer and ATMs on site, and BDO, BPI, Metrobank and RCBC branches line Rizal Avenue and the National Highway. Sabang has none, the village's one short street of shops and restaurants doesn't have a cash machine, so withdraw what you'll need in the city before the two-hour drive north.

Is mobile signal reliable in Puerto Princesa and Sabang?

Smart is the stronger network in Puerto Princesa city and along the highway south toward the Underground River area, with solid 4G in town; Globe's reach is better further north around El Nido and Coron. Hotel wifi in both areas handles messaging and email fine but slows down in the evening when everyone in the building is online, so don't plan on it for a video call.

Is Puerto Princesa safe for tourists?

Yes, generally. The World Travel Index scores Puerto Princesa around 75 out of 100 for overall safety, with daytime safety scoring close to 90 and night-time safety closer to 74. The real risks are petty theft, overcharging by drivers and tour touts, and road safety, not violent crime, so the usual city precautions apply after dark.

Does Puerto Princesa have reliable electricity?

Not always. Palawan's grid has a history of rotational brownouts. Hotels and resorts with their own generator or solar backup ride these out better than budget guesthouses, worth asking about when you book, especially in Sabang where there's little to do without power after dark anyway.