Puerto Princesa Underground River Tour: UNESCO Site Visit

Boat through a limestone cavern, walk Sabang Beach, choose zip line or mangrove paddle as your second stop

This day tour from Puerto Princesa takes you by air-conditioned vehicle to the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where you board a boat and travel into one of the world's longest navigable underground rivers. Hotel pickup within 15 kilometers of the airport is included, along with entry permits, an audio tour device, a licensed guide in English or Filipino, and lunch at a local restaurant. The tour runs 6 to 9 hours depending on waiting times and whether you add the optional zip line or mangrove paddle boat activities at Sabang Beach.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Underground River and Sabang Beach

• Hotel pick up within 15 km airport
• Travel 2 hours to Sabang Beach
• Board boat at Sabang Wharf
• Explore UNESCO Underground River
• Lunch at local restaurant
• Optional zip line and paddle boat
• Return to hotel by 4-5 PM

The experience

The day starts with pickup from your hotel before 7 PM the evening before, so you know your exact time. Eat a heavy breakfast: the drive to Sabang Beach wharf takes two hours, and the road is the only stretch you'll spend sitting still. Once you arrive, waiting is part of the rhythm here. The underground river is one of Puerto Princesa's most popular tours, so the wharf fills up. Your guide will walk you through the park while you wait, explaining the flora and fauna unique to Palawan, then you'll board a boat and enter the cavern itself.

Inside the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, the boat carries you through a limestone passage carved by water over millennia. The audio tour device lets you follow the geology and ecology at your own pace while the guide points out formations and wildlife. This is the centerpiece of the day: the river itself, the cave ceiling, the darkness and the scale of it. Lunch follows at a local restaurant back at Sabang Beach, included in your tour price.

After lunch, you have the option to add a zip line ride or a mangrove paddle boat tour: both run by a local cooperative in Tagabinet, and both are ways to support the community directly. These are optional. If you skip them, you can rest in the area while others participate. The shared tour format means you'll be grouped with other travelers for these side activities. You'll return to your hotel between 4 and 5 PM. The tour includes your vehicle, entry permits, environmental fees, the audio device, the guide's time and your meal. Gratuities and any photos or souvenirs are separate.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup within 15 kilometers of the airport.
• air-conditioned vehicle transport to and from Sabang Beach.
• entry permit and environmental fee to the national park.
• audio tour device rental.
• boat transfers on the underground river.
• licensed guide in English or Filipino.
• buffet lunch at a local restaurant.

Options for this experience

4 options

Shared TourGuide in English or Filipino · 07:00 and 07:30Shared tour, pickup is included

Includes a mangrove paddle boat tourGuide in English or Filipino · 07:00 and 07:30Mangrove paddle boat tour: See different mangroves and other wildlife in Sabang. Pickup is included

Includes a zip line rideGuide in English or Filipino · 07:00 and 07:30Zip line ride at Sabang: Glide over the sea on a zip line! Includes pickup

Private Astoria pickup/drop-offGuide in English or Filipino · 07:00 and 07:30Private van transfer: Private van transfer to and from the Sabang site with the shared/joiner Underground River tour. Pickup is included

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 07:00 and 07:30

AgesAdult (6 and older) · Child (4 to 5 years) · Infant (under 2)

GroupUp to 12

Live guideEnglish and Filipino

Audio guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Japanese and Korean

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 48 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 13 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by TravelCart Tour Services

Is this one for you?Book the shared tour if you're comfortable with group timing and want the full day at the standard price. Choose the private pickup option if you prefer to control your own schedule and avoid the group wait times. The zip line and mangrove paddle boat are worth adding only if you want a second activity. They're optional, so you can skip them and rest at Sabang Beach while others participate.

Traveler reviews

4.63★★★★★★★★★★

76 verified traveler reviews

5 ★60

4 ★11

3 ★0

2 ★3

1 ★2

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Filipino.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 5 years); Infant (under 2).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What exactly is the Puerto Princesa Underground River, and why is it on UNESCO's list?

The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park protects one of the world's longest navigable underground rivers, a natural passage carved through limestone that has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its geological and ecological significance.

Is the zip line or mangrove paddle boat included, or do I pay extra?

Both the zip line ride and the mangrove paddle boat tour are optional activities at Sabang Beach after lunch. You can choose to do one, both, or neither, and they are not included in the base tour price. You arrange and pay for them separately if you want to participate.

What time will I be picked up from my hotel?

The operator will advise you of your exact pickup time before 7 PM the day before the tour, so you'll know when to prepare and have breakfast before the two-hour drive to the wharf begins.

Can I do this tour if I'm traveling with an infant?

Infants are required to sit on an adult's lap throughout the tour, including during the boat ride inside the underground river and the vehicle transfers.

What's included in the tour price, and what do I need to pay for separately?

The tour includes hotel pickup, air-conditioned vehicle transport, entry permits and environmental fees, the audio tour device, a licensed guide, boat transfers and lunch at a local restaurant. Gratuities and any photos or souvenirs are not included and are your choice to purchase.