Visiting the Puerto Princessa Subterranean River was something I debated doing.
With SO many things to do and see in Palawan, I wasn’t sure if I could fit it into the schedule.
In the end, I was SO happy I did!
As one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature, the Underground River is truly one of a kind.
And today, I’m going to show you how you can visit it DIY! I’ll go over:
- How to Get to the Underground River without a tour
- What to do and expect when you get there
- Complete budget and itinerary
- Other things you can do near the Underground River
And answer a bunch of FAQs about this place.
This is the complete Puerto Princessa Underground River DIY Travel Guide, so let’s get started!
Klook.comHow to Get to the Puerto Princessa Underground River DIY
There are a bunch of tour operators you can book in Puerto Princessa or online.
But where’s the fun in that???
You’ll be at the mercy of your tourmates.
Going DIY is more challenging, but it’s also doable and very rewarding since you get to explore Sabang a bit more than just the underground river.
Here’s how to do it!
How to Get to the Underground River from Puerto Princessa City
There are two ways to get to Sabang (where the Underground River is) from PPS City:
- Rent a motorbike
- Ride a shared van
I rented a motorbike with the hostel I was staying at (Green Turtle) for php600/day.
I imagine you can get cheaper prices if you go straight to the rental companies.
From there, all I did was follow Google Maps all the way to the “Sabang Boat Terminal.”
The trip took around 2 hours.
There are two van trips from PPS to Sabang a day.
One at 7 a.m., and the other at 4 p.m. Both of these cost around php250-400 per way, and take roughly 2 hours.
You can book this at the regular booking sites like Bookaway.
Note: it’s currently unclear whether these vans leave from the Irawan Terminal or the San Jose Terminal.
Most blogs (and even booking sites) still tell you to go to the San Jose terminal. But when I visited in March 2023, that terminal was closed, and all the vans moved to the Irawan Terminal.
If you don’t want to book online, you can have your accommodation arrange a transfer for you. There’s also a booth in the PPS airport where you can book a van easily.
How to Get to the Underground River from El Nido
As of 2024, there is no direct public van from El Nido to Sabang.
There used to be one, but it seems like this route was canceled during covid, and it hasn’t been placed back yet.
Instead, there are two ways you can get to the underground river from El Nido:
- Go to Puerto Princessa City first, then make your way to Sabang from there. Or
- Ride towards PPS city, but get off at the Salvacion junction and hail a van/jeepney heading for Sabang
Vans from El Nido to Puerto Princessa take around 5-6 hours and cost around php670.
The vans start at 5 a.m., and the last trip is at 6:30 p.m.
You can book online here, or book through an agent or your accommodation when you’re in El Nido.
There are also buses that go from El Nido to PPS.
Cherry Bus has 3 trips a day at 7 a.m. (economy, non-airconditioned), 9 a.m. (regular, air-conditioned), and 9 p.m. (sleeper bus with toilet).
This costs 585 for the regular and 650 for the sleeper bus.
Finally, if you don’t want to go all the way to PPS city, you can ask the driver to drop you off at the Salvacion Junction, going to Sabang.
They’ll know what you want right away.
When you go down in Salvacion, you can hail a van or a jeepney that’s heading toward Sabang.
You can also get a tricycle here, but I imagine it’ll cost you quite a bit to do so!
How to Get to the Underground River from Port Barton
Like El Nido, you can get to the Underground River from Port Barton by either going straight to Puerto Princessa first or going down at the Salvacion Junction and hailing a van heading to Sabang.
Vans from Port Barton to Puerto Princessa cost php350-550 and take around 3 hours.
If you want, you can tell the driver to drop you at the Salvacion Junction going to Sabang.
From there, you can hail a van or jeepney that’s heading towards Sabang.
What to do Once You Arrive at the Underground River
Getting to Sabang is just the beginning!
The whole experience is quite a long one, and here’s how it goes!
Underground River Fees
When you arrive at the Sabang Boat Terminal, go to the window at the entrance and pay all the fees.
Here are the fees:
- Entrance Fee – P500
- Environmental Fee – P150
- Audio Device – P85
- Terminal Fee – P5
- Total: P740
After that, you’ll then make your way to the dock to rent a boat.
You can rent an entire boat for yourself.
Or, you can ask the staff at the dock to group you with other people to save.
Here are the boat fees:
- Boat for 6 persons – php1,000 (184/pax)
- Boat for 7 persons – php1,255 (180/pax)
- Boat for 8 persons – php1,423 (179/pax)
So with the fees and the boat, that comes out to roughly php920.
Going to the Underground River
When your group is called, you’ll get onto a pump boat that’ll take you to the cave entrance.
This trip takes around 15 minutes.
Once you dock on the beach, you’ll get a helmet and an audio device with earphones.
The audio device plays a program for you as you enter the cave. It’ll tell you where to look and what it is you’re looking at!
From the beach, it’s a short walk to the cave entrance, where a smaller canoe will pick your group up and take you into the cave!
Note: DON’T leave your bags unattended! There are wild monkeys on this beach, and they’re known to snatch bags while tourists aren’t looking! 😂
Inside the Underground River
As your canoe rows into the cave, darkness will envelop you on all sides.
It’s quite eerie, but the program and your guide’s flashlight should put you at ease.
Plus, they’ll point out the countless stalagmites and stalactites in the underground river.
The boat goes about 1.5 km into the underground river.
It’s said to be much longer, but that’s as far as tourists can go.
The whole thing takes about 45 minutes.
From there, you can have some souvenir pictures printed. Then it’s another 15-minute boat ride back to the Sabang dock.
DIY Underground River Budget and Itinerary
Here’s how much I spent and my exact itinerary for my visit!
I rented a motorbike in PPS to get here.
Itinerary
7:30 a.m. – Start driving to Sabang from PPS
9:30 a.m. – Arrive at Sabang Boat Terminal / register and pay
10:00 a.m. – Arrive at the Underground River Park jump-off area / enter the cave
10:45 a.m. – Finish cave tour / take pictures / make way back to Sabang Boat Terminal
11:30 a.m. – Arrive back at Sabang Boat Terminal / eat lunch
1:00 p.m. – Drive / hike to Sabang X Zipline Tower
2:00 p.m. – Done zipline / relax, take pictures / drive back to PPS
5:00 p.m. – Arrive back in PPS
Budget
- Motorbike Rental – php600
- Gas – php200
- Underground River fees – php740
- Shared boat rental – php180
- Lunch – php200
- Sabang X Zipline – php550
- Total – php2,470
Keep in mind that this already includes the Sabang X Zipline.
If I didn’t do that, I’d only spend php1,920, which is slightly less than the tour price which starts at php2,000 (+ you get a lot more freedom).
What to do After the Underground River (Other Spots in Sabang)
One of the joys of DIY travel is that you don’t have to stick to a set itinerary.
You won’t have to go straight back to Puerto Princessa once the tour is done.
But instead, you can explore Sabang a bit more.
Here are some stuff you can do:
Ride the Sabang X Zipline
In between the Sabang Boat Terminal and the Underground River is the Sabang X zipline.
You’ll have to walk through the Sabang jungle a bit before you get to the zipline tower.
From there, it’s a fast and exhilarating 1.5-minute zip back down to the beach.
The zipline costs php550, and you can also purchase printed photos of you on the zipline.
To get to the zipline, you can visit the Sabang X Zipline office right outside the Sabang Boat Terminal. They can arrange transport and get you a guide to go to the zipline.
Or…
If you’re stupid like me…
You can just drive and hike to the zipline tower by yourself (I didn’t know about the office).
The guides on the tower were a bit surprised to see me there, but they took my payment and let me go on the zipline anyway 😂
Finally, some Underground River Tours from Puerto Princessa also include this zipline, as well as paddling through the mangrove river.
Chill in Sabang Beach
The crazy thing about Palawan is…
It doesn’t matter where you are on the island, there’s going to be a WORLD CLASS beach right there.
That’s exactly how I felt about Sabang Beach.
Powdery white sand.
Perfectly blue water.
What more can you ask for?
Chilling and swimming here after your Underground River tour is a great way to spend your time.
Enjoy The Land Karsts
The road from the highway to Sabang is a real treat.
You’ll find towering karsts jutting out of the land.
One of my favorites was the Cleopatra’s Needle.
There’s a small viewpoint along the highway where you can stop and take some pictures of it!
Climb Ugong Rock
A little way off Sabang town, you’ll find Ugong Rock Adventures.
I was a bit too tired to stop over here, but I’m told that you can explore land caves and zipline down from here.
It’s included in some tours as well!
Walk to the Pyamaluguan Waterfall
Something else I didn’t get to do – but know several people who did – is to walk to the Pyamaluguan Waterfall.
It’s about a 30-minute walk from Sabang Beach, and there’s a mandatory donation to enjoy it.
Something to think about doing if you don’t want to make the 2-hour drive back to PPS right away!
Frequently Asked Questions About the Puerto Princessa Underground River
Alright…
With all that out of the way, let’s tackle some of the most asked questions about the Underground River!
Is Visiting the Underground River Worth It?
Yes. You should spend at least one day in Puerto Princessa to see the Underground River! It’s definitely worth adding to your itinerary.
It’s something that you won’t get anywhere else in Palawan.
Yes, there are plenty of other things to do in Puerto Princessa. But these are all skippable if you’re short on time, and would rather spend more time in El Nido, Port Barton, or Coron.
I wouldn’t skip the Underground River though unless you’re on a tight schedule.
Plus, since it’s close to Puerto Princessa, you can easily go to the airport after visiting the river!
Is the Underground River Claustrophobic?
No. Unlike other cave systems in the Philippines, the Puerto Princessa Underground River has massive chambers. Claustrophobia is the last thing you’ll feel inside this cave!
Do I Need a Tour to Visit the Underground River?
No. You can’t enter the cave without going with the official guides, but you can DIY your Puerto Princessa to Sabang trip – you don’t need to book a tour from Puerto Princessa City.
Is It Better to Book an Underground River Tour or go DIY?
It depends on your preference! A tour is more convenient, but I like DIY since you get to choose how to spend your time in Sabang. Plus, it also costs slightly less than tour packages.
Tours start at php2,000/head (php1,850 + php150 environmental fee).
They pick you up at your hotel in Puerto Princessa and drop you right back there once the day is over.
These tours also include lunch in their package, so it’s quite a good deal. You can book these tours from your accommodation in Puerto Princessa, or from sites like Klook.
Also! If you want to support my DIY blogs, you can book using the widget below! I hand-picked these two from Klook’s directory:
Klook.comThat said, I always prefer DIY.
I’ve heard people complain about it being difficult to get from Sabang back to PPS by van. But if you have a motorbike, everything is a breeze.
You can stay as long (or as short) in Sabang as you want.
You can visit any of the surrounding spots without getting worried your tour will leave you behind.
And it’s cheaper too. Not by much, but it’s a complete win for me!
Can You Stay Overnight in Sabang?
Yes! If you arrive in Puerto Princessa late, or if you want to have more time exploring Sabang, there are several hotels and inns in the area.
Check the major booking sites like Booking.com or Agoda to find them!
How Long is the Underground River?
The Puerto Princessa Underground River is said to be 8.2km long. However, tourists are only allowed to explore the first 1.5km of the cave!
Imagine what else lies inside!
Does the Underground River Smell?
Yes. If you’ve never been inside a cave before, the smell might surprise you. But if you’ve been inside a few caves already, bat poop stink isn’t going to faze you anymore. 😂
What Time Does the Underground River Open and Close?
The Underground River is open every day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Conclusion – Should You Visit the Subterranean River in Puerto Princessa?
Absolutely!
The Subterranean River is truly a world-class landmark to visit.
Everyone, from backpackers to luxury travelers, should consider adding this to their bucket list.
As for me, I will never forget the massive chambers and the dark, flowing water of this river. Truly one of a kind.
I hope you found this guide helpful!
If you have more questions, please leave a comment below or message me on my Instagram!
Cheers!
Manoling