If you’ve decided to visit the capital of Palawan after seeing everything you can do in Puerto Princesa or you’re simply going to use it as a starting point to reach other destinations on the island such as Port Barton or El Nido, here you’ll find all the information you need. We’re going to explain in a simple, practical way how to get to Puerto Princesa from other places in the Philippines such as Manila, Cebu or Bohol.
Keep reading and discover how to get to Puerto Princesa, Palawan.
Where is Puerto Princesa
Puerto Princesa is the capital of Palawan province, the westernmost in the Philippines. The city lies in the central part of the island of La Paragua, Palawan, and has access by air, land, and sea. It has an international airport, the Puerto Princesa International Airport (IATA code: PPS), which receives flights from domestic and international destinations; a port; and two terminals for buses, jeepneys and vans (shared minivans), the San Jose Terminal and the Irawan Bus Terminal.
The San Jose Terminal and the airport are about 6 kilometers apart, a distance you can easily cover by tricycle or by using the multicab, small jeepneys. A tricycle may cost you between 50 and 100 pesos, while a multicab ride costs 12 pesos per person. It is usually where the buses and vans arriving from Port Barton end up.
Meanwhile, the Irawan terminal, now used for most long-distance transfers between different points on the island of Palawan, is about 12 kilometers from what is considered downtown Puerto Princesa. Multicabs from the airport area (which is in the center) to/from that terminal are around 30 pesos, while a private tricycle will hardly cost you less than 150 pesos. This is where buses and vans from El Nido usually arrive, although it also depends on the service booked, since many drop travelers at their hotels or at the airport itself. It’s important to check this when you make your reservation.
How to get to Puerto Princesa, Palawan
If you want to know how to get to Puerto Princesa, Palawan, from other parts of the Philippines, take a look:
How to get to Puerto Princesa from Manila
There are two ways to go from Manila to Puerto Princesa, by ferry or by plane.
a) Go from Manila to Puerto Princesa by plane
Given the distance, you can already imagine that the most comfortable way to go from Manila to Puerto Princesa is by plane. At the moment, three airlines operate the route: Cebu Pacific Air (CEBGO), Philippine Airlines and Air Asia. Flights usually depart from Terminal 4 (Domestic) at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), but it’s advisable to check, as this depends on the airline.
Book flights from Manila to Puerto Princesa
If you book well in advance, you’ll be able to book flights from Manila to Puerto Princesa from 19€, although the usual price is around 30€. With just a few days’ notice, it won’t be unusual to find prices over 80€ or even 100€. We advise booking at least a week ahead and, if you can much earlier, the more money you’ll save.
Depending on the airline and the fare you choose, you may or may not be able to check baggage for free. Buy it in advance so you don’t pay much more at the airport. Almost all Philippine airlines allow 7 kg of carry-on luggage. Note that they are becoming stricter about this and, if they weigh it and you’re over, you’ll have to pay a per‑kilo fee that will easily be 3 times what it would have cost you online.
The flight time from Manila to Puerto Princesa is 1 hour and 20 minutes.
b) Go from Manila to Puerto Princesa by ferry
It’s also possible to go from Manila to Puerto Princesa by ferry. We only recommend this if you have plenty of time and want the experience, because given the price of flights when bought in advance, it isn’t really worth it.
The company 2go operates ferries from Manila to Puerto Princesa every Friday at 19:00. Prices vary depending on the class you choose (bed without air‑conditioning, with air‑conditioning, cabin…), but roughly range from 3.000 pesos to 3.400 pesos. The trip takes more than 24 hours.
Book your seat on the Manila to Puerto Princesa ferry
How to get to Puerto Princesa from Cebu
The Cebu to Puerto Princesa route is one of the most common in Philippines travel itineraries. If you want a quick way to go from the Visayas to Palawan, the best option is to take a plane. The low‑cost airlines Air Asia and Cebu Pacific Air operate this route several times a day, as does Philippine Airlines.
Check flights from Cebu to Puerto Princesa
As with the case above, you can find fares to get from Cebu to Puerto Princesa from 19€, although it’s most common to pay between 25€ and 30€, depending on the advance purchase. When there is a week or less to go, it’s common to see them around 80€–100€. During high‑demand dates like Christmas, Chinese New Year, or Holy Week, prices rise considerably.
The flight from Cebu to Puerto Princesa takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
How to go from El Nido to Puerto Princesa
If you’ve been enjoying the epic island hopping in El Nido and want to continue your trip in Puerto Princesa, the best way to link the two is by van or bus. There are frequent buses and vans from El Nido to Puerto Princesa departing from El Nido’s bus terminal, located between El Nido Town and Corong Corong.
a) Go from El Nido to Puerto Princesa by van
The fastest option to reach Puerto Princesa from El Nido is by van. The trip takes between 4,5 and 5 hours and, if you choose it, they can drop you right at the airport. Services usually run from 4:00 in the morning until 18:30. Prices are around 600–700 pesos.
Save your seat on the El Nido to Puerto Princesa van here
From traveler to traveler: The downside of vans compared with buses is that the seats are small, so you’ll feel a bit like sardines in a can. The best spots are those next to the driver or just behind their seat. They tend to go a little fast, so sometimes the ride can be a bit dizzying. The advantage over the bus is that they are much faster—so much so that it will sometimes feel like they’re racing…
To be more comfortable, many travelers choose hire a private van. You can negotiate it at the terminal or, if you don’t want the hassle, book it through this link, but estimate that it will cost around 6.000–7.000 pesos.
b) Go from El Nido to Puerto Princesa by bus
You can also go from El Nido to Puerto Princesa on buses operated by Cherry Bus and RORO. These will drop you at the Iranwan Bus Terminal, so if you want to go to the airport, you’ll need to take a tricycle or a multicab.
The journey takes between 6 and 8 hours, depending on the number of stops. Prices range between 420 pesos and 700 pesos, depending on whether there’s air‑conditioning and the bus type, since some are more comfortable than others. Departure times are: 7:00, 9:00, 11:00, and 21:00. Our recommendation is that you do not take the non‑air‑conditioned buses, because they make hundreds of stops and the trip can feel endless.
How to go from Port Barton to Puerto Princesa
Going from Port Barton to Puerto Princesa is very easy. You can choose a fast shared van or use local transport.
a) Go from Port Barton to Puerto Princesa by van
Shared vans from Port Barton to Puerto Princesa run from 6:00 to 17:00. The companies are RECARO, Lexxus Shuttle, Palajuanders, and SBE and they usually charge between 500 and 600 pesos to reach the airport. If you want, you can also get off at the San Jose Terminal, which is a little cheaper.
Book your seat from Port Barton to Puerto Princesa
If you’re traveling as a group or want to leave Port Barton for Puerto Princesa at other times, you can hire a private van. Prices are around 5.000 pesos. You can see them here.
b) Go from Port Barton to Puerto Princesa by bus
If you want to save a little, you can take a local bus, which departs daily from Port Barton to Puerto Princesa. It leaves at 8:30 and 13:30 and takes about 4 hours to reach the San Jose Terminal. The ticket costs 250 pesos.
How to go from Coron to Puerto Princesa
If, for some reason, in your Philippines travel itinerary you want to skip El Nido and go directly from Coron to Puerto Princesa, you’ll necessarily have to pass through El Nido. You can do it in 2 ways:
- Take a boat from Coron to El Nido: the trip takes between 3 and 4 hours. You can book them here.
- Take an Air Swift flight from Coron to El Nido, which only runs on certain days of the week. You can check them here.
Once in El Nido, you’ll have to go to the bus terminal (you can walk or take a tricycle for about 50 pesos) and follow the steps we indicated above to go overland by van or bus.
How to go from Sabang to Puerto Princesa
Perhaps you’re in Sabang because you wanted to enjoy its beach or visit the Underground River and now you need to go to Puerto Princesa. The best way is to take a shared van. These run from 6:00 to 18:00 and the trip takes about 2 hours. The ticket costs between 300 and 400 pesos, depending on whether you go to the airport or the bus terminal.
You can see van prices from Sabang to Puerto Princesa here
There are also several jeepneys a day going from Sabang to Puerto Princesa. The trip takes 3 hours and the ticket costs about 150 pesos.
Of course, you could also negotiate private transport or book it here, which will be around 3.500 pesos.
How to go from Iloilo to Puerto Princesa or how to reach Puerto Princesa from the Visayas by ferry
Many travelers wonder how to get to Puerto Princesa cheaply from the Visayas, where there are such beautiful islands as Boracay, Malapascua, Siquijor, or Cebu itself. The only way to connect both regions of the Philippines by boat is by departing from Iloilo.
From Iloilo port a shipping company runs the route to Puerto Princesa in 36 hours, stopping at the little‑known Cuyo Island. Montenegro Shipping Lines only departs on Saturdays at 15:00 and keep in mind it arrives in Puerto Princesa on Monday morning. You can check schedules and book from this link. The price is around 3.000 pesos per bunk.
How to go from Bohol to Puerto Princesa
Unfortunately, there is still no direct way to go from Bohol to Puerto Princesa. Therefore, to link both destinations you have 2 options:
- Take one of the ferries from Bohol to Cebu, a taxi from the pier to the airport, and then a flight from Cebu to Puerto Princesa.
- Take a connecting flight from Bohol to Puerto Princesa.
How to get to Puerto Princesa from other destinations in the Philippines
We assume that by now you’ve “got the idea” and have seen that, unless you’re coming from Port Barton, El Nido, or Balabac, the normal thing is to do it via Puerto Princesa Airport. Still, here we wanted to summarize the usual routes for travelers spending a few weeks in the archipelago who want to enter Palawan:
- How to get to Puerto Princesa from Siargao: the most convenient way is to look for a flight from Siargao to Puerto Princesa, with a connection in Manila or Cebu. If it’s very expensive, you can also go from Siargao to Surigao by boat, from Surigao to Cebu by ferry (allow about 10–12 hours), and from Cebu to Puerto Princesa by plane.
- How to get to Puerto Princesa from Siquijor: here you also have two alternatives. The first is to take a ferry from Siquijor to Cebu and then a plane to Puerto Princesa, and the second is to take a ferry from Siquijor to Dumaguete and then look for connecting flights to Puerto Princesa.
- How to get to Puerto Princesa from Malapascua: you’ll have to retrace your steps to Cebu City by taking a bangka to Maya and then a bus or van to Cebu, and then a plane to Puerto Princesa.
- How to go to Puerto Princesa from Boracay: the most convenient thing will be to look for a flight between the two destinations, with a connection in Manila or Cebu. You can also look for vans from Caticlan to Iloilo (or Caticlan–Kalibo–Iloilo) and then the ferry we mentioned above from Iloilo to Puerto Princesa. We only advise this if you don’t have a tight schedule and want the adventure.
- How to get to Puerto Princesa from Camiguin: the best thing will be to take a flight from Camiguin to Puerto Princesa, with a connection in Manila.
How to get from Puerto Princesa Airport to your hotel
We’ve already hinted that Puerto Princesa Airport is quite central, so unless you’ve decided to go very far away, it won’t take you long to reach your hotel. Unless your accommodation includes the transfer (like this one), you’ll need to negotiate a tricycle or a taxi, since there’s no Grab in Puerto. From our experience, any ride within the city shouldn’t cost you more than 50 pesos by tricycle (for the whole vehicle) and the way to get that price is to head to the main road and wait for the first one to pass. Be firm, but always negotiate respectfully.
Along that road there are also multicabs heading to the city’s main arteries, but finding your way without knowing how the system works can be a bit confusing. If you want to save, we wouldn’t hesitate to ask a local from Palawan in the area, who will kindly tell you whether it’s worth taking one and which one. Multicab rides within Puerto usually don’t cost more than 12–13 pesos per person.
If you were dropped at the San José terminal, you can also take a tricycle or multicab for the prices mentioned above. If you arrived at Irawan, since it’s farther away you’ll need to negotiate, but expect private tricycles to rarely go below 150 pesos and multicabs to be around 30 pesos per person.
By the way, you have lots of recommendations so you don’t miss in Where to stay in Puerto Princesa.
Do you have questions or want to know how to get to Puerto Princesa from other places in the Philippines? Ask us in the comments and we’ll be happy to answer.
If you want to know more about this destination, take a look at our Puerto Princesa Guide.
