Explore Puerto Princesa, San Vicente and El Nido
Most travelers who come to Palawan only see El Nido. This trip covers the whole island — the underground river system in Puerto Princesa, the longest white-sand beach in the country at San Vicente, and the lagoons of El Nido that earned the island its reputation.
Trip facts
Starting place: Puerto Princesa Ending place: El Nido Duration: 9 days, 8 nights Flights: International flights not included. Domestic flights from Manila to Puerto Princesa and El Nido to Manila arranged by us. Best time to go: November through May.
About this trip
This is a nine-day trip down the spine of Palawan, designed for travelers who want the full island rather than just its most photographed lagoons. You start in Puerto Princesa for the Underground River, move to San Vicente for the longest white-sand beach in the country, and end in El Nido for the lagoons and outer islands. The journey itself is part of the trip — the drives between towns take you through the Palawan most travelers fly over.
Inclusions:
- Hotel accommodation matched to your trip
- Daily breakfast
- All private transfers, with a guide and a driver
- Underground River permits and boat
- Private boats for Honda Bay and El Nido tours
- All entrance tickets
- Domestic flights between Manila and Puerto Princesa, El Nido and Manila
- Environmental fees and local taxes
- A point of contact reachable any hour, any day, throughout your trip
Not Included:
- International flights
- Additional nights in Manila if needed for connections
- Tips for guides, drivers, and boat crew
- Food and drinks outside breakfast
- Travel insurance
Things Worth Knowing
The Underground River requires permits issued in limited daily quotas. We secure permits in advance, but the system depends on the local government and changes have happened on short notice.
The drives between Puerto Princesa, San Vicente, and El Nido are long and the roads vary. We schedule the trip to break the drives with stops.
El Nido in peak season can be busy. The boat tours are popular and the lagoons fill with day-tour boats by late morning. We schedule earlier starts to avoid the crowds.
Cancellations within ninety days of departure are not permitted. Rates are per person, based on double occupancy, and subject to change.
Where you stay
Puerto Princesa has a few well-run boutique hotels in the city and one or two beach resorts on the outskirts. San Vicente is quieter, with a small number of resorts on Long Beach itself. El Nido has the most variety — town hotels, beach resorts, and private-island resorts further out. We match the right ones to your trip.
Arrival in Puerto Princesa
Pickup at Puerto Princesa airport. Check-in, then an afternoon walk through the city with a stop at Plaza Cuartel, where American and Filipino prisoners of war were held during the Japanese occupation. Sunset at Baywalk. Dinner.
Underground River
An early start for Sabang and the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The cave system runs over eight kilometers and is navigated by paddle boat. The full experience takes most of the day. Back to Puerto Princesa in the late afternoon.
Honda Bay
A private boat day on Honda Bay, with stops at three islands for snorkeling and lunch. Back to the hotel by mid-afternoon. The evening is yours.
Drive to San Vicente
A four-hour drive north through the Palawan interior. Lunch on the way. Check-in at San Vicente, on Long Beach, which is fourteen kilometers of empty white sand. Quiet evening.
Long Beach
The day is unstructured. The point of San Vicente is the beach itself, which has very few resorts and almost no other visitors. Walk it, swim, do nothing.
Drive to El Nido
A three-hour drive further north to El Nido. Check-in. The town is busier than San Vicente, but the lagoons are why you came. An afternoon walk through town, dinner.
Tour A
The classic El Nido boat day. Big Lagoon, Small Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, Shimizu Island, and Seven Commandos Beach. Lunch on the boat. We schedule the day to start before the day-tour boats from town arrive.
Tour C or a private island
The choice is yours. Tour C covers the outer islands — Hidden Beach, Helicopter Island, Matinloc Shrine — and is the more dramatic of the two. A private island charter for the day is the alternative if you want to go further out and skip the standard route.
Departure
Transfer to El Nido airport for the flight back to Manila for connections.
We don't sell this Palawan trip as a fixed itinerary. The nine days above is the version we'd build for travelers who want the whole island, not just the famous part. If you want to focus only on El Nido, add Coron, or extend to a private island, that's the conversation we have on the call.
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