Puerto Princesa Underground River
The Puerto Princesa Underground River is the reason most travellers come to Palawan — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. Here is what it is, how to visit, and which Puerto Princesa tour to choose.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site and New 7 Wonder
Officially the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, the site was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999 for its outstanding natural value, and was named one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature in 2012 following a global vote. It is also a Ramsar Wetland of international importance. The park protects around 22,202 hectares of the Saint Paul Mountain Range on the west coast of Palawan.
The star of the park is the underground river itself — an 8.2-kilometre subterranean section of the Cabayugan River, of which about 4.3 kilometres is navigable by boat, making it one of the world’s longest navigable underground rivers. Unusually, the river flows directly into the sea, and its lower reaches are brackish and tidal, giving the park a rare full mountain-to-sea ecosystem.
What the cave is like
Inside, a limestone karst cave system opens into vast chambers hung with stalactites and rising stalagmites, home to thousands of bats and swiftlets. The standard visit is a roughly 45-minute paddle-boat tour covering about the first 1.5 kilometres of the river, with helmets and life vests provided and an audio guide narrating the formations. Guides keep noise low to protect the wildlife, so the cave stays quiet and dark save for the boatman’s spotlight.
The surrounding forest shelters macaques, monitor lizards and Palawan endemics such as the Palawan hornbill, so the boat ride out to the cave from the Sabang landing is part of the experience.
A living ecosystem worth protecting
The park is far more than a cave. Its 22,202 hectares run from mountain to sea and shelter some of the most important lowland forest in Asia, with well over 800 plant species and around 195 species of birds recorded, alongside macaques, monitor lizards and the two kinds of bats and swiftlets that roost in the cave. Because the river’s lower half is tidal, freshwater and marine habitats meet in a single system — part of what earned the park its UNESCO listing and its later status as a Ramsar wetland.
The site has been managed by the City Government of Puerto Princesa since 1992 through a Protected Area Management Board, and the daily visitor cap exists to keep the fragile cave and its wildlife intact. Visiting responsibly — keeping quiet, taking nothing and following your guide — is part of the deal.
How to get there
The park is reached from Puerto Princesa city by a 1.5 to 2 hour road transfer to the village of Sabang, then a short bangka boat ride from Sabang Wharf to the park’s beach landing. Daily visitor numbers are capped by the park authority and a government permit is required, both of which your tour operator arranges along with the environmental fee. Full details are on the visiting page.
Which Underground River tour to choose
The most popular option is the full-day group trip from Puerto Princesa (from about $47), which bundles transfers, the boat, the permit, the guide and a buffet lunch. If you want to combine the river with the Ugong Rock caving-and-zipline adventure, choose the Underground River with Ugong Rock tour. To pair the cave with an evening on the water, the Underground River and firefly-watching combination adds a mangrove river cruise after dark. Travellers who prefer their own vehicle and guide can book a private Underground River tour.
Compare every river tour side by side — price, duration, group size and cancellation policy — on the Puerto Princesa tours homepage, and see how the river fits alongside Honda Bay and the fireflies on our things to do guide.