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Palawan Island Tours
Underground River Day Trip from Puerto Princesa City
4.5

Underground River Day Trip from Puerto Princesa City

By Corazon Travel and Tours
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Discover the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park on a full-day tour that includes an underground river cruise and lunch, with the option to add ziplining, a massage, or a mangrove tour. Including door-to-door transport from hotels in the Puerto Princesa area and beyond, this underground river trip takes the hassle out of exploring a fascinating landscape of caves, forests, and coast. Upgrade for a private package.
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation

Ages 0-99, max of 100 per group
Duration: 6–8 hours
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
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Audio guide: German, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, English, French, Spanish
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Highlights
  • See native wildlife on an underground river day trip from Puerto Princesa
  • Choice of shared or private tours to suit your schedule
  • Includes lunch and hotel transfers
  • Optional upgrades include ziplining, a spa massage, and a mangrove tour

  • Hotel pickup and drop-off within 15 kilometers of the airport
  • Lunch
  • Processing of park permits and fees
  • Professional guide and driver
  • Taxes
  • Transport by air-conditioned tourist van
  • Entry/Admission - Puerto Princesa Underground River
What's not included
  • Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
  • Gratuities
  • Environmental Fee (about USD 3)

Pickup is from your hotel in downtown Puerto Princesa—if you're staying in Astoria or more than 10 miles (15 kilometers) from the airport, you should book the Astoria option. Whether you’ve opted for the shared or private tours, you’ll travel to Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, where your adventure begins. After arriving at Sabang Wharf, continue to the mouth of the cave by boat, watching for the monitor lizards, monkeys, snakes, and other wildlife that thrive within the protected national park. Then enter the underground river on an outrigger boat, traveling into a shadowy passageway with rock formations on every side. After you re-emerge into the sunshine, visit a restaurant for an included lunch of Filipino cuisine. If you’ve booked one of the tour upgrades (ziplining, massage, or a mangrove tour) you’ll extend your trip with that. Otherwise, you’ll return to your hotel.

Start:Multiple pickup locations offered.
  • Option 1
    Bacungan Elementary School, Bacungan, WP53+W3P, Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines
    if you're staying in a hotel in Nagtabon or in the general Bacungan area, we can meet up with you near the Elementary School.
  • Option 2
    Jackielou Astorga, XQ8P+V6J, Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines
    If you're staying in Astoria Palawan, we can meet up at Salvacion Junction.
Pickup details
  • Departure Point: Pickups from hotels in downtown Puerto Princesa (within 15 kms of the airport) Directions: If your hotel is located beyond 15 kilometers from Puerto Princesa Airport, a designated pick up point shall be communicated to you. You will be picked up and dropped off at this location. You may arrange your own transportation to this location. We shall also help you find alternate transportation or arrange a private transfer subject to a surcharge of $80. Dates: Daily Return point: Returns to original departure point
Hotel pickup offered
During checkout you will be able to select from the list of included hotels.
    End:This activity ends back at the meeting point.

      • Infants must sit on laps
      • Not wheelchair accessible
      • Near public transportation
      If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 27887P1

      • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
      • Child rate applies when accompanied by at least 1 adult
      • Children must be accompanied by an adult
      • Subject to favorable weather conditions. If canceled due to poor weather, you will be given the option of an alternative date or alternative tour
      • Cruise ship guests booking the shared tour option will be rejected. Please book the private tour option as your timing requires special handling.
      • Not recommended for travelers with back problems
      • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
      • Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
      • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
      • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 100 travelers

      • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

      The tour operator has provided the following answers to customers’ questions.
      Is pickup available from the cruise port in Puerto Princesa?
      Absolutely! Please be sure to select "Puerto Princesa International Cruise Ship Port" as your desired pickup location upon checkout.
      Answered May 2023

      If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 27887P1

      From
      ₱3,003.09
      per adult (price varies by group size)
      Select date and travelers

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      About the operator
      Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
      • Corazon Travel and Tours
        597
        Philippines
        Joined in December 2015
      • A305LTdominikab
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Underground river trip
        Me and my friend dreamed to see underground river and thank the Corazon tour guide we were able to experience this amazing trip. We did not have a lot of time before our flight and the tour guide did everything what she can to make it happended! We can recommend them for 100% as they will do everything to make their clients happy.
        Written December 4, 2024
      • S365OMpaml
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Great guide and tour!
        We were originally part of the underground river team but was diverted to the honda bay team as it was deemed unsafe to proceed with the underground river tour. The process of diverting was super smooth and handled efficiently. The tour itself is enjoyable, especially because of our great tour guide, thank you Sir Echo! If you can request for him, I would definitely recommend you to do so. I would surely pick this agency if I come to Puerto Princesa again in the future.
        Written December 4, 2024
      • Pascal J
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Top Guide Echo and beatiful Islands
        Echo was a super cool and nice Guide and could tell us so much about the islands and the wildlife. The water was a bit too cloudy for snorkeling, but the beauty of the islands more than made up for it.
        Written December 3, 2024
      • TrailBlazer772591
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Best Tour Ever
        The tour and the guide are both amazingly best. the tour was a fun and worthwhile. Was such an amazing experience. I would always love to be back here in Palawan
        Written November 30, 2024
      • danigE6846NP
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        You won't regret it
        My group and I had an amazing experience island hopping with Echo! I really appreciated how knowledgeable he was with the local Flora and Fauna. I highly recommend
        Written November 11, 2024
      • Navigate09826639160
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Awesome
        Wonderful and memorable experience. Visited many places in that half day tour. Took lots of photographs and i had a very experienced guide who shared lots of interesting information about Puerto Princesa.👍
        Written November 10, 2024
      • 649fatmal
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        AMAZING
        IT WAS AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE!! KUYA ECHO AND KUYA RV ARE THE BEST! THEY REALLY KNOW THEIR THING. I will surely come back in Palawan 💗
        Written November 3, 2024
      • koritravelssomewhere
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        5D4N Coron and El Nido Personalized Tour Package
        Corazon Travel and Tours has gone above and beyond for me, from pre-planning down to the days of my travel. They have been responsive and proactive with my needs and wants for my personalized 5D4N Coron and El Nido Tour. This was my second time using their services and I have to admit that they are incredible at what they do. They make sure you have the best time in Palawan, that's for sure. For this personalized tour package, I told them my expectations and my itinerary and they gave suggestions, breakdown my expenses, and communicated well any changes they have encountered. They arranged everything for me: from my van transfers, tour packages for both municipalities, and my accommodation, plus my ferry ticket. They have exceeded my expectation time and time again. And what I value the most is their care for their guests. As I said, they go above and beyond. I appreciate that they're also checking on me day-by-day. As a solo traveller, I value being kept safe after a long day's tour. Those little things go a long way for me and I hope they continue treating their customers and guests in such way. If you ever find yourself looking for a great travel agency to arrange your Palawan trip, I highly recommend them. I would suggest and avail their services time and time again. Thanks again to the whole Corazon Travel and Tours team. Ms. Merry and Ms. Rodelyn, you two have been amazing.
        Written October 24, 2024
      • Mobile38203366962
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Puerto Princesca river tour
        We went on the Puerto Princesca underground river tour. It was an amazing experience and our tour guide Echo was very informative and helpful!
        Written October 21, 2024
      • adrianvG2096TN
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Worthwhile tour to see the sights, great snorkeling and kayaking trip
        Well-run tour. Transport to/from the resort and island hopping pier. Awesome views and tour curation. The service was attentive and friendly, the snorkeling tour was safe and well-run, and the kayaking was fun. Everything was convenient and straightforward. Recommended!
        Written October 8, 2024
      • Explore01314312659
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        SUPER AWESOME STAFF
        Always 10/10 for me and won't hesitate to book them again for my next trip! Used them twice now. Last year on my birthday trip as solo and this year with my kiddo! Last year was really fun in El Nido though I didn't feel well on my first day cause of the travel, they made sure I am taken care of and even sang happy birthday in their office, the staff were so cute and nice! This year in Puerto Princesa was a bit different since I decided to bring my kid last minute and again, the staff is super nice and communicates with me all throughout our stay. Definitely recommended and will surely book them again for my Coron trip next year! Thank you for being so kind!
        Written October 6, 2024
      • michaelcE2713FA
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Its worth coming back
        The underground river is amazing its a must see and the zip line is awesome, my wife was scared at first but then she had fun. The tour guides are legend. They keep us informed and use our time to the fullest. We will definitely come back with the whole family
        Written September 26, 2024
      • Safari64466540759
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Highly recommend!
        This tour made my trip to El Nido well worth it. Although it seemed unorganized at times, the tour guides had it under control the entire time. They were knowledgeable of the area, thoughtful of the passengers, and were kind enough to take pictures for all of us with our personal phones throughout the trip. No hassle with paying an additional fee for photos. If I had time, I would have booked another tour with this group. I definitely recommend it!
        Written September 22, 2024
      • sh0h0nas
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Underground river + Zipline
        We had an amazing time with this tour agency. The zipline was a real adrenaline rush, and the underground river was absolutely breathtaking. The guide Echo was great—super friendly. Overall, it was an unforgettable experience, and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a mix of adventure.
        Written August 23, 2024
      • SXMFratello
        0 contributions
        4.0 of 5 bubbles
        Light in the dark.
        This was really cute . My Pinoy partner relived his childhood when he was catching fire flies in the river . The food was great and we really enjoyed going through the mangroves by night. For me the first time to have a fire fly in my hand. It is magic and reminds me of the Pater Pan story . Go do the tour.
        Written August 15, 2024
      See all 597 reviews
      These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

      Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

      Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

      Popular mentions

      4.5
      4.5 of 5 bubbles159 reviews
      Excellent
      115
      Very good
      21
      Average
      13
      Poor
      6
      Terrible
      4

      Katherine D
      Changwon, South Korea3 contributions
      3.0 of 5 bubbles
      Dec 2019
      Due to SEVERAL CRUISES having docked that day, we had to wait for several hours outside on the dock for our turn. It was a horrible mess. The people there are clearly working hard, but there are not enough resources and organization to help them manage large crowds. We were able to do an additional zipline at our own expense while waiting, which involved some mild hiking along the beach and up into the zipline stand. That was fun. The local lunch was very good! Some of the best food I had on the island during my time there. The underground river... would have been worth it had we not been waiting for several hours in the sun for it. As it was, I was simply interested in it rather than overwhelmed. I sincerely hope those disgustingly bloated cruise ships do not come on YOUR day. There needs to be more in the area for people to do or enjoy with such large crowds. That's a site location aspect, not a tour aspect. Our guide, Agnes, was very calm and tried her best to recommend additional places and activities. She went above and beyond for a very demanding couple on our tour who demanded to attend an additional tour the same night for a different event. My heart goes out to that patient tour guide dealing with rich jerks all the time who just expect to get everything they want.
      Written March 6, 2020
      This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

      PPSLover
      1 contribution
      3.0 of 5 bubbles
      Jan 2020 • Couples
      The Underground River is a nice and interesting visit, but except that the Tour was .... meee. The driver was a maniac - overtaking vans even though all vans stopped at the same break point anyway.
      Lunch is a all can eat buffet with >100 people at a place where all tours stop, but except that it was nice. On the way back we stopped at Ugong Rock even though we booked the tour without it - slighty felt like a kidnap. Luckily nobody wanted the overpriced zipline there and we were back home at ~1430. If you find a cheaper tour book it there as the underground River experience is the same for all Tours (because its organized by the Park)
      Written January 18, 2020
      This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

      Roboll
      Cardiff10 contributions
      3.0 of 5 bubbles
      We used Corozan Travel. Whilst the tour guide and driver were really friendly and helpful, the transport provided from Puerto Princessa was not good. The minibus was VERY uncomfortable, with not enough room to put your legs straight. The roads are very bumpy,so we had a very uncomfortable journey. One of our fellow passengers was sick. In our opinion, a better standard vehicle should have been provided.
      The Underground River is quite spectacular- if you've never been in a cave before. You are provided with an audio guide, which quite honestly gives a cheesy commentary. The caves are only slightly more interesting than the Blue John mines in Derbyshire.

      If you've been in a cave before, the journey from Puerto Princessa is probably not worth the 2 hour journey to get there.
      Written January 31, 2020
      This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

      juanofthejungle
      Culburra Beach, Australia298 contributions
      3.0 of 5 bubbles
      Feb 2023
      The 37 minutes out of our over 8 hour day that we actually spent in the underground river was brilliant. The included lunch was also good and the boat trip to and from the underground river an interesting experience.
      The long van drive to and from the site included some excellent scenery.
      The 4 hours spent waiting for our turn in the hot sun was a low point. The organisatiion is bad. The trip mentioned other activities you could do such as walks, visiting a beach outside the NP where you could swim and bush walks. Alas it was straight into the van for the return trip.The tour operators should be able to work together and organise it so tours are booked in at an apoproximate time slot and people can do these other activities rather than sitting round waiting for their turn to catch the boat to the river. Our guide through the river moved us through the river calmly but was often out of sync with the audio description so some of the main features were only a brief glimpse as his light flashed over them. The total darkenss experience was a failure as two neaby guides were shining their lights on the formations around us. I suspect the opertors were trying to rush all the people through the cave before closing time.

      The river itself is an amazing site and well worth seeing. If I had the time and was doing it again I would try to stay in the town about 3 km from the NP so I could get in and see the river before the crowds arrived and have time to investigate the other things to do in the area.
      Written March 8, 2023
      This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

      Eli G
      Los Altos, CA58 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      I have booked the shared underground river tour + private van from Salvacion junction to El Nido + El Nido tour A & C.

      They were responsive, professional and communicated well with me over WhatsApp. We weren’t picked up on time by their El Nido tour C operator, but when I called them they immediately took care of it.

      A good experience
      Written February 22, 2023
      This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

      Michael H
      Bournemouth, UK19 contributions
      4.0 of 5 bubbles
      Feb 2020
      Despite a rather blustery and showery day the boatride on the outrigger boats from Sabang Pier is fun and safe. Atmospheric ride within the cave, site is being managed well with sensitivity to wildlife. National park booking office at Sabang could be cleaerer on how individuals join shared boats to the River but just be assertive and you will find a boat that has space around your prebooked time
      Written February 29, 2020
      This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

      david t
      1 contribution
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Jed is a great tour guide! Super friendly and knowledgeable and speaks good English. booked couple days in advance. I had no issues. I received a confirmation email several hours later, stating what time I would be picked up and the itinerary for the day. we were picked up at stated time and proceeded to pick up another group on the way. everyone in the tour was super helpful including the boatman and tour guide. all safety equipment, such as lifevest are provided for you. The lunch was also amazing with fresh seafood, salad, and other tasty fruits. seeing the cave was amazing and there was some small waiting time to get onto the travel boats, but it was around 20 minutes maximum. Not too bad at all considering the low price for this tour. we also added zip lining to our trip and it was super fun however, keep in mind the hike to get the zip line is pretty tough so if you are having trouble with that kind of thing, I would not recommend as there are no easy stairs to access it, you must climb up rocks and a difficult trail. Overall, it was a great time, and we would totally do it again.
      Written March 19, 2023
      This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

      Holly Y
      Bournemouth, UK3 contributions
      2.0 of 5 bubbles
      Mar 2024 • Friends
      Read the whole review. Firstly I want to make it clear the caves were fantastic and I recommend anyone seeing them. HOWEVER the tour was disappointing. To start, we were collected 20 minutes late and it took 2 hours from Puerto Princessa city to get to the dock. The mini bus did have ac but was very cramped with 9 people in total. It then took 2 hours for our tour guide to sort the permit for us to get a boat to the caves. The itinerary is also incorrect. The ‘beach' which states you have 2 hours at, is infact the dock that you wait at, and is not an area to have leisurely time in. The lunch provided was a buffet and it was very tasty. I would recommend the caves to a friend but not this tour company. The 6- 8 hour tour was correct but the majority of this time was in the mini bus or dock, the cave tour is only 45 minutes.
      Written March 29, 2024
      This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

      Jennifer W
      Sardinia, Italy1 contribution
      2.0 of 5 bubbles
      Mar 2023 • Solo
      Dennis was a fantastic host.

      The trip would have been better if the travel agency organiszed tours a bit differently and it was shorter. Too many car breaks before the main event. The actual undergroubd river tour is 45 minutes, lunch is 30, and the drive is about and hour. This could easily be a morning or aftwrnoon half day trip which is why I gave it a two.

      The only unexpected event was that the majority of us signed up just for the underground river tour without the mangrove or ziplining. Even though the majority didn't sign up for mangrove/ziplining, we still had go to those locations with the group because 2 people did sign up for it. We weren't aware of that ahead of time. I would have rather had the time to be honest rather than waiting around for an hour for people to zipline.

      Additionally my tour consisted of people complaining about prices which was obnoxious.
      Written March 17, 2023
      This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

      Marc C
      Riverside, CA22 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      May 2024 • Family
      We took a a trip to Palawan as a family (my cousin family's and my and I) and decided to do the Underground River in Puerto Princesa. My suggestion is to leave early in the morning because the later you leave, the longer the line will be at the river.

      On our trip we had a private tour as we had eight adults and two toddlers. On the way we stopped at vista point over looking the sea. It was well worth the stop and the view. We then proceeded to another tourist stop at a beach to take a walk and take pictures. The views of the ocean was beautiful. This is also where you could do some activities, and in this case our nephew and his girlfriend did the zipline. He and his girlfriend enjoyed the zipline.

      We then went to the port that takes you to the Underground River. Since we had time, we had an early lunch which was part of trip. The food was good and it was a variety of Filipino food. We then took the boat over to the river.

      We arrived at the river but we had to wait about 45 minutes to wait our turn to take one of the boats into the caves. Once on the boat , we went into the cave. It was nice as the temperature must have dropped over 10 degrees which helped because it was hot and humid while waiting for our boat. If you fear the dark, going into caves, or bats, this might not be something you want to partake in. Once in the cave we saw the different limestone formations and the history of the caves from our tour guide. You travel approximately 1.5-2 kilometers or more into the cave before you turn around.

      Afterwards we took our bunka back to the main port, which was nice because of the views were maganda. Just a word of the wise when you are on the island at the Underground River, be aware of the monkeys because they are known to be aggressive and recommend you don't eat or bring bottled water as the monkeys would grab the bottles.
      Written June 23, 2024
      This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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      *Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

      Underground River Day Trip from Puerto Princesa City provided by Corazon Travel and Tours

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