The most common question we get from first-time visitors, before they ask about anything else, is: how many days?
The answer depends on what you want. Palawan is bigger than people think. Puerto Princesa is one city; El Nido is six hours north; Coron is a separate island entirely. What's possible in two days is not the same as what's possible in seven. Below is what we tell our friends.
The setup
Before you plan, two things to know. First, all the major Puerto Princesa tours are standardized by the city tourism office — the Underground River, Honda Bay, the City Tour, the firefly evening. Pricing and inclusions don't vary much between operators. Second, the El Nido environmental fee is ₱400 per person and is paid once for the whole visit — it covers any number of tours you take in El Nido during your stay. Big Lagoon (on Tour A) has a separate ₱200 lagoon fee.
Then: the airport. The earliest pickup for any Puerto Princesa tour is 6 AM. The latest tours wrap around 5 PM. Booking a morning-arrival flight (before 8 AM) and an afternoon-or-evening departure (after 5 PM) gives you the most usable hours.
2 days, 1 night
Best for: A weekend trip, a stopover, or pairing Puerto Princesa with another destination.
What fits: One full-day tour. Either the Underground River OR Honda Bay, plus the firefly tour in the evening. The City Tour can be added if your departure flight is late.
It's a tight schedule but doable if you arrive early and leave late.
3 days, 2 nights
Best for: Most first-time visitors. The most popular itinerary we book.
What fits: Underground River on day one, Honda Bay on day two, fireflies in the evening of either day, and the City Tour as a half-day either morning. That's four to five activities at a comfortable pace.
4 days, 3 nights
Best for: Travelers who want to add an offbeat day or take it slower.
What fits: The full 3D2N itinerary, plus a day for something less crowded — Estrella Falls, Nagtabon Beach, the Acacia Tunnel, or a long lunch at one of the city's better restaurants. Or: replace one of those with a day trip into El Nido (long, but worth it).
5 days, 4 nights
Best for: A proper holiday with breathing room.
What fits: Six tours is the realistic ceiling. The full Puerto Princesa list plus an El Nido day trip plus one slow day spent reading by the pool or wandering the local market. This is the version we tell most couples to book.
A week or more
Best for: A real Palawan trip.
What fits: Puerto Princesa for three or four nights, then up to El Nido for three or four nights, with an overnight at Sabang on the way if you want. The 5- to 6-hour drive to El Nido is more bearable when it isn't a same-day round trip.
The thing nobody tells you
Add a buffer day. The temptation is to book back-to-back tours and not leave a square inch of free time. Don't. Day three of constant van rides is when the trip stops being a vacation. A morning by the pool, a quiet breakfast, a walk to BM Beach — these are the parts you'll remember.
And: weather happens. A typhoon advisory can close the Underground River for a day. A storm can ground the boat trips. Building a buffer day means a cancelled tour doesn't ruin the trip.
One more thing
If your flight schedule isn't great — a 2 PM arrival and a 9 AM departure — assume the arrival day is half-gone and the departure day is fully gone. Plan around the hours you actually have, not the calendar dates on your ticket.
Tell us your flights when you book and we'll suggest a sequence. We've seen more itineraries work and not work than just about anyone, and we like helping people get it right.
