5-Days in Palawan Philippines: Puerto Princesa & El Nido Package

Palawan packs a lot into five days. This package links Puerto Princesa and El Nido with flights, hotels, meals, guided outings, and ground transport already arranged. That makes it useful if you want the headline sights without spending hours piecing together ferries, cars, rooms, and tours.

I like the small maximum group of five and the steady communication praised by a solo guest, who specifically thanked Ash, Divine, Bernard, and the wider team for making the trip comfortable. I also like the smart route: Puerto Princesa first for the Underground River, then El Nido for beaches and lagoons. The main drawback is the short schedule. You have only one full day in each place, and the $755 price does not include some entry fees or most meals.

Key things to know before booking

• The trip covers two very different Palawan bases: Puerto Princesa offers the Underground River, while El Nido brings the island-hopping scenery.
• Flights from Manila and 20 kilograms of baggage are included, saving you the work of arranging separate domestic tickets.
• The group is limited to five people, a useful feature for anyone who dislikes large bus tours.
• Four breakfasts and two lunches are covered, but dinners, several other meals, and listed entrance fees are extra.
• Day 4 includes Big Lagoon, Shimizu Island, Seven Commandos Beach, and Payong Payong Beach, making it the most packed sightseeing day.
• You must book at least 14 days ahead, and confirmation arrives within 48 hours, subject to availability.

What the $755 package really buys you

At $755 per person, this is not a bargain-basement island break. It is a convenience package. You are paying for domestic flights, four hotel nights, airport transfers, private road transport between destinations, two major guided outings, four breakfasts, and two lunches.

That bundle can be worth a lot if you have limited time or do not want to manage Palawan’s moving parts yourself. Puerto Princesa and El Nido are not next-door stops, so having the flights and transfers handled removes a large amount of planning.

The value depends on how you normally travel. If you are happy booking simple rooms, comparing flights, and arranging local rides, you may find the package more expensive than assembling the trip yourself. If you are taking a first solo trip, have only five days, or want one point of contact throughout, the extra cost buys peace of mind.

The package includes 20 kilograms of baggage allowance on all domestic flights. That is generous enough for a normal holiday bag, but check your packing before departure because the included allowance is not unlimited.

Two fees are specifically excluded. The Underground River Environmental Fee is PHP 150 per person, and the Big Lagoon Entrance Fee is PHP 200 per person. You should also budget for dinners, other meals, and activities not listed in the package.

Day 1: A gentle arrival in Puerto Princesa

Your Palawan stay begins with a flight from Manila to Puerto Princesa Airport. The flight itself is part of the package, and a car meets you on arrival for the ride to your hotel.

This first day is intentionally light. The schedule allows roughly 12 hours, but the useful point is not the clock. It gives you time to arrive, check in, and settle into Puerto Princesa without immediately rushing onto a boat or into a long road transfer.

The hotel is selected in Puerto Princesa City, with access to natural sights and cultural spots. The exact property is not specified, so you should ask for the hotel name before paying if room location, facilities, or neighborhood matter to you.

I like this soft opening. After a flight, a hotel transfer and free time are often better than a forced activity. The tradeoff is that Day 1 is mainly a transport and check-in day, so the package has only three active sightseeing days.

Breakfast is included during the stay, though the exact breakfast arrangements depend on the hotel. Since the first day begins with a flight from Manila, confirm the departure time and pickup instructions after booking.

Day 2: Entering the Puerto Princesa Underground River

Day 2 is the major Puerto Princesa outing. A car takes you to the starting point for the Underground River tour, where you board a boat and enter the cave system with a guide.

This is the sort of place that rewards a guided visit. The guide explains the cave’s geological story and its unusual ecosystem as the boat moves through the river. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature, so this is more than a beach stop squeezed into a holiday.

The boat journey is the heart of the day. Inside, you can expect a dark cavern, rock formations, and a quiet sense of scale. The setting is natural rather than polished, which is part of its appeal. You are seeing a protected site with its own rules and environmental fee, not an attraction designed only for quick photographs.

The tour lasts about eight hours, leaving much of the day committed to the excursion. That matters because the Underground River is not a quick city attraction. The road and boat portions take time, and the package is built around treating it as a full-day experience.

A buffet lunch with Filipino dishes follows the cave visit. Two lunches are included in the full package, and this is one of them. It is a useful inclusion because a full-day outing leaves little time to find a meal on your own.

The Underground River Environmental Fee of PHP 150 per person is extra. The tour listing also marks admission as not included, so ask for a clear breakdown of any other required site charges before departure.

The practical downside is that the Underground River day can feel structured. You do not have much freedom to set your own pace, and the eight-hour schedule leaves limited time for unrelated Puerto Princesa activities. Still, if this natural site is high on your list, the guided format and included transport make the day easy to manage.

Day 3: The road from Puerto Princesa to El Nido

On the third day, a private car carries you from Puerto Princesa to El Nido. The journey passes through Palawan scenery, with forest, beaches, and coastal views along the way.

The road transfer is one of the package’s most practical features. You avoid figuring out how to connect the two destinations, and you arrive directly at your El Nido hotel rather than managing several separate rides.

The schedule gives you the afternoon to settle in and get acquainted with El Nido town. Beachside restaurants offer a chance to eat while looking across the coastal scenery. The package also provides a list of recommended shops and places to eat after booking, which can be handy when you have only a short stay.

Your El Nido hotel is selected for its location in town. That should make it easier to reach restaurants, the waterfront, and the next day’s tour meeting arrangements. Again, the exact hotel is not supplied, so ask for its name and what room category is included.

Day 3 is not a major sightseeing day, and that is worth understanding before booking. The transfer from Puerto Princesa uses much of the day, leaving you with an afternoon and evening rather than a full free day in El Nido.

I see this as a sensible transition day, not wasted time. El Nido is the kind of place where simply getting oriented by the water can be enjoyable. But if your priority is maximum beach time, you may wish the package had six or seven days instead of five.

Day 4: Big Lagoon and four El Nido island stops

Day 4 is the visual high point of the trip. A private car takes you to the departure point for an El Nido island-hopping outing lasting about seven hours.

The first stop is Big Lagoon. Limestone cliffs rise around clear water, creating the postcard setting most people associate with El Nido. The PHP 200 Big Lagoon Entrance Fee is not included, so bring money for this separate charge.

Next comes Shimizu Island, where the focus shifts from cliffs and lagoon views to coral and tropical fish. Snorkeling is part of the appeal, though equipment details are not stated, so confirm what is supplied before the trip.

The route continues to Seven Commandos Beach and Payong Payong Beach. These stops give you time to enjoy white sand, calm water, and the open island setting. Each location has a different character, which keeps the day from feeling like four copies of the same beach.

The fifth stop is not fully visible in the supplied schedule, so you should ask for the complete route and exact order before departure. The available details clearly name Big Lagoon, Shimizu Island, Seven Commandos Beach, and Payong Payong Beach, but the full description refers to five locations.

This outing received particularly warm praise from one guest, who described visiting five distinct locations and thanked Captain and guide Bernard. That detail matters because a good boat crew can shape the day. Bernard is also among the team members praised for helping make a first solo trip comfortable.

The group limit of five should make this a more personal outing than a large public boat excursion, though the information does not state whether the boat itself is private or shared. Ask that question if privacy is important to you.

Day 4 is also the day when the package feels most like a classic Palawan holiday. You get the limestone cliffs, beaches, snorkeling, and boat travel in one concentrated outing. The downside is the pace. Seven hours, several stops, swimming, and boat transfers can make the day tiring, especially if you prefer long, quiet stretches at one beach.

Day 5: Leaving from Lio Airport

After breakfast and checkout, a car takes you to Lio Airport, a short drive from El Nido town. From there, you fly back to Manila.

The final transfer is another small but useful detail. You do not need to arrange an airport ride after a busy island-hopping day. The flight home is included, and the 20-kilogram baggage allowance applies to the domestic flights in the package.

Day 5 is listed as a 12-hour day, but the actual timing depends on the flight schedule. Since no departure time is provided, confirm when you need to leave the hotel and how much free time you have before the flight.

Hotels, meals, and transport

The package includes two nights in Puerto Princesa City and two nights in El Nido town. The hotels are described as selected properties, but their names and star levels are not supplied. If you care about a pool, room type, breakfast hours, or waterfront access, get those details before booking.

All transfers are included. That covers the arrival transfer in Puerto Princesa, the trip to the Underground River departure point, the road journey to El Nido, the island-hopping transfer, and the ride to Lio Airport.

The word private applies to the car transfers in the schedule. The island-hopping boat arrangement is less clear. You should ask whether that part is private or shared, especially because the total group size is capped at five.

Four breakfasts and two lunches are included. Other meals are not. You will need to pay for dinners, extra lunches or snacks, and any food bought outside the stated arrangements.

Who should book this Palawan plan?

I would recommend it most strongly to someone who wants a guided first visit to Palawan and has only five days. It also fits a solo visitor who values regular contact and transport support. The positive experience described by a solo guest, along with the named team members Ash, Divine, Bernard, and others, suggests that communication is a real strength of the service.

It suits people who want the two biggest Palawan highlights in one trip: the Underground River and El Nido’s island-hopping route. The small group limit is another plus for anyone who finds large organized tours tiring.

I would be more cautious if you want a slow beach holiday. This plan moves quickly, gives Puerto Princesa only one full touring day, and gives El Nido only one full touring day. You will see major sights, but you will not have much spare time for extra activities.

It may also be less suitable if you need flexible cancellation. The booking is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. You must also book at least 14 days before the tour date, with confirmation within 48 hours subject to availability.

Should you book this five-day package?

Book it if you value order, small-group service, and a short route that covers Palawan’s two biggest names. The included flights, baggage, hotels, transfers, Underground River tour, El Nido boat day, breakfasts, and lunches make the $755 price easier to justify than it first appears.

Do not book it expecting a leisurely island stay or an all-inclusive holiday. Extra fees and meals remain, the schedule is tight, and the hotel details need confirming. If you accept those limits, this is a practical way to see Puerto Princesa and El Nido without carrying the full planning load yourself.

FAQ

How long is the Palawan package?

The package lasts approximately five days, with two nights in Puerto Princesa and two nights in El Nido.

Which destinations are included?

The route covers Puerto Princesa City and El Nido town in Palawan.

Are flights from Manila included?

Yes. All domestic flights in the package are included, with a 20-kilogram baggage allowance.

Is airport pickup included?

Yes. Pickup and transfers are included, including the arrival transfer in Puerto Princesa and the ride to Lio Airport on the final day.

How many hotel nights are included?

You receive two nights of accommodation in Puerto Princesa City and two nights in El Nido town.

Is breakfast included?

Yes. Four breakfasts are included.

Are lunches included?

Yes. Two lunches are included. Other meals are not included.

Is the Underground River entrance fee included?

The Underground River Environmental Fee is not included. The listed fee is PHP 150 per person.

Is the Big Lagoon entrance fee included?

No. The Big Lagoon Entrance Fee is listed separately at PHP 200 per person.

How large is the tour group?

The activity has a maximum of five participants.

How far in advance must I book?

You must book at least 14 days before the tour date. Confirmation is sent within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability.

Can I cancel or change the booking?

No. The experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason.