Region

Palawan

Fly into Puerto Princesa, then go north: 2 nights city, 3–4 El Nido or Port Barton. Skip town-hopping by road.

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Key facts · Philippines

Best months: Dec–Mar
Visa: Depends on your passport
Currency: Peso (PHP, ₱)
Language: Filipino and English
Plugs: A · B · C · 220 V
Time zone: UTC+8 all year

Month by month hereIn detail ↓

Rules in force · 5Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore…

Southeast Asia ↗Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Brunei and Myanmar; never carry a bag or parcel for anyone.
Southeast Asia ↗Carry a passport valid for at least six months from entry with two blank pages; airlines refuse boarding on less.
Philippines ↗Complete the free eTravel registration on the official government site within 72 hours before arrival; ignore lookalike sites that charge.
Philippines ↗Typhoon season runs roughly June to November: flights and boats are cancelled at short notice; buy flexible tickets and keep a spare day.
Philippines ↗Carry pesos in small notes; many stalls, jeepneys and taxis are cash-only.

Palawan is one long island, not a cluster. The road from Puerto Princesa to El Nido is 5–6 hours; the north (El Nido, Taytay, Port Barton) and the far south (Quezon, Brooke's Point) do not combine in one week. Pick one base per trip and fly in and out of Puerto Princesa (PPS).

Where to sleep

4 places in this region

Sleep base

Puerto PrincesaCity guide
Airport, Underground River day trip, city food.
Best Dec–May
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Puerto Princesa →
El NidoCity guide
Lagoon island tours; 5–6 h by road from PPS.
Best Jan–Apr
JFMAMJJASOND
Open El Nido →
Port BartonCity guide
Quieter beach base between PPS and El Nido.
Best Dec–May
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Port Barton →

Day trip

Coron (Calamian Islands)City guide
Separate island group; ferry or flight, not a road trip.
Best Jan–May
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Coron (Calamian Islands) →

Plan the nights

How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags

Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags

Night sequences

5 nights: Puerto Princesa 2 + El Nido 3
7 nights: Puerto Princesa 2 + Port Barton 2 + El Nido 3
10 nights: Puerto Princesa 2 + Port Barton 2 + El Nido 4 + Coron 2 (ferry north)

The PPS–El Nido road is winding and long; a 5–6 h drive is normal, and vans leave early.
Typhoon season Jun–Nov can cancel ferries and flights; keep a buffer day before an international flight.
El Nido and Coron island tours run on small boats; sea state decides whether they go.

Day-trips door to door

To	From	Door-to-door p50	Last return	Note
Puerto Princesa Underground River (Sabang)	Puerto Princesa	180 min	unknown	Permits are limited; book ahead. Van + boat, full day.
Taytay	El Nido	60 min	unknown	Old fort and town stop on the PPS–El Nido road.
Coron	El Nido	240 min	unknown	Fast ferry across the open sea; morning departures, weather-dependent.

Bags between cities

No luggage forwarding between towns; carry bags or leave them at your PPS hotel if you return.

When to go

Months and weather

Open When to goClose When to go2 partsSeasons · Climate

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Only good-now countries

Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table

Country	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
Puerto Princesa	go	go	go	go	go	×	×	×	×	×	ok	go
El Nido	go	go	go	go	ok	ok	×	×	×	ok	ok	ok
Port Barton	go	go	go	go	go	ok	×	×	×	ok	ok	go
Coron (Calamian Islands)	go	go	go	go	go	ok	×	×	×	ok	ok	ok
Philippines (country-wide)	go	go	go	ok	ok	ok	ok	×	ok	ok	ok	go

Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Climate strip

Month by month

Zone	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Palawanwhole island	best	best	best	hot	wet	wet	wet	wet	wet	wet	ok	best

best: dry, mildok: workablehot: short walking windowswet: daily rain

Palawan: Dry season roughly Dec–May; Jun–Nov is wetter with typhoon risk. El Nido and Coron are best Jan–May.

Peak months (Jan–Apr) fill El Nido rooms; book weeks ahead for the dry season.

Getting in and passes

Arrival times and regional passes

Open Getting in and passesClose Getting in and passes1 partGet in

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate

From	To	How	p50	Note
Manila (MNL)	Puerto Princesa (PPS)	Domestic flight, Philippine Airlines / Cebu Pacific / AirAsia	~1 h 20	The main gateway; several flights a day.
Cebu (CEB)	Puerto Princesa (PPS)	Domestic flight	~1 h 15	Useful if you are coming from the Visayas.
Manila (MNL)	El Nido (ENI)	Airswift small aircraft	~1 h 15	Expensive and weather-sensitive; book direct with the airline.
Manila	Coron	2Go Travel or Atienza ferry	overnight	Slow ferry to the Calamian Islands; check current schedules.

Eat and move on

Regional food and where to go next

Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on2 partsFood · Go next

Regional food

Where and when it works

Dish	Where	Timing / trap
Fresh seafood and grilled fish	Puerto Princesa, El Nido	Kalui on Rizal Avenue in Puerto Princesa is a long-standing Filipino seafood stop; reserve.
Pearl and shell handicrafts	Puerto Princesa markets	Several record-size pearls were found near Puerto Princesa; buy from fixed shops, not beach touts.

Go next

Calamian Islands (Coron)

planned

Fast ferry from El Nido ~4 h, or fly

Lakes, wrecks and reefs; a separate island group.

Puerto Princesa

Van 5–6 h from El Nido

Airport city and Underground River base.

El Nido

planned

Van 5–6 h from Puerto Princesa

Lagoon tours and the north's main base.

Cuyo Islands

planned

Flight or ferry via Puerto Princesa

Remote island group east of Palawan.

Port Barton

planned

Van ~3 h from Puerto Princesa

Quiet beach between PPS and El Nido.

Roxas, Palawan

planned

Van along the north road

Coastal town on the route north.

Sabang, Palawan

planned

Van ~2 h from Puerto Princesa

Underground River gateway.

Brooke's Point

planned

Road south from Puerto Princesa

Southern Palawan base.

Taytay, Palawan

planned

Van ~1 h from El Nido

Old capital with a Spanish fort.

Quezon, Palawan

planned

Road south from Puerto Princesa

Tabon Caves and southern coast.

Mindanao

planned

Flight via Manila or Cebu

Separate region; check current travel advice.

Travel to Philippines

Gateway country page

Visa, money, transport and first-trip planning.

Best time to visit the Philippines

planned

Reference

Dry season Dec–May; typhoon risk Jun–Nov.

Philippines itineraries

planned

Reference

Build Palawan into a longer island route.

Show all 14 placesShow fewer

Planning aids

Built from this guide's own data

Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids2 partsIn numbers · Going in…

Region in numbers

Where to sleep: 3 bases
Day trips: 3, 1 h to 4 h
Nights suggested: 5–10 nights
Ways in: 4 listed
Best months: Jan–Mar, Dec

Going in…

Pick a month for the weather in each zone of the region, plus the country-wide rating and holidays.

Pick a month.

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Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

Open Deep diveClose Deep dive1 partSources

Sources

officialProvince of Palawan — official site
officialDepartment of Tourism Philippines
officialPuerto Princesa International Airport — access
secondaryWikivoyage: Palawan, revision 5256509 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Ask about Palawan

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