How to get from Puerto Princesa to Siargao

Why visit Siargao?

Siargao is the surfing capital of the Philippines — an island beloved for its chill vibe and laidback lifestyle. Its most popular tourist draw is Cloud 9, one of the top surfing sites in the world.

But this tear-drop-shaped island has a lot more to offer, to non-surfers too. With pristine beaches, an ethereal lagoon, a palm-tree-lined river, and a rapidly growing food and coffee scene, you cannot go wrong with a visit to Siargao.

There are 2 ways to travel the 806 kilometers (501 miles) from Puerto Princesa to Siargao. You can choose between the flight and ferry. The journey takes 3 hours 30 minutes to 3 days and the quickest way is by flight. If you're on a budget, the cheapest option is by flight with tickets starting at 3,000 PHP ($53).

Flying is the most practical option to travel from Puerto Princesa to Siargao. Unfortunately, there are no direct flights available for this route.

Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific both offer flights with a layover in Manila Airport or in Cebu Airport. This means that when you book the indirect flight, you have the opportunity to choose where to spend the layover in. This doesn’t require an extra booking.

TIP: If you decide to travel by plane, please consider including a carbon compensation fee to reduce your impact on the environment.

The flight from Puerto Princesa to Siargao can take at least 3.5 to 4.5 hours, depending on the duration of the layover. Layovers take a minimum of 45 minutes via Cebu and a minimum of 1 hour via Manila.

When you book an indirect flight as one ticket, the airline will take care of the transfers. However, that doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed you will always get your connected flight. If your first flight is delayed, there is a chance you will miss the connecting flight and have to wait till the next flight with the same airline.

Since travelling from Puerto Princesa to Siargao involves 2 flights, flight fares can get a bit expensive. Tickets can range from 3,000 PHP ($53) to 6,600 PHP ($120) regardless if you choose a flight via Manila or Cebu.

During peak season, you may struggle to find cheap flights, so be sure to book in advance or during promotions.

Once you’re in Siargao Airport, you’ll need to take public transportation to the town centre in General Luna. For more details on getting there from the airport, check out our article on Siargao Airport.

Pro-Tip: Cebu Pacific offers many ‘piso fare’ promotions annually. Keep an eye out for these if you want to book cheaper flights!

Travelling this route by ferry takes three long days, but it’s an interesting travel experience and is a great way to see new places.

There are no direct ferries from Puerto Princesa to Siargao. This option involves several stops and transfers at Cuyo Island in Palawan, Iloilo, Cebu, and Surigao. The overall travel time for all ferries is 3 days. Combined prices start from 7,700 PHP ($140).

The trip to Iloilo takes 2d. Montenegro Lines operates on Mondays, with a 19:00 departure.

Both ferries make a few hours of stopover on the beautiful Cuyo Island.

To buy tickets, you’ll need to contact the ferry operators directly or go to their ticketing office. Read how to go from Puerto Princesa to Cebu for more details.

Trans-Asia Shipping and Cokaliong Shipping Lines provide a number of trips from Iloilo to Cebu weekly. A one-way ferry ticket starts from 1,950 PHP ($35) when you book through BookAway. It takes about 12h to travel this route via ferry.

Cokaliong Lines is the top choice when taking a ferry from Cebu to Surigao as they operate daily trips for this route. This departs from Cebu Pier 1 at 19:00 and arrives at Surigao City Port at 3:00.

Medallion Transport provides an alternate option, but only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. This ferry leaves Cebu Pier 4 at 20:00 and docks in Surigao at 4:00.

Economy fares start at 2,260 PHP ($40). More details are available on how to go from Manila to Siargao.

You can buy tickets at their respective piers or book online beforehand through BookAway. It’s more expensive, but well worth the ticket guarantee and good customer service.

The earliest departures from Surigao to Siargao are at 4:00 and 5:30. Note that the ferry bound for Siargao departs from another port, which is still about 40mins away by tricycle from the port you will be arriving at. The tricycle ride costs 335 PHP ($6).

Ferry fares start at 315 PHP ($5.60) for a fastcraft. They also charge 11.20 PHP ($0.20) for the port fee. It takes at least 2 hrs to reach Dapa Ferry Terminal in Siargao.

See the table below to help you plan your trip: