How to get fromSiargao to Puerto Princesa

What to expect when visiting Puerto Princesa

Puerto Princesa is the capital of Palawan in the Philippines. A popular gateway to gorgeous destinations on the archipelago (like El Nido and Port Barton), travellers often skip a visit to Puerto Princesa.

If you’re just passing through, we recommend that you at least check out the interesting cuisine and cosy cafes in Puerto Princesa. But if you have extra time, why not also explore the iconic Underground River? It’s the longest subterranean river in the world! You can also visit Puerto Princesa’s white-sand beaches during the day and watch fireflies across the Nagsaguipi River at night.

2 ways to get from Siargao to Puerto Princesa

The 2 ways to travel the distance of 806 kilometers (501 miles) from Siargao to Puerto Princesa are by: flight (4 hours 15 minutes) and ferry* (2 days). The journey duration ranges between 4 hours 15 minutes to 2 days and the quickest way is by flight. The lowest priced tickets start from 3,900 PHP ($67) for the flight.

Travelling from Siargao to Puerto Princesa by flight is the fastest option. Unfortunately, there is no direct flight for this route.

You can book a flight with Philippine Airlines or Cebu Pacific. Both airlines offer flights from Siargao to Puerto Princesa with a stop at Manila Airport or in Cebu Airport.

Layovers

Flights from Siargao to Puerto Princesa can take at least 4 hours 15 minutes, depending on the duration of the layover. Make sure that the flight you are booking gives you enough time to check in for the connecting flight.

Almost all of the layovers are in Manila. There also used to be well-connected flights from Siargao to Puerto Princesa, but the last time we checked (June 2022), the minimum layover in Cebu is +17 hours.

The flight time via Cebu 1 hour shorter, though. You could try to book the tickets separately, but in that case, you will also be completely responsible for being on time for your connecting flight. It will also take a lot of extra time to pick up your luggage and then check it in for the next flight.

Booking an indirect flight as one booking will be much easier.

Flight fares

To avail cheaper flights for the Siargao to Puerto Princesa route, you need to book your flight months in advance.

For more info on how to get to Puerto Princesa town from the airport, check out our article on Puerto Princesa Airport.

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

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

*IMPORTANT UPDATE: The last time we checked (June 2022), there are no ferries operating between Iloilo and Puerto Princesa, so the ferry option to travel from Siargao to Puerto Princesa is not possible. For now, we suggest taking the flight option for this route.

If you wanted to experience being at sea for at least 2 days, then this was your chance! Aside from the sea adventure, you would have enjoyed the stopovers along the way. This option allowed you to get to know the Philippines and its locals better.

Note that not all ferry routes are available daily. Make sure to align all your ferry rides from Siargao to Puerto Princesa so you don’t get inconvenienced.

Ferries bound for Surigao City depart Siargao Island from Dapa Port. From the tourist district of General Luna, you can take a 30-min tricycle ride, which normally costs 250 PHP ($4.30) to reach the port.

At Dapa Port, you can choose from 2 ferry operators. With JP Shipping Lines, a ride takes 2h 15mins and fares start at 280 PHP ($4.80) for an open-air seat. Evaristo & Sons offers 4 fast craft and 1 roro trip daily. We recommend taking their fast craft for a fast 1.5-hr journey, and you can get a ticket for 300 PHP ($5.20).

See their schedules below:

Book a ferry ride with Cokaliong Shipping. Their ships depart Surigao at 19:00 daily. The journey takes about 5h 30m - 10h so you can expect to arrive in Cebu at 3:00 in the morning. You can get an economy bed for 1,360 PHP ($24). For more details, read how to go from Siargao to Manila.

If you prefer to book your tickets online beforehand, you can do so via BookAway, although rates may be a bit more expensive.

The last leg of the journey takes at least one day. You have 2 ferry options: Milagrosa Lines departs at 19:00 on Mondays and Thursdays; Montenegro Shipping departs at 21:00 on Mondays.

Included in this 24-hr journey is a few hours of stopover on the beautiful island of Cuyo, before finally heading to Puerto Princesa. Fares start at 1,500 PHP ($26).

Check out our article on how to go from Cebu to Puerto Princesa for more details.