Do I have to book the underground river tour (Palawan) before getting there in April?
I am going to Palawan in the start of April, but I am still not sure about the dates. Probably around 10-15th of April.
In Palawan I want to see the Puerto Princesa underground river. However, it seems at some of the websites, the tours are already getting booked out.
This seems to be a problem, because there is a lot of vacation in the Philippines in April.
Do I need to worry about the tours being fully booked, or can I just wait to book until I get there in the start of April?
Best Answer
Unless you have your own transport do take an organised tour. You may well be, like me, a fan of independent travel, but the "tour" is little more than a van from the city centre to the river with a couple of photo opportunity stops on the way, admission to the river, and all the assistance you might need. There's no great advantage to doing it independently. Incidentally, PP might "considered as the largest city in the country" but most of it is countryside and the river is in fact a fair distance away from where you'll likely be staying.
As for whether you need to book, that's a question which setting up the answerer up to fail. If I say no, and you can't get a ticket, you're going to be unhappy. Unless there is a PP travel agent on here you won't get a definitive answer because "it depends".
All I can say is, I didn't book until I got there and had no problem. The country isn't heavily touristed but do bear in mind that the river is a very popular spot with the tourists who do make it to the country and also with Filipinos.
My conclusion would be, book something when you have your dates finalised but don't sweat on it until then.
POSTSCRIPT: I just noticed that this is a rather old question. Perhaps you could feedback with whether you booked or not and if not if you got into the attraction ok?
Pictures about "Do I have to book the underground river tour (Palawan) before getting there in April?"
Is Underground River open?
Some tours do not include the environment fee of 150 pesos per person. This is to be paid upon arrival at the underground river so double check with your tour operator whether this is included or not beforehand. What is this? The operating hours are between 06:30 AM \u2013 04:30 PM.How do I get to Palawan Underground River tour?
To go to Puerto Princesa's Underground River, you have to travel to Puerto Princesa via land, sea, or air. Once you're in Puerto Princesa, the capital of Palawan, you have to travel to Sabang.How much is the fee for Underground River?
Head to the Underground River Office early and pay the fees. There will be an entrance fee (500 pesos, about $8USD) an audioguide fee (85 pesos, around $1.50USD) and an environmental fee (150 pesos, $2.50USD). All of these fees are mandatory. You can't enter the river on foot so you will need to find a boat.Is the Underground River in Palawan worth it?
A trip to the subterranean river national park is absolutely worth the effort if you're visiting Palawan. It's an otherworldly experience as you paddle through the dark. The clicking of bats and the echoing drips of water are the only sounds you hear.Underground River, Puerto Princesa Palawan, Philippines
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