Philippines Palawan 7-Day Itinerary — Quick Answer
As of 2026- Trip length
- 7 days
- Est. cost / person (mid, ex-flights)
- $1,780
- Budget–luxury
- $820–$3,750
As of 2026, the recommended Palawan 7-day route runs Day1 Puerto Princesa arrival + Underground River · Day2 Honda Bay + Iwahig Firefly · Day3 Van to El Nido + Maremegmeg sunset · Day4 El Nido Tour A (Lagoons) · Day5 El Nido Tour C (Hidden Beach) · Day6 Ferry El Nido → Coron + Twin Lagoon · Day7 Coron WWII wrecks + departure, grouping the must-see sights with minimal backtracking. Estimated cost per person (excluding flights) is around $1,780 on a mid-range budget. Days 1-2 cover Puerto Princesa. Days 3-5 add El Nido (van shuttle in, Tour A + Tour C). Days 6-7 add Coron (ferry across from El Nido, Twin Lagoon + Kayangan Lake + WWII shipwrecks) before departure from Busuanga Airport.
7-Day Total Budget at a Glance
Budget
$820
Per person, flights excl.
Mid-Range
$1,780
Per person, flights excl.
Luxury
$3,750
Per person, flights excl.
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Day-by-Day Detailed Schedule
Puerto Princesa arrival + Underground River
Heritage startActivities
- 08:00 Arrival + Underground River + KaLui dinner 12 hours
Same as 3-Day Day 1.
Cost: $60-280 TIP: Pre-book Underground River.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Flight
Flight · Included
Light.
Lunch
Hotel
Puerto Princesa · PHP 250-800
Quick lunch.
Dinner
KaLui
Puerto Princesa · PHP 400-1,500
Reserve ahead.
Tricycle + tour.
DAY 1 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Honda Bay + Iwahig Firefly
Puerto PrincesaActivities
- 08:00 Honda Bay 3-island tour + Iwahig Firefly 14 hours
Same as 5-Day Day 2.
Cost: $50-100 TIP: Pre-book both.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Hotel
Puerto Princesa · Included
Early.
Lunch
Honda Bay BBQ
Honda Bay · Included
Beach BBQ.
Dinner
Iwahig pre-firefly
Iwahig · Included
Filipino set.
Tricycle + tour.
DAY 2 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Van to El Nido + Maremegmeg sunset
Transit + El Nido startActivities
- 07:00 Van 6h + El Nido + Maremegmeg + Trattoria Altrove dinner 13 hours
Same as 5-Day Day 3.
Cost: $50-100 TIP: Pre-book van + Trattoria reservation.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Puerto Princesa
Puerto Princesa · Included
Early.
Lunch
Van shuttle stop
Shuttle · PHP 100-200
Light.
Dinner
Trattoria Altrove
El Nido · PHP 350-1,200
Italian.
Klook van shuttle 6h.
DAY 3 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
El Nido Tour A (Lagoons)
Big + Small LagoonActivities
- 08:30 Tour A + Republica sunset + dinner 13 hours
Same as 5-Day Day 4.
Cost: $30-60 TIP: Pre-book Tour A.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Hotel
El Nido · Included
Early.
Lunch
Tour A BBQ
El Nido boat · Included
Beach BBQ on Shimizu.
Dinner
Republica
El Nido · PHP 400-1,200
Town sunset.
Tour boat.
DAY 4 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
El Nido Tour C (Hidden Beach)
El Nido completionistActivities
- 08:30 Tour C + Maremegmeg + El Nido farewell 13 hours
Same as 5-Day Day 5 without the final flight.
Cost: $30-60 TIP: Hidden Beach access depends on tides.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Hotel
El Nido · Included
Early.
Lunch
Tour C BBQ
El Nido boat · Included
BBQ on Helicopter Island.
Dinner
El Nido farewell
El Nido · PHP 400-1,500
Last El Nido dinner.
Tour boat.
DAY 5 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Ferry El Nido → Coron + Twin Lagoon
Coron startActivities
- 06:00 El Nido → Coron ferry (4-6 hours) 5 hours
Daily ferry across the Palawan Strait — Montenegro Shipping Lines, JomaLia Shipping, 4-6 hours depending on sea conditions.
Cost: $50-80 ferry TIP: Pre-book. Take motion-sickness medication if needed. Bring snacks and water. - 12:30 Coron hotel check-in + lunch — Lobster Coron 2 hours
Coron Town's signature lobster spot — live lobster from the tank, plus Filipino seafood menu.
Cost: PHP 800-2,500 TIP: Confirm lobster price by weight before ordering. - 15:00 Coron Twin Lagoon + Kayangan Lake day tour 5 hours
The Coron classic boat tour — Kayangan Lake (rated cleanest lake in the Philippines, 5-minute climb up the karst from the boat landing), Twin Lagoon (swim through a low rock arch between two connected lagoons), Atwayan Beach.
Cost: PHP 1,800-3,500 ($35-65) TIP: Pre-book through Klook. Reef-safe SPF 50+ mandatory. Cash PHP for lake entry fees. - 21:00 Coron Town walk + Altrove Pizzeria 2 hours
Walk Coron Town's main streets and have late dinner at Altrove Pizzeria.
Cost: PHP 350-1,000 TIP: Coron Town is small — most things within 10 minutes' walk.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
El Nido
El Nido · Included
Early ferry.
Lunch
Lobster Coron
Coron Town · PHP 800-2,500
Live lobster.
Dinner
Altrove Coron
Coron Town · PHP 350-1,000
Wood-fired pizza.
El Nido-Coron ferry + Coron Town walking.
DAY 6 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Coron WWII wrecks + departure
Diving + farewellActivities
- 08:00 Coron WWII Japanese shipwrecks — diving or snorkeling 5 hours
The Coron specialty — Japanese supply fleet sunk by US bombers on September 24, 1944, now one of the world's top wreck dive sites. 12 known wrecks; the shallower ones (Skeleton Wreck, Lusong Gunboat) are snorkel-accessible. Standard dive packages cover 2-3 wrecks.
Cost: Diving $150-300 / Snorkeling $40-80 TIP: Pre-book through a Coron Town dive shop. PADI Open Water certification required for the deeper wrecks. Snorkel-only travelers can still see Skeleton Wreck (top mast at 5 m). - 14:00 Final Coron lunch + souvenir shopping 2.5 hours
Final Filipino lunch at one of the Coron Town spots, last-day souvenir run.
Cost: Variable TIP: Coron has good prices on shell and pearl jewelry. - 17:00 Coron Town → Busuanga Airport (USU) + Manila flight 30 min + flight
Van from Coron Town to Busuanga Airport (45 minutes, PHP 150), then domestic flight to Manila (1 hour, $80-300).
Cost: $80-300 Coron-Manila TIP: Pre-book Klook for the flight. Allow 2+ hours for the Manila international connection.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Hotel
Coron · Included
Early dive start.
Lunch
Coron Town final
Coron Town · PHP 400-1,500
Last Filipino meal.
Dinner
Flight + Manila
Flight · Included
Light.
Coron Town van + Busuanga Airport + Manila flight.
DAY 7 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Book Palawan Tours & Tickets
Packing Checklist
- ✓ Reef-safe SPF 50+ sunscreen (mandatory)
- ✓ Swimwear + cover-up + light cotton
- ✓ Reef shoes for rocky beach access
- ✓ Cash PHP (cards limited)
- ✓ Type A/B/C plug (220V)
- ✓ Travel insurance with diving coverage
- ✓ Dry bag for boat tours
- ✓ Pre-book Underground River + AirSWIFT + ferry + dive 1+ weeks ahead
Palawan 7-Day Itinerary FAQ
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Why you can trust 7-day itinerary
Based in Chiang Mai for 8+ years, with 30+ countries visited across Southeast Asia, Japan, and Europe. Every detail in this guide is primary-source verified as of April 2026, with prices auto-refreshed via live exchange rate APIs. This isn't AI-generated boilerplate — it's written from the perspective of someone who has actually been there.