How to get from Cebu to Palawan (Puerto Princesa)
It's hardly surprising that people would make the jump from Cebu straight to Palawan. After all, both provinces boast pristine beaches and stunning landscapes. The overland/sea distance between Cebu and Puerto Princesa is whooping 1,400-1,500 kilometres via either Western Nautical Hwy or the Pan-Philippine Hwy/AH26. If you fly, it is around 600 km and 1 hour 20 minutes away.
Though technically it is possible to make all your way from Cebu to Puerto Princesa by sea and land, there is no direct transport or package combination trips. It means you will have to tailor-make your journey all by yourself. It will take you no less than two full days if you do not make any stops en route. We do not see any valid reason to choose this option, so do recommend you to fly. Several airlines connect Cebu with Palawan on a daily basis. Air travel between Cebu and Puerto Princesa is not only convenient but also quite affordable especially if you book your flights early.
Flights from Cebu to Palawan
Right now there are three commercial airlines that offer daily flights from Cebu to Puerto Princesa.
Air Asia sells the most economical seats at around PHP1300 one way. Besides being the cheapest option, it allows you to customize your booking with optional add-ons such as luggage allowance, meals, seat selection, and insurance.
It is closely followed by another budget airline, Cebu Pacific. Flights with this carrierusually costs between PHP2000 and PHP2500 with the same optional add-ons.
If you are traveling light and do not have any bags for check-in then these two airlines are definitely your best bet. What's more, they routinely run special seat sales so you can stalk their social media sites from time to time. Seat sales however normally happen around midnight, especially during national holidays.
Lastly, the country's flag carrier, Philippine Airlines, also fly to Puerto Princesa from Cebu daily. Fares normally range from PHP1700 to PHP6000. The good thing about flying with PAL is that even the cheapest tickets automatically include a free light snack and the Economy Saver even offers a 10kg to 20kg luggage allowance. Although they don't run seat sales as often as the aforementioned budget airlines, they do hold random promotions.
Flying from Cebu to Puerto Princesa normally takes roughly 1 hour 20 minutes.
General notes
It is important to note that each of these airlines normally have only one direct flight daily, usually scheduled in the morning but you can always connect via Manila.
If you are planning an onward travel destinations in Palawan upon your arrival in Puerto Princesa like El Nido or Port Barton, then we suggest getting on one of the morning flights.
There are several flights during the day but they entail a layover in Manila – sometimes as long as 8 hours. It is not really practical if you don't have a good reason to be in Manila as you'll end up just waiting for hours at the airport.