Getting around Puerto Princesa without Grab
The tricycle is the circulation system of this city and you will use it twenty times. A shared in-town hop is ₱12–25 a person on the local "pasakay" rate; chartering the whole tricycle from the airport into town is ₱100–150 for a 3 km, 8–10 minute run. There is no Grab, no meter and no taxi rank worth using. The scam ceiling is being quoted high on the first ask, which is fixed entirely by knowing the numbers on this page. Multicabs and jeepneys cover the fixed routes at ₱15–30, and a scooter is ₱500–700 a day if you want the coast to yourself.
There is no Grab, and it does not matter
Grab does not operate in Puerto Princesa. Not reduced, not patchy — absent. Guides that tell you to just grab a Grab from the airport were written from a desk. Ride-hailing firms have been reported as eyeing the city and none had filed for a franchise at the last check, so treat any app that does show cars as a bonus. The system here is the tricycle: ₱15–25 a hop shared, ₱100–150 to charter the whole thing from the airport into town. Agree the fare before you get in and you will never have a problem.
The reason it does not matter is that the tricycle network is genuinely dense, runs 24 hours at the airport, and is cheap enough that the difference between a fair fare and a tourist fare is about the price of a coffee. Nobody here is running a meter scam because there are effectively no meters and effectively no taxis.
What does exist: airport taxis at padded prices, asking ₱250–400 for a ten-minute ride. Negotiate them down or walk 100 m out of the terminal and hail a tricycle for a third of that. And free hotel shuttles, which most midrange properties run and which neutralise the whole question for anyone staying above the pension tier. The Grab page carries the full verification chain and the review date.
What every ride should cost in 2026
Benchmarks from 2025–2026 sources. There is no meter, so this table is your only leverage — quote the number, agree it before boarding, and you will never have a problem.
| Journey | Fare | How long | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-town hop, shared the local "pasakay" rate, per passenger | ₱12–25 | 5–15 min | WORTH IT |
| Airport to a downtown hotel, chartered the whole tricycle, bags included | ₱100–150 | 8–10 min | WORTH IT |
| Airport to San Pedro | ₱70 | 10 min | WORTH IT |
| Airport to the San Jose terminal for the El Nido van or Cherry Bus | ₱200 | 15–20 min | WORTH IT |
| Airport to the Honda Bay wharf Sta. Lourdes, if you are going straight there | ₱500 | 40–50 min | DEPENDS |
| Chartered tricycle, city touring half day, whole vehicle — two people ride for the price of one | ₱600–1,200 | 4–5 h | WORTH IT |
| Short charter, by the hour | ₱150–200/h | as needed | WORTH IT |
| Multicab or jeepney fixed routes on Rizal Ave and the National Highway | ₱15–30 ₱30 to Irawan | 20–50 min | WORTH IT |
| Multicab, San Jose to the Honda Bay wharf | ₱25–50 | 40–50 min | WORTH IT |
| Tricycle charter to the Honda Bay wharf | ₱300–500 one way | 40 min | DEPENDS |
| Habal-habal to Nagtabon moto-taxi, one passenger, 30 km | ₱150–300 each way | 45–60 min | DEPENDS |
| Tricycle to Nagtabon, return with waiting | ₱1,200 the vehicle | 6–7 h | DEPENDS |
| Airport taxi they ask ₱250–400 for the 10-minute run | Negotiate or walk out | 10 min | SKIP |
Everything here is cash. Tricycles take 3–4 passengers at a squeeze and almost no luggage — two large cases will not fit and the driver will say so.
How the tricycle actually works
There are two modes and confusing them is what makes people think they were overcharged: pasakay (shared, per person, fixed route) and special (chartered, whole vehicle, straight to your door).
On pasakay you flag one down, say where you are going, and it takes you along with whoever else is heading that way, stopping as it goes. That is the ₱12–25 fare. On special you are hiring the whole machine and it goes direct — that is the ₱100–150 airport run and the ₱600–1,200 half-day charter. A driver quoting ₱150 for a two-kilometre hop is quoting you special; ask for pasakay if you do not mind sharing.
The airport fare is the one that confuses everyone, because two different real numbers circulate. Some fare tables quote ₱50 per passenger; drivers routinely quote ₱100–150 for the whole tricycle with bags. Both are genuine and the second is what a foreign visitor with a suitcase will realistically pay. Agree it before you get in and it is a non-issue.
Practicalities: 3–4 passengers maximum, minimal luggage space, cash only, and 24-hour availability at the airport rank. Drivers here do not honk, do not hustle, and will usually tell you if a multicab would be cheaper. Round the fare up as a tip; nobody expects it and everybody appreciates it.
How to move, by what kind of trip you are having
The scooter, and where you can honestly take it
₱500–700 a day, or about ₱800 for a newer 155cc. A licence is required and helmets are mandatory. This is the single best upgrade to a Puerto Princesa trip if you already ride.
Sabang is a genuinely good ride — 76 km over the karst ridge, two hours at a sensible pace, on a paved road with real views. Riding it beats sitting in a tour van, and it gets you to Sabang outside the 10:00 convoy window. Nagtabon at 30 km and Napsan at 1.5–2 hours are the other two obvious runs.
El Nido on a scooter is a two-day adventure for confident riders only. It is 280 km of paved but winding highway with an average vehicle speed of about 50 km/h, and doing it in one push is how people get hurt. If you want to move north, take the van or the bus and hire a scooter when you arrive.
Fuel is easy in the city and on the highway; it thins out west of Nagtabon and south of Narra. Fill up before you turn off the National Highway, and remember there is no phone signal at Nagtabon.
Multicabs, jeepneys, e-trikes and cars
Everything else in the city is cheaper than a tricycle and less convenient, in exactly that proportion.
Multicabs and jeepneys run fixed routes along Rizal Avenue and the National Highway at ₱15–30, with ₱30 out to Irawan. They are the sensible way to reach SM City, the Irawan terminal and the San Jose terminal, and the only downside is that they stop constantly and have no aircon. Learn one route — Robinsons to the old market — and you have most of what you need.
E-trikes: the city has run electric tricycle fleets on downtown routes since the late 2010s and was an early national pilot city for them. You will see them and they are quieter and cleaner than the two-strokes. Current 2026 fleet size and route coverage are unverified — treat them as a pleasant thing that happens rather than a network you can plan around.
A car with a driver runs roughly ₱2,500–4,500 a day depending on the itinerary, arranged through your hotel. That figure is unverified and worth confirming before you commit — it comes from a single 2026 transport guide rather than a rate card. For most people a chartered tricycle at ₱600–1,200 does the same job in the city, and a tour van does the same job on the highway.
The practical bit
Transfers worth pre-booking
You do not need any of these to get around the city — a ₱100–150 tricycle does the airport run. Pre-book only when you land late, travel with children, or are heading straight out of town.
Transport questions, answered
Is there Grab in Puerto Princesa?
No. Ride-hailing companies have been reported as looking at the city and none had filed for a franchise at the last check. Tricycles cover everything at ₱12–25 shared or ₱100–150 chartered from the airport. If an app shows cars when you land, treat it as a bonus.
How much is a tricycle from Puerto Princesa airport to the city?
₱100–150 for the whole tricycle over the 3 km, 8–10 minute run. Some fare tables quote ₱50 per passenger, which is also a real rate — agree which one you are paying before you get in. San Pedro is ₱70 and the San Jose terminal ₱200.
Do I need to rent a scooter in Puerto Princesa?
Only if you want the coast. ₱500–700 a day, or ₱800 for a newer 155cc, with a licence and a helmet. Sabang at 76 km is a genuinely good self-ride; Nagtabon at 30 km is the easy one. El Nido at 280 km is a two-day trip, not a day ride.
Are tricycle drivers going to overcharge me?
Some will quote high on the first ask, and that is the entire scam risk in this city — described as low by regional standards. There is no meter, so knowing that a hop is ₱12–25 and the airport is ₱100–150 is all the protection you need.
How do I get to the Honda Bay wharf?
Multicab from San Jose for ₱25–50, 40–50 minutes, or a chartered tricycle for ₱300–500 one way. Straight from the airport it is ₱500 by tricycle. Almost every Honda Bay tour includes the transfer, which is why most people never think about it.
Are there e-trikes or electric transport?
Yes — the city has run electric tricycle fleets on downtown routes since the late 2010s and was an early national pilot city. Current 2026 fleet size and routes are unverified, so use them when one turns up rather than planning around them.
Can I hire a car with a driver?
Yes, through your hotel, at roughly ₱2,500–4,500 a day depending on the itinerary — a figure we flag as unverified. For city days a chartered tricycle at ₱600–1,200 does the same work for a quarter of the money.
How do I get to the El Nido vans and buses?
The San Jose terminal at the New Market, about ₱200 by tricycle from the airport or downtown, 15–20 minutes. Lexxus runs seven departures a day from 07:00 at ₱650; Cherry Bus runs from ₱651. Fortwally and Eulen Joy pick you up from your hotel or the airport instead.