Cheap Flights Puerto Princesa to
Davao 🏔️
Piso fare tracking for the twice-weekly Puerto Princesa → Davao route. Cebu Pacific is the only nonstop option — we track it so you don't miss the Wed/Sat flight or its rare seat sales.
Puerto Princesa → Davao, Philippines
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There is no ferry between Puerto Princesa and Davao
Palawan and Mindanao sit on opposite sides of the Philippine archipelago — roughly 800km apart — with no inter-island shipping line connecting them directly. Unlike Manila–Cebu or Manila–Iloilo, there's no 2GO or Trans-Asia sailing to fall back on here. Your only realistic options are the twice-weekly Cebu Pacific nonstop (Wed/Sat, ~1h40m) or a connecting flight via Manila or Cebu, which usually runs 6–14 hours door to door once you factor in the layover and typically costs more than the direct flight. If you miss the Wed/Sat departure, you are not "taking the ferry instead" — you're booking a full extra day of travel.
PPS → Davao flight deals today
Cheapest one-way fares from Puerto Princesa (PPS) to Francisco Bangoy International, Davao (DVO) · Prices in PHP
📅 PPS → Davao Price Calendar
See the cheapest days to fly — click any date to book at that price.
Best time to fly PPS → Davao
Month-by-month price guide for Puerto Princesa to Davao flights
Real costs for Palaweño travellers
Here's what ₱7,000 vs ₱18,000 all-in actually gets you in Davao for a long weekend — flight included
Things Palaweños always get wrong about this route
Five mistakes first-time Puerto Princesa-to-Davao travellers consistently make
Most Philippine domestic routes have a 2GO or Trans-Asia ferry backup if flights are full or too pricey. PPS–DVO doesn't. Palawan and Mindanao aren't connected by any direct inter-island shipping route — you'd need to sail to Manila or Cebu first, then again to Davao, which takes 3–4 days. If the Wed/Sat Cebu Pacific flight is sold out or overpriced, your real fallback is a connecting flight via Manila or Cebu, not a boat.
Cebu Pacific's nonstop PPS–DVO flight (5J4761) operates only twice a week — Wednesday and Saturday, departing around 1:15pm. Travellers used to daily domestic routes often book their Davao trip for a Thursday or Sunday and are surprised there's simply no direct flight that day. Check the day of the week before you commit to any itinerary, not just the date.
Drivers waiting right at the arrivals curb at Francisco Bangoy Airport often quote ₱300–₱400 for a trip that costs ₱150–₱180 by metered taxi or Grab. Walk to the designated taxi queue inside the terminal fencing, or open Grab before you clear arrivals — it typically prices the same ride 20–30 minutes into the city at ₱150–₱250 depending on traffic.
Davao City proper has plenty of ATMs and GCash/Maya acceptance, but the moment you head to Samal Island resorts, Eden Nature Park, or highland spots like Malagos, cash becomes the norm again — some boat operators and smaller eateries don't take digital payment at all. Withdraw what you need in the city before heading out for day trips.
Baragatan sa Palawan (mid-June, in Puerto Princesa) fills outbound seats on this exact route, since locals fly out for work or leisure once the festival wraps. Kadayawan (all of August, peaking around the 16th, in Davao) does the opposite — it floods inbound demand into DVO. With only two flights a week, either event can sell out the route's entire weekly capacity. Book 6–8 weeks ahead if your travel dates land in either window.
Airlines flying PPS → Davao
One airline flies this nonstop — everyone else means a stop in Manila or Cebu
💡 Reality check: the connecting options aren't backups for "if the direct flight is full" — they're 3–5x longer and usually cost more than the nonstop. They only make sense if your travel date genuinely doesn't fall on a Wednesday or Saturday and you can't shift it.
Davao travel guide for Palawan visitors
Everything you need to know before you fly from PPS to Davao
✈️ The schedule you're actually working with
- Cebu Pacific 5J4761: Wednesday and Saturday only, departs PPS ~1:15pm, lands DVO ~2:55pm
- There is no daily nonstop and no sea alternative — plan your whole trip around these two days
- Return leg (DVO→PPS) mirrors the schedule — check both directions before booking hotels
- Missing your day means a connecting flight via Manila or Cebu, or waiting until the next cycle
- Set a fare alert rather than checking manually — with only 2 flights weekly, price windows open and close fast
🚕 Getting around Davao
- Francisco Bangoy Airport is ~10km from downtown — taxi/Grab is 20–30 min, ₱150–₱250
- Jeepneys run a flat ₱13–15 fare almost anywhere within the city proper
- Grab is reliable and widely used; surge pricing is common during Kadayawan week
- For Samal Island, take a Grab or taxi to Sasa Wharf, then a short pump boat crossing (~₱20, 15 min)
- Davao is famously spread out — budget more transit time than a compact city like Cebu or Manila
💰 Budget in Davao
- Budget: ₱1,100–₱2,000/day covers accommodation, meals, and local transport
- Mid-range: ₱3,500–₱6,000/day for a 3-star hotel and sit-down restaurants
- Roxas Night Market is the cheapest reliable food source — full meals from ₱80–₱150
- ATMs and GCash/Maya are everywhere downtown, but bring cash for Samal Island and Eden Nature Park
- No foreign currency exchange needed — all Philippine peso (PHP) throughout
🏝️ Where to go from Davao
- Samal Island (IGACOS) — beach resorts, 15-min boat from Sasa Wharf; day rates from ₱500
- Philippine Eagle Center — conservation park in Malagos; entrance ~₱150
- Eden Nature Park — cool-climate mountain resort, ~1hr from the city; day pass ~₱150–₱250
- Malagos Garden Resort — chocolate and cheese tours, butterfly sanctuary; ~1hr from the city
- Mt. Apo — the Philippines' highest peak; multi-day trekking permit required, book weeks ahead
🏨 Where to stay in Davao
- Downtown / Poblacion (near Roxas Ave): best for night market access and city transport (₱1,200–₱3,500/night)
- Lanang / near the airport: convenient for the twice-weekly flight schedule (₱2,000–₱5,000/night)
- Samal Island: beach resorts if you want the coast, not the city (₱2,500–₱8,000/night)
- Matina / near SM Ecoland: quieter, good mall and mid-range hotel access
- Book 6–8 weeks ahead if your dates fall in Kadayawan week (mid-August)
🍖 Must-eat in Davao
- Durian — Davao's signature fruit; buy fresh at Magsaysay Fruit Stalls, ₱80–₱150/kg in season (Aug–Oct)
- Kinilaw (Filipino ceviche) and grilled tuna — Davao is the Philippines' tuna capital; try it at Roxas Night Market
- Chicken inasal / sugba — grilled chicken stalls line Roxas Night Market, plates from ₱80
- Pomelo — Davao's other famous fruit, sold fresh at the same fruit stalls as durian
- Durian candy and pastillas — the pasalubong version for travellers who can't handle the smell of fresh durian on the flight home
Davao trip budget from Puerto Princesa
Typical costs for a 3-night Davao trip — all amounts in Philippine Peso (PHP)
| Item | Budget | Mid-range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ✈ Flight (one-way) | ₱1,499–1,999 | ₱2,800–4,500 | Off-peak Wed/Sat fare vs regular; no baggage-free cabin fare on 5J |
| 🏨 Hotel (per night) | ₱700–1,300 | ₱2,500–5,500 | Budget inn near Roxas Ave vs 3-star near Lanang or Samal resort |
| 🍖 Meals (per day) | ₱300–500 | ₱900–1,800 | Roxas Night Market vs sit-down restaurants with fresh tuna |
| 🚌 Local transport/day | ₱100–250 | ₱400–800 | Jeepney vs Grab (Davao is spread out, budget accordingly) |
| 🏝️ Activities | ₱400–800 | ₱1,500–3,500 | Eagle Center entry vs Samal Island day trip + boat |
| 🎁 Pasalubong / shopping | ₱250–500 | ₱800–1,800 | Durian candy and pastillas from Magsaysay stalls is cheapest |
| 📊 Total (3 nights) | ~₱7,000–9,500 | ~₱13,000–20,000 | Includes flight. Davao itself is affordable — the flight sets the floor. |
7 tips to get the cheapest PPS→Davao flights
A thin, twice-weekly route needs a different strategy than the trunk routes — use these
Subscribe to piso fare alerts
With only 2 flights a week, sale fares on this route move fast and don't repeat often. Subscribe to piso-fare.com alerts and you'll know the moment PPS–DVO drops below ₱1,999.
Book 4–6 weeks ahead, not 1–2
Unlike MNL–CEB where seats regenerate daily, this route has only 2 departures a week feeding demand from an entire island. Book further out than you would for a trunk route — especially around Baragatan (June) and Kadayawan (August).
Lock your day of the week first, then the date
Because the nonstop only flies Wednesday and Saturday, plan your Davao trip around those two days before you pick specific dates. Trying to force a Monday departure means paying for a connection you didn't need to take.
Compare the nonstop against the via-Cebu connection
If your dates truly can't move, price the connecting Cebu Pacific itinerary via CEB against a rebooking fee on the direct flight. Sometimes the connection is actually cheaper — it's just 3–5 hours longer.
Add baggage at booking, not at the airport
Cebu Pacific charges more for baggage added at check-in than at booking. On a route with no free-baggage domestic alternative, this is an easy ₱400–₱600 to bank ahead of time.
September and February are the cheapest months
Low demand on both ends of the route means Wed/Sat fares can sit at ₱1,499–₱1,999 one-way even without a promo. Combine with a Wednesday departure for the best odds of the year's lowest fare.
Don't wait for a "MNL–CEB-style" piso fare here
Deep ₱99 base-fare promos are rare on thin routes — airlines discount the routes with the most seats to fill. Treat ₱1,499–₱1,999 all-in as a genuinely good PPS–DVO fare, not a disappointing one.
🔔 Never miss a PPS → Davao piso fare again
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Puerto Princesa to Davao flights — what to know
Anyone looking for cheap flights Puerto Princesa to Davao runs into the same surprise: there's only one airline and two departure days. Cebu Pacific operates the sole nonstop, flight 5J4761, on Wednesdays and Saturdays only, covering the roughly 810km between Palawan and Mindanao in about 1 hour 40 minutes. Everyone else — Philippine Airlines, or Cebu Pacific itself on the other five days of the week — routes you through Manila or Cebu instead, which turns a 100-minute hop into a 5–8 hour day. We track this route because the twice-weekly schedule makes it genuinely easy to get caught out, either by booking a date the nonstop doesn't fly, or by missing the narrow windows when Cebu Pacific actually discounts it.
The cheapest time to book this route
Our honest read on PPS–DVO: September and February are the reliable low points, when we've seen the direct fare settle at ₱1,499–₱1,999 one-way without any promo involved. That's about as cheap as this route gets — genuine sub-₱1,000 piso-fare-style pricing, the kind Cebu Pacific runs on Manila–Cebu several times a year, is rare here. A carrier only needs to fill two flights a week on this pair, so there's less incentive to dump seats at a loss the way it does on trunk routes. If you see anything under ₱1,999 all-in, book it — that's a genuinely good fare for this specific route, not a mediocre one.
What Davao actually costs a Palawan traveller
Once you land, Davao runs cheaper day-to-day than Puerto Princesa in several categories — a full plate at Roxas Night Market is ₱80–150, and jeepneys are a flat ₱13–15 fare across the city. The expensive part of this trip is the flight itself, not the destination. Budget the airfare as your single biggest line item, then expect a comfortable 3-day trip — including a Samal Island day out and a stop at the Philippine Eagle Center — to land somewhere around ₱13,000–₱20,000 all-in for a mid-range traveller, or ₱7,000–₱9,500 if you're catching an off-peak fare and keeping accommodation and food simple.
Two festivals, two demand spikes
This route spikes for reasons neither city's tourism board will tell you together. Baragatan sa Palawan, Puerto Princesa's founding-anniversary festival, runs through June and fills outbound seats as workers and families head out once the celebrations wrap. Kadayawan, Davao's month-long harvest festival culminating around August 16, does the reverse — it pulls inbound demand into DVO all August. Because there are only two flights a week, either event can absorb the route's entire remaining capacity for that week, not just a weekend's worth. If your travel dates land in June or August, book 6–8 weeks out instead of the 4–6 weeks we'd normally suggest.
How piso-fare.com tracks this route
We pull live PPS–DVO fares daily and log them against 30-day, 90-day, and 1-year lows so you can see whether a listed price is actually a deal or just the going rate for a Wednesday or Saturday departure. One concrete move you can make right now: set a piso-fare.com alert for this route rather than checking manually — with only two departures a week, the gap between "normal" and "cheap" pricing opens and closes faster than on daily routes, and a saved search will catch it before you would scrolling Skyscanner on your own schedule.
Frequently asked questions — Puerto Princesa to Davao flights
Content reviewed 2026-08-08 · Prices update automatically every day
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