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Puerto Princesa International Airport is the province's only international airport and its main gateway, with daily flights from Manila of about 1 hour 15 minutes and services from Cebu, Davao, Iloilo and Clark.

The north has its own airfields. Francisco B. Reyes Airport in Busuanga serves Coron and the Calamianes, with flights from Manila, Cebu and Clark. El Nido Airport, about 4 km from town, takes regional flights, San Vicente Airport has flights from Cebu three times a week, and Cuyo Airport in Magsaysay serves the Cuyo Islands. Routes and airlines change, so check with the carrier before you plan around a flight.

By sea, 2GO sails weekly from Manila to Puerto Princesa, a trip of about 32 hours, and 2GO and Atienza Inter-Island Ferries run between Manila and Coron in about 13 hours. Fast ferries link El Nido and Coron in about 3.5 hours, and a weekly Montenegro Shipping Lines ferry between Puerto Princesa and Iloilo calls at Cuyo.

PAGASA divides the Philippine year into a rainy season from June to November and a dry season from December to May, cool from December to February and hot from March to May.

Palawan has two climates. The northern and southern ends and the whole west coast have distinct dry and wet seasons, while the east coast has a short dry season of one to three months and no marked rainy period. The south is largely spared tropical depressions, but the north can see torrential rain in July and August, and the Busuanga tourism office notes occasional typhoons from June to September. Seas are usually calmest from March to early June.

Puerto Princesa is the province's largest city, and its city tourism site links to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas reference exchange rates.

Mobile coverage is uneven outside the towns. In San Vicente, for example, Smart and Globe cell sites are listed in only a handful of barangays, with cable and internet in Poblacion, Alimanguan and Port Barton. If you rely on your phone, check coverage with your provider before heading to the smaller towns and islands.

Much of Palawan lies inside protected areas, and many towns and parks collect environmental or conservation fees. In El Nido, the fee is paid at the Municipal Tourism Office or the office of the Protected Area Management Board in the municipal building. Amounts and rules change, so confirm them with the office that collects them before you travel.

Some places have their own managers. Fifteen of Coron's attractions are on Coron Island, managed by the Tagbanua as their ancestral domain. Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park is managed by the Tubbataha Management Office, which does not run trips itself; visits are only by liveaboards holding a park permit.

Under the Tourism Act of 2009, primary tourism enterprises such as hotels and resorts need Department of Tourism accreditation, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government has told local governments to issue permits to operate only to those that have it. The DILG describes accreditation as a check that their services meet the standards set for the industry.

The DOT runs its accreditation through its online portal. Municipalities keep their own lists too: San Vicente, for instance, publishes its registered tourist boats, and Tubbataha lists the liveaboards permitted in the park. Ask an operator for its accreditation or permit and check it against these lists.

Two of Palawan's places are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park and Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, and Mt. Mantalingahan, held sacred by the indigenous Palaw'an, is on the tentative list. Follow park rules, keep to marked routes and use accredited guides.

Many sites are on ancestral domains or in community-managed waters, such as Coron Island and its lakes, kept by the Tagbanua. Ask before photographing people, respect closures, and leave reefs, caves and forests as you found them.