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Undercover Tourist Review [Discounted Tickets, Hotels, and Car Rentals]

Katie Seemann

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What is Undercover Tourist?

Paper tickets vs. e-tickets, refundable tickets, travel insurance, undercover tourist crowd calendar, the frog guarantee and frog family promise, price comparisons, earning points on tickets, final thoughts.

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Undercover Tourist is a popular website for purchasing theme park tickets at a discount. If you’ve planned a trip to Walt Disney World , Universal Studios, or SeaWorld, you’ve probably come across Undercover Tourist. But did you also know you can use this website to book hotels and rental cars, too?

In this post, we’ll go over what you need to know to use Undercover Tourist to find the best prices on amusement park tickets, hotels, and rental cars. Plus, we’ll go over some of the popular features of the site like the Crowd Calendar.

Undercover Tourist is a website that that’s been around since 2000 and is known for offering discounted tickets to theme parks across the U.S. The site is an authorized seller of tickets for all the major theme parks you know and love:

• Walt Disney World Resort in Florida
• Disneyland in California
• Universal Orlando Resort
• Universal Studios Hollywood
• SeaWorld Orlando
• SeaWorld San Diego
• LEGOLAND Florida Resort
• LEGOLAND California Resort

Undercover Tourist also has discounted tickets to non-theme park attractions like Ripley’s Believe It or Not, ski resorts, zoos, movie theaters, and lots more! Plus, it acts as an online travel agency for hotels and car rentals.

While Undercover Tourist offers a ton of ticket, hotel, and car options, the site is limited in the number of destinations it covers. You’ll only find options in the following cities:

• Breckenridge, CO
• Chicago, IL
• Los Angeles, CA
• New York City, NY
• Orlando, FL
• Park City, Utah
• San Antonio, Texas
• San Diego, CA
• San Francisco, CA
• Washington, D.C.

Options in Seattle, London, and Paris are coming soon.

Bottom Line: Undercover Tourist is a resource for discounted tickets to theme parks and other attractions in select cities across the U.S. It’s best known for offering discounted tickets to Walt Disney World and Universal Studios theme parks.  The site also acts as an online travel agency for hotel reservations and car rentals in these select cities.

Discount Tickets

Let’s review the steps to using Undercover Tourist to purchase discounted tickets.

You can start your search for discounted tickets from many different places on the home page. Click on Discount Tickets in the top menu bar, click on a logo underneath the menu bar, or click on any of the featured tickets in the middle of your screen to start your search.

After choosing your destination, you’ll be able to see lots of information about your chosen theme park, including maps, hotels, tips, and more. Scroll down a bit to find the availability calendar and ticket options.

The tickets you buy through Undercover Tourist are exactly the same as if you purchased them directly from the park, except you’ll probably save some money.

After choosing the type and number of tickets you need, you’ll be able to see your final price and choose your travel dates. The price you see is what you’ll pay — taxes are included and shipping is free!

Hot Tip: Are you on a tight budget? Check out our full guide to using visiting Disney World for cheap using points and miles.

You may be inclined to have your tickets emailed to you, but there are some risks. E-tickets are non-refundable, and you’ll need to stop at Will Call at the gate to pick up your physical tickets. For Disney tickets, if you have a MagicBand, you can add the e-tickets to your account and proceed directly to the gate, but they’ll still be non-refundable.

Instead, it may be a better idea to have the physical tickets mailed to you. This option is also free and the tickets will be eligible for a refund. Plus, you’ll be able to go straight to the gate at the park which can be a huge timesaver.

Many tickets sold on Undercover Tourist are refundable within 90 days of purchase. To get a refundable ticket, you’ll need to have tickets mailed to you vs. opting for email delivery. Refundable tickets will be clearly marked. Be sure to confirm the return policy for your specific tickets before completing your purchase.

If you need to return tickets that you purchased, you’ll be charged a 5% fee to cover the return.

Hot Tip: E-tickets are non-refundable. To get a ticket that is eligible for a refund, you’ll need to select the Mailed To Your Door  option.

Before finalizing your purchase, you’ll be prompted to add travel insurance. Before choosing whether or not to add insurance to your purchase, you’ll want to learn about all of your options.

Undercover Tourist offers insurance through Allianz Global Assistance , a popular travel insurance company. However, the policy offered by Undercover Tourist covers lots of areas that may already be covered through your credit card including trip cancellation and interruption , lost or delayed baggage, and travel accident insurance, so it may not be needed.

If you purchase tickets that are eligible for a refund, insurance is probably not necessary. If you’re also booking a hotel or rental car, take a minute to determine if you have a credit card with rental car insurance  before purchasing a separate policy.

The Undercover Tourist Crowd Calendar is a popular feature on the site that helps you identify the least and most crowded times to visit a specific park.

To access the Crowd Calendar, just click on Crowd Calendar in the top menu bar of the website.

You’ll be able to look at specifics for a handful of the most popular destinations:

• Discovery Cove
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• Magic Kingdom Park
• Universal’s Islands of Adventure
• Universal Studios Florida
• Universal’s Volcano Bay

Hot Tip: The Undercover Tourist Crowd Calendar is a color-coded chart that helps you predict which parks will be more or less crowded on a specific day.

If you’re headed to Orlando, be sure to download the Undercover Tourist Orlando Planning App, free for iOS . This handy app will take the stress out of trying to navigate the parks on your own with features like an interactive map, up-to-date park information, park plans, and estimated wait times.

The app covers Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando, and SeaWorld Orlando.

The Frog Guarantee and Frog Family Promise are not price guarantees, rather they’re guarantees of quality and customer service.

When purchasing amusement park tickets through Undercover Tourist you’ll always receive:

• Authentic tickets from an authorized seller
• Free standard shipping
• No hidden fees
• 90-day refund/return policy (not applicable to e-tickets)
• RFID enabled and Genie+ eligible Disney tickets
• Next-day pickup or delivery availability

So, let’s answer the question you really want to know, “Can Undercover Tourist save me money?”

To do this, we priced out some ticket options for 1 adult on Undercover Tourist and compared those to what we could get directly from the park’s website.

In every single example we priced out, Undercover Tourist was the cheapest option! If you’re looking for discounted tickets to Walt Disney World and other popular theme parks, you’ll probably save money by using Undercover Tourist.

Hot Tip: You can NOT use Disney gift cards to pay for tickets through Undercover Tourist. So, if you’ve been collecting gift cards from stores with high points bonuses (like grocery stores ), you’ll need to purchase your tickets directly through the park.

Purchasing tickets to an amusement park can be expensive. So, of course, you’ll want to make sure you’re earning as many points as possible on your purchase.

Amusement park tickets usually code as “entertainment,” so if you’re purchasing them directly, you’ll want to use a credit card that offers bonus categories on entertainment purchases . The Citi Premier ® Card earns 2 points per dollar spent on entertainment purchases, including tickets to amusement parks.

However, purchases from Undercover Tourist code as “travel” which opens up the door to earn points on a variety of different credit cards. These credit cards all earn bonus points on the travel category, which will include amusement park tickets purchased from Undercover Tourist.

Earn 3x points on travel purchases with these credit cards:

• Ink Business Preferred ® Credit Card
• Chase Sapphire Reserve ®
• Citi Premier card

Earn 2x points on travel purchases with these credit cards:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred ® card
• Capital One ® Venture ® Rewards card

Hot Tip: If you have an American Express card, check to see if Amex Offers has any current money-back offers from Undercover Tourist. 

While Undercover Tourist is known as the place to buy theme park tickets, the site also acts as an online travel agency for booking hotels.

To get started, click on Hotels in the top menu bar. Then select your destination from the drop-down box and enter the number of travelers and your travel dates.

Your search results will be displayed in a format similar to other hotel booking websites that you may be familiar with (like Expedia , Priceline , Hotels.com , etc). Filtering options will be available on the left side of your screen and sorting options are located on the upper right-hand side, above the results.

Unlike with tickets on Undercover Tourist, the prices you see initially don’t include tax. You’ll have to click through to the payment page to see the full price with taxes and fees included.

Cancellation policies will vary by the hotel but will be clearly displayed once you add an item to your cart.

Hot Tip: If you’re traveling to Florida to enjoy the theme parks, check out these places to stay in Orlando for your Disney vacation!

Let’s take a look at a couple of examples to see if booking a hotel through Undercover Tourist can save you money. For both of these examples, we priced out a week-long stay for 2 adults and 1 child. Prices include taxes and fees and are for the hotel stay only (tickets are not included).

The results are typical of most price comparisons we do — they aren’t consistent! Undercover Tourist had the best price for the first option, but Trivago came out with the best price in the second example. The bottom line is that you can definitely save money by using Undercover Tourist for your hotel stay, but not always.

The car rental search functionality on the Undercover Tourist website is pretty limited. You’ll only be able to search for car rentals at Orlando International Airport (MCO) from only 5 car rental companies — Alamo, Avis , Budget , Enterprise , and National .

We did a couple of searches to find out if booking your Orlando car rental through Undercover Tourist could save you money. We searched for the cheapest price for a week-long rental on 2 different dates.

In both of these examples, Undercover Tourist came out as the second most expensive option. Interestingly, Momondo  had the lowest price and Priceline had the highest price in both examples.

Undercover Tourist may be a great place to purchase theme park tickets, but it’s not a great option when you’re searching for a rental car.

Undercover Tourist is a popular website for purchasing theme park tickets on the cheap. It also acts as an online travel agency for hotels and car rentals, but only in select cities.

It’s a great site to use to save some money on theme park tickets, but the savings on hotels and cars aren’t as consistent.

Before you head to Disney, check out some of our helpful guides including re-opening plans , packing lists , and even how to visit virtually .

The information regarding the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does undercover tourist give refunds.

Yes, most ticket purchases are eligible for a refund within 90 days of purchase if you choose to have your tickets mailed to you. E-tickets are usually non-refundable. If you choose to return tickets, you’ll be charged a 5% fee.

What is the Undercover Tourist crowd calendar?

The Undercover Tourist Crowd Calendar helps you identify the least and most crowded times to visit a specific park using a color-coded system.

Is Undercover Tourist legitimate?

Yes, Undercover Tourist is a legitimate website that sells discounted amusement park tickets and it acts as an online travel agency for hotels and rental cars. It’s an authorized seller for tickets to some of the most popular parks in the U.S. including Walt Disney World and Universal Studios.

Why is Undercover Tourist cheaper?

Undercover Tourist buys tickets at a wholesale price from the theme parks so they’re able to re-sell them to you at a discounted price. Plus, they don’t charge any additional fees so the price you see is the price you’ll pay.

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About Katie Seemann

Katie has been in the points and miles game since 2015 and started her own blog in 2016. She’s been freelance writing since then and her work has been featured in publications like Travel + Leisure, Forbes Advisor, and Fortune Recommends.

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Reviews of San Francisco Underground (Travel Agency)

182 howard st, san francisco, ca 94105, united states.

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You will be able to see all the feddbacks of people who are purchasing the services and products of San Francisco Underground (Travel Agency) in the state of California. At the present the business gets a rating of 4.5 stars over 5 and that score has been calculated on 2 reviews. As you can read, it reaches an feddbacks average is basically the top, but it is based on very few opinions, so the assessment isn't too credible. You know that we do not usually bother to set tatings when they are positive and we usually do it only if we have had a problem or incidence... This Travel Agency belongs to the category of Travel agency .

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REVIEWS OF San Francisco Underground IN California

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What a wonderful company and service San Francisco Underground Provides. I am so happy that whenever I have any kind of travel plans that need to be done quickly and correctly they come to my rescue. I have only the best things to say as I've been using them for about 5 years and I am always so happy with the service they provide. I will continue to be a customer and look forward to my upcoming amazing vacations and destinations around the world. Thank you Svetlana and the entire San Francisco Underground team!

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Sabang’s Underground River – DIY Tour Guide

Posted on February 28, 2023 | Julie J. |

Last Updated on April 5, 2023

The Underground River in Sabang, Palawan, is not a   UNESCO world heritage site for nothing, it’s one of the Philippines’ most beautiful landmarks. A trip to Palawan is not complete without visiting this impressive limestone karst cave.

The cave is flooded with water emerging directly into the sea and part of the river is subject to tidal influences. The river is part of the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park . The park has a rich “mountain-to-sea” eco-system and is surrounded by cliffs and a lush forest. The scenery is breathtaking and the underground river is a unique sight.

This guide will detail how to organize your DIY Underground River Tour.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on any links and make a purchase, I’ll get a small commission, at no cost to you.

DIY Underground River Tour – How to get to Sabang

Many agencies offer  the tour from Puerto Princesa (around 2k per person), but it’s also really easy to go on your own and plan a DIY Underground River tour. The best would be to spend the night in Sabang . This way you can either be the first in the morning or the last in the evening. You’ll avoid the crowds and won’t have to wait forever for your turn. The first trip is at 8 am and the last one around 4 pm.

You can also organize your DIY Underground River tour as a day trip from Puerto Princesa.

Getting to Sabang from Puerto Princesa is pretty easy, there are regular vans and buses going, starting at 7 am. Just go to the bus terminal near the new market, you can easily take a jeepney. It’s much better to take the bus because the vans tend to charge you more if you’re a foreigner and you’ll end up paying double.

If you are coming from the other way, there are regular vans doing the Port-Barton/Sabang route. From El Nido, just take any bus/van going to Puerto Princesa, get down at Salvacion and wait for a van to pass.

Once in Sabang, you just have to show up at the pier, pay the fees and wait for a boat to take you. They usually group you with other people.

Getting your Underground River Permit

You’ll need to arrange a permit, at least a day in advance, 2 is better. There’s a limited number of visitors allowed each day and the agencies take a good chunk of it.

You can arrange it at Mendoza Park near the airport in Puerto Princesa. They open at 8 am, you just need to show your ID, they’ll issue the permit and you’ll pay later, before the tour.

You can also have it arranged in Sabang, but you’ll probably have to pay a small fee because you’ll need to go through an agency.

Underground River price

The price for the underground river is around 1000 pesos per person, if you have been to Honda Bay already you won’t have to pay the environmental fee again, just show the receipt. When you pay for the boat ask to share it to reduce the cost, they will take care of it for you.

DIY Underground River tour – What to expect

Once you paid for your tickets, you’ll sign up for the boat and wait for your turn. You will first take a boat to the next beach where the river ends and then you’ll have to take another boat inside the cave. You might have to wait for a while at the beach, as there is a limited number of boats going inside the cave.

If it’s crowded count at least 3 hours, with the ride inside the cave only lasting 45 minutes. You’ll get an audio guide included in the price explaining everything about the caves and the formations you’ll see. You are not allowed to talk inside to protect the animals living there and the boat driver will just use his light to show you the interesting formations.

The cave is really amazing, only 1.5 kilometers is open to the public but it’s much deeper than that. Some parts are at least 50 meters high, and the ceiling is full of bats. You might also see water snakes. The formations are impressive and some of the rocks are truly beautiful. Even if it’s crowded it’s a great experience.

Related articles to help you plan your trip to Palawan:

• Taytay – Discovering Palawan without the crowds
• Best things to do in Port Barton – Island hopping, snorkeling, and farniente
• Honda Bay DIY travel guide
• More destinations in the Philippines

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Going underground

There is a surprising number of underground attractions in Poland with some real gems to be discovered including 17 mines, 9 cave systems, tunnels, dungeons, medieval cellars and even a city.

Some of the most notable underground attractions in Poland include:

Wieliczka Salt Mine: located in the town of Wieliczka, this mine is one of the oldest in Europe, with a history dating back to the 13th century. Visitors can take a tour of the mine, which includes a visit to the underground chapel, sculptures and an underground lake.

Krakow’s Underground Museum: located in the heart of Krakow, this museum offers visitors a glimpse of the city’s hidden underground. It includes a visit to the medieval cellars, an underground marketplace, and a WWII bunker.

Underground City of Osówka: located in the Sudeten mountains, this underground complex was built by the Germans during WWII as a secret weapons factory. Visitors can take a tour of the underground tunnels, and learn about the history of the complex and its role during the war.

Twardowski’s Cave: located in the Karkonosze Mountains, this cave offers visitors a chance to explore one of the longest and most beautiful caves in Poland. The cave is known for its impressive rock formations, underground lakes and rivers.

The Riese Complex: located near the town of Walim, this underground complex was built by the Nazis during WWII, and it is one of the largest underground structures in Europe. Visitors can take a tour of the underground tunnels, and learn about the history of the complex and its purpose during the war.

These are just a few examples of the many underground attractions that Poland has to offer. It’s worth noting that some of the tours may require a certain level of physical fitness or mobility.

Haunted tunnels

There’s plenty of underground attractions for ghost & ghoul hunters to explore. A favourite haunt are the cellars beneath the market square in Sandomierz where you may meet the ghost of Halina Krepianka who was rumoured to be both beautiful and brave or for those who like their ghosts to be benevolent, the tunnels beneath Chelm are rumoured to be home to a nasty spirit named Bieluch.

Beneath the city of Krakow and housed within the underground corridors of the market square, you will find a museum; which showcases how the city looked and felt during the Middle Ages complete with stone roads with potholes made by cart wheels during the 13 th century. Learn more about the Krakow Main Market Square Underground Museum and book tickets for a tour.

Wieliczka Salt Mine tickets and tours

Make your descent to 64 meters below the surface of Krakow for a guided tour of one of the most popular World Heritage sites in Poland. Wander through chambers, see underground lakes, shrines and salty monuments in one of the oldest UNESCO-listed salt mines!

• Wieliczka Salt Mine

The Wieliczka Salt Mine is a UNESCO World Heritage site located around 14km southeast of Kraków and is one of Poland’s most popular underground attractions, welcoming tourists since 1722. Wieliczka Salt Mine is a subterranean labyrinth of tunnels, shafts and chambers, underground saline lakes, chapels with altarpieces, majestic timber constructions and unique statues sculpted in rock salt. The size of the mine is staggering, it reaches a depth of 327m and extends via horizontal passages and chambers for over 287 km distributed over nine levels. Only a small part of the mine is open to the public. The highlight of the mine is a vast chamber housing the ornamented Chapel of St Kinga. Everything that you will see within the chamber is made from salt including altarpieces and chandeliers.

• Bochnia Salt Mine

Established between the 12th and 13th centuries, the Bochnia Salt Mine, is one of the oldest salt mines in the world and the oldest commercial company in Poland. The mine stopped producing salt in 1990 at which time, it became a tourist attraction. In 2013, a multimedia aspect was added to the tourist route; which spans two kilometres in length. The complex offers four different routes for visitors. Among the mine’s attractions, there is the underground mining train that transports tourists along the tourist route, a 140m slide connecting two levels of the mine, and an underground boat crossing. Bochnia Salt Mine is one of Poland’s official national Historic Monuments and has also been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List as an extension of the Wieliczka Salt Mine inscription.

• Guido Coal Mine

The Guido Coal Mine is a historic deep coal mine and museum in Zabrze, Silesia, Poland. It gets its name from the founder, Guido Henckel von Donnersmarck who opened the mine in 1855. Today, the mine is a museum and has been designated as an object of cultural heritage and a cultural monument in Poland. Two levels of Guido Coal Mine are open to visitors with depths of 170m and 320m below ground level, which makes it the deepest visitor mine in Europe. The underground museum is located at the deepest level. Visitors are transported down the shaft at a speed of 4m/s in an original Berlin hoisting machine dating from 1927. At the 170m level, there are chambers and galleries containing tools, rescue equipment and perfectly preserved horse stables, which are more than 100 years old.

Tarnowskie Góry Lead-Silver-Zinc Mine

The Tarnowskie Góry Lead-Silver-Zinc Mine is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Tarnowskie Góry, Upper Silesia, Poland. Today, it is a museum and one of the country’s most popular underground attractions. A mining settlement and the first silver-bearing ore mines emerged in the region at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries, today the mine and neighbouring Black Trout Adit are just remnants of a bygone silver mining industry. During the mid-1930s, the idea to make part of the mine suitable for tourists was first considered but was put on hold due to the outbreak of World War II. The Tarnowskie Góry Land Lovers Association was founded in the 1950s to look at the feasibility of opening up a tourist route; which led to part of the drainage system called Black Trout Adit being opened to visitors in 1957. For a long time, this was the longest underground boat tour in Poland.

Krzemionki Prehistoric Striped Flint Mining Region

Krzemionki is a complex of banded (striped) flint mines, which were in operation during the Neolithic and Early Bronze Ages (3,900-1,600 BC), and have been preserved in an almost intact state. The Krzemionki mines are located in the mountain region of Świętokrzyskie. They were dedicated to the extraction and processing of striped flint, which was mainly used for axe-making. Products from the mines have been found as far away as 660km. The Krzemionki mines were discovered in 1922 by a Polish geologist, Professor Jan Samsonowicz. His discovery was significant, Krzemionki is one of the most comprehensive prehistoric underground flint extraction and processing systems identified to date with underground mining structures, flint workshops and around 4,000 shafts and pits.

• Ksiaz Castle

The incredibly beautiful and photogenic Ksiaz Castle was built in the late 13th century following the destruction of an earlier stronghold. Over the years the castle has been the home to many noble families including the Silesian Duke Bolko 1 (who built it) and the mighty House of Hochberg. The castle is situated in thick woodlands adding to its majesty and is at the heart of a rumour of a lost Nazi gold train believed to be buried in the vicinity of the castle. During World War II, Ksiaz Castle was taken over by the occupying German forces and following Hitler’s direct orders, a system of tunnels was constructed underneath the castle and surrounding areas. The construction was one of seven underground structures all developed under the code name Project Riese. The function of the tunnels underneath Ksiaz Castle remains unclear.

Krakow: Rynek Underground Museum Guided Tour

Discover the secrets of modern and medieval Krakow with a guided tour of the Rynek Underground Museum. Discover Krakow’s rich world of legends, secrets, witches, and its history in the Inquisition.

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• Wooden Tserkvas of Carpathian Region
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• Majdanek concentration camp
• Miedzyrzecz reinforced region
• Riese complex
• Treblinka concentration camp
• Westerplatte
• Wolf’s Lair
• Weather forecast
• Around & About in Bialystok
• Top 10 things to do in Bialystok
• Around & About in Bydgoszcz
• Top 10 things to do in Bydgoszcz
• Around & About in Kielce
• Top 10 things to do in Kielce
• Kadzielnia Reserve Kielce
• Sanctuary of the Holy Cross Wood Relic
• Top 10 Things To Do in Kołobrzeg
• Historic Centre of Krakow
• Top 10 things to do in Krakow
• Top 10 things to do in Lodz
• Top 10 Things To Do in Lublin
• Top 10 things to do in Olsztyn
• Top 10 Things to Do in Poznań
• Top 10 things to do in Szczecin
• Medieval Town of Torun
• Top 10 things to do in Toruń
• Top 10 things to do in Tri-City
• Historic Centre of Warsaw
• Top 10 things to do in Warsaw
• Top 10 things to do in Wrocław
• Kazimierz Dolny
• Greater Poland (Wielkopolskie)
• Holy Cross (Swietokrzyskie)
• Kuyavia-Pomerania (Kujawsko-Pomorskie)
• Lesser Poland (Malopolskie)
• Łódź (Lodzkie)
• Lower Silesia (Dolnoslaskie)
• Lublin (Lubelskie)
• Lubusz (Lubuskie)
• Masovia (Mazowieckie)
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PUERTO PRINCESA TRAVEL GUIDE with Requirements, Sample Itinerary & Budget

Ever heard of kambak-kambak syndrome ?

Prior to our last Puerto Princesa trip, I’d never encountered this term before. You know how you tend to return to a destination over and over again? It seems to happen a lot in Palawan, and so the locals gave it a name — kambak-kambak — a tongue-in-cheek spin to “come back, come back”. Given that our team have set foot in Puerto Princesa multiple times over the past decade, if it were a real condition, we probably had caught it, too!

Whether it’s your first time or you’re a kambak-kambak traveler, we’ve put together this Puerto Princesa travel guide to help you plan a hassle-free journey!

ESSENTIAL LINKS

Here’s a list of links to some of the recommended hotels, tours, and attractions that you can book online.

Top Puerto Princesa Hotels on Agoda

• Search for HOTEL DEALS!

Top Puerto Princesa Tours on Klook

• Underground River Tour

Honda Bay Tour

Top Puerto Princesa Attractions

• Cacaoyan Forest Park Lunch Buffet Discount

WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS GUIDE?

UNDERSTANDING PUERTO PRINCESA

The capital of the province of Palawan, Puerto Princesa is a first-class, highly urbanized city. But despite the rapid development over the years, it retains its rustic and partly suburban vibe; thanks to the lines of trees and the lush greenery that cover the area. No wonder it’s often dubbed “The City in the Forest” and has been recognized as one of the cleanest and greenest cities in the country.

Strategically located in the middle of Palawan, it serves as the primary gateway to the main island. Although it can take hours, you could access up to El Nido in the northernmost tip or Bataraza in the south, which serves as the jump off point to the legendary Balabac Islands. The city proper faces Sulu Sea to the southeast, but its territory reaches until the West Philippine Sea to the northwest. Puerto Princesa is also the second largest city in the Philippines, next only to Davao.

Dubbed as the Eco-Tourism Center of the Philippines, Puerto Princesa is known for its organized and synchronized tourism industry. Various sectors like tour guides, boat operators, and tricycle drivers work together. The tours are regulated and monitored by the Tourism Office, hence standardized tours are offered to tourists. The most popular is a tour of the Puerto Princesa Underground River, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and voted as one of the New7Wonders of Nature in 2012.

Here are some essential information that you might find useful to know before going to Puerto Princesa.

• Location: Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, Region IV-B (MIMAROPA), Philippines.
• Nicknames: Eco-Tourism Center of the Philippines, City in the Forest
• Time Zone: UTC+8 (Philippine Standard Time). The Philippines is in the same time zone as Singapore and Beijing, one hour ahead of Thailand, and one hour behind Japan.
• Language: Tagalog is the most commonly used, but English is widely understood and spoken. Locals also use Cuyonon and other Visayan languages.
• Currency: Philippine Peso (PHP, ₱)
• Modes of Payment: Cash. Some upscale establishments accept credit cards but most still prefer cash. GCash is also getting more common. For public transportation and small purchases, cash is essential.

PUERTO PRINCESA TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

Puerto Princesa is open to all travelers regardless of their vaccination status. We didn’t experience any document inspection upon arrival in the city. But airline staff do ask to see the following upon checkin:

• Vaccination card or VaxCertPH (for fully vaccinated tourists)

However, if you’re coming from a place under Alert Level 2 or higher, a negative antigen test result valid within one day prior to departure is required.

HOW TO GET TO PUERTO PRINCESA

The Puerto Princesa International Airport (PPS) serves as the main gateway to the city and other municipalities in Palawan. Most domestic airlines — Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, AirAsia — have flights to and from Puerto Princesa, so looking for one would not be a problem.

Puerto Princesa Airport to City Center

The Puerto Princesa International Airport is located within the city center. From here, going to areas within the city proper would take only few minutes.

The most convenient mode of transportation from the airport is the tricycle. Tricycles can be found parked outside the airport, waiting for passengers. You’ll have to walk a bit to the gate and exit the airport to ride one.

Here are the fares from the airport to different parts of the city. Tricycles can accommodate up to 3 people.

• Within the city center: P150
• To San Jose Terminal: P200
• To Honda Bay: P500

If you’re booked with an upscale hotel or resort, double check with the management first and see if they offer free airport transfers.

WHERE TO STAY IN PUERTO PRINCESA

A lot of accommodations are situated within the city center, not too far from the airport. Beachfront hotels or resorts are usually located a bit farther. Staying in the city proper is ideal if you want to see more of the city and have easy access to its many restaurants and shops.

Top Budget Hotels & Guesthouses in Puerto Princesa

Here are some of the top-ranking but affordable properties on Agoda with over 100 reviews:

• Cleon Villas Pension. Check Rates & Availability! ✅
• Villa Skanderbeg Guest House. Check Rates & Availability! ✅
• OYO 554 Dads Bayview Pension. Check Rates & Availability! ✅
• Mariafe Inn. Check Rates & Availability! ✅
• Greenspace Palawan Hotel. Check Rates & Availability! ✅
• Dolce Vita Hotel. Check Rates & Availability! ✅
• Floral Villarosa Hotel. Check Rates & Availability! ✅
• Balay Tuko Garden Inn. Check Rates & Availability! ✅

Popular Puerto Princesa Resorts

If you have a bigger budget, here are some of the most well-known properties in the city.

• Astoria Palawan Resort . Check Rates & Availability! ✅
• Aziza Paradise Hotel . Check Rates & Availability! ✅
• Citystate Asturias Hotel . Check Rates & Availability! ✅
• Daluyon Beach and Mountain Resort , Sabang Beach. Check Rates & Availability! ✅
• Hue Hotels and Resorts . Check Rates & Availability! ✅
• Princesa Garden Island Resort and Spa . Check Rates & Availability! ✅

Search for more Puerto Princesa Hotels!

Puerto princesa tours & tourist spots.

Many of the attractions in Puerto Princesa can be visited as part of a tour. Although it is possible to pull a DIY to save on the costs, booking a packaged tour will make it more convenient and hassle-free. When you avail of one, you’ll also have a trained tour guide who can give you more information and insights about each spot, allowing you to appreciate it more.

In this section, we’ll share with you the best attractions and activities in Puerto Princesa, grouped according to the tours that they’re usually a part of. We’ll include costs for both packaged and DIY tours.

Puerto Princesa Underground River Tour

The city’s most well-known tourist spot, the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a Ramsar Wetland Site, and one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature.

On a paddle boat, you’ll be led by a guide on a journey into the cave that shelters the underground river. The tour covers only the first 1.5 kilometers, but the river measures 8.2 kilometers long in full. Some parts are open only to scientists and other permitted explorers.

Inside the cave, you will see stunning stalactites, stalagmites and the various formations that took shape for over thousands of years. You’ll also learn more about the cave system through the provided audio guide.

If you have limited time or budget and could only avail of one packaged tour, this should be it. The PPUR management only allows a limited number of tourists per day. Because of this, walk-ins are not allowed and advanced reservation is required. If you book a tour with a travel agency or tour operator, they will handle the paperwork for you. You’ll also avoid the trouble of arranging transportation to Sabang Beach which is the jump-off point, around one and a half hours away.

Packaged tours usually include:

• roundtrip land transfer to Sabang Beach
• roundtrip boat transfer to the underground river
• audio guide

You may also avail this tour via Klook for P1900. But if you have more time and bigger budget, consider doing a 3-in-1 Sabang Tour. At P3550, it includes the following:

• Sabang X Zipline
• Mangrove Paddle Tour

Check updated rates or book below:

✅ BOOK UNDERGROUND RIVER TOUR HERE!

✅ BOOK UNDERGROUND RIVER + SABANG ZIPLINE + MANGROVE PADDLE TOUR!

Honda Bay Tour is an island hopping activity that will take you to at least three islands not too far away from the city. As of this writing, only 3 islands are open for island hopping tours: Starfish Island, Luli Island, and Cowrie Island.

If you’re traveling with a large group, pulling a DIY can help you save. If you’re traveling solo, with a small group or you simply want the convenience of availing a packaged tour, travel agencies and hotels usually offer this tour for P1500 per person.

If you plan to travel independently, here are the rates for private boats. You’ll see two prices because you have two boat options: 3-cylinder and 4-cylinder boats.

• 3 Islands (Starfish, Luli & Cowrie): P1800 to P2100
• 2 Islands (Luli & Cowrie only): P1500 to P1800

You may also opt to skip the island hopping if you have a particular island you want to visit.

There’s also an environmental fee that you have to pay at the wharf. Here are the rates:

• Environmental fee: P150
• Terminal fee: P5
• Goggles & snorkel rental: P150
• Full face mask rental: P200
• Aqua shoes rental: P150
• Fins rental: P150

Each island also has a separate entrance fee and cottage rental fees as well. Here are the entrance fees per island.

• Cowrie Island: P100
• Luli Island: P70
• Starfish Island: P50

If you want to avoid the hassle of paying these fees on your own, you can just book a packaged tour. Honda Bay Tours are inclusive of land and boat transfers, entrance and cottages fees, and lunch. You may also avail this tour via Klook!

✅ RESERVE A SLOT HERE!

Puerto Princesa City Tour

This half-day tour can be done either in the morning or afternoon. Tour operators usually offer this tour for P600 per person, but you can also charter a tricycle for P1000 per vehicle, which could accommodate up to 3 people.

The city tour usually includes the following stops:

• Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center. First known as Crocodile Farming Institute, it keeps and breeds two species of crocodiles: the Philippine crocodile ( Crocodylus mindorensis ) and the saltwater crocodile ( Crocodylus porosus ). Rescued animals are also housed in this facility, especially those that are endemic to the province.
• Plaza Cuartel. A historic square, Plaza Cuartel was an old garrison where the Palawan Massacre took place in December 1944. One hundred fifty American prisoners of war were kept in a tunnel during World War II until they were killed by the Japanese by burning them alive. Eleven prisoners were able to escape and survive. Their names are now displayed on a plaque inside the plaza.
• Binuatan Creations. A gift shop where you can buy handloom woven products made from Palawan’s native grasses and fibers. Aside from shopping, you can also see how the products are made in their workshop and even try weaving yourself!
• Mitra’s Ranch. This property sitting on top of a hill in Brgy. Sta. Monica is owned by the late Senator Ramon Mitra and his family. It is open to the public and serves as a viewpoint.
• Baker’s Hill. Popular for their hopia and other pastries, this is the usual pasalubong stop! It’s also a park with many picture-worthy corners and has an in-house restaurant if you want to grab a bite.

If you want to have a more comfortable tour in an air-conditioned van, you can avail this tour on Klook.

Firefly Watching Tour

Spend a magical night and watch fireflies and the stars while on board a small boat. There are three locations for firefly watching in Puerto Princesa:

• Iwahig. The first firefly watching location in Puerto Princesa. As of writing, this is closed and firefly watching tours here are unavailable.
• Sicsican River. The tour commences on the Baywalk, where you will hop on a boat that will take you to Sicsican River. A dinner on the boat is also included on this tour.
• Nagsaguipi River. Indulge in a buffet dinner before you feast your eyes with the glowing fireflies!

Tour operators offer this tour between P1300- P1600 per person. Firefly watching tour in Nagsaguipi River is also available on Klook.

✅ JOIN FIREFLY WATCHING TOUR!

Nagtabon Beach

Less than an hour away from the city proper, Nagtabon Beach used to be a spot for those who want to avoid the crowd. Now, a number of accommodation establishments stand along the beach, but the place remains just as breathtaking. This is a nice place to visit if you’re looking to spend more time on the beach without having to travel too far away from the city.

Make your way to San Jose terminal and hop on a bus going north. Any bus bound for Taytay, Roxas, or El Nido will do. Tell the driver to drop you off in Bacungan (P80) then ride a tricycle going to Nagtabon Beach (P300, max 3 pax).

If you’re a group, you can rent a van to take you straight to Nagtabon. If you can drive two wheels, renting a motorbike is also an option if there are two of you or you’re traveling solo.

Nagtabon Beach can also be included in your Puerto Princesa City Tour itinerary for an additional fee. Just ask your driver if he’s OK with it.

Sabang X-Zipline

Thrill-seekers will love this attraction. This 800-meter long zipline is said to be one of the longest ziplines in the Philippines. You can enjoy this solo or by pair as you glide across Sabang Beach. The ride would also treat you to a fantastic view of Sabang from above. It takes a short 15-minute hike to reach the zipline’s starting point.

This is usually packaged with Underground River since Sabang also serves as the jump-off point to it. You can do this prior to the underground river stop if there’s a long waiting time or after it just before you have lunch. Sabang X-Zipline costs P550.

You may also avail this via Klook for a discounted price.

✅ GET DISCOUNTED TICKET HERE!

Other Puerto Princesa Attractions

• Ugong Rock Adventures. An adventure park located in Barangay Tagabinet where you can go trekking, rappeling, and spelunking. A 71-meter zipline is also one of the features, making your adventure more unforgettable. Book here! ✅
• Palawan Waterpark by Astoria. This is the only waterpark in Palawan. If you’re looking for an activity that kids and kids at heart alike would enjoy, add this to your itinerary. Each ticket is inclusive of a lunch buffet. Rate: Adults, P1200; Kids (4ft and below), P950; Kids (2 years old and below), FREE
• Tibag Falls. About 40 minutes away from the city center, Tibag Falls is located in Bacungan. To get here, board a bus going north at San Jose Terminal. Ask the driver to drop you off near Bacungan Bridge. From there, it would take a 2-hour walk to reach this glorious falls.

To see more places to visit, check out: PUERTO PRINCESA TOURIST SPOTS!

WHERE TO EAT IN PUERTO PRINCESA

Finding a place to eat in Puerto Princesa will not be a problem. The city center is teeming with a diverse collection of food spots. If you want to try the Puerto Princesa classics, a few of them are located along Rizal Avenue.

If you’re on a budget, you can always rely on carinderias (small eateries) where a P100-budget can get you a full meal.

Here are some of the most well-known restaurants in Puerto Princesa:

Arguably the most popular dining spot in Puerto Princesa, this homey restaurant specializes in Pinoy seafood dishes like seafood kare-kare, grilled fish, and shrimp or tuna sinigang. Their menu is composed mostly of seafood and vegetables dishes. They also have a special set meal that is good for two for only P795. If you’re planning to dine here, make sure to call the restaurant and make a reservation.

Location: Rizal Avenue, Puerto Princesa City Operating Hours: Monday-Saturday, 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM – Lunch, 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM – Dinner; Sunda, CLOSED Contact number: (048) 726 6217

Kinabuch’s is an open-air grill and bar where you can enjoy some drinks with your meal. Their menu has a wide variety of Pinoy dishes from appetizers to dessert. It’s also a go-to place for those who want to try Puerto Princesa’s exotic dish, tamilok. It’s usually served raw with a side of spiced vinegar.

Location: Rizal Avenue, Puerto Princesa City Operating Hours: Daily, 4:00 PM to 11:00 PM

Cacaoyan Forest Park

Cacaoyan Forest Park is a buffet restaurant set in a lush garden bursting with IG-worthy spots. It serves as a lunch stop on many Underground River tours offered by travel agencies. But if you want to experience this on its own, best to make advance reservations.

The lunch buffet is priced at P350/person, but you can get a discount if you book with Klook.

✅ GET DISCOUNTS HERE!

Location: Sabang, Puerto Princesa Operating Hours: Daily, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM You can also order tamilok here for P100 per plate.

Other Puerto Princesa Restaurants

• Badjao Seafront Restaurant. If you want to dine by the bay and feast on fresh seafood, this is the place to be. It stands next to mangroves and has a view of the sunset which adds to its charm. Price starts at P125 up to P550. Their seafood platter costs P1,150. – Location: Abueg St., Puerto Princesa City – Operating hours: Daily, 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM
• Balinsasayaw Restaurant. A budget-friendly restaurant serving cheap to mid-range Pinoy dishes. Their value meals costs less than P200. If you’re with a group, they also have group meals that you can avail. – Address: Manalo St., Puerto Princesa City – Operating Hours: Daily, 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM
• Ka Joel’s Restaurant. Another reliable name in the city’s food scene, Ka Joel’s serves Filipino cuisine. Its bestsellers include chicken inasal and beef kare kare. – Location: Purok Centro, Puerto Princesa City – Operating Hours: Daily, 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM- Lunch, 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM- Dinner

For loaded tourists, big hotels have their in-house restaurants that highlight their take on Filipino cuisine.

• Hue Hotel houses Matiz Restaurant and Tapas Bar , which boasts a mostly Spanish menu.
• Princesa Garden Island Resort and Spa has a dining complex featuring four restaurants including the Golden Elephant Seafood Village , which specializes in Thai food.

SAMPLE PUERTO PRINCESA ITINERARY

Here’s a sample 3-day 2-night Puerto Princesa itinerary with breakdown of expenses. Note that this itinerary assumes the following:

• You’re a party of 2, splitting some of the costs.
• The accommodation you’ll book costs P1500 per night. If you split it between 2 people, that would be P750 per night per person.
• You’ll book most of the tours via Klook.

But as always, feel free to make adjustments based on your schedule and preferences.

• DAY 1: CITY TOUR 08:20 AM – Arrival in Puerto Princesa 09:00 AM – Tricycle to hotel, P75 (P150/2pax) 09:20 AM – Hotel check-in 11:00 AM – Early lunch 12:30 PM – City Tour (Tricycle), P500 (P1000/2pax) – Crocodile Park: P70 – Butterfly Garden: P60 – Mitra’s Ranch: P20 04:00 PM – Hotel, freshen up 06:00 PM – Dinner at Ka Lui, P500 09:30 PM – Back to hotel
• DAY 2: UNDERGROUND RIVER 06:00 AM – Wake up call 07:00 AM – Underground River Tour, P1900, Book here! ✅ 04:00 PM – Back to hotel, Rest 07:00 PM – Dinner at Kinabuch’s, P500 10:00 PM – Back to hotel
• DAY 3: HONDA BAY TOUR 6:00 am – Wake up, early check-out, leave bags 7:00 am – Honday Bay Tour, P1640, Book here! ✅ 2:00 pm – Back to hotel, pick up bags 3:00 pm – Tricycle to airport, P75 (P150/2pax) 5:30 pm – Flight back to Manila

This itinerary would cost you around PhP 5700 (USD 103, EUR 96, SGD 139) , excluding airfare and hotel but including a bit of allowance for incidental expenses.

If you’re able to book a room for P1400/night or P700/night/person, prepare to shell out a total of PhP 7,100 (USD 128, EUR 120, SGD 172) excluding airfare but including some allowance.

You can bring the cost even lower if you’re a bigger group and by doing the Honda Bay Tour on your own (DIY-style).

MORE TIPS FOR THE POOR TRAVELER

• Tricycle fare for short distances is around P15-25. Fares to and for the airport usually cost more than the regular fares.
• Walk when you can. The streets of Puerto Princesa are punctuated with trees so it doesn’t get as hot as other highly urbanized cities.
• Bring your own reusable water bottle , so you don’t need to keep buying bottled water. Doing this will help you save money and reduce plastic waste at the same time. You can just refill your water bottle at your hotel or at your lunch/dinner stops.
• Bring insect repellent lotion. Protect yourself from mosquitoes by applying insect repellent lotion especially when you go trekking or island hopping.
• Use coral-friendly sunscreen. Avoid using sunscreen that contains ingredients that could harm the coral reef like oxybenzone and parabens.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)

When is the best time to visit puerto princesa.

January to April , the driest period. But keep in mind that these are also the busiest months, peaking in March and April, which are considered “summer” months in the Philippines.

If you want to avoid the crowd, schedule a trip around January to February when the weather is not too hot and not that rainy either. Yet, it is also important to note that Palawan is in between two major seas, the West Philippine Sea and the Sulu Sea. Its location highly affects its weather system, which is different from the rest of the country. Even during the dry season, it could be pretty damp and rain is expected in the afternoons. In fact, our team have visited in April once and it still poured on a couple of days. And even in our other visits in other months, it would often rain in the afternoon.

Puerto Princesa is a year-round destination. While the city took a beating from Typhoon Odette a few years ago, this isn’t a normal occurrence. Palawan is located in the western extreme of the country, isolated from most other main islands. It is not along the usual typhoon route.

What is the power plug/socket used in Puerto Princesa?

Electricity Info : 220V, 60Hz. Socket Type A, mostly.

2022 • 12 • 13

More Tips on YouTube ⬇️⬇️⬇️

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Going Deeper Underground: Photographer Alexey Fokin on the Moscow Metro

Moscow’s metro system is mainly known as being one of the most beautiful in the world, but photographer and actor-in-training Alexey Fokin (1995) is more interested in the gritty, human side of it. Born and raised in Russia’s hectic capital, he knows the city inside-out, and loves to go underground to capture the diverse faces of this metropolis.

Whereas most sane people would try to avoid the chaotic rush hour in the subway, Alexey enjoys getting up early, taking his camera, and capturing Muscovites making their way to work. “People are rude, everybody wants to sit down, and you’ll see faces looking like they want to kill somebody. And themselves,” he laughs, “but then suddenly, there’s a smile.” Preferring the busy stations in the city centre which connect two or more of the 14 lines, he walks through the tunnels, rides the escalators, and boards the trains – looking for scenes worth shooting.

It is hard to imagine that Alexey only took up photography two years ago. But his shots effortlessly show what life inside one of the world’s busiest metro systems is like. They display everything you expect, and more. The lovers, the cleaner, the babushka, the businessman, the tourist, the youngster, the beggar, the child. They tell you their stories with their eyes, their newspapers, their pets, their musical instruments, their flowers, their groceries, their phones, their clothes. Some with the stunning architectural backdrop of the famous stations, others in sober and at first sight unnoteworthy settings.

He likes to think of the Moscow subway as an underground metropolis in itself, as “another city with other rules”. Even though he considers it to be different from its actual streets, this subsurface universe reflects the many different faces of the capital: “Maybe poor, maybe homeless, maybe with money: all of them in one place, where they are just looking for each other, sometimes confused. So many lines of love you can find there.”

With over 200 stations and countless kilometres of underground streets, Alexey notices that people behave in ways they wouldn’t above ground. You can find people – and animals – who actually live in Moscow’s parallel world. They are smoking on the trains, drinking, getting very intimate, feeling like ‘normal’ behavioural codes do not apply to life underneath the surface.

As he is currently in his last year of acting school, Alexey is busy every day from early in the morning until late at night. But his free time is inseparable from his camera, and his intention is to make a collected photo essay about life in different metros worldwide.

Until then, he continues to show how the metro is quintessentially part of Moscow culture. He believes that everyone in Moscow has a metro story, and he does a damn good job in telling several of them through his captivating work.

©AlexeyFokin @fokinman

Claudia Looi

Touring the Top 10 Moscow Metro Stations

By Claudia Looi 2 Comments

Komsomolskaya metro station looks like a museum. It has vaulted ceilings and baroque decor.

Hidden underground, in the heart of Moscow, are historical and architectural treasures of Russia. These are Soviet-era creations – the metro stations of Moscow.

Our guide Maria introduced these elaborate metro stations as “the palaces for the people.” Built between 1937 and 1955, each station holds its own history and stories. Stalin had the idea of building beautiful underground spaces that the masses could enjoy. They would look like museums, art centers, concert halls, palaces and churches. Each would have a different theme. None would be alike.

The two-hour private tour was with a former Intourist tour guide named Maria. Maria lived in Moscow all her life and through the communist era of 60s to 90s. She has been a tour guide for more than 30 years. Being in her 60s, she moved rather quickly for her age. We traveled and crammed with Maria and other Muscovites on the metro to visit 10 different metro stations.

Arrow showing the direction of metro line 1 and 2

Moscow subways are very clean

To Maria, every street, metro and building told a story. I couldn’t keep up with her stories. I don’t remember most of what she said because I was just thrilled being in Moscow.   Added to that, she spilled out so many Russian words and names, which to one who can’t read Cyrillic, sounded so foreign and could be easily forgotten.

The metro tour was the first part of our all day tour of Moscow with Maria. Here are the stations we visited:

1. Komsomolskaya Metro Station  is the most beautiful of them all. Painted yellow and decorated with chandeliers, gold leaves and semi precious stones, the station looks like a stately museum. And possibly decorated like a palace. I saw Komsomolskaya first, before the rest of the stations upon arrival in Moscow by train from St. Petersburg.

2. Revolution Square Metro Station (Ploshchad Revolyutsii) has marble arches and 72 bronze sculptures designed by Alexey Dushkin. The marble arches are flanked by the bronze sculptures. If you look closely you will see passersby touching the bronze dog's nose. Legend has it that good luck comes to those who touch the dog's nose.

Touch the dog's nose for good luck. At the Revolution Square station

Revolution Square Metro Station

3. Arbatskaya Metro Station served as a shelter during the Soviet-era. It is one of the largest and the deepest metro stations in Moscow.

Arbatskaya Metro Station

4. Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station was built in 1935 and named after the Russian State Library. It is located near the library and has a big mosaic portrait of Lenin and yellow ceramic tiles on the track walls.

Lenin's portrait at the Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station

5. Kievskaya Metro Station was one of the first to be completed in Moscow. Named after the capital city of Ukraine by Kiev-born, Nikita Khruschev, Stalin's successor.

Kievskaya Metro Station

6. Novoslobodskaya Metro Station  was built in 1952. It has 32 stained glass murals with brass borders.

Novoslobodskaya metro station

7. Kurskaya Metro Station was one of the first few to be built in Moscow in 1938. It has ceiling panels and artwork showing Soviet leadership, Soviet lifestyle and political power. It has a dome with patriotic slogans decorated with red stars representing the Soviet's World War II Hall of Fame. Kurskaya Metro Station is a must-visit station in Moscow.

Ceiling panel and artworks at Kurskaya Metro Station

8. Mayakovskaya Metro Station built in 1938. It was named after Russian poet Vladmir Mayakovsky. This is one of the most beautiful metro stations in the world with 34 mosaics painted by Alexander Deyneka.

Mayakovskaya station

One of the over 30 ceiling mosaics in Mayakovskaya metro station

9. Belorusskaya Metro Station is named after the people of Belarus. In the picture below, there are statues of 3 members of the Partisan Resistance in Belarus during World War II. The statues were sculpted by Sergei Orlov, S. Rabinovich and I. Slonim.

10. Teatralnaya Metro Station (Theatre Metro Station) is located near the Bolshoi Theatre.

Teatralnaya Metro Station decorated with porcelain figures .

Taking the metro's escalator at the end of the tour with Maria the tour guide.

Have you visited the Moscow Metro? Leave your comment below.

January 15, 2017 at 8:17 am

An excellent read! Thanks for much for sharing the Russian metro system with us. We're heading to Moscow in April and exploring the metro stations were on our list and after reading your post, I'm even more excited to go visit them. Thanks again 🙂

December 6, 2017 at 10:45 pm

Hi, do you remember which tour company you contacted for this tour?

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