Top Things to Do in El Nido: Island Hopping Tours, Beaches and Costs

Did you know El Nido isn’t just one island? It’s a protected area of 45 islands and islets scattered across the Bacuit Archipelago. This sheer scale means that while the limestone lagoons and crystalline waters are world-famous, planning a trip can feel overwhelming. The key isn’t to see everything, but to find the experiences that are right for you. With so many incredible things to do in El Nido, this guide will help you navigate the options, from the must-see tours to the quieter moments in between.

Island Hopping: The Heart of the El Nido Experience

Island hopping is the main event in El Nido, and the standardized Tours A, B, C, and D are the most common way to explore. Most tours cost around PHP 1,200 to 1,400 per person, which includes lunch. Remember that all visitors must also pay a one-time Eco-Tourism Development Fee of PHP 200, valid for 10 days. Consider this your essential el nido travel guide to the famous island-hopping circuits.

Tour A: Lagoons and Legends. This is the superstar tour, featuring the iconic Big Lagoon and Small Lagoon. Due to new regulations to manage crowds, you often have to book your lagoon slot in advance, so confirm with your tour operator. You’ll also visit Shimizu Island for snorkeling and the aptly named Secret Lagoon. Renting a kayak (around PHP 300) is essential for exploring the lagoons properly.
Tour B: Caves and Sandbars. A slightly more adventurous option, Tour B takes you to Snake Island, famous for its S-shaped sandbar that appears during low tide. You’ll also explore Cudugnon Cave, an important archaeological site, and the vast Cathedral Cave.
Tour C: Shrines and Hidden Beaches. This tour is all about stunning beaches. You’ll visit Helicopter Island (named for its shape), Matinloc Shrine (requires a separate entrance fee of ~PHP 100), and the spectacular duo of Secret Beach and Hidden Beach, accessible only by swimming through small openings in the rock.
Tour D: Calm Beaches and Cadlao Lagoon. Often the quietest of the four, Tour D focuses on the beautiful beaches of Cadlao Island, including Paradise Beach and Bukal Beach. It’s perfect for travelers looking to simply relax on the sand away from the larger crowds.

Insider Tip: To escape the biggest crowds, consider booking a private tour. It’s more expensive, but allows you to customize your itinerary and, more importantly, reverse the timing of the standard group tours to visit popular spots when they are less busy.

Beyond the Boat: Culture and Town Life

While nature is the main draw, the town of El Nido offers its own appeal. El Nido Town Proper is a bustling hub of guesthouses, dive shops, and restaurants. Take a walk away from the main tourist strip along the beach to see a more local side of life. For a taste of local commerce, visit the El Nido Public Market in the morning. Here you’ll see the day’s fresh catch, vibrant tropical fruits, and local vendors going about their day. It’s a grounded, authentic experience away from the polished tour operators.

Savoring Palawan: Local Food and Markets

The food in El Nido is centered on fresh, grilled seafood. Along the beach in the evening, many restaurants display the day’s catch on ice. You simply pick what you want, be it squid, parrotfish, or prawns, and they grill it for you on the spot. For a more local flavor, look for a “carinderia” (small local eatery) and try chicken adobo or kinilaw, a Filipino-style ceviche where raw fish is cured in vinegar, ginger, and onions. A meal at a beachside grill might cost PHP 500 to 800, while a hearty meal at a carinderia can be as low as PHP 150.

For the Adventurous: Hikes, Dives, and More

If you’re wondering what to do in El Nido that gets your heart pumping, there are plenty of options. One of the best is climbing Taraw Cliff for a panoramic view of the bay. For safety, most travelers should opt for the Taraw Canopy Walk, which uses a secure walkway and harness system to lead you to a stunning viewpoint. The cost is around PHP 400. The traditional, more extreme climb requires a guide and excellent physical condition due to sharp, jagged limestone rocks.

The waters here are also a prime destination for scuba diving, with dozens of sites catering to all skill levels. You can expect to see sea turtles, vibrant coral gardens, and schools of yellow snapper. A discovery dive for beginners typically costs around PHP 3,800. For a self-guided adventure, rent a kayak from Corong-Corong Beach and paddle to nearby Papaya Beach or Seven Commandos Beach, exploring on your own schedule.

Finding Quieter Corners

While few places are truly “secret” anymore, some tourist attractions in El Nido require a bit more effort to reach, rewarding you with fewer people. A 45-minute tricycle or scooter ride north of town will take you to Nacpan Beach. This stunning, 4-kilometer stretch of cream-colored sand is perfect for a full day of swimming and relaxing. Climb the small hill at the southern end for a postcard view of its famous “twin beaches.” A round-trip tricycle ride will cost around PHP 1,000 to 1,500.

For an even more remote feel, continue north to Duli Beach, a local surf spot with a simple, laid-back vibe. Or, head inland to explore waterfalls like Nagkalit-Kalit Falls, which requires a short trek through streams and forest, a refreshing break from the sand and salt.

Essential El Nido Travel Tips

A little planning goes a long way in El Nido. The best time to visit is during the dry season from November to May. The shoulder months of November and May often provide a great balance of good weather and thinner crowds.

Getting There: The fastest way is to fly directly to El Nido’s Lio Airport (ENI). The more common, budget-friendly route is to fly to Puerto Princesa (PPS) and take a 5-6 hour van ride.
Money: While more establishments now accept credit cards, many smaller restaurants, shops, and all tricycles are cash-only. There are ATMs in town, but they can be unreliable. It’s wise to bring sufficient Philippine Pesos (PHP) with you.
Connectivity: Wi-Fi in El Nido can be slow and unstable. For reliable internet, purchase a local SIM card (Globe or Smart) at the airport in Manila or Puerto Princesa.
Be a Responsible Traveler: El Nido enforces a ban on single-use plastics. Bring a reusable water bottle and refuse plastic bags. Use reef-safe sunscreen to protect the fragile coral ecosystems that make this place so special. These small actions help preserve the beauty you came to see, making it one of the most rewarding things to do in El Nido.

El Nido is more than a checklist of beautiful places; it’s an invitation to explore. It’s about the feeling of paddling a kayak into a quiet lagoon, the taste of freshly grilled fish on the beach, and the breathtaking view after a rewarding hike. So, which part of this archipelagic wonder will you explore first?

Giving Back and Going Deeper in Palawan

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Continue Planning Your El Nido Trip

El Nido pairs naturally with other Palawan and Visayas stops. Here is how to get there and where to go next.

The four island hopping tours compared

Nearly every El Nido trip is built around the standard tours, labelled A, B, C and D. They are fixed itineraries run by dozens of operators at near identical prices, roughly 1,400 to 2,200 pesos per person including a beach lunch, plus the environmental fee of around 200 pesos which is valid for ten days and covers all of them.

Tour A is the famous one: Big Lagoon, Small Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, Shimizu Island and Seven Commandos Beach. If you only do one, do this. Big Lagoon now usually requires a separate kayak rental of around 300 to 500 pesos to go inside, which most people consider worth it.

Tour C is the strong second choice and arguably the more beautiful: Helicopter Island, Matinloc Shrine, Secret Beach, Hidden Beach and Star Beach. It involves swimming through rock openings, so it suits confident swimmers better.

Tour B covers Snake Island, Pinagbuyutan, Cudugnon Cave and Entalula, and is the quieter, less dramatic option. Tour D stays closer to town with Cadlao Lagoon, Paradise Beach and Natnat Beach, and works well as a half day or a rougher weather fallback.

Honest advice: two tours is plenty for most people. Four days of eight hour boat trips gets repetitive, and by the third the beaches start to blur. Book in town the day before rather than online in advance, it is normally cheaper and lets you read the weather.

Where to stay in El Nido

The town itself is walkable and convenient but genuinely noisy, and the beach in front of it is a boat harbour rather than a swimming beach. Corong Corong, roughly ten minutes south by tricycle at around 50 to 100 pesos, is calmer, faces the sunset and is where a lot of repeat visitors end up. Lio Beach to the north is the polished resort strip, quiet and expensive. Nacpan Beach, about 45 minutes north, is stunning and awkward to base in if you want morning tours.

Rough nightly rates: dorm beds around 700 to 1,200 pesos, basic private rooms around 800 to 1,800, comfortable air conditioned mid range around 2,500 to 6,500, and resorts from about 8,000 upward. Prices climb hard between November and May, and the good mid range places sell out weeks ahead over Christmas and Holy Week.

Our full guide to where to stay in Palawan breaks down every area and price bracket across the province if you are still deciding where to base yourself.

What a day in El Nido actually costs

Accommodation is not the biggest line. A realistic budget day, staying in a dorm, doing one tour and eating at carinderias, comes to roughly 2,500 to 3,200 pesos. A comfortable mid range day with a private room, a tour and restaurant meals lands nearer 5,500 to 8,000 pesos for one person. Two people sharing a room do noticeably better per head, because the room splits but the tour seat does not.

Budget more cash than you think. ATMs in El Nido run dry regularly, card machines fail, and most small guesthouses and every tour operator prefer cash. Draw money in Puerto Princesa or Manila before you arrive.

Best time to visit, and when not to

High season is roughly November to May, with the most reliable weather from December to April. That is also when prices peak and the lagoons get crowded, particularly Big Lagoon in the middle of the day.

June to October is low season, cheaper and much emptier, but tours get cancelled and the El Nido to Coron ferry gets cancelled more often still. If your trip is only three or four days, that risk is real. With ten days and flexibility, low season is excellent value.

What to skip in El Nido

Skip doing all four tours. Skip Nacpan as a base unless you have a scooter and three nights. Skip the very cheapest town rooms in high season, under about 700 pesos in that market usually means a windowless room next to a bar. Skip booking tours online at inflated prices when the same boat sells for less from a shopfront on the main street.

And skip the assumption that El Nido town has a swimming beach. It does not. If lying on sand outside your room matters to you, stay in Corong Corong or further out.

Getting to and from El Nido

There are two realistic routes. Fly into Lio Airport just north of town, which is quick and expensive, or fly into Puerto Princesa and take a van north for roughly 5 to 6 hours at around 700 to 900 pesos. Our comparisons of Manila to El Nido and Puerto Princesa to El Nido lay out every option with current fares. Heading onward, El Nido to Coron covers the ferry and the flight.

If you want somewhere quieter with the same water, Port Barton is two and a half hours south and a great deal cheaper.

Quick FAQ

How many days do you need in El Nido? Three to four nights is the sweet spot. That gives you two island hopping tours, a rest day and a land based trip such as Nacpan or the Taraw viewpoint without the boats blurring together.

Which El Nido tour is the best? Tour A for the lagoons and the classic photos, Tour C for the most dramatic scenery. Most people who do both prefer C, but A is the one you would regret missing.

How much does El Nido cost per day? Roughly 2,500 to 3,200 pesos a day on a budget, and 5,500 to 8,000 for a comfortable mid range trip, including a tour, accommodation and food.

Is El Nido or Coron better? El Nido for lagoons, variety and nightlife. Coron for wreck diving, lower prices and fewer crowds. El Nido is the better first visit, Coron the better value.

Do I need to book El Nido tours in advance? Not usually. Booking in town the day before is standard, cheaper, and lets you check the weather forecast first. Book ahead only over Christmas, New Year and Holy Week.

Is there a swimming beach in El Nido town? No. The town beach is a working boat harbour. For sand, head to Corong Corong, Las Cabanas, Nacpan or the beaches on the island tours.

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