El Nido Island Hopping: Tours A–D, Fees and Getting There

What do El Nido island hopping Tours A, B, C and D include?

Tour A is the lagoon tour, with Big Lagoon, Secret Lagoon and Shimizu Island. Tour B focuses on caves and islands such as Snake Island. Tour C covers Helicopter Island, Matinloc Shrine and secret beaches. Tour D includes Small Lagoon and Cadlao Lagoon. Stops change with local rules, crowding and weather.

El Nido’s 2018 Ordinance No. 101 split the lagoons, according to state broadcaster PTV: Big Lagoon stayed on Tour A with Shimizu Island, Payong-Payong, Secret Lagoon and Seven Commando, while Small Lagoon moved to Tour D with Nat-Nat Beach, Cadlao Lagoon, Pasandigan Cove, Paradise Beach and Ipil Beach. Under that ordinance, the two lagoons can no longer be visited on the same day.

Rappler’s 2023 Palawan guide lists Tour C as Helicopter Island, Matinloc Shrine, Secret Beach and Hidden Beach, and notes that guides may change stops depending on how many tourists are at each site. Its earlier El Nido guide lists Tour B as Entalula Island, Snake Island, Cudugnon Cave, Cathedral Cave and Pinagbuyutan Island, and warns that Tour C is sometimes cancelled in bad weather because much of it is in open water.

The Department of Tourism’s El Nido page confirms the Tours A–D system and advises reserving lagoon tours in advance in peak season. Treat every stop list, including ours, as typical rather than guaranteed.

How much is the El Nido environmental fee (ETDF)?

Visitors from outside Palawan pay ₱400 under El Nido’s revised Eco-Tourism Development Fee, visitors from within Palawan ₱200, and students ₱300 or ₱100; bona fide El Nido residents are exempt (checked October 2026). Big Lagoon and Small Lagoon have also carried a separate ₱200 user fee, last reported in 2023, so keep every receipt.

The ETDF Management Board’s bulletin of 24 December 2025 says the Sangguniang Bayan approved Ordinance No. 20, Series of 2024, on 8 July 2025, raising the fee from ₱200 to ₱400 for visitors from outside Palawan. The ordinance also penalises carrying tourists by land or water without a valid ETDF receipt, so expect operators to ask for yours.

Older figures still circulate. The Department of Tourism’s El Nido page, marked as last updated in 2025, still says “around ₱200”. The board’s notice does not restate how many days one payment covers, so read the validity printed on your receipt.

The lagoons have their own rules. PTV reported in 2018 a ₱200 Big and Small Lagoon user fee paid into the Integrated Protected Area Fund, and a dry run limiting Big Lagoon to 60 visitors and 30 kayaks an hour, with tour boats kept out. Rappler’s 2023 guide still listed ₱200 for each lagoon. Ask your operator for the current fee and slot before paying.

How do you get to El Nido: fly direct or via Puerto Princesa?

Fly direct to El Nido’s airport at Lio if fares and baggage allowances work: flights connect with Clark, Cebu, Busuanga (Coron), Caticlan and Bohol. Otherwise fly to Puerto Princesa and allow five to six hours by road. From Coron, a ferry is possible but depends on the weather.

Ayala Land, which develops the Lio estate near the airport, lists flights from Clark, Cebu, Busuanga, Caticlan and Tagbilaran and a 5 to 6-hour land transfer from Puerto Princesa.

Manila departures changed in 2026. Cebu Pacific moved its turboprop El Nido flights from Manila to Clark from 29 March 2026, and since 1 July 2026 AirSWIFT flights have been operated by Cebgo under the DG code. If you start in Manila, check the departure airport on your ticket; our Manila flight-deal guide covers fare searching, and the Manila destination guide helps with a stopover.

Rappler’s guide says the van from Puerto Princesa airport can take up to six hours, including a meal stop. Between Coron and El Nido, Montenegro Lines sells sailings in both directions; check the timetable for your date and avoid a same-day flight connection, because sailings depend on sea conditions.

El Nido vs Coron: which is better for island hopping?

Choose El Nido for Bacuit Bay’s lagoons, long beaches and the Tours A–D system. Choose Coron for Kayangan Lake, the Twin Lagoons and Second World War wreck diving. With a week, do both, linking them by ferry or flight, and leave a weather buffer between them.

The Department of Tourism’s Coron guide highlights Kayangan Lake, the Twin Lagoons and a fleet of Japanese supply ships sunk in 1944 that are now wreck dive sites. Its El Nido page points to karst lagoons, Nacpan Beach and coral gardens, and says the better wreck diving is in Coron.

Check airports carefully. Cebu Pacific’s Clark transfer notice covers its turboprop flights to Coron (Busuanga) as well as El Nido, while the Department of Tourism lists Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and AirAsia among the airlines serving Coron.

When is the best time to visit El Nido?

Go in the dry season, roughly December to May, which PAGASA’s national climate summary separates from the June to November rains. July to October is the peak of typhoon activity. Storms can still strike outside it: Typhoon Tino made landfall in El Nido on 5 November 2025, so keep spare days.

PAGASA divides the year into a rainy season from June to November and a dry season from December to May. Its tropical cyclone information puts the average at 20 cyclones a year in the Philippine Area of Responsibility, about eight or nine of them crossing the country, with the peak from July to October.

The UK Foreign Office says most typhoons happen between June and November and that ferry accidents are more frequent during the rainy season between June and December. Late-season storms matter: Rappler reported that Typhoon Tino made landfall in El Nido at 4:40am on 5 November 2025.

The Department of Tourism’s Coron guide, covering the same northern Palawan waters, recommends late November to May and warns that rainy-season wind and rain can lead the Coast Guard to cancel all island-hopping tours. Plan at least one spare day for a missed tour.

Is El Nido island hopping safe?

It can be, if you choose an established operator, check the life jackets before departure and accept weather cancellations. The UK Foreign Office warns that Philippine passenger boats sometimes lack lifesaving equipment and that you should avoid overcrowded boats. Protect the reef too: wear mineral sunscreen or cover up, and never stand on coral.

The UK Foreign Office says the ferry and passenger boat network has a poor record of maritime safety, that boats sometimes lack lifesaving equipment and that beaches are unlikely to have lifeguards. Count the life jackets, ask what the crew will do if the weather turns, and do not board an overloaded bangka.

Cancellations are a safety feature, not poor service. The Department of Tourism notes that the Coast Guard can cancel island-hopping tours in strong winds or heavy rain, and open-water routes such as Tour C are the most exposed.

For the reef, NOAA advises that mineral sunscreen is a better option than common chemical UV filters, and that UV-protective clothing helps. El Nido installed 23 ETDF-funded mooring buoys so boats need not anchor on coral, but Palawan Daily News reported in July 2025 that most island-hopping routes had no enforced speed limits, so watch for boats while snorkelling.

• Check that life jackets fit everyone, including children.
• Tell the crew about weak swimmers before the first snorkelling stop.
• Keep phones and documents in a dry bag.
• Never stand on or touch coral.
• Take your rubbish back to town.

Where should you stay in El Nido: town, Corong-Corong, Lio or Nacpan?

Stay in El Nido town for the easiest tour pickups and the most choice. Corong-Corong, just south along the bay, is calmer while staying close to town. Lio suits resort stays near the airport. Nacpan is for a quiet beach escape rather than daily island hopping, because it is far north of town.

Town suits short stays: you can compare tour agencies in person and walk back after a long day on the water. Rooms can be smaller and busier, so read recent reviews for noise.

Ayala Land says its Lio estate is just minutes from Lio Airport, which suits trips that start and end with a flight. The Department of Tourism’s El Nido page highlights Nacpan and Calitang as long white-sand beaches; staying there means daily transfers if you want lagoon tours.

Ask any property for the transfer time to the tour pickup point before you pay. If Manila is part of the trip, see our where to stay in Manila guide.

Should you book El Nido island hopping tours online or in town?

Book online in advance for peak season, private boats or a fixed travel window. Book in town when you have flexible days and want to pick the calmest one. Either way, compare the same tour letter, inclusions, fees and the cancellation rule for Coast Guard suspensions before paying anyone.

The Department of Tourism advises reserving lagoon tours in advance in peak season because caps may apply. Lagoon numbers are limited under the protected-area rules described above, so secure your Tour A and Tour D dates first.

Our GetYourGuide vs Viator vs Klook comparison explains how marketplace refunds differ. For vans and ferries, read our 12Go vs direct booking guide.

A lower headline price may exclude the ETDF, the lagoon fee, kayaks or lunch; add them back before comparing.