El Nido Tour Packages

What to do in El Nido?

El Nido offers the best island hopping in the world, pure white-sand beaches, world-class scuba diving, and luxurious beach-front resorts. What else could you want from your holiday? It’s for these reasons that El Nido is cited in various travel magazines as the best island in the world.

Read on for more information about all the activities in El Nido or to book your preferred package. Alternatively, contact one of our travel agents and we’ll assist you in planning your complete El Nido itinerary.

El Nido Island Hopping Tours

Over the years, island hopping has become very organized in El Nido, and is now offered as a choice of four trips (A–D). These tours visit the most spectacular sites, but there are more than 50 perfect white-sand beaches in the area, meaning that a lot of them are not included in the usual itineraries.

A change to regulations has been made before and it is no longer possible to visit both the Big and Small Lagoons on the same day like it used to be. They are both now being regarded as standalone locations, and visitors usually choose to add one of them to the A tour.

We can easily book a private tour to take you to the islands and beaches of your choice, including the ones on the regular tours. Rates will be higher, but if your group comprises four or more people, the difference will not be that significant. In case you are staying at one of the luxury resorts on the small islands, booking an island hopping tour with the island resorts is the only option as you cannot book the tours that starts and ends from the town while staying in an island resort. If you are traveling with children, a private tour is also highly advised because it will give you the flexibility to do things at your own pace.

All island-hopping tours leave at 8:30 AM and are returning at 4:00 PM. They are divided into tours A, B, C, and D, with tours A and C comprising the best attractions El Nido has to offer. Group island-hopping tours prices range between US$24 – $28 per person (excluding environmental fee, lagoon fee, matinloc shrine fee that are per person and pick up/ drop off from hotels). Local guide, boat are included, but bring sunscreen as you’ll spend all day under the sun. Environmental fees and/ or Lagoon’s fee/ Matinloc shrine fee costs around US $4-5/ person. This tour is not possible if you are staying at an Island Resort.

Island hopping tour A consists of the three lagoons of Miniloc Island, Shimizu Island, and Seven Commandos Beach. Miniloc Island is a small island with a private resort, but it’s most famous for the Big Lagoon, Small Lagoon, and Secret Lagoon. You can swim and snorkel in all of them.

These lagoons are surrounded by tall limestone cliffs covered in greenery, giving the appearance of a natural cathedral. The lagoons are among the best sights you will see while island hopping anywhere in the world. Shimizu Island and Seven Commandos Beach are two amazing tropical islands with white sand beaches, as well as coral reefs close to shore where you can spot fish and turtles.

Island hopping tour B goes to Snake Island Sandbar, which is entirely submerged during high tide. Pinagbuyutan Island is almost entirely made from limestone, and Entalula is also densely vegetated and naturally stunning. On both, you can swim and snorkel, as well as relax under the palm trees. Two other destinations unique to tour B are the Cudugnon Caves — an archaeological site with excavations dating to 1000 AD — and a stop in the middle of the ocean dedicated to snorkeling. This tour is for people who wish to avoid the crowds.

Island hopping tour C is the one most recommended by the locals. It visits some of the most scenic spots in El Nido. The first is Helicopter Island, named for its shape. Afterwards, you’ll sail further west to explore Matinloc Island. There are two exceptional beaches on this island. Hidden Beach, which is hidden in a tunnel between Matinloc and an islet facing its eastern coast, and Secret Beach. The latter inspired Alex Garland’s beach in his novel The Beach. It is basically a sinkhole with a pocket of white sand, the entrance being a small hole at one of its corners. The last stop is usually Star Beach — a nickname obtained because of the abundance of starfish in its shallow waters.

Island hopping tour D is mainly focused on exploring Cadlao Island — the biggest island in Bacuit Bay, and the one overlooking El Nido town. The first stop is on the mainland: Ipil Ipil beach, which is only accessible by boat. Afterwards, you’ll explore Cadlao. It is not only the biggest but one of the best islands in El Nido. You’ll sail in the island’s lagoon and visit four breathtaking beaches: Paradise, Pasandigan, Natnat, and Bukal. This tour is perfect for white-sand beaches, relaxing, and swimming.

Book more than one of the island-hopping tours to fully appreciate the beauty of El Nido. Going on several tours also significantly reduces the price for each one. If it’s hard for you to choose, visit our El Nido island hopping catalog for detailed information of all the tours available.

Scuba diving in El Nido

There are as many as 30 dive sites around El Nido. Most of these are just off the islands of Bacuit Bay—Cadlao area, Entalula Island, Miniloc, Paglugaban, and Matinloc. Among the main attractions are a wall that drops down to 40 meters, lively coral gardens, slopes, and lots of marine life.

This area is sheltered from winds by the tall limestone cliffs, which make the water calm and clear, and perfect for beginners and advanced divers alike. If you’re not certified yet, El Nido is one of the best places to take a course. It’s also a perfect opportunity to improve your diving skills as the clubs here are highly professional, with very advanced instructors and new and maintained gear.

The Miniloc area has the most popular dive sites in El Nido. South Miniloc boasts many coral gardens and schools of fish. This is because the currents between Miniloc and the facing Shimizu Island carry nutrients with them. The highlight of this dive is a big school of big-eye snappers. On the northern side of Miniloc, there is an area great for pelagic species. It faces the middle of Bacuit Bay and many big fish pass by, such as schools of barracuda, jack fish, and spade fish. If you are lucky, you might spot black-tip reef sharks, as well as eagle and manta rays.

The Cadlao area is very interesting too. Its most distinct dive site is an underwater tunnel named Dilumacad. It was discovered in the 90s and is around 40 meters long with a cavern in the middle. Although this spot is only suited to advanced divers, there are sites perfect for beginners right beside it consisting of shallow reefs and plenty of marine life.

Around 45 minutes from El Nido town, you will find the 40-meter-deep wall drop, near Entalula Island. There are two main types of dive here: a vertical drop and a drift dive. There is also a dive site near Paglugaban Island that is great for exploring rock formations and sea slugs (nudibranchs) All of these dives are great for all levels of diver.

For the serious divers, multi-day diving safaris to Coron and Tubbataha Reef leave from El Nido. This is something to take into consideration when diving here, because you’ll get a better price for a combined diving package. Book your ultimate diving package with us and we’ll fix the perfect diving trip for you, including the accommodation of your choice.

Other activities and day tours

Renting a kayak from your resort and paddle to the nearby secluded beaches. This is great for couples seeking a romantic castaway experience, small groups of friends, and families with children who are old enough. It’s a tiring activity and should only be done when the water is calm and with no currents.

Canopy Walk is a trekking activity at Taraw Cliff. In case Island Hopping tours get cancelled due to weather, this is an activity that you can do even with minimal rain. You can also do this activity upon arrival in the morning or if you have a late departure from El Nido, you can spare your morning to do this activity. This activity offers you a scenic view of El Nido town and the beach. Face your fear of heights and walk through stairways and a hanging bridge on your way to the cliff.

Las Cabanas Beach, located 30 minutes south of El Nido town, has a lovely resort. It’s a very beautiful and quiet beach, but the main attraction here is a 750-meter zip-line. This sets off from the main beach and takes you to Depeldet Island opposite. Afterwards, you can either ride back for an additional fee, swim back in the shallow waters, or walk during low tide. It’s a really fun thing to do, especially for families and groups. You can also enjoy a beautiful sunset in the afternoon at this beach while having your choice of drink in one of the restaurants by the beach. A truly ideal way to relax and enjoy the island vibe.

Another beautiful Beach is located about 40 minutes on the north side of El Nido town, which stretches to about 4 kilometers of sand beach that is cream colored with vast coconut trees and a beautiful turquoise water. Here you can lie on the beach for sun bathing or to swim. You can also do kayaking, and stand-up paddle boarding.

We also recommend you explore the nature around El Nido. There are loads of small hidden beaches where you can have the whole place to yourself. This activity is mainly unguided, with the option of renting a tricycle or bike to get there. Some of the best beaches are Nacpan, the Calitang twin beaches, the 4-km white-sand Duli Beach (1 hour away), and Verde Safari/Dagmay Beach.

If you want to try some mainland attractions, you can go trekking to Nagkalit-Kalit Falls. It takes around 1 hour to drive there, with another hour of hiking. Another option is to hike to Ille Cave on the way to Nacpan Beach, where you can see excavated artifacts, some of which are believed to be 14,000 years old!

Some of these day tours are easily done by yourself, so there’s no need to make reservations in advance. Others are better booked ahead of time through us. Visit our detailed tour catalog to start booking your desired day tours and activities.

How does El Nido fit into your travel plans?

If you’re about to visit the Philippines, you should make El Nido a top priority. Aside from its jaw-dropping beauty, its remote location on Palawan separates it from the country’s other tourist attractions. That being said, other destinations on Palawan can easily be added to your Palawan package, such as Coron and Puerto Princesa.

The minimum number of nights we recommend you spend it El Nido is three, but most visitors choose to stay at least a week. This destination is the perfect getaway for couples, with some of the most romantic settings imaginable. Check out our El Nido honeymoon packages, or contact us to build your custom itinerary now.