El Nido has been one of the most popular destinations in the Philippines, first and foremost thanks to the amazing beaches and small islands nearby. Here is a travel guide to El Nido Island Hopping to Tours A, B, C and D.

El Nido Island Hopping – Travel Guide

Did you know that are no less than 4 different island-hopping tours in El Nido? If you have time, why not try all of them?

Travel Tip: Book with Philippinestravelpackage.com if you want to combine several tours in one day – other tour operators no longer offer that option!

El Nido Island Hopping – How to get there

The best way to reach El Nido, especially now when travel restrictions are in place, is by taking a direct flight. Daily flights are available from Manila, Cebu and Clark. You can visit Air-Swift and book your flight through them – they are the only airline servicing El Nido.

Another popular option is flying to Puerto Princesa and then taking a 4 hours van ride from there. This isn’t as bad as it sounds! The flights are significantly cheaper, and the drive is both picturesque and comfy because the road is actually in very good condition.

If you do choose to arrive through Puerto Princesa, you better make sure you are able to book the van in advance. Nowadays with the pandemic, it is not a certainty at all. The best way to go about that is to ask your resort in El Nido to help you with that.

El Nido Island Hopping – How to Book the tours

As mentioned above, there are still some local tour providers who operate and even offer specialized, custom tours. But still, with everything that’s going on at the moment, the safest bet is to book these tours through your hotel.

Most mid-level or luxury resorts in El Nido or around it offers both private and group tours to their guests. Even if they don’t, they will be more than happy to help you set it up any way you look to. Sure, it will be a little bit more expensive that way, but going all the way to El Nido and then not being able to find someone to take you out on tours simply isn’t worth the risk.

If you are feeling adventurous or saving some extra bucks is really a priority, then take a walk around the main road next to Las Cabanas beach. There many tour operators there, some of which are still open and would be happy to assist you – all you have to do is walk into their office and ask for a quote.

El Nido Island Hopping Tours Itinerary

So, by now you already know there are 4 main choices for island hopping tours in El Nido. Now, we will describe each in greater detail and hopefully helps you choose the best ones for you!

It’s important to note that all of these tours run during the same hours (starting 8:30 and back to town by 16:30) and are all available as either group or private tours with a bangka. If you want to combine 2 tours in one day, you’ll have to book a private speedboat or you won’t be able to visit all spots in time.

El Nido Island Hopping Tour A

Island hopping A is by far the most popular one, as it’s the one which takes you to see El Nido’s most famous and iconic lagoons. It’s important to note though, that due to changes in local regulations, in order to prevent overcrowding, you can no longer visit both the small and big lagoon. If you book a private tour, you will have to choose. Otherwise, the guide will be the one choosing for the group, based on availability.

The A tour includes stops at the following locations:

• Big or Small Lagoon
• 7 Commandos Beach
• Secret Lagoon
• Shimizu Island

El Nido Island Hopping Tour B

Tour B was originally planned for people who wish to avoid the huge tourist crowds who flock the lagoons. Now, with the pandemic and with the government limitations of daily visits to each lagoon, this is no longer so much of a concern.

Still, Island hopping tour B is a great choice if you want to see a more private and exotic side of El Nido. The focus with this one is primarily on snorkelling spots, so it can a great supplemental choice to doing one of the more mainstream tours on another day.

The B tour includes the following attractions:

• Snake Island
• Pinagbuyutan Island
• Entalula Island
• Cudugnon Cave

El Nido Island hopping Tour C

Tour C is the 2nd most popular choice, and the best tour in El Nido if you ask the locals. The main focus for this one is the beaches – this tour’s itinerary takes you between all the best beaches El Nido has to offer!

The C tour includes stops at the following beaches:

• Hidden Beach
• Secret Beach
• Star Beach
• Helicopter Island

El Nido Island Hopping Tour D

Lastly, tour D is another one of those “off the beaten path” type of tours. The unique thing about this one is the fact it focuses almost entirely around Cadlao Island, which is one the most beautiful places anywhere in the Philippines.

It takes quite a bit longer to reach Cadlao compared to the other places included in previous tours, and for this reason, tour D can’t be combined with any other tour in El Nido. That’s also the reason that when you get there, you mainly focus on nearby attractions.

This makes tour D an ideal choice for those who want to enjoy beautiful beaches and islands but do so in a relaxed vibe and without spending too much time in a boat going between different locations.

Tour D includes the following stops:

• Cadlao Island and lagoon
• Paradise Beach
• Nat-Nat Beach
• Pasandigan Beach
• Papaya Beach

Besides El Nido Island Hopping

Clearly, island hopping is the main attraction in El Nido, and the fact there are so many great ones to choose from means you can easily spend all your days doing just that. Still, some people are hoping for a little bit of diversity when it comes to the activities they choose, and luckily El Nido is still able to offer that to visitors.

Unsurprisingly though, other attractions in the area all revolve around the ocean as well. The most obvious one is of course diving. El Nido doesn’t have any exciting diving attractions like other places – no sharks, whales or sea turtles to see there. But the coral reefs are really spectacular and it’s an overall very beginner-friendly diver destination. Submariner is the most reputable diving centre – you can view their catalogue and see what’s on offer in El Nido.

Another alternative to island hopping is beach hopping. You can rent a motorbike or a car for a day and drive around El Nido moving from one beach to the next. Dule and Nacpan beaches are both quite spectacular and a must-include in such a day. You can stop at Lio beach for lunch, and finish the day by going to Las Cabanas beach to grab a beer and watch the sunset.

Pro Tip: This is the best bar to go to if you want to watch the sunset in El Nido.

Where to Stay In El Nido

Since your focus in El Nido will be the island hopping tours, the best choice is to stay as close as possible to Corong-Corong Beach as that is the place all tours depart from.

• Budget: Sophia’s Beach Guesthouse
• Midrange: El Nido Garden Beach Resort
• Luxury: Buko Beach Resort

If you really want to splurge, the real luxury in El Nido comes from staying at one of the private island resorts. There are 4 different ones, and some of them such as Miniloc Island Resort for example are actually closer to the attractions included in the island hopping tours.

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