El Nido Palawan is home to some of the most beautiful lagoons and remote islands in the world. The white sand beaches are met with crystal clear blue waters & every beach is postcard perfect. El Nido Town is a vibrant hub with more bars and restaurants than you could try, most of which are along the beachfront meaning you can watch the sunset while listening to live music and enjoying a cocktail. Have we sold you yet?
Being one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Philippines, it can be overcrowded especially in peak season and El Nido’s prices are slightly higher than the rest of the country. But, that shouldn’t stop backpackers or families from visiting, whether you’re looking for a lively hostel or a cliff side resort with ocean views, El Nido has it on offer.
This guide contains everything you need to know before visiting El Nido Palawan from the best months to visit, a suggested El Nido Itinerary, boat tour comparison, El Nido costs and more.
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Best Time To Visit El Nido Palawan
The best months to visit El Nido are from December to February, the temperatures are at their coolest and there is little rainfall. However, that also directly overlaps with the busiest tourist season for the Philippines, so depending on what type of traveller you are, might change when it’s best for you to visit.
August to mid-October is best avoided due to the possibility of very heavy rainfall as well as typhoons hitting the Philippines. Other than these months, you should still have a great time visiting El Nido, the shoulder seasons will just bring daily showers however it will still be warm.
23 destinations & 11 itineraries to help you plan the ultimate Philippines trip
What To Pack
When heading to the Philippines, you’re going to want light breathable clothes as the tropics are warm all year round, they only have a wet and dry season, meaning you’ll also need some waterproofs. Read our Full Philippines Packing List for some of our favourite essentials.
El Nido Boat Tours
Straight into the good stuff! If you’re visiting El Nido, you absolutely have to do a boat tour, without a doubt the vast limestone cliffs were incredible & the boats take you to hidden beaches otherwise inaccessible. We chose to book Tour A through our accommodation hoping to get a deal, instead we ended up being one of the last boats to leave the beach that morning – so we recommend booking online from a reliable tour provider with good reviews.
There is a choice of 4 boat tour routes:
- Tour A – The El Nido Boat Tour A is by far the most popular covering some of the more famous lagoons and beaches that you see all over social media. If you don’t like crowds, then maybe choose one of the alternate tours, our guide mentioned in peak season tours can wait 30 minutes just to get into an over-crowded secret lagoon, which undoubtedly spoils the experience.
- Tour B – This El Nido island hopping tour covers the southern islands of Bacuit Bay including one of the most famous stops: Snake Island. You’ll be brought to multiple caves and islands, a more relaxing day out than tour A.
- Tour C – A snorkelling lover’s dream, El Nidos boat tour C explores some of the best coral reefs and visits the Matinloc Shrine, a great viewpoint.
- Tour D – The quietest of the 4 El Nido boat tours is Tour D, exploring some of the more off the beaten track lagoons and beaches. We wish we picked this one!
Embark on an unforgettable island-hopping adventure in El Nido with Boat Tour A—book your spot now and explore paradise!
- Most beautiful but the busiest – Tour A
- Cave exploring and remote islands – Tour B
- Best Snorkelling – Tour C
- Least Crowds – Tour D
How To Get To El Nido Town
From Manila
- Best Option: Flight to Puerto Princesa (1hr 30 mins, From $45), then a Shared Tourist Van to El Nido (6hrs, From $10pp)
- Most Expensive: Direct Flight To El Nido Airport (1hr 30 mins, From $100)
- Via Coron: Ferry to Coron (12+hrs, From $15pp), then a Ferry to El Nido (3hrs 30 mins, From $46pp)
For more information, read our full guide about How To Get To El Nido
From Cebu
- Best Option: Flight to Puerto Princesa (1hr 30 mins, From $45), then a Shared Tourist Van to El Nido (6hrs, From $10pp)
- Most Expensive: Direct Flight To El Nido Airport (1hr 30 mins, From $100)
For more information, read our full guide about How To Get To El Nido, Palawan
From Puerto Princesa
- Best Option: Shared Tourist Van (6hrs, From $10pp)
- Cheapest: Public Bus (8hrs, From $8pp)
- Most Expensive: Private Taxi (5hrs, From $85)
For more information, read our Full Guide About How To Get To El Nido
From Port Barton
- Best Option: Shared Tourist Van (3hrs, From $10pp)
El Nido Itineraries
You could spend a month in El Nido alone, exploring the hundreds of islands in Bacuit Bay, working from the beachfront cafes, listening to live music while watching the sunset and exploring the area by scooter. It really is paradise and we can see why it’s become so popular with tourists over the recent years. During the high season we can imagine El Nido is chaotic, maybe too busy for some and we’re glad we visited just before the rainy season came into full force.
How Many Days Should You Stay in El Nido?
We recommend a minimum of 3 nights 2 days, this gives you a chance to explore the land sights for one day and do a boat tour the other. The ideal amount of time is probably 4-7 days, giving you a chance to relax as well as see all of what El Nido has to offer.
3 Day El Nido Itinerary
- Day 1: Your first day will be taken up with your journey, most likely arriving in El Nido in a tourist van or private taxi, you can then check-in and spend the rest of your evening discovering the town, enjoying great food and maybe a sunset cocktail. Welcome to paradise!
- Day 2: Go on the El Nido boat trip. We recommend booking your island hopping tour in advance! This means you can relax and enjoy your first evening then spend the next day being taken to some of the best spots in El Nido.
- Day 3: On your last full day, we recommend renting a scooter to explore or getting a Land Tour. You’ll visit Nacpan Beach, Nagkalit-kalit falls and more, seeing all of El Nido’s best tourist spots. We then recommend taking a trike to Las Cabanas Beach for sunset.
7 Day El Nido Itinerary
If you have more days to spare then hell yeah! There’s so much more to see and do, you could go on multiple of the boat tours, one at the start of your week and the other at the end. Tour A and D are completely different: Tour A brings you to the famous lagoons which are beautiful but crowded whereas Tour D will bring you to the remote islands not many tourists go to. You could spend at least a day on Las Cabanas or Corong-Corong Beach relaxing, shopping or on the zipline. Climb Taraw Cliff, then hop on a scooter and explore Nacpan & Duli Beaches. Apparently Nacpan Beach is one of the most beautiful in the whole of the Philippines!
Top Things To Do in El Nido
Famous for its stunning stretches of white sand, El Nido has some of the best beaches in Palawan, vibrant coral reefs and crystal clear water surrounded by limestone cliffs, it has become a tourist hotspot in recent years. There is definitely no shortage of things to see and do in and around this beautiful town, below we share our favourite El Nido Things To Do.
- Explore Nagkalit-kalit Falls
- Learn to Surf at Duli Beach
- Parasailing at Nacpan Beach
- Hike Taraw Cliff
- Sunset cocktails at Marimegmeg Beach
- Zipline at Las Cabanas
- Enjoy awesome food from El Nido Town Square
- Live music bars
- And of course, the famous El Nido Island Hopping Tour
- Rent a scooter and explore El Nido’s Best Beaches
- Overnight sailboat from El Nido to Coron
🗺️ Your Ultimate Philippines Map
On our way, we created a Google Pinned Map with all the places we visited in The Philippines. Grab your Pinned Map today and start planning your adventure!
Our Favourite El Nido Beaches
- Duli Beach
- Nacpan Beach
- Lio Beach
- Las Cabanas Beach
- Paradise Beach
Best Places To Stay in El Nido
El Nido town itself is a small seafront settlement that is home to many restaurants, bars, nomad cafes and gyms. It is the hub for the surrounding area and lots of budget accommodation choices are concentrated here meaning we think this is the best area to stay in El Nido. The centre of the town is a great place to be, but if you want the El Nido experience sold by many travel companies then areas such as Vanilla Beach and Corong Corong are home to the white sand beaches and tranquil waters. More upmarket resorts are found on the outskirts of El Nido, but don’t worry you’ll never be too far from El Nido Town.
Best Places To Stay In El Nido
$ Budget
Forest Camp
Perched high on the cliff side you can find forest camp. A basic but budget hostel that offers amazing views and breakfast included! Stay in traditional Nipa huts overlooking the famous limestone cliffs.
$$ Mid-Range
Frendz Hostel
Located in El Nido Town you will be able to walk to tours, restaurants and bars. The town is quiet in the day but alive at night. This is a great option if you’re a solo traveller, plus there’s a huge swimming pool.
$$$ High-End
Mua Tala Hotel
A luxury choice, Mua Tala features and outdoor pool, garden, terrace and bar and restaurant. At the base is Marimegmeg Beach plus it’s close to other popular attractions.
Spacing
Best Places To Eat in El Nido
Best Places To Eat in El Nido
- Munch Island – it might not have the best name, but the burger here was amazing. We ate it on the beachfront watching the sunset over the limestone cliffs
- Maa’s Grill – Filipino dishes cooked fresh for affordable prices!
- Happy Home Restaurant – huge portions for good prices
Best Restaurants in El Nido
- Fuego Burgers Proper Burgers – A slice of America in the heart of Palawan, these burgers were insane!
- Trattoria Altrove – a great choice for Italian food
- Patron Mexican – tequila and fajitas on tap!
- Happiness Beach Bar – smoothie bowls for breakfast, live music and cocktails for sunset
- El Nido Boutique Art Cafe – A quirky cafe with live music and sea views. This place is popular for a reason
Best Digital Nomad Cafe El Nido
- Hama Coffee – we worked from here for a couple of days and it’s a beautiful cafe on the beachfront with great pastries!
How to Get Around El Nido
Rental Scooter
If you can handle driving the chaotic roads of Asia, then scooter rental is by far the best option for getting around El Nido, giving you flexibility to travel at your own pace. There are loads of shops in the centre of town all offering similar prices, which are a couple of dollars higher than in other Philippines tourist towns, but that’s expected as it’s El Nido.
Trikes
If you only need to travel a short distance or don’t fancy driving a scooter (we don’t blame you) then trikes are always around and happy to take you to any of El Nido’s Beaches. They are a great way to get around for families, just make sure to agree on a price before getting in!
Van Tour
If you want to see all of the highlights El Nido has to offer and don’t want to drive yourself, then a Land Tour is a great option. You can sit back and relax in-between stops and the driver will take you to all of the best spots. We recommend booking one online with good reviews, or if you’re on a budget you could negotiate a day tour with a local trike drive.
Is El Nido Expensive?
El Nido is considerably more expensive to visit than the rest of the Philippines, but the good news is that it’s still considerably cheaper than the western world. A common question is how much is beer in El Nido? Don’t worry, that will still only cost $1 (and $0.6 during happy hour). Below are examples of El Nido’s costs for various expenses:
- Boat Tour A: £21 per person
- Accommodation: £18.61 per night for two people
- Shared Van From Puerto Princesa To El Nido: £9 per person
- Laundry (5kg): £6.65
- Dinner: £6 -10
- Scooter Rental: £4 a day
El Nido vs Coron Palawan
Two of the major tourist highlights of the Philippines and hard to choose between, the battle of El Nido vs Coron is a difficult choice. In short, El Nido is better for its beaches and island hopping tours, with a more built up main town which has all of the western restaurants you could ever want. Coron on the other hand is known to be a divers paradise, with shipwrecks and epic reefs, it has a much more laid back feel. Coron also has things to do for non-divers such as Barracuda Lake, however it’s more of a relaxing trip, compared to El Nido where we think there’s more opportunity for land exploration.
El Nido Travel Tips
Below we share our favourite tips for travelling El Nido:
- Plan your transport: Getting to El Nido takes around 6 hours from Puerto Princesa, book your transport in advance here!
- Be prepared for the boat tours to be busy. Boat Tour A is the most popular and therefore the busiest so perhaps try Boat Tour C or D.
- Eat Local, we found it challenging to find authentic local food in El Nido, but the Western food options were mediocre.
- Rent a scooter to explore the natural attractions. There are so many beautiful beaches in El Nido and waterfalls to explore nearby, just make sure you wear a helmet as it’s compulsory in El Nido Town.
- Don’t forget to travel Palawan and see Port Barton & Coron!
