3 days in El Nido: the perfect El Nido itinerary

Planning 3 days in El Nido? This El Nido itinerary gives you two island-hopping days, a rooftop sunset and an easy arrival, with the tours, fees, timings and the change I’d make with hindsight.

Three days is the sweet spot for El Nido. It’s long enough to do the two island-hopping tours that matter, Tour A and Tour C, with a buffer for the weather and time to enjoy the town at sunset, but short enough that you won’t run out of things to do before heading on to Coron or back to Puerto Princesa.

This is the route I followed at the end of May, after the Underground River and before a three-day boat trip to Coron. It assumes you arrive by road from Puerto Princesa or by air at Lio, stay in town, and want to see El Nido’s lagoons and beaches rather than lie by a resort pool. I’ve kept it close to what I actually did, with the one thing I’d change.

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El Nido itinerary at a glance

• Day 1: Arrive, settle into town and watch the sunset from a rooftop bar.
• Day 2: Tour A, for the Big Lagoon, the Secret Lagoon, Shimizu Island and Seven Commandos Beach.
• Day 3: Tour C, for Helicopter Island, hidden beaches and the open sea, then a final sunset.

Book both tours for your first two full days. If the weather cancels one, you’ll still have time to try again.

Day 1: Arrive in El Nido

El Nido sits at the northern tip of mainland Palawan, a small, busy town squeezed between the beach and the cliffs, looking across Bacuit Bay to the peak of Cadlao Island. Most people arrive by road, which takes most of a day, so keep your first afternoon simple.

Getting to El Nido

I came by road from Puerto Princesa the day after the Underground River, in pouring rain. Shared vans take about five to five and a half hours and cost around ₱720 to ₱790, and they arrive at the transport terminal in Corong-Corong, a short tricycle ride from town. You can also fly into El Nido’s small airport at Lio from Clark, Cebu, Coron, Bohol or Boracay, which is about 15 to 20 minutes from town.

Settle into town

Base yourself in El Nido town, or in Corong-Corong if you’d rather be somewhere quieter. Being able to walk to the tour meeting points, restaurants and bars makes a short stay so much easier. I learned this the hard way: I started at a hostel outside town, where the room was tiny and the walk in was awkward with a suitcase, and moved into town after one night.

Use the afternoon to sort the practical things. Book your tours if you haven’t already, withdraw cash (almost everything here is cash only), and drop off any laundry. I dropped mine off one morning and picked it up that evening.

Watch the sunset from a rooftop

El Nido’s sunsets are something else, with the sky turning orange behind the islands and hundreds of bangkas bobbing in the bay. The best way to see one is from a rooftop with a drink. I watched it from Piece of Sky, the rooftop bar at H Hotel, with a cocktail and a saxophonist playing smooth jazz. Get up there before the sun starts to drop: on my first night I only caught the tail end.

Suggested stay: H Hotel El Nido is a stylish, vegan-friendly hotel in town with spacious rooms, a fully plant-based breakfast and that rooftop bar. You can also compare places to stay in El Nido.

Day 2: Tour A, the lagoons

Day two is the big one. Tour A is El Nido’s most popular island-hopping tour, and it’s built around the lagoons hidden behind the cliffs of Miniloc Island. It’s also the tour most likely to run in rough weather, which makes it the right one to do first.

Meet your operator in town between 8 and 9am. Mine asked us to be at Jarace Grill by 9, with photo ID, cash, water, a change of clothes and a dry bag. Expect a wait while the guide sorts out permits and coastguard clearance.

Kayak into the Big Lagoon

The first stop is the Big Lagoon, the sight that put El Nido on the map. The entrance can be choppy, but inside the water turns calm and a turquoise that totally doesn’t look real, ringed by sheer grey cliffs. Rent a kayak (₱300 to ₱500, on top of the ₱200 lagoon fee) and paddle to the far corners. We found a secret little tunnel through the rocks there, and it was one of my favourite moments of the trip.

Snorkel at Shimizu Island

Next comes a snorkelling stop at Shimizu Island, where you jump off the boat to see coral and fish. It can be choppy, so if you get seasick, take something before you set off: I started to feel queasy after half an hour in the water.

Slide into the Secret Lagoon

The Secret Lagoon is hidden behind a wall of rock with an entrance so small you’d never spot it. You swim over, lie flat on your back and the guides slide you through the gap into a tiny pool surrounded by cliffs. It’s one of the quirkiest experiences in El Nido.

Finish at Seven Commandos Beach

The day ends with an hour at Seven Commandos Beach, a long stretch of white sand backed by palms. It’s busy, but beautiful. Take your hat and cover-up ashore: I left mine on the boat and was roasting within minutes when the sun came out.

Back in town, shower, then head out for dinner. Staying in town means you can walk.

Day 3: Tour C, the open sea

Tour C sails west out of the bay to the outer islands, and it felt completely different from Tour A, which is exactly what you want from a second day out. Expect more beaches and better snorkelling, but also more exposure to the weather.

Fly over Helicopter Island

The first stop is Helicopter Island, named because its shape is said to look like a helicopter. It’s dramatic as you sail up, with a long white beach and good snorkelling around the big rock at the end, where turtles are sometimes seen. If you have a drone, this is the place to fly it.

Hidden beaches, or a lagoon swap

Tour C usually visits Secret Beach, which you reach through a hole in the rock, and Hidden Beach, tucked away behind the cliffs. Both need calm water. On my day the sea was too choppy to land at Secret Beach, so the crew took us to Cadlao Lagoon instead, where I rented my own kayak for ₱300 and had the most peaceful hour of the whole trip. Go in with an open mind: the swaps are often just as good.

Lunch on the beach and Matinloc Shrine

Lunch is served on a beach, and afterwards there’s more snorkelling along a reef drop-off. We even had a surprise visit from dolphins. The last stop is Matinloc Shrine, an abandoned shrine with a viewpoint over the cliffs. I went ashore but skipped the shrine itself to fly my drone, so do the same if you’d rather have the extra time on the beach.

A final sunset

You’ll be tired after a day in the sun, but make it back up to a rooftop for your last sunset. On my last night, the clouds cleared just in time.

The change I’d make: Book a room in town from the start, rather than moving mid-stay as I did. The evenings in town were some of the best parts of my stay.

Have more time? Add these to your El Nido itinerary

A beach day at Nacpan: Nacpan Beach, about 45 minutes north of town, is a long, quiet curve of sand with no entrance fee. Hire a tricycle for the round trip, or join a shared shuttle.

Tour B or D: If you have a fourth day, add another island-hopping tour. Tour B is for caves and the Snake Island sandbar, and Tour D for quieter lagoons, including the Small Lagoon and Cadlao Lagoon. My guide to the El Nido island-hopping tours compares all four.

Take the slow boat to Coron: Rather than the fast ferry, spend three days sailing to Coron on a boat expedition, sleeping at beach camps on remote islands. I did it with Keelooma and it was one of the highlights of my time in the Philippines.

Handy tips for planning your 3 days in El Nido

Top tips: Bring plenty of cash for the fees, kayaks and tricycles, as the ATMs in town can run dry. Book your tours for the start of your stay, and book the boat to Coron well ahead in peak season.

What to pack: Water shoes, a dry bag, reef-safe sun cream, a hat and a floating strap for your camera. My Philippines packing list has the rest.

Best time to visit: December to May, with the calmest seas from February to April. I visited at the end of May and had mostly good weather, with a few rainy patches and one swapped stop.

Getting around: Town is walkable, and tricycles cover everything else. My guide to getting around the Philippines covers flights, vans and ferries.

Map

Read next

• Coron travel guide: the best things to do in Coron
• How to get from El Nido to Coron
• El Nido travel guide
• El Nido island hopping: Tours A, B, C and D compared
• The perfect 3-week Philippines itinerary

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