El Nido Island Hopping Tours: Tour A, B, C & D Explained

Choosing an island-hopping tour in El Nido sounds simple until somebody asks:

Tour A, B, C or D?

The letters aren’t different versions of the same trip. They are four separate routes through Bacuit Bay, and they offer noticeably different days on the water.

The short version is:

• Tour A — choose it for the famous lagoons and the classic first-time El Nido experience.
• Tour B — choose it for caves, sandbars and generally fewer crowds.
• Tour C — choose it for beaches, snorkelling and a more adventurous outer-island day.
• Tour D — choose it for Cadlao Lagoon, quieter beaches and a slower-paced alternative.

If you only have one island-hopping day, Tour A is the obvious place to start.

If you have two days, the strongest combination for most first-time visitors is Tour A + Tour C.

Have three or four days and the decision becomes more interesting — because B and D show you a noticeably quieter side of El Nido.

Here is how the four routes compare.

Tour A is the route most first-time visitors book first. Check dates and current prices for your travel day below.

Tour A vs B vs C vs D: quick comparison

Current August 2026 published shared-tour prices sit broadly between ₱1,200 and ₱1,700 per person, depending on route and operator. The Eco-Tourism Development Fee is currently listed at ₱400 per person and valid for 10 days, while some lagoon stops have additional entrance charges.

Other experiences you might enjoy

Beyond Tours A to D, Bacuit Bay has plenty more within reach of El Nido town: Big Lagoon, Small Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, Snake Island, Cudugnon Cave, Secret Beach, Hidden Beach, Matinloc Shrine and Cadlao Lagoon. Up the coast, Coron adds Kayangan Lake, Twin Lagoon and Barracuda Lake. Browse more Palawan tours below.

If you don’t want to read the whole comparison

Pick Tour A if:

This is your first time in El Nido and you want the landscapes you’ve seen in the photographs.

Pick Tour C if:

You’ve already done Tour A, or beaches and snorkelling interest you more than lagoons.

Pick Tour B if:

Crowds bother you and you like sandbars, caves and unusual landscapes.

Pick Tour D if:

You want a relaxed day close to El Nido with fewer boats and plenty of scenery.

If you have two days:

Do A + C.

If you have three days:

Do A + C + B.

If you have four days:

Do all four, ideally A → C → B → D.

That ordering also matches the way current local itinerary guides tend to prioritise the routes for first-time visitors.

Tour A: the classic El Nido lagoon tour

If you’ve searched for El Nido for more than five minutes, you’ve probably already seen Tour A without knowing its name.

This is the route associated with enormous limestone cliffs, turquoise lagoons and kayaks disappearing between rock walls.

Its headline attraction is Big Lagoon.

Typical Tour A stops

Current published itineraries commonly include:

• Big Lagoon
• Secret Lagoon
• Shimizu Island
• Seven Commandos Beach
• another Miniloc-area lagoon or beach stop depending on the operator and current access arrangements

Published routes can vary, so always check the exact itinerary attached to the tour you’re booking rather than assuming every Tour A is identical.

What Tour A feels like

Tour A is the most visually “El Nido” of the four routes.

The day is built around:

• limestone cliffs;
• kayaking;
• enclosed lagoons;
• swimming;
• beaches;
• short snorkelling stops.

It is not necessarily the route with the very best reef snorkelling or the quieter beaches.

Its strength is the scenery.

If you came to Palawan specifically wanting to paddle through water enclosed by giant karst walls, this is the tour for it.

Tour A is best for

• first-time visitors;
• photographers;
• couples;
• families comfortable with a full day on a boat;
• anyone with only one island-hopping day;
• travellers specifically wanting Big Lagoon.

The downside: crowds

Everyone else has seen those photographs too.

Tour A tends to be busier than the other three standard routes.

The difference between a wonderful Tour A and a frustrating one can therefore come down to timing.

At Big Lagoon especially, several groups arriving simultaneously can create a queue of kayaks through the narrow entrance.

This is one of the few cases where paying more for a good small-group or private tour can noticeably change the experience.

How much does Tour A cost?

Current published shared-tour prices are roughly:

₱1,200–₱1,500 per person

before any fees not included by your operator.

So don’t compare tours purely by the number beside the booking button.

Check what the final price includes.

Our pick on GetYourGuide: El Nido: Island Hopping Tour A Lagoons and Beaches, from $25 per person, rated 4.4 from 1,989 reviews (checked September 2026). For a private boat, El Nido: Private Island Hopping Tour A with Buffet Lunch starts from $130 and is rated 4.7 from 15 reviews, a small sample. Our price breakdown is on the Tour A page.

Should Tour A be your first El Nido tour?

Usually, yes.

If you have never been to El Nido, Tour A answers the basic question:

What is all the fuss about?

Big Lagoon alone makes the route distinctive enough that I wouldn’t skip it just because Tour A is popular.

For much more detail, see our Big Lagoon El Nido guide.

Tour B: caves, sandbars and fewer boats

Tour B gets considerably less attention than A or C.

That’s exactly why some travellers end up liking it.

Instead of building the day around the most famous lagoons, Tour B focuses more on sandbars, caves and distinctive limestone islands.

Typical Tour B stops

Current published routes list stops including:

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

Current pricing runs around ₱1,200–₱1,600 per person for a shared boat.

Our pick on GetYourGuide: El Nido: Island Hopping Tour B Cudugnon Cave & More, from $28 per person, rated 4.4 from 267 reviews (checked September 2026). Details are on the Tour B page.

Why is Snake Island special?

The name creates slightly the wrong impression.

You don’t visit because of snakes.

The main attraction is a long, curving sandbar that appears more dramatically as the tide drops.

From above, the strip of sand snakes through the water — hence the name.

It creates a completely different landscape from Tour A’s enclosed lagoons.

Instead of paddling beneath limestone walls, you’re walking along a thin ridge of sand with sea on either side.

Tour B is best for

• travellers who dislike crowds;
• anyone who has already done Tour A;
• photographers looking for different Palawan scenery;
• cave and geology lovers;
• people who want more variation between their island-hopping days.

What is the downside?

Tour B doesn’t have one enormous headline attraction equivalent to Big Lagoon.

That can make it look weaker when you’re comparing tour descriptions online.

But the route works better as a complete day than its individual stop names might suggest.

You’re getting several different landscapes instead of moving from one famous lagoon to another.

Is Tour B worth doing?

Yes — but I wouldn’t usually make it my only El Nido tour.

For a first-time visitor with limited time, I’d prioritise:

Tour A → Tour C → Tour B

in that order.

If you’ve already been to El Nido once, however, Tour B becomes much more interesting.

Tour C: beaches, snorkelling and the outer islands

Tour C is the route most likely to compete with Tour A for your attention.

For some travellers, it ends up being their favourite day in El Nido.

Tour C heads farther into Bacuit Bay and puts more emphasis on beaches, snorkelling and dramatic outer-island scenery.

Typical Tour C stops

Current published itineraries commonly include:

• Secret Beach
• Hidden Beach
• Helicopter Island
• Matinloc Shrine
• Star Beach

Shared-tour pricing is currently listed at roughly ₱1,200–₱1,700 per person.

Our pick on GetYourGuide: El Nido Island Hopping Tour C: Hidden Beaches & Shrine, from $30 per person, rated 4.4 from 797 reviews (checked September 2026). Details are on the Tour C page.

Why Tour C feels different from Tour A

Tour A’s drama comes from being enclosed.

Tour C feels more open.

You’re travelling farther between islands and encountering:

• offshore beaches;
• reef areas;
• limestone formations;
• hidden coves;
• larger stretches of open sea.

If A feels like exploring inside El Nido’s limestone landscape, C feels more like travelling through the archipelago.

Secret Beach

Secret Beach is one of Tour C’s signature stops.

The appeal is partly the approach: the beach is concealed behind limestone rock, making the process of reaching it part of the experience.

Access conditions depend on the sea.

That is worth remembering when looking at tour itineraries.

A stop being listed does not guarantee that the captain can safely use exactly the same access point in every weather condition.

Hidden Beach

Hidden Beach gives you another version of the “how is there a beach back here?” effect.

The surrounding limestone formations shelter the sand and shallow water from the open sea.

Tour C’s combination of Secret Beach and Hidden Beach is one reason the route doesn’t feel like Tour A repeated with different names.

Helicopter Island

Helicopter Island is much more open.

It’s known for its distinctive limestone profile and is often used as a swimming or snorkelling stop.

The shift from hidden coves to broad offshore scenery gives Tour C more variety than you might expect from the itinerary list.

Tour C is best for

• snorkellers;
• beach lovers;
• people who have already done Tour A;
• travellers who enjoy longer boat rides;
• photographers;
• anyone wanting a more adventurous-feeling day.

Who might not enjoy Tour C?

Because it reaches farther into Bacuit Bay, the journey can be more exposed to sea conditions.

If you’re prone to motion sickness, Tour C deserves a little more thought than the relatively close-to-town routes.

Take medication before departure if that’s normally necessary for you, instead of waiting until you feel sick.

A or C if you only have one day?

This is the hardest Tour A/B/C/D decision.

Pick Tour A if:

You’ve never been to El Nido and want the signature lagoon experience.

Pick Tour C if:

You’ve already seen plenty of lagoons elsewhere and care more about beaches and snorkelling.

For most first-time visitors, I would still choose A.

But if you have two days, don’t overthink it.

Do A and C.

Tour D: Cadlao Lagoon and the quieter side of El Nido

Tour D receives the least attention of the four.

That’s not necessarily because it’s worse.

It’s because most visitors run out of days.

By the time you’ve allocated one day to Tour A, another to Tour C, and perhaps a day for beaches or travelling onward to Coron, Tour D is often the route that gets cut.

That makes it an interesting option if you deliberately want to avoid the standard first-time itinerary.

Typical Tour D stops

Current published routes concentrate on the Cadlao area and include:

• Cadlao Lagoon
• Pasadigan Cove
• Natnat Beach

Exact stops may differ between operators and current conditions.

What Tour D feels like

More relaxed.

Cadlao Island is close to El Nido, so you spend less of the day chasing the most famous stops farther out in Bacuit Bay.

Tour D works particularly well if what you want is:

• swimming;
• kayaking;
• beaches;
• scenery;
• fewer boats;
• less pressure to “tick off” famous landmarks.

Cadlao Lagoon

Cadlao Lagoon is the standout.

It has the same basic ingredients that make El Nido famous — turquoise water, limestone formations and lush vegetation — without the same level of recognition as Big Lagoon.

That means some visitors arrive expecting very little and are pleasantly surprised.

Tour D is best for

• repeat visitors;
• travellers avoiding crowds;
• people spending four or more days in El Nido;
• slower travellers;
• families wanting a less hectic day;
• anyone who has already done A and C.

How much does Tour D cost?

Published shared-tour pricing currently sits around:

₱1,200–₱1,500 per person

with additional lagoon charges potentially applying depending on itinerary and operator.

Tour D is the hardest of the four to book on its own. The only GetYourGuide listing we found that includes Tour D stops is El Nido: A/C/D Highlights with Wonderland & more, a private A, C and D combination from $216, rated 5.0 from a single review. Treat that score as unproven, and ask a local operator about a standalone Tour D if you want one.

Tour A vs Tour C: which is better?

This is the comparison that matters most.

Tour A wins for:

• lagoons;
• kayaking;
• first-time visitors;
• iconic El Nido scenery;
• Big Lagoon.

Tour C wins for:

• beaches;
• snorkelling;
• variety;
• more remote scenery;
• travellers doing their second island-hopping day.

The simple answer

If you have one day: A.

If you have two days: A + C.

Tour A vs Tour B

These two routes are almost opposites.

Tour A

Famous, dramatic and busy.

Tour B

Quieter, more varied and less instantly recognisable.

Choose A for your first trip.

Choose B when you’d rather discover somewhere than photograph the same places everyone else has photographed.

Tour B vs Tour C

Choose B for:

• fewer people;
• sandbars;
• caves;
• unusual landscapes.

Choose C for:

• snorkelling;
• beaches;
• bigger-name attractions;
• a more energetic day on the water.

If this is your second tour after A, I’d generally take C.

Tour C vs Tour D

These are very different days.

Tour C heads toward the more dramatic outer-island experience.

Tour D stays closer to Cadlao and tends to be calmer and less busy.

Pick C if:

You want another big sightseeing day.

Pick D if:

You want a beautiful day without feeling like you’re chasing a checklist.

Which El Nido tour has the best snorkelling?

Tour C is usually the strongest choice.

It tends to place more emphasis on offshore beaches and reef stops than Tour A.

That doesn’t mean every Tour C guarantees spectacular underwater visibility.

Snorkelling quality depends on:

• sea conditions;
• sunlight;
• recent weather;
• tides;
• exact stop used by the operator.

But if snorkelling is one of your main reasons for booking, C should be high on your list.

Which tour has the best lagoons?

Tour A.

Big Lagoon is the main reason.

Tour D’s Cadlao Lagoon is also excellent and typically quieter, but Tour A remains the most obvious choice for a first-time lagoon day.

Which El Nido tour is least crowded?

Usually Tour D or Tour B.

That doesn’t guarantee you’ll be alone.

El Nido is a major tourism destination.

“Quiet” here means quieter relative to the flagship routes.

Which tour has the best beaches?

I’d lean toward Tour C.

Hidden Beach and Secret Beach give it two distinctive stops, while other islands add conventional swimming and snorkelling opportunities.

Tour B is also strong if you prefer less crowded beaches.

Which tour is best for families?

For many families, Tour A is the obvious first choice because the attractions are varied and the route is well established.

But it isn’t automatically the easiest.

Think about:

• getting on and off boats;
• kayaking;
• full-day sun exposure;
• swimming ability;
• how children cope with crowds.

A private Tour A or D can be considerably easier with younger children because the day can move more at your own pace.

Which tour is best for couples?

A shared Tour A or C works perfectly well.

But if El Nido is a honeymoon or special trip, a private boat is one of the upgrades worth considering.

The advantage isn’t that the scenery changes.

It’s that you aren’t organising your entire day around twenty other people’s lunch, swimming and boarding times.

Shared tour or private boat?

This decision may matter almost as much as A vs B vs C vs D.

Shared tour

Choose this if:

• you’re travelling alone;
• you’re a couple;
• budget matters;
• meeting other travellers appeals to you;
• you don’t mind a fixed schedule.

Shared tours provide excellent value.

Private tour

Consider one if:

• you’re a group;
• you’re travelling with children;
• photography matters;
• you dislike crowds;
• you want flexibility;
• you have limited time and want the day to work around you.

Traditional boat or speedboat?

Most standard island-hopping tours use Filipino outrigger boats.

A speedboat changes the equation.

Advantages of a speedboat

• faster transfers;
• potentially more flexibility;
• less time travelling between stops;
• easier to fit several highlights into the day.

Disadvantages

• substantially more expensive;
• less of the traditional island-hopping feel;
• faster is not necessarily more comfortable in rough conditions.

For most first-time visitors, a normal outrigger tour is perfectly adequate.

The speedboat makes more sense when time is unusually valuable.

Our pick for a speedboat day: El Nido Tour A & C: Two Iconic Tours in One Day by Speedboat, from $81, rated 4.8 from 39 reviews (checked September 2026). It fits Tours A and C into a single day.

What is included in El Nido island-hopping tours?

Packages vary, but shared tours commonly include some combination of:

• boat;
• licensed crew or guide;
• lunch;
• drinking water;
• masks and snorkels.

But don’t assume everything is included.

You need to check separately for:

• Eco-Tourism Development Fee;
• lagoon entrance fees;
• kayak rental;
• hotel transfer;
• fins;
• towels;
• dry bags.

The lowest advertised price isn’t necessarily the cheapest final tour.

El Nido environmental fee

As of August 2026, the published Eco-Tourism Development Fee (ETDF) is ₱400 per person and is valid for 10 days.

You normally pay it once, not on every island-hopping day.

Keep whatever proof of payment you’re given if you’re taking multiple tours.

This is particularly useful if you’re planning A + C or all four routes.

Should you book El Nido tours in advance?

If your itinerary is flexible and you’re visiting in a quieter period, you may find plenty of local availability.

I would book ahead when:

• you’re visiting during a busy travel period;
• you only have one or two days;
• you want a private boat;
• you want a particularly well-reviewed operator;
• you’re travelling as a family;
• your onward ferry or expedition to Coron is already fixed.

The shorter your stay, the more expensive it becomes to lose a day to bad planning.

What happens if the weather is bad?

Island hopping is weather-dependent.

Trips can be:

• changed;
• delayed;
• rerouted;
• cancelled.

A specific stop can also become inaccessible even when the rest of the trip operates.

That is particularly relevant for enclosed or hidden beaches where safe access depends on sea conditions.

If island hopping is the main reason you’re visiting El Nido, don’t schedule your only tour for the final possible day before a flight or fixed onward journey.

Leave some margin.

How many El Nido island-hopping tours should you do?

If you have 1 full day

Tour A

You get Big Lagoon and the classic first-time experience.

If you have 2 full days

Tour A + Tour C

This is the sweet spot.

One lagoon-focused day and one beach/snorkelling-focused day.

If you have 3 full days

Tour A + Tour C + Tour B

Now you start seeing the quieter side of the archipelago.

If you have 4 full days

A + C + B + D

But don’t feel obligated to collect all four letters.

After two or three days on boats, some travellers would rather spend a day on land, relax at a beach or continue toward Coron.

Should you do all four tours?

Only if you genuinely enjoy island hopping.

Doing all four makes sense if:

• El Nido is the main focus of your Palawan trip;
• you love being on boats;
• you have six or more days including travel;
• seeing quieter areas matters to you.

It makes less sense if you also want to visit Coron.

In that case I’d usually favour:

Tour A + Tour C → continue toward Coron

rather than spending every available day doing progressively less famous El Nido routes.

El Nido island hopping or Coron island hopping?

Don’t treat them as substitutes.

El Nido excels at:

• limestone islands;
• hidden beaches;
• kayaking;
• sea lagoons;
• Bacuit Bay scenery.

Coron adds:

• Kayangan Lake;
• Barracuda Lake;
• Twin Lagoon;
• wreck snorkelling and diving;
• another very different limestone landscape.

If you have enough time, do both destinations.

That’s far more interesting than squeezing all four El Nido routes into the itinerary just because they’re labelled A, B, C and D.

How to combine El Nido tours with Coron

A particularly strong Palawan itinerary is:

Day 1

Arrive in El Nido.

Day 2

Tour A

Big Lagoon and the classic lagoon scenery.

Day 3

Tour C

Beaches and snorkelling.

Day 4

Rest, explore on land or start travelling toward Coron.

Days 4–7

Either:

• take the ferry to Coron; or
• turn the transfer into a multi-day El Nido-to-Coron expedition.

Coron

Spend at least one full day visiting places such as:

• Kayangan Lake;
• Barracuda Lake;
• Twin Lagoon.

This gives you more variety than staying in El Nido purely to complete Tours B and D.

Don’t automatically take the ferry to Coron

If Coron is next, there is another decision to make.

The straightforward choice is a ferry.

It gets you from one town to the other and preserves your time.

But there are also multi-day island expeditions between El Nido and Coron.

Instead of losing a large part of a day to transport, you travel through the remote islands between the two destinations, stopping for:

• snorkelling;
• beaches;
• small islands;
• meals;
• overnight stays.

It’s not the right choice for everyone.

Accommodation is usually simpler than a hotel, the trip takes several days, and weather matters.

But if you enjoy island hopping enough to consider doing three or four lettered El Nido tours, you should at least compare an expedition before booking yet another conventional day trip.

Our pick: El Nido to Coron: 3-Day 2-Night Island-Hopping Expedition, from $321, rated 4.8 from 589 reviews (checked September 2026). It covers the crossing in three days and two nights.

Common mistakes when choosing an El Nido island-hopping tour

1. Assuming A, B, C and D are quality levels

They are routes, not rankings.

Tour D isn’t the “fourth-best” tour.

2. Choosing purely by the number of stops

Five mediocre rushed stops aren’t automatically better than four good ones.

3. Picking the cheapest advertised ticket

Compare the final cost after fees and kayak rentals.

4. Doing A, B, C and D just because they exist

Your holiday isn’t a checklist.

Coron may be a better use of your third or fourth boat day.

5. Expecting Tour A to be quiet

It is the flagship route.

6. Skipping Tour C because you’ve already done Tour A

They are different enough to justify doing both.

7. Booking island hopping immediately before a fixed onward departure

Weather can interfere.

Give yourself some breathing room.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most popular island-hopping tour in El Nido?

Tour A is generally the flagship first-time route because it includes the famous lagoon scenery, particularly Big Lagoon.

Which El Nido tour should I do first?

For most first-time visitors, Tour A.

Which is better, Tour A or Tour C?

Tour A is stronger for lagoons and first-time sightseeing. Tour C is stronger for beaches and snorkelling.

If possible, do both.

Which El Nido tour is best for snorkelling?

Tour C is usually the strongest choice.

Which El Nido tour is least crowded?

Tour B and Tour D are typically quieter than A and C.

Is Tour B worth it?

Yes, particularly if you’ve already done A and want sandbars, caves and fewer boats.

Is Tour D worth it?

Yes for travellers who value quieter beaches and Cadlao Lagoon, although I’d generally prioritise A and C first.

How many tours should I do?

For most travellers, two tours — A and C — are enough to see the major variety of El Nido without spending the entire trip on organised boats.

How long do the tours take?

They are generally full-day excursions. Exact departure and return times vary by operator, weather and route.

Are El Nido island-hopping tours suitable for non-swimmers?

Yes, but you’ll get more from the experience if you’re comfortable around water. Life jackets are normally available and some stops can still be enjoyed without swimming.

Is a private El Nido tour worth it?

It can be, particularly for families, groups, photographers and anyone strongly bothered by crowds. The main upgrade is flexibility, not luxury.

Final verdict: which El Nido tour should you choose?

For a first visit, don’t make the decision more complicated than it needs to be.

One day: Tour A.

Two days: Tour A + Tour C.

Three days: add Tour B.

Four days: add Tour D — but only if you’d rather spend another day island hopping than move on to Coron.

Tour A gives you the El Nido you’ve seen in photographs.

Tour C shows you why the destination is more than Big Lagoon.

Tours B and D are where things get quieter.

And once you’ve done A and C, I’d seriously consider looking beyond the four-letter system altogether.

If Coron is already on your route, compare the El Nido-to-Coron ferry with the multi-day island expeditions before booking another standard day tour.

The stretch of islands between the two towns may give you exactly what many travellers start looking for after Tour A: beautiful Palawan scenery without every boat following the same itinerary.