Tour A vs Tour D
The Lagoons against Cadlao and the Quiet Beaches. They share a departure beach and a lunch style and almost nothing else — different water, different crowds, and much the same price.
Side by side
| Tour A — The Lagoons | Tour D — Cadlao and the Quiet Beaches | |
|---|---|---|
| Shared boat, per person | ₱1,200–1,500 | ₱1,200–1,500 |
| Published stops | 5 | 3 |
| Crowd level | High | Low |
| Duration | Roughly 9:00 to 17:00 | Roughly 9:00 to 17:00 |
| Extra fees on top | Big Lagoon ₱200 + Small Lagoon ₱200 | None published |
| Best for | First-timers, and the lagoon photographs everyone arrives wanting | A slower day once the flagship lagoons are done |
Prices are the spread across the operators indexed Discover El Nido2026-08-26 El Nido Tours2026-08-26 — not an average. Everyone also pays the one-off ₱400 ETDF, whichever tour they pick.
Where each one goes
Tour A: The Lagoons
- Big Lagoon — lagoon
- Small Lagoon — lagoon
- Secret Lagoon — lagoon (no detail verified yet)
- Seven Commandos Beach — beach (no detail verified yet)
- Shimizu Island — island (no detail verified yet)
Tour D: Cadlao and the Quiet Beaches
- Cadlao Lagoon — lagoon
- Pasadigan Cove — cove (no detail verified yet)
- Natnat Beach — beach (no detail verified yet)
So which one?
Pick Tour A if what you want is: first-timers, and the lagoon photographs everyone arrives wanting El Nido Tours2026-08-26
Pick Tour D if what you want is: a slower day once the flagship lagoons are done El Nido Tours2026-08-26
Both run roughly nine to five from El Nido Beach with lunch included El Nido Tours2026-08-26. If you have two water days, this is not actually a choice — see how they stack in a real itinerary.
Disputed stop listings
- One source lists Small Lagoon as a Tour D stop. Small Lagoon is a Tour A stop on every other listing collected, so it is recorded here as disputed rather than published as a Tour D stop.
- Paradise Beach and Bukal Beach are commonly described elsewhere as Tour D stops. No source collected here listed them, so they are not published as stops until one does.
The other comparisons
Tour A vs Tour B
The Lagoons against Caves and Sandbars.
High vs Medium to high crowdsTour A vs Tour C
The Lagoons against The Outer Islands.
Low to medium vs Medium to high crowdsTour B vs Tour C
Caves and Sandbars against The Outer Islands.
Low to medium vs Low crowdsTour B vs Tour D
Caves and Sandbars against Cadlao and the Quiet Beaches.
Medium to high vs Low crowdsTour C vs Tour D
The Outer Islands against Cadlao and the Quiet Beaches.