6 days in El Nido
6 days covers all four lettered tours without a rushed schedule — for most people this is the right length for El Nido on its own.
Day by day
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Arrive in El Nido
Fly into Puerto Princesa and cross Palawan by road, or take the direct flight into Lio. Either way the first day is a travel day — the road crossing alone runs five to six hours.
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Tour A — The Lagoons
The route almost everyone does first: the two big lagoons on Miniloc Island, plus a sandbar beach on the way home.
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Tour C — The Outer Islands
The furthest route from town, and the one repeat visitors most often name as their favourite. The best snorkelling of the four.
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Tour B — Caves and Sandbars
Usually the quietest of the four: a tidal sandbar, a cave with archaeological history, and a beach under a limestone wall.
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Tour D — Cadlao and the Quiet Beaches
The closest route to town, around Cadlao Island. Usually the least busy, and a common third or fourth day.
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Travel home
Allow a full day. If you are flying out of Puerto Princesa, the road crossing has to happen the day before an early flight.
Tours are ordered A, C, B, D. One operator states that Tour C is the day most visitors pair with Tour A El Nido Tours2026-08-26, so the two flagship routes come first and the quieter ones fill the back half.
What this adds up to
This is arithmetic over published prices, not a budget estimate. Only components with a traceable source are counted — which means the real total will be higher, because food, accommodation, drinks and tricycles are not in it.
| Component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Puerto Princesa (PPS) → El Nido | ₱705 | ₱705 |
| Tour A — The Lagoons | ₱1,200 | ₱1,500 |
| Tour C — The Outer Islands | ₱1,200 | ₱1,700 |
| Tour B — Caves and Sandbars | ₱1,200 | ₱1,600 |
| Tour D — Cadlao and the Quiet Beaches | ₱1,200 | ₱1,500 |
| ETDF (once, covers 10 days) | ₱400 | ₱400 |
| Total per person | ₱5,905 | ₱7,405 |
What we have not verified
- Accommodation costs. Nightly rates move daily, so this site does not publish them — a dated index of an hourly number would be worse than none.
- Whether every tour runs every day in the season you are travelling. Weather cancels boats.
- What is worth doing on the non-tour days. Left open rather than padded with unchecked attractions.
Known unknowns are listed rather than filled in. If you can confirm one of these first-hand, tell us and it gets added with the date it was checked.