The four El Nido tours
El Nido's island hopping is standardised into four lettered routes. They are not interchangeable — they go to genuinely different parts of the Bacuit Archipelago, and they do not cost the same.
| Tour | Known for | Stops | Shared, per person | Crowds | Extra fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tour A The Lagoons | First-timers, and the lagoon photographs everyone arrives wanting | Big Lagoon, Small Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, Seven Commandos Beach, Shimizu Island | ₱1,200–1,500 | High | Big Lagoon + Small Lagoon — ₱200 each |
| Tour B Caves and Sandbars | A quieter day, caves, and the Snake Island sandbar at low tide | Snake Island, Cudugnon Cave, Entalula Beach, Pinagbuyutan Island | ₱1,200–1,600 | Low to medium | None published |
| Tour C The Outer Islands | Snorkelling, remote beaches, and the usual second water day after Tour A | Secret Beach, Hidden Beach, Helicopter Island, Matinloc Shrine, Star Beach | ₱1,200–1,700 | Medium to high | None published |
| Tour D Cadlao and the Quiet Beaches | A slower day once the flagship lagoons are done | Cadlao Lagoon, Pasadigan Cove, Natnat Beach | ₱1,200–1,500 | Low | None published |
Prices are the spread across the operators indexed, not an average. How this is compared.
The Lagoons
The route almost everyone does first: the two big lagoons on Miniloc Island, plus a sandbar beach on the way home.
Caves and Sandbars
Usually the quietest of the four: a tidal sandbar, a cave with archaeological history, and a beach under a limestone wall.
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.
Cadlao and the Quiet Beaches
The closest route to town, around Cadlao Island. Usually the least busy, and a common third or fourth day.
Head to head
Deciding between two of them is the actual question most people have:
Tour A vs B
side by sideTour A vs C
side by sideTour A vs D
side by sideTour B vs C
side by sideTour B vs D
side by sideTour C vs D
Which one first?
Tour A is the one almost everyone does first, and Tour C is the day most visitors pair with it El Nido Tours2026-08-26. B and D are quieter and tend to be second-visit days. If you only have one day on the water, A is the conventional answer — and the busiest.