Dec – Feb
The best window
The dry season at its most settled: calm sea, the clearest water of the year and every route running. It is also the busiest, so the lagoons fill by mid-morning and private boats are worth booking ahead.
Timing
Best time for El Nido island hopping: month by month
Palawan has a dry season and a wet one, and the difference is not whether boats go out. It is which of the four routes can run, and how many other boats are in the lagoon with you.
Quick answer
December to April is the dry season and the reliable window for island hopping in El Nido. The wet season runs roughly June to November, with September and October the roughest. In the wet months the sheltered stops usually still run, but Tour C is cancelled first and the Coron expedition is the most weather-dependent thing here.
When to come
The year in Bacuit Bay
The question is not rain. It is sea state, and which of the four routes it stops.
Mar – May
Hot and still calm
Still dry and getting very hot, with the warmest water of the year. Crowds thin after the February peak, which makes April and May a good compromise.
Jun – Aug
Wet season, workable
Rain comes in bursts rather than all day. Tour A usually runs; Tour C is cancelled more often because its stops are exposed. Prices drop and the lagoons are quiet.
Sep – Nov
The roughest
The most cancellations of the year, particularly for Tour C and the Coron expeditions. Boats go on good days, prices are lowest, and a flexible plan is essential.
What the wet season actually stops
The route, not the day
Tour A runs almost always; Tour C and the Coron crossing are what the weather stops.
Tour A is the sheltered one. Its stops sit inside protected arms of Bacuit Bay, so it runs on days when other routes do not.
Tour C is the first cancelled. Matinloc and Tapiutan face open water, and Secret Beach needs calm because you swim in through a gap in the rock.
The Coron expedition is the most weather-dependent thing on this page. It crosses open sea for three days, and in September and October it is called off often.
And there is an upside to the wet months. The lagoons are empty. If the choice is between a crowded Big Lagoon in February and an empty one in July with a chance of rain, a lot of people would take July.
Common questions
Timing, answered
What is the best time of year for island hopping in El Nido?
December to April, the dry season. It has the calmest sea, the clearest water and every route running.
When is the wet season in El Nido?
Roughly June to November, with September and October the roughest and wettest.
Can you island hop in the wet season?
Usually yes for Tour A, which is the sheltered route. Tour C is cancelled more often, and the Coron expeditions most often of all.
Is it cheaper in the wet season?
Yes, and the lagoons are far quieter. The trade is a flexible plan.
What time of day should I go?
As early as possible. In the dry season the Big Lagoon has a queue by mid-morning.
When is El Nido busiest?
December to February. Book private boats ahead in those months.
Go deeper
More on island hopping in El Nido
Cost
What it costs
From $23 to $438, plus the 400-peso eco fee.
The verdictWhich tour is best
All twelve ranked, by route rather than by letter.
The lagoonsTour A
Big, Small and Secret lagoons, Shimizu, Seven Commandos.
The quiet oneTour B
Snake Island, Pinagbuyutan, Entalula and two caves.
The far beachesTour C
Hidden Beach, Secret Beach, Matinloc, Helicopter Island.
ComparedTour A or Tour C
Stop by stop, and which to do if you only do one.
