Three days
El Nido to Coron expedition: three days, two nights, $275
Most people move between El Nido and Coron on a fast ferry in four hours and see nothing. The expedition takes three days over the same water, sleeps on beaches with no road to them, and ends up in the same place.
Quick answer
The El Nido to Coron expedition costs $275 for three days and two nights, and it carries 586 reviews at 4.8. The boat sails north-east across the Linapacan strait, stopping at islands and beaches on the way, and you sleep in basic camps or huts. Everything is included, and you finish in Coron rather than back where you started.
The expedition, at a glance
- El Nido to Coron
- $2753 days, 586 reviews at 4.8
- Coron to El Nido
- $275the same trip, reversed
- The group boat version
- $438larger boat, 3 days
- Included
- Boat, beds, all mealsand the crossing itself
- Sleeping
- Beach camps or hutsbasic, and part of the point
- It replaces
- The ferryfour hours of seeing nothing
- Best months
- Dec – Aprthe calmest crossing
- Worst months
- Sep – Novthe most cancellations
- You finish in
- A different townso plan onward travel from Coron
- Free cancellation
- All versionsup to 24 hours before
What the three days actually are
Not a longer day tour
Three days through islands with nothing on them, everything included, ending in Coron.
It is a crossing, not an excursion. The boat works its way north-east through the Linapacan islands, which sit between the two towns and have almost nothing on them. That is the appeal: this is the part of Palawan the day boats never reach.
The nights are basic. Beach camps, huts, sometimes tents. Cold showers where there are showers at all. People who describe it as the best thing they did in the Philippines and people who describe it as overpriced camping are describing the same trip.
Everything is included. The boat, the sleeping, every meal. Once you are on it, there is nothing to pay for and nowhere to pay.
And it doubles as transport. You would otherwise buy a ferry ticket for this crossing, so part of the price replaces something you were going to spend anyway.
Who should book it, and who should not
The honest version
Perfect if you were crossing anyway and do not need comfort; wrong in the wettest months.
Book it if you were moving between the two towns anyway. Then it is not an expensive tour — it is a ferry that takes three days and shows you the best part of Palawan.
Book it if basic sleeping does not bother you. The reviews split almost entirely along this line.
Do not book it if you need comfort. There is no upgrade that makes a beach camp a hotel.
Do not book it in September or October unless your plans are loose. Those are the roughest months and this is the most weather-dependent thing on this page.
And plan your onward travel from Coron, not from El Nido — that is where you will be standing at the end.
Common questions
The expedition, answered
How much is the El Nido to Coron expedition?
$275 for three days and two nights, including the boat, accommodation and all meals. A larger group-boat version is $438.
Is the El Nido to Coron boat trip worth it?
It carries 586 reviews at 4.8, which is strong evidence. It suits people who were crossing between the towns anyway and do not mind basic sleeping.
Where do you sleep?
Beach camps and huts on islands between the two towns. Basic, and part of the point.
Can you do it in the other direction?
Yes — the Coron to El Nido version is $275 and runs the same route in reverse.
Is food included?
Yes, every meal for the three days, along with the boat and the accommodation.
When is the best time to do it?
December to April. September to November is the roughest and the most likely to be cancelled.
Go deeper
More on island hopping in El Nido
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.
