Two days
El Nido Tour A and B: which pair to do, and in what order
Almost everybody who stays more than two nights does two tours, and almost everybody picks the pair badly. Here is which combinations actually work, which one a speedboat can fit into a single day, and the order that matters.
Quick answer
Do Tour A first, then Tour C. That is the pair most people should book: the lagoons while they are still a novelty, then the far beaches. Tour A and Tour B is the quieter pairing and works well on a third day. Only A and C can be combined into one day, and only by speedboat, at $75.
The combinations
- A then C
- The standard pairlagoons, then the far beaches
- A then B
- The quiet pairlagoons, then Snake Island and the caves
- A and C in one day
- $75seven hours, speedboat only
- A + C plus Entalula
- $274private, and reaches a Tour B stop
- C then B
- For a third and fourth daythe two quietest routes
- Two bangka tours in a day
- Not possibleeach runs six to eight hours
- Eco fee
- Paid once400 pesos, valid ten days, all tours
- Best order
- A firstthe lagoons are the novelty
- Booking C early
- Recommendedit is cancelled most often
- Free cancellation
- All tripsup to 24 hours before
Which pair to book
Four combinations, and who each one suits
The eco fee is paid once and covers all of them, so a second tour costs only the boat.
- A then C — the standard pair
The lagoons on day one, the hidden beaches on day two. This is what most two-day visitors should book, and doing them in this order matters because A is the safer weather bet.
- A then B — the quiet pair
The lagoons, then Snake Island, Pinagbuyutan and the caves. Fewer boats on the second day, and a good choice if crowds are what you are trying to escape.
- A and C in one day — $75
A speedboat rather than a bangka, seven hours, both routes. You get less time at each stop and you get both in a day. This is the only genuine one-day double.
- C then B — for longer stays
The two quietest routes, for people on their third and fourth boat days who have already done the lagoons.
Why the order matters
Three reasons to do Tour A first
A first, because of weather, novelty and price — and two bangka tours will not fit in a day.
Weather. Tour C is cancelled more often because its stops are exposed. Doing A first means that if C is blown out you still have the day you cared about.
Novelty. The lagoons are the thing on the postcards. Seeing them on day one, before you are saturated with limestone, is worth something real.
Cost. Tour A is the cheapest boat here at $23. If you only end up doing one, you will have done the cheap one and the famous one at the same time.
One practical note: two bangka tours cannot be done in a single day. Each runs six to eight hours and they leave at the same time in the morning.
Common questions
Two tours, answered
Should I do Tour A and B, or A and C?
A and C is the standard pair: the lagoons, then the far beaches. A and B is the quieter pair and works well on a third day.
Can you do two El Nido tours in one day?
Only Tour A and Tour C, and only by speedboat — $75 for about seven hours. Two bangka tours cannot fit into a day.
Which tour should I do first?
Tour A. It is the cheapest, the most famous and the least likely to be cancelled.
Do I pay the environmental fee twice?
No. The 400-peso fee is paid once and is valid for ten days across all island tours.
Is a second tour worth it?
If you have the day, yes — the routes visit genuinely different places, and the second tour costs only the boat since the fee is already paid.
How many days do I need in El Nido?
Two full boat days covers A and C comfortably. Three lets you add B or D, or a paraw sailing day at $146.
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.
