The lagoons
El Nido Tour A: five stops, three lagoons, from $23
The most booked boat trip in Palawan, and the one every photograph of El Nido comes from. Five fixed stops, six to eight hours, and one rule that catches people out: the boat cannot take you into the famous bit.
Quick answer
El Nido Tour A visits the Big Lagoon, the Small Lagoon, the Secret Lagoon, Shimizu Island and Seven Commandos Beach, and costs from $23 shared. It runs six to eight hours with lunch on a beach. Boats are not allowed inside the Big Lagoon — you paddle in by kayak, rented at the entrance in cash.
Tour A, at a glance
- Shared
- $231,974 reviews at 4.4
- Private
- $1178 hours, your own bangka
- Private with buffet
- $1208 hours, lunch on the beach
- With Tour C in one day
- $757 hours by speedboat
- Stops
- Fivefixed, set by the boat association
- Duration
- 6–8 hourslunch included
- Big Lagoon
- Kayak onlyboats are not allowed inside
- Kayak rental
- A few hundred pesoscash, at the entrance
- Eco fee
- 400 pesosseparate, once, valid 10 days
- Free cancellation
- All versionsup to 24 hours before
The five stops on Tour A
What you actually see, in the usual order
The order varies with the tide and with how many boats are already at each stop.
- Big Lagoon
The one on the posters: a long arm of shallow green water between vertical limestone walls. Boats stop at the entrance and you go in by kayak, which is rented there and paid in cash.
- Small Lagoon
A narrower pool reached through a gap in the rock, also usually by kayak. Quieter than the Big Lagoon and, for a lot of people, better.
- Secret Lagoon
A pool enclosed by rock, entered through a small opening you swim or wade through. Short stop, and it queues.
- Shimizu Island
The snorkelling stop, and often where lunch is served — grilled fish and rice on the sand.
- Seven Commandos Beach
A wide beach with palms, shade and a bar. The usual last stop, and the one people linger at.
The Big Lagoon rule
Why you need a kayak and cash
Bring cash for a kayak, and get there before the queue forms.
Boats are no longer allowed inside the Big Lagoon. The bangka anchors at the entrance, and if you want to go in you rent a kayak there.
It costs a few hundred pesos per kayak, in cash. Not included in your booking, and there is nowhere to get money at a lagoon entrance.
If nobody in your group will paddle, you see it from the doorway. That is the single most common disappointment on this route, and it is entirely avoidable by bringing notes.
And go early. In the dry season there is a line of boats at the entrance and thirty kayaks inside by mid-morning. A private boat at $117 exists mostly so you can be there at half past seven instead.
The Big Lagoon in detail — the rule, the rental and the hour to arrive.
The Big Lagoon→Common questions
Tour A, answered
What are the stops on El Nido Tour A?
The Big Lagoon, the Small Lagoon, the Secret Lagoon, Shimizu Island and Seven Commandos Beach.
How much is Tour A in El Nido?
From $23 shared, or $117 for a private boat. The eco-tourism fee of 400 pesos is separate.
How long does Tour A take?
Six to eight hours, with lunch served on a beach.
Can boats go inside the Big Lagoon?
No. Boats wait at the entrance and you paddle in by kayak, rented there for a few hundred pesos in cash.
Is Tour A the best tour in El Nido?
It is the most booked and the most reviewed — 1,974 ratings on the shared version alone. Whether it is the best depends on whether the lagoons or the far beaches of Tour C appeal more.
What time should I go?
As early as the operator offers. The lagoons fill by mid-morning in the dry season.
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 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.
Two daysDoing two tours
Which pair to combine, and how to fit them in.
