Crafting The Ultimate 4 Day El Nido Itinerary

El Nido is phenomenal. We spent 3 days and 4 nights here in El Nido and it blew me away. The stunning white sandy beaches, crystal clear water, beautiful coral reefs, towering limestone mountains, incredible lagoons, unspoiled nature and the bustling, trendy downtown. 

This island has such a variety of offerings to travellers and can easily be explored with a perfect 4 day El Nido itinerary.

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How to get to El Nido

Located on the northern tip of Palawan Island, El Nido is one of the most popular tropical paradises to visit in Palawan. 

Most people fly into Puerto Princesa and then embark on a 6 hour drive to El Nido, but time was of the essence for us on this 12 day trip to the Philippines.

I personally didn’t fancy spending half a day driving across an island to save a minuscule amount of money, so we chose to fly to Lio Airport instead. Flying directly from Bohol to El Nido with AirSwift, one of the nicest airlines I have ever flown with, in a tiny propeller plane was a wonderful experience.

The incredibly scenic flight took around 90 minutes and we landed just a few steps away from Lio Beach, where staff from the hotel we were staying at were waiting to whisk us away in a golf buggy, just 5 minutes away.

If you do fly into Puerto Princesa, ensure you stop off at Sabang on the way to El Nido to see the famous underground river. This is around 1.5 hours away and will help break up your long drive too.

El Nido Itinerary Day 1

Depending on your arrival time, I would spend the rest of the day at leisure and exploring your surroundings after you have checked in to your hotel.

If you’re staying at Lio Beach like we did, I recommend spending your first day doing the following:

• Have some cocktails at the pool bar
• Spend some time relaxing on the free sun loungers at Lio beach and watch the planes land and take off just a few hundred meters away, which really adds to the experience.
• Rent a bicycle from the hotel and explore the boutique shops, bars and restaurants at the secluded Lio Tourism Estate, away from bustle of El Nido Town.
• If you have an early flight and more time to explore on Day 1, I would highly recommend visiting Las Cabanas Beach; to see the most spectacular sunset in the Philippines. 

The only thing to note about Lio Beach is the presence of sand flies or ‘nik nik’ as the locals refer to them as. These pesky little suckers do ruin the beach experience somewhat if you’re prone to being bitten like I am. I was hesitant to catch the sunrise or watching the sunset due to the number of bites I sustained. 

Having said that, the beach was absolute paradise.. The sand was soft, the water was warm and the waves were relaxing to watch from a distance. It was far from being crowded and you can wade out pretty far into the sea because of how shallow it it – just watch out for a sudden drop, particularly if you aren’t blessed in the height department like myself.

El Nido Itinerary Day 2 – The Perfect Day

Day 2 was the absolute highlight of this trip for me and if you’ve done any research on this place, you will know that island hopping is the number one thing to do in El Nido.

This is your first full day here and island hopping should be the first thing on your list of things to do. There are four tours to choose from and everyone recommends tour A followed by tour C – and rightly so.

• Go on an island hopping tour first thing in the morning (the meeting time is at 7.30am) – I recommend Tour A.
• On arrival back to El Nido Town, explore the area, the street markets, shops and eateries. Grab dinner before heading back to your hotel.

Tour A departs at 8am, arriving back at 5pm and these are the stops:

• Seven Commandos Beach – you stop here to snorkel with turtles, though sadly we didn’t see any.
• Twin Rocks – where you jump off the boat and snorkel in the middle of the sea – completely exhilarating.
• Shimizu Island for a buffet lunch. They cater to all dietary requirements too when you inform them in advance, which I was very pleased to see.
• Secret Lagoon is such a unique experience where you squeeze through a small hole in a limestone wall to discover the lagoon
• Secret Beach, a tiny beach where the lagoon is located.
• Big Lagoon – kayaking here was such a incredible experience.

The tours are on a shared boat with around 15-20 people and although each tour goes to the same islands, they switch up the order to avoid crowds. Sometimes they include a visit to the Small Lagoon instead.

The islands definitely still get crowded at times, but the natural beauty of these islands is unparalleled and outweighs anything negative.

The biggest tip I can give you is to not book any of these tours through your hotel. Once we decided on tour A, we weighed up the costs and the difference was astronomical. The hotel were charging us 3000 pesos per person (around £43 per person) in comparison to the exact same tour we booked on Klook for £13 per person.

The only real advantage of booking through the hotel was that it included a hotel pick-up and drop off service to El Nido Town where the tour starts. This wasn’t a deal breaker for us, as we simply asked the tour company to provide a tricycle to pick us up in the morning for the short 15 minute journey for an additional 350 pesos (just under £5).

El Nido Itinerary Day 3

We had intended to go island hopping on Tour C today, but the weather had other ideas. Waking up at 4am to torrential rainfall and flooding, followed by a yellow weather warning didn’t look promising.

In a feeble attempt to remain positive, we still went to El Nido Town in the hopes that the weather would magically take a turn, but to our dismay, the tour had been cancelled. Alas, this is just something you need to factor in when travelling to Southeast Asia during rainy season – there’s simply nothing that can be done about it and that’s fine.

If you can though, I would go island hopping again. I honestly believe that Tour A is the best, though I’m sure the others are just as good. If you prefer a less crowded experience, maybe opt for Tour B or Tour D. 

We wandered around El Nido Town for a while, soaking up the atmosphere before heading back to the beach, just in time for the rain to stop.

The weather meant beaches and outdoor pools were a washout for us too (pun intended). Honestly, getting caught in the rain while laying on a sun lounger on the beach is wild experience.. unless you live by the coast in England perhaps.

However, here’s what I would have done on Day 3 instead:

• Head to Nacpan Beach – this is around a 45 minute drive away and is known to be the one of the most beautiful stretches of sand in the Philippines. You have to pay an environmental fee of 50 pesos (around 70 pence) per person, but the beach is absolute paradise.
• Grab some dinner at the beach at one of beach clubs dotted around and soak up the atmosphere.

El Nido Itinerary Day 4

If, unlike us, you have an extra day in El Nido, then this is the perfect opportunity to book on to another island hopping tour. They truly are the perfect way to spend a day in El Nido Palawan and there is no experience elsewhere that compares.

We went on a luxury cruise to Halong Bay, Vietnam which was equally stunning, but island hopping day tours are an experience like no other. You get to meet some fascinating people along the way too, which is all part of the charm when travelling around Southeast Asia.

• Tour C includes a stop at the famous Helicopter Island and Hidden Beach.
• Tour B includes a stop at the famous Snake island.

End your 4 day El Nido itinerary with dinner and a massage on your final night. We had full body massages booked at Seda Spa, in our hotel, which were heavenly – such a tranquil way to end our time here. 

Where to stay in El Nido

Regardless of where you stay in Palawan, you must pre-book a DOT–accredited hotel (this is the most up-to-date list I have found) before you arrive, as it is a legal requirement to enter the country. 

The accreditation provides assurance that the hotel has assessed its risk and put credible systems, policies and practices in place to deter and prevent crime and to respond effectively in the event of a security incident.

There are 5 areas to consider at when looking for where to stay in El Nido

• El Nido Town is the heart of the city where you can find the majority of the shops and restaurants, as well as the dock for boat tours. This is great for backpackers and those on a budget who are happy to stay in hostels.
• Lio Beach is on the opposite end of the spectrum and incidentally where we stayed at Seda Lio. This is the place to stay if you’re looking for luxury, peace and tranquility away from the hustle and bustle and to get away from the throngs of tourists.
• Corong Corong is a village that is an extension of El Nido town and great for those seeking mid range accommodation. The beach here is small and the sea too shallow to swim in, there isn’t much do in the village itself, however it’s proximity to the town makes this a good option for those on a budget, who don’t want to stay in the heart of the island.
• Las Cabanas is a stunning beach paradise, famous for the most spectacular sunsets in the Philippines. Around 20 minutes away from El Nido Town, this is a romantic place to stay, with some great luxury hotels and resorts and eateries.
• Nacpan Beach is certainly a Philippines bucket list destination; secluded yet exotic with one of the best beaches on the mainland. The travel time to El Nido town is around 45 minutes, so this is a great area to stay in for those who love to spend time at the beach and luxury resorts.

Where to eat in El Nido

Taste El Nido

I cannot recommend Taste El Nido vegan restaurant more if I tried, regardless of your dietary preferences. Finding vegan food in the Philippines was a real struggle for me, and so I was incredibly excited to have discovered this place. So much so that I visited pretty much every day during our time in El Nido.

This cute little eatery situated in El Nido Town is the perfect location to have breakfast or lunch or just simply grab a coffee when passing by. 

Cafe Athena

Also in El Nido town, Cafe Athena is a fab spot for Greek food – catering for vegans, vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. Now, I wasn’t a fan of the hummus, but I highly recommend trying the apple flavoured San Miguel and vegetarian souvlaki (although this was served deconstructed for some strange reason) – delicious nonetheless.

How do you travel around El Nido?

• Tricycles are the most convenient, cost-effective mode of transport for short distances within El Nido, with fixed fares that can be negotiated. This is the mode of transport we pretty much used throughout our time in Palawan.
• Cars and vans are less common on this island, though we did see a few. This is a very costly way to travel though.
• Rent a motorcycle 
• Bus and minivan for long distance journeys, from Puerto Princesa for example. 
• Ferries and boats for island hopping, of course.
• Walk around El Nido Town. Everything here is within close proximity.

Is El Nido too Touristy?

I must admit I had my concerns, and while El Nido Town is understandably full of tourists – both Filipino and otherwise, I must admit that the underwater world looks pretty untouched. And that is a sight to behold.

Some parts of the Island Hopping Tour A were naturally packed full of tourists, as it is the most popular thing to do on any El Nido itinerary. While the neon life vests in a dazzling sea against the limestone cliffs are certainly offensive to the aesthetic eye, the natural beauty is unparalleled and absolutely worth visiting for. 

For a less crowded experience, you could consider taking a private boat tour which I wasn’t aware of at the time. There is obviously a price difference, but if you’re travelling in a group, this would make much more sense to book.

Things To Know Before You Visit El Nido

Currency in the Philippines: Cash or card?

Cash is always king in Asia, and the currency used here is the Philippine Peso (Php). US dollars are also widely accepted here but in my opinion, if you aren’t from the USA, you’d be losing out twice on the exchange rate, so it is pointless to take both.

Although El Nido is becoming a more of a developed city, the Philippines is far from being a cashless society. Most establishments still exclusively take cash; especially boat tour providers, tricycles and many shops and restaurants. 

There are ATM’s scattered throughout to withdraw cash, but they all charge a fee. I’ve yet to come across one that lets you withdraw more than 10,000 pesos at a time (around £130) which is a relatively low amount, so the fees quickly rack up.

Is it safe to drink tap water in Palawan?

Do not consume any tap water in El Nido. Unfortunately El Nido has notoriously tarnished drinking water, making visitors very very sick. When visiting a restaurant, always ask for bottled water. 

It is also advisable to stay away from ice in drinks, raw vegetables and to use bottled water to brush your teeth – same as elsewhere in SE Asia.

Hopefully this travel guide helps you with crafting the perfect 4 day El Nido itinerary which can easily be adapted to your preferences and interests. This island is incredibly easy to navigate around, food, drinks and experiences are very affordable without compromising on quality and the locals are incredibly friendly! It would be almost impossible to see all of Palawan in one visit and this guide is aimed at first time visitors who want to visit El Nido and make the most of their time there.

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