You can’t miss the ABCD boat tours in El Nido, the Philippines. The environment of El Nido is so insanely beautiful, you must have seen it with a boat tour. Therefore, several boat tours have been introduced in El Nido with the original names A, B, C and D and even tour K. Below we tell you everything you need to know about island hopping in El Nido, which tour to choose and what the tours entail.
Content of this blog:
How much does island hopping in El Nido with the ABCD boat tours cost?
Island hopping in El Nido has no set price. There are many different options to choose from, some more expensive than others. You can choose a private boat or a shared boat, which of course makes a big difference in costs. Below we take a look at all the options, including prices.
El Nido Tour A
On the El Nido Tour A, you will go to the following lagoons/beaches:
- Big Lagoon
- Secret Lagoon
- Shimizu Island
- 7 Commando Beach
- Payong-Payong beach
El Nido Tour B
On the El Nido Tour B, you will go to the following lagoons/beaches:
- Entalula Island
- Snake Island
- Cudognun Cave
- Cathedral Cave
- Pinagbuyutan Island
El Nido Tour C
On the El Nido Tour C, you will go to the following lagoons/beaches:
- Helicopter Island
- Hidden Beach
- Secret Beach
- Talisay Beach
- Matinloc Shrine
El Nido Tour D
On the El Nido Tour D, you will go to the following lagoons/beaches:
- Cadlao Lagoon
- Small Lagoon
- Bukal Beach
- Nat Beach
- Paradise Beach
Taking regular boats on ABCD tour
All the above tours are offered as a separate boat tour to go island hopping in El Nido. You then have the choice of one of the 4 tours. If you want to do one of these tours with a regular boat (so with many other tourists on the same boat) you will spend between 1200 and 1400 PHP (€20 – €24).
These tours start daily around 09:00 and you will be back in port around 16:00 (of course, this can vary from day to day and weather conditions). Most tours include lunch, drinking water, entrance tickets for the lagoons and snorkel sets. Always check this to be sure if you want to book the tour for island hopping in El Nido.
Kraken boat tour in El Nido, tour K
Besides choosing from the regular 4 boat tours, there is also tour K from Kraken Tours. Kraken is an organization and they have put together their own boat tour, for all travelers who do not like mass tourism. Option 1 of tour K is a combination of El Nido tour A & B, but you go to the beautiful spots earlier and later than the other tours. This way you have the beautiful places (reasonably) to yourself.
Option 2 of tour K is a combination of El Nido tour C & D. Again, you are at the beautiful places at different times than the hundreds of other tourists. Of course, you pay a (much) higher price for this: 3,200 pesos (€53) per person including lunch and drinks all day.
Private boat rental for tour ABCD
Then there is also the option of renting a private boat for a whole day. You can then choose which places to visit and at what time. When booking the private boat, be sure to specify that you want to be at these places at the time when there are as few tourists as possible.
In fact, these organizations know exactly when all El Nido tour A boats are at Big Lagoon, which is always in the morning between 09:30 and 11:00, for example. With the private boat you can then go to Big Lagoon just in the afternoon, when most of the other boats are gone. The organization can therefore help you make a schedule so you are not with the mass tourist crowds on an island at the same time.
The cost of a private boat depends on the number of people you go with (the more the cheaper). On average you will spend between 2000 and 3500 pesos (€33 – €58) per person. Make sure you form a nice group of travelers and enjoy island hopping in El Nido on a private boat.
Which boat tour should I choose for island hopping in El Nido, A, B, C or D?
Which boat tour you choose for island hopping in El Nido depends mainly on how much money you want to spend. We would not recommend the regular tours A, B, C and D because with these tours it is really extremely crowded on the islands, we ourselves do not like this very much.
With a private boat you have complete freedom to choose where you want to go and when. It is important, however, that you clearly indicate to the organization the day before why you want to book a private boat (because you do not want to be on the islands at the same time as the masses). The organization can then take this into account and arrange the day according to your wishes.
We did a private boat tour ourselves where we followed mostly El Nido Tour B and D and we loved it. Especially Snake Island and Paradise Beach were SO beautiful, and here we were just completely alone!
What should I bring for island hopping in El Nido?
Basically, for island hopping in El Nido, you only need to bring:
- Swimwear
- Sunscreen
- Cash money for kayak rental or an ice cream/drink on the water. 500 peso per person is more than enough
- Camera
- Towel
- Water shoes (or sandals)
The organization often includes a snorkel kit, lunch and water for you, but it is always good to check to be sure this is included. It is wise to take your gear on board in a dry bag. You will also need this dry bag during the expedition from Coron to El Nido (or vice versa) so you can reuse it. Click here for more fun activities in El Nido and enjoy the beautiful region of Palawan.
