11 Best Things to do in El Nido for First Timers + Sample Itinerary
Planning a trip to Palawan and wondering – What are the best things to do in El Nido for first timers? Well, you’re in the right place!
My country, the Philippines, is home to many gorgeous beach destinations. While I have watched the stunning sunsets of Boracay, explored the pristine islands of Caramoan, experienced surfing in La Union, and tried scuba diving in Puerto Princesa, I still almost always answer “El Nido” when someone asks me what’s the most beautiful beach destination I’ve visited in the Philippines.
El Nido is located in the northern tip of the province of Palawan. It’s famous for its white sand beaches, limestone cliffs, and awe-inspiring lagoons. If you’re planning a trip to the Philippines and would love to witness the country’s awe-inspiring natural beauty, I say that El Nido is one of the must-visit Philippine destinations.
But what can you do when you visit El Nido? Don’t worry. I got you.
Read on to learn about what, in my opinion, are the best things to do in El Nido for first-timers. You’ll also get a sample itinerary to help you plan your trip to this beautiful Philippine destination!
⏳ Short on time?
Here are my recommended travel planning resources to help make your trip to El Nido a memorable one!
✈️ Getting to El Nido
– Manila to El Nido: Direct Flight OR Fly to Puerto Princesa + Private or Shared Van to El Nido
– Coron to El Nido: By Ferry OR By Plane
🛏️ Hotels + Accommodation: I recommend booking with Agoda, Booking.com
– Budget: Spin Designer Hostel
– Mid-range: El Nido Garden Resort
– Luxury: Vellago Resort
🏞️ Tours + Experiences: I recommend booking with GetYourGuide, Klook, Viator
👣 Recommended Experiences
– All-in Private El Nido Tour A: Lagoons & Beaches
– Private El Nido Tour B: Caves & Secluded Islands
– Private El Nido Tour C: Hidden Beaches & Shrine
– El Nido Islands: Private Paraw Sunset Sailing
– El Nido Jeepney Adventure Tour
*These are all travel resources I use to plan and book my trips. If you use them, some will earn me a commission at no extra cost to you. This helps reduce the ever-increasing costs of keeping my site up. Thanks!
🏝️ Best things to do in El Nido for first-timers
Here are, in my opinion, the best things to do in El Nido for first-timers.
1. Go on an island-hopping tour
This is one of the top things to do in El Nido, especially if it’s your first time visiting.
Through El Nido’s island hopping tours, you’d get to see, swim, and snorkel in its gorgeous lagoons and white sand beaches and visit caves, sandbars, and other hidden gems. It was one of the activities we tried in El Nido, and I highly recommend it! Definitely made our trip to El Nido worth it!
Here are the four (4) most popular island hopping tours in El Nido:
✔️ Tour A (Lagoons & Beaches)
Probably the most popular island hopping tour in El Nido Palawan, Tour A will take you to the Big Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, Shimizu Island, and Seven Commando Beach.
💡 PRO TIP: If it’s your first time in El Nido Island, I recommend getting Tour A or a combination of Tour A & C. This will take you to the Big Lagoon, which is probably the most photographed of all El Nido tourist spots, and to Shimizu Island, which is one of the most popular snorkeling sites in El Nido and probably one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever been to.
✔️ Tour B (Caves & Secluded Islands)
El Nido Tour B will take you to Snake Island, Pinagbuyutan Island, and Entalula Beach. It also offers cave exploration of Cudugnon Cave and Cathedral Cave.
✔️ Tour C (Hidden Beaches & Shrines)
El Nido Tour C will take you to Helicopter Island, Matinloc Shrine, Secret Beach, Talisay Beach, and Hidden Beach.
💡 PRO TIP: If you want to have the option to choose the islands you want to visit, have some sense of control over the time you spend on one location, and if you prefer your trip to be a little bit quiet and exclusive, I also recommend considering booking a private tour. We did this when we visited El Nido, and it was probably one of the best decisions we’ve made during our trip.
✔️ Tour D (Secret Beaches & Snorkeling Spots)
El Nido Tour D will take you to Ipil Beach, Small Lagoon, Cadlao Lagoon, Paradise Beach, Pasandigan Beach, Natnat Beach, and Bukal Beach.
2. Chill at Nacpan Beach
If you’re looking for a paradisiacal beach in El Nido where you can stay all day, then you might want to consider chilling at Nacpan Beach. What was once the best-kept secret of El Nido is now one of the most popular beaches in Palawan.
We visited Nacpan Beach in July, in the middle of a typhoon, so we didn’t get a lot of sun. But it was as if we had all the beach to ourselves!
At Nacpan Beach, you can swim, sunbathe, and enjoy a bottle or two, as well as the culinary scene at the local restaurants. You can also go snorkeling (💡 PRO TIP: You can rent gear from one of the restaurants or resorts) to see marine life off Nacpan Beach’s shore.
💡 PRO TIP: If you wish to experience Nacpan Beach’s beauty overnight, you can stay at one of the resorts. Here are some resorts you may consider staying in at Nacpan Beach.
✅ Nacpan Beach Villas
✅ Nacpan Beach Resort
✅ Eco Sanctuaries Nature Lodge Nacpan Beach, El Nido
✅ Mad Monkey Hostel Nacpan Beach
✅ Nacpan Beach Glamping
3. Watch El Nido’s magical sunset
One of my favorite things to do is watch the sunset from the beach destinations of the Philippines. I have spent many days watching sunsets in Elyu, Boracay, and Zambales. And the sunsets in El Nido are as magical as you can imagine.
We ended our island hopping tour at the 7th Commando Beach and spent a few hours there waiting for and watching the sunset. Maybe I’m just a bit of a romantic, but it was one of the most amazing experiences I had in El Nido.
And they say that it wasn’t even the best one. From other visitors, you can catch the best El Nido sunset from Las Cabanas Beach. So, you can definitely check this out, too.
But, if you’re looking for a less crowded spot to watch the sunset, you may want to consider catching it from 7th Commando Beach, as we did.
4. Snorkel at El Nido’s pristine islands
One of the top things to do in El Nido is snorkeling at its pristine islands, and you can check this off your El Nido bucket list when you go on your island hopping tour. I loved snorkeling at Helicopter Island, Matinloc Shrine, and Shimizu Island.
💡 PRO TIP: If you’re booking a private tour, you can try requesting your guide to visit islands that are excellent for snorkeling! In our case, for example, Shimizu Island was not supposed to be in our original itinerary. But because we wanted to spend time there, our private island-hopping tour guide made sure to include it in our route!
5. Cruise through the Big Lagoon
The Big Lagoon is probably one of the most photographed tourist spots in El Nido and is one of the highlights of El Nido Tour A. So, it felt like a dream come true when I had the chance to cruise through the lagoon. It was like what I would only see in pictures was now right before my eyes in real life.
💡 PRO TIP: If you are like us, then cruising through while riding on the boat will be enough for you. But if you want to level your experience up, you can also go kayaking and paddle boarding in the big lagoon.
6. Enjoy the chill, artsy vibe at El Nido Art Cafe Restaurant & Bar
Aside from the island hopping, one of the things I enjoyed most about El Nido is enjoying the artsy vibe at El Nido Art Cafe Restaurant & Bar.
Not only because they serve good food (a bit pricey, though), but they also play good music, the interiors are pretty, and the people provide good customer service. 🙂
7. Discover Scuba Diving in El Nido
If you’ve never tried scuba diving but are dying to give it a shot, there’s no better place to do it than in Palawan. I had my first taste of scuba diving in Puerto Princesa, and it was one of the most magical experiences I’ve ever had. If you want to experience it in the beautiful waters of El Nido, check out this PADI Discover Scuba Diving course in El Nido – designed for beginners!
8. Go on a private Paraw Sunset Sailing
Philippines sunsets are among the best, so imagine sailing towards the sunset while the cool breeze blows through your face and hair. Whether you’re doing it with your special someone or your small group of friends, experiencing a private paraw sunset sailing on the beaches of El Nido will probably be one of the most amazing things you’ll experience during your visit.
9. Go on an adventure and hike to Taraw Cliff
Go on a smooth rock climbing experience and see the amazing views of Bacuit Bay with the Taraw Cliff Canopy Walk – an excellent opportunity to fill your adventurous soul and conquer your fear of heights, if you have one.
10. Go on a jeepney adventure tour
If you want to go on a unique adventure with other travelers, why not try going on a jeepney adventure tour in El Nido? Visit Bulalacao Waterfalls and Nacpan Beach and experience a boodle-fight-style lunch in the countryside.
11. Stroll around and meet the locals
This is probably one of the top things to do in El Nido that I invite you not to miss! Like most of the Philippines, El Nido locals are warm and welcoming and may be your friends for long. In fact, I’m still in touch with the friends I made when I visited El Nido!
🗺️ El Nido Sample Itinerary
Here’s a sample itinerary you can follow when you go on a vacation to this beautiful Philippine destination.
- Day 1: Travel to El Nido
- Day 2: Island hopping tour (lagoons & beaches)
- Day 3: Island hopping tour (hidden beaches & shrine)
- Day 4: El Nido Jeepney Adventure Tour
- Day 5: Leave El Nido
💡 PRO TIP: Getting overwhelmed with planning your trip? I offer customized itinerary planning to help ease your burden! Shoot me a message, and let me help you create an epic itinerary for your trip to the Philippines!
🛌 Where to stay in El Nido
Being a famous tourist destination, El Nido offers many options for where to stay. To help you plan your trip, I checked out some of the top-rated accommodations in El Nido. Here are some options you may want to consider when visiting El Nido.
👉🏼 Luxury Option: Located in Las Cabanas, El Nido, Vellago Resort offers breathtaking sunsets. If you’re looking for a luxurious experience on the beautiful island of El Nido, consider staying at Vellago Resort.
👉🏼 Mid-range Option: El Nido has many mid-range options, but I recommend checking out El Nido Garden Resort. Guests love staying here because of its stunning views, spacious and clean rooms, swimming pool, and proximity to the El Nido port (for island hopping), as well as to restaurants and bars.
👉🏼 Budget Option: Highly rated by travelers because of its top-notch service and location, Spin Designer Hostel is a hip hostel that offering bunk beds in mixed male and female dormitory rooms (shared bathrooms). They also offer a private single room with a private bathroom if you’re looking for more privacy.
📝 El Nido Travel Tips
Now that you’ve learned about the best things to do in El Nido for first-timers, let me know share with you some helpful tips to help you plan your trip to El Nido:
Getting to El Nido
If you’re coming from Manila, you can choose from the following ways to get to El Nido:
- Go on a direct flight to El Nido
- Fly via Puerto Princesa and take a bus or van to El Nido
- Fly to Busuanga (Coron) and then ferry to El Nido.
💡 PRO TIP: If you have limited time, I suggest flying directly to El Nido. But if you’re on a budget, you may want to see if flying through Puerto Princesa and taking a van to El Nido will be worth the savings (for us, it was!).
Best time to visit El Nido
The best time to visit El Nido in Palawan, Philippines, would be from January through May – when the typhoon season is over and just before June, when it usually starts raining again. This way, you’d get a higher probability of sunny weather, perfect for enjoying the best things to do in the islands of El Nido.
FAQs: Things to do in El Nido for First Timers
Here are some frequently asked questions re things to do in El Nido for first-timers:
How many days in El Nido is enough?
It depends on what you want to do. If you only have limited time, you can allot 4 days for your El Nido trip – where days 1 and 4 are for traveling to and from El Nido, and days 2 & 3 are for experiencing the best things to do in El Nido, like island hopping tours and/or visiting one of the stunning inland beaches, like Nacpan Beach.
Is El Nido worth visiting?
If you love awe-inspiring views, sunbathing at paradisiacal beaches, and snorkeling in clear waters, then yes, El Nido is definitely worth visiting.
What is El Nido, Palawan best known for?
El Nido in Palawan is best known for its pristine white sand beaches, turquoise waters, snorkeling spots, and awe-inspiring limestone formations. If you’re planning a visit to Palawan, I invite you to include a visit to El Nido in your itinerary.
Is 3 nights in El Nido enough?
I recommend spending at least 4 nights in El Nido so that your schedule isn’t too cramped. But yes, spending three (3) nights in El Nido will give you enough time for island hopping tours and visiting the gorgeous Nacpan Beach.
Which is better, Coron or El Nido?
Both Coron and El Nido are beautiful beach destinations worth including in your itinerary when visiting the Philippines. But Coron may be a better option if you have limited time and don’t want multiple transfers before you get to your destination. El Nido is a tad more difficult to get to, but it’s definitely worth the trip.
The Wrap-Up: Things to Do in El Nido for First-Timers
That’s it! I hope this blog post about the best things to do in El Nido for first-timers has been helpful in planning your trip to my home country, the Philippines.
If you need help constructing your itinerary, I also offer customized itinerary planning, so please feel free to message me. I’d be happy to help.
Wishing you a lovely trip to the Philippines!
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