[2023 TIPS] El Nido Itinerary – 5 Day Guide

If you are wondering how many days in El Nido is enough to enjoy one of the most beautiful islands in the world, our El Nido 5 day itinerary below will answer that question!

I think we can agree that discovering secret beaches, exploring stunning lagoons, and stepping foot on some of the world’s most stunning islands should be at the top of your itinerary when planning a trip to El Nido.

Admittedly, it can be quite challenging to organize all of your things to do in El Nido when you have limited time on the island. So we understand the question of how long to stay in El Nido when planning your trip!

In this article, we will go over some of the not-to-miss El Nido activities and arrange them over five days to ensure you get the most out of your trip to El Nido in our El Nido 5 days 4 nights itinerary!

Ready to plan your El Nido itinerary? Let’s get started!

Looking for Accommodations? Check out these luxury resorts in El Nido

How Many Days Should You Spend in El Nido?

When planning your El Nido itinerary, knowing how many days you plan to stay is important. I’ll give you a breakdown of what your experience in El Nido would likely look like within the following amount of days:

3 Days in El Nido 

If you only have 3 days to spare to spend in El Nido, you will have enough time to experience a couple of the island hopping tours. Although 3 days in El Nido is short, you will still get to experience and see this famous Palawan island.

Planning a trip to El Nido should include at least one Island Hopping Tour in your itinerary. I highly recommend taking Tours A and C, each offering spectacular lagoons and beaches. Tour A includes lagoons and beaches while Tour C features Hidden Beaches and a Shrine. It is essential that you take at least one of these tours for an unforgettable experience.

Another must-see location is Nacpan Beach. The views from Nacpan Beach are stunning and the adventure-filled ride out and back, with a possible waterfall hike, is an amazing experience.

5 Days in El Nido

5 days in El Nido is enough for you to explore all of the island hopping tours and even have day trips to popular destinations like Nacpan Beach and Las Cabanas. For me, 5 days in El Nido is an ideal time to spend on the island.

If you are planning a 5-day El Nido itinerary, you should definitely book another island hopping tour. There are so many things to explore in El Nido that it would be a shame to come all this way and stay for only a few days. Spend an additional day beach bumming or simply exploring the area. I spent a week in El Nido and had a great time. If you have even more time, you can also explore the islands around Coron.

7 Days and More in El Nido

Spending seven days in El Nido is a great way to explore the area and its many activities. Island hopping tours are a must-do, but there are also plenty of other experiences to enjoy such as inland day hikes, swimming in waterfalls, beach hopping, and more. For those feeling adventurous, beach camping, kayaking, discovering coves on a bike, and surfing are all available.

We have been to El Nido three times and still haven’t managed to do everything. Our favorite activities include bike rides, kayaking, and snorkeling on the tours. For those short on time, a minimum of four days is recommended. Anything shorter leaves you wanting more. On our first visit, we only had three days, which was enough to see some highlights but not enough to really experience the best of El Nido.

Checklist of Things to Do in El Nido:

Before we organize our itinerary, we first need to write down all of our El Nido things to do so that we don’t miss anything. 

Below are the must-see and must-do while in El Nido

1. Island Hopping Tour A
2. Island Hopping Tour B
3. Island Hopping Tour C
4. Island Hopping Tour D
5. Spend a Day at Nacpan Beach
6. Go to Le Bar and watch the sunset at Corong-Corong
7. Head to Las Cabanas for sunset and drinks
8. Get a massage 
9. Eat at La Trattoria Altrove
10. Have seafood for dinner!
11. Walk around El Nido town
12. Go workout!

El Nido Itinerary – Day 1:

El Nido Day 1: Morning Itinerary

7 am to 11 am – Day of arrival. Many of the flights that come from Manila usually arrive in the morning. However, if you are taking a shuttle from Puerto Princessa or the speed boat from Coron, you will arrive mid to late afternoon. Use much of your morning or early afternoon to settle and rest because the next few days can get quite busy!

Noon – If you make it to El Nido before noon, take the time to walk around and familiarize yourself with where to eat in the main town or the area you are staying in. 

El Nido Day 1: Afternoon Itinerary

2 pm to 4 pm – Take the time and explore El Nido town. Although El Nido town proper is not the most photogenic island town that you’ll see, there is still a sense of charm and island feel walking around town. I remember my first visit to El Nido in 2013; there was hardly anything in the town proper. I remember the two ATMs (where it was mostly out of cash, and you can only pay cash while on the island), and a few restaurants here and there. Today, the island is a lot more developed, although still not on the same level as Boracay. 

5 pm – Go back to the hotel and freshen up

5:45 pm – Head to Le Bar for a drink and experience the legendary sunset of El Nido!

El Nido Day 1: Evening Itinerary

7:30 pm – Go to the main town, pick a restaurant along the beach, and try fresh seafood! Most restaurants, along with the beach grill seafood, pick the best selection for that day.

Post Dinner – Check out some of the bars in El Nido town and have a drink or two!

El Nido Itinerary – Day 2:

El Nido Day 2: Morning Itinerary

730 am – Wake up call! Have breakfast, and prepare for the day.

9 am –  The first thing on your to-do list on your first full day in El Nido is island hopping the famous islands. As mentioned above, you can pick four island hopping tours – creatively named Tour A, Tour B, Tour C, and Tour D. Out of the four island hopping tours, Tour A and Tour C are the most popular. 

You can pick whatever tour for this day, but let’s just say you choose Tour A for your first island hopping tour. Here’s what you explore with Tour A in El Nido. 

Tour A explores El Nido’s most iconic sites. In this tour, you will see the Big Lagoon, Small Lagoon, Shimizu Island, Seven Commandos Beach, and Miniloc Island. My favorite part of the island hopping tours is when the tour guides prepare our lunch on some remote island! The lunch is typically grilled meat and fresh seafood with vegetables and fruits!

I particularly like Tour A (although it can get quite crowded) because it combines Lagoon exploring and relaxing at the beach.

El Nido Day 2: Afternoon Itinerary

430 pm – The Island hopping tour ends, and you should be back on the town proper by this time. 

545 pm – After you get back to your hotel and freshen up, it is time to head out to Las Cabanas and watch the sunset. The tricycle ride to Las Cabanas is roughly 25 minutes, so I recommend leaving El Nido town early to ensure you get the right spot on one of the bars on Las Cabanas to watch the sunset.

El Nido Day 2: Evening Itinerary

7 pm – Dinner time! I recommend trying Trattoria Altrove, a famous pizza place in El Nido that usually has a long line during peak dinner time hours.

Post Dinner – Perhaps a drink at one of the bars on the main island. 

El Nido Itinerary – Day 3:

El Nido Day 3: Morning Itinerary

730 am – Wak up call! Rise and shine and have your breakfast. 

9 am – For today’s itinerary, we will take a break from island hopping a spend the day in Nacpan beach. We are going to rent a scooter for the day, and you can ask your hotel to organize a rental scooter for you. The cost of the scooter is about 350 to 400 Pesos for the day. 

Alternatively, you can also take a tricycle to Nacpan Beach if you don’t feel safe riding a scooter. There are also private shuttles that go on a scheduled service from El Nido town to Nacpan Beach. 

The total travel time with a scooter and tricycle to Nacpan beach is about 40 minutes, while a van takes about 25 minutes. 

9:45 – Leave El Nido town for Nacpan Beach 

10:30 am – Arrive at Nacpan Beach. 

Since my several visits to El Nido since 2013, I make it a point always to reserve a day to hang out at this beach. I love coming here because it’s peaceful and able to enjoy the stunning white sand beach and the warm, aquamarine waters without much of a crowd. 

It’s very easy to spend a whole day here. Nacpan Beach has a couple of restaurants on site where you can order lunch, snacks, and even fresh fruit shakes on the beach. There are also lounge chairs with an umbrella you can rent and little private huts if you have a big group of people.

Nacpan Beach is one of the most beautiful stretches of sand you’ll experience in the Philippines – and that says a lot considering the number of beautiful beaches there are in the Philippines. 

Nacpan Beach is everything you’d imagine a paradise to be. The soft cream-colored sand, stretching four kilometers long, with the backdrop of the aquamarine waters with a few crashing waves and swaying coconut palm trees dotting the whole island. It’s perfection

El Nido Day 3: Afternoon Itinerary

4:00 pm – Leave Nacpan Beach. 

Since it takes roughly 45 minutes by scooter from Nacpan Beach to El Nido town, I recommend leaving Nacpan Beach no later than 4:30 pm so that you have enough time to get back to your hotel, freshen up, and get ready to watch the sunset at either Las Cabanas or Corong-Corong with a drink in hand. 

5:45 pm – Leave the hotel and watch the sunset at Le Bar at Corong Corong beach or Las Cabanas. By this time, it should feel like a tradition heading to either two of these places to enjoy El Nido’s legendary sunsets.

If you want to skip watching the sunset, I recommend getting a one-hour massage in El Nido town as an alternative. Traveling to these islands and pampering myself with hour-long massages for a low price is one thing I look forward to when traveling to El Nido!

El Nido Day 3: Evening Itinerary

7 pm – Dinner time! I suggest taking a walk around El Nido town and seeing which restaurants you are in the mood for!

El Nido Itinerary – Day 4

El Nido Day 4: Morning Itinerary

7:30 am – Rise and shine! Do your morning routine and get ready to start the day!

9:00 am – For today, we are going to do a second island hopping tour. Since we already signed up for Tour A for our first tour, we have Tour B, Tour C, and Tour D as our options for today. 

Tour C is another popular island hopping tour in El Nido, where you get to explore some iconic beaches and hidden coves. If you choose Tour C, this is the itinerary:

Tour C explores some of the most stunning beaches in El Nido. In this tour, you spend ample time exploring some of these hidden beaches, where you also get to snorkel and explore some of the aquamarine life on the surrounding islands. Highlights include Helicopter Island, Secret Beach, Star Beach, and Hidden Beach.

A delicious lunch prepared by your guides is included in this tour.

El Nido Day 4: Afternoon Itinerary

3 to 4 pm – By mid to late afternoon, you should be back in El Nido town. Use this time to relax for a bit, have a nap, or just have downtime. 

5:30 pm – Time to have drinks and watch the El Nido sunset at your preferred bar. Another alternative is to use this time and get a massage in El Nido town. 

El Nido Day 4: Evening Itinerary

7 pm onwards – Dinner and drinks to end the night!

El Nido Itinerary – Day 5

El Nido Day 5: Morning Itinerary

730 am – Rise and shine!

9 am onwards –  Before checking out of your hotel, I recommend using this time to have breakfast and perhaps walk around the nearest beach. Perhaps take another time to walk around El Nido town and buy some souvenirs.

11 am – Depart El Nido

Where to Stay In El Nido 

El Nido, a small town in the Philippines, is made up of four barangays: Buena Suerte, Corong-Corong, Maligaya, and Masagana. These barangays occupy two small peninsulas that jut out into Bacuit Bay. The settlement parallel to the beach in Brgy. Buena Suerte is what most people refer to as the “Town Proper”. Nearby is Brgy. Masagana, home to several resorts and Calaan Beach. Corong-Corong lies on the southern cape and is filled with small, sandy nooks and crannies.

If you are looking to stay in El Nido, there are four main areas to choose from. The Town Proper (Buena Suerte) was the first area to be developed and is known for its tour offices, small hotels, and restaurants, as well as a small nightlife scene. Corong-Corong and Calaan Beach (Masagana) are both more isolated and less crowded, while luxury resorts can be found on the islands — albeit at a hefty price tag. If you want convenience, the Town Proper is the best choice, but if you’re looking for peace and quiet, Corong-Corong or Calaan Beach may be more suitable.

Spin Designer Hostel (budget) – This hip and modern hostel is located in El Nido’s most central location, a short distance away from Corong Corong, the beach, and El Nido’s main town. The rooms are clean and well kept and provides a great vibe for their guests.

Nacpan Glamping (mid-range) – Nacpan Glamping is a unique accommodation in El Nido that started in 2019. It’s right on Nacpan Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches you’ll see in Palawan. The glamping sites are comfortable and spacious and feature a swimming pool and an onsite restaurant and bar. 

El Nido Pangalusian Island Resorts (luxury) – One of the few five-star resorts in El Nido, Pangulasian, is a perfect resort for those looking to get luxury treatment and service while in paradise. The resort is exclusive and private and everything you’d want in a luxury resort.

How to Get Around El Nido

Getting around El Nido is easy and there are a few options available.

Moped

One of the most popular modes of transport is a moped. You can rent one from the town for around 500 pesos for a day or 250 pesos for half a day. You can get an even better deal if you rent for multiple days. It is important to remember to wear a helmet while driving.

Tuk-Tuk (Tricycle)

Another option is to use a tuk-tuk. These are very affordable in El Nido, and if you are just heading around the town, the fare is set at around 30 pesos per trip (as of 2019). You can also arrange for a tuk-tuk to take you further out, but it will cost more.

Shuttles

Finally, there are shuttles. Different shuttle companies offer shuttles to different spots in El Nido. For example, you can use the Nacpan beach shuttle to and from the beach for a cheap fare. This is an excellent option if you want to enjoy a few drinks at the beach, as it is unsafe to drink and drive.

Best Time to Visit El Nido, Palawan

The best time to visit El Nido is between January and April when the weather is dry and sunny. However, the Philippines has a tropical climate, so it is possible to experience rain at any moment. The rainy season in El Nido is typically from June to October and is usually not ideal for island hopping.

In addition, typhoons can occur in the Philippines. If you plan to visit El Nido during the rainy season, it is important to check the weather beforehand and be prepared for potential stormy weather.

How Expensive is El Nido?

El Nido is a popular destination in the Philippines, known for its island hopping tours, and as such, accommodation prices are slightly higher than in other places in the country. You can expect to spend around 800 – 1000 pesos per night for a place to stay. Restaurants in El Nido offer meals between 130 – 260 pesos. Island hopping tours are around 1640 pesos. For those wanting to explore the underwater world, diving is 1600 pesos per dive. The ferry to Coron is 2,640 pesos and scooter rentals cost between 350 – 500 pesos.

Tips for El Nido

If you plan on visiting El Nido, I highly recommend that you get a local SIM card in The Philippines. There are two major network providers, SMART and Globe. For the province and the islands, we recommend getting SMART. However, when you are back in a major city like Manila, Globe works the best.

The WiFi in this part of Southeast Asia is notoriously unreliable, and I can confirm this to be true. You can even purchase a SIM card ahead of time at this website.

My second tip is to purchase some water shoes and a water bag. Both of these items are very inexpensive, and the water shoes will be perfect for activities such as island hopping and walking through rocks on boats. Additionally, the water bag will provide protection for your camera and phone when you’re getting on and off the boats.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my post on 5 days in El Nido! Hopefully, this will help you plan your adventures a little better. If you’d like to learn more, you can check out my complete guide on all the best things to do in El Nido.

El Nido, Palawan is an amazing place to visit, despite its small size. There is a wide variety of activities to fit into a five day itinerary, and this guide will provide you with all the best ones! From relaxing on the sandy beaches to snorkeling in the crystal clear water, you can make the most out of your El Nido holiday. This itinerary can be used for travelers spending one day or a whole week. Whether you decide to space out the activities or cram them into a weekend, you will have a memorable experience.