Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Philippines: Palawan, El Nido and Coron
8 days from Manila: the Puerto Princesa Underground River, three nights in El Nido with private boats, and two in Coron for its lakes and wrecks.
8 days · Round trip from Manila · up to 12 guests
Entalula Island in Bacuit Bay, El Nido Photo: Fabio Achilli, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Entalula_Island,_El_Nido,_Philippines.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Manila
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Easy
Mostly boat days with swimming and snorkelling in a life jacket, plus short walks on sand and coral rubble. You climb in and out of outrigger boats from the beach or a ladder. The steepest parts are the stairway to the Kayangan Lake viewpoint and the optional climb of a little over 700 steps up Mount Tapyas. Any swim or climb can be sat out on the boat or at the hotel.
- Meals included
- 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 1 dinner
- Room of your own
- + CAD 550 (estimated price)
- Season
- December to May
Highlights
Why this trip
- By paddle boat into the Puerto Princesa Underground River, a UNESCO-listed cave river that runs out into the sea
- A private boat for our group in Bacuit Bay, reaching the Big and Small Lagoons as early as we can
- A second, shorter boat day to Hidden Beach, Matinloc Shrine and Helicopter Island, with the afternoon free in El Nido
- The fast ferry across open water from northern Palawan to Coron in the Calamian Islands
- Kayangan Lake, Twin Lagoon and Barracuda Lake on Coron Island, the ancestral land of the Tagbanua
- Snorkelling over the Skeleton Wreck, one of the Japanese ships sunk around Coron Bay in 1944
- Sunset from Mount Tapyas above Coron town, or a soak in the Maquinit saltwater hot spring
- Both domestic flights included, so the trip ends in Coron and not on a long road back
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 550 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Manila
Ninoy Aquino International Airport to your hotel on Manila Bay, then Intramuros
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Manila
Fly into Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL), where a driver meets you in arrivals for the drive to your hotel near Manila Bay. Manila traffic is slow, so allow an hour or more for the transfer.
Afternoon
If you land by early afternoon, rest, then join your See Sight Tours guide for a late-afternoon walk in Intramuros, the walled city the Spanish built from the late 16th century. We walk part of the old walls, past Manila Cathedral and San Agustin Church, a UNESCO-listed Baroque church and the oldest stone church in the country, and into Fort Santiago as the heat goes out of the day.
Evening
In the evening the group meets for a short briefing on the week: the flights, what to pack for the boats, how the ferry works. Then we sit down together to a welcome dinner of Filipino dishes, from adobo to sinigang. It is an early night: tomorrow starts with a flight to Palawan.
Included
- Pick-up at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL)
- Late-afternoon walk in Intramuros with your guide: the walls, Manila Cathedral, San Agustin Church and Fort Santiago
- Welcome briefing and welcome dinner
Easier option: If you land late, skip the walk and meet the group at the briefing and dinner.
Free time: Free until the late-afternoon walk
Activity: Land by about 2 pm to join the Intramuros walk; the briefing and dinner are in the evening. The latest arrival time is confirmed with your final itinerary.
Fly to Palawan and the Underground River
Manila to Puerto Princesa by air, then Sabang and the Underground River and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Puerto Princesa
- Drive about 3.5 h
Morning
This is the trip's one early start, to beat Manila's traffic to the airport for a morning flight of about an hour and twenty minutes to Puerto Princesa, the capital of Palawan. Our van and driver meet the group there, and we head north for about an hour and three quarters through farmland and forest to Sabang, on the west coast.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal in Sabang, then a short outrigger boat ride along the shore brings us to the mouth of the Puerto Princesa Underground River, listed by UNESCO in 1999. Most day trips from the city come in the morning; our permit slot is in the early afternoon. Wearing helmets and life jackets, we glide into the cave in paddle boats, about 1.5 km into a river that runs some 8 km under the limestone, past chambers of stalactites with swifts and bats overhead.
Evening
Back in the city by early evening, dinner is your choice.
Included
- Flight from Manila to Puerto Princesa
- Underground River permit, outrigger boat from Sabang and the paddle-boat trip into the cave
- Sit-down lunch in Sabang
Optional experiences
- Iwahig River firefly boat trip after dark, about 30 minutes from the city (price shown at booking)
Free time: Evening free in Puerto Princesa
Activity: The cave ride is seated and about 45 minutes. The boat landing at the river mouth is on a beach, so expect wet feet. Permit slots are confirmed when we book your dates. If the morning flight is delayed and we miss our slot, we ask the park for a later slot that afternoon; if none is free, the cave ride moves to early on day 3 and we drive north to El Nido from Sabang, which makes day 3 about an hour longer.
North through Palawan to El Nido
Puerto Princesa to Roxas and Taytay, then El Nido
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in El Nido
- Drive about 5 h
Today is the longest drive of the trip, about 250 km and five hours on the road, because no regular flight links Puerto Princesa and El Nido and the detour through Manila would cost a day.
Morning
We leave after breakfast, at about 8 am, and break the road twice. The first stop is for coffee in Roxas, about halfway, where the road comes close to the east coast.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal in Taytay, once the Spanish capital of the province, near Fort Santa Isabel, the small stone fort above the bay that the Spanish built in the 17th century. The last stretch runs through forested hills and the first limestone cliffs of the north, and we reach El Nido in the middle of the afternoon. You stay here three nights, so unpack.
Evening
The evening is free: walk to Corong Corong for the sunset over Bacuit Bay and pick a seafood grill by the water.
Included
- Drive from Puerto Princesa to El Nido with your guide, with a coffee stop in Roxas
- Fort Santa Isabel in Taytay
- Sit-down lunch in Taytay
Free time: Evening free in El Nido
Activity: About five hours of driving in our air-conditioned van, in three legs of under two hours each.
Bacuit Bay lagoons by private boat
El Nido to the Big Lagoon, Small Lagoon and Secret Lagoon, Shimizu Island and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in El Nido
- By boat
Morning
Our own outrigger boat and crew are waiting on the beach after breakfast, and we head out to reach the lagoons as early as we can, before the shared tour boats fill the entrances. Miniloc Island is the first stop. In the Big Lagoon, sheer black limestone walls close around water that turns from green to deep blue, and we paddle in by kayak. In the Small Lagoon you swim or paddle through a low gap in the rock into a hidden pool. At the Secret Lagoon you crawl through a hole in the cliff into a still basin.
Afternoon
Lunch is fish, chicken and rice grilled by the crew on a beach, then snorkelling over the coral at Shimizu Island, where reef fish gather in the shallows. Because the boat is ours, we can stay longer where it is quiet and skip what is crowded.
Evening
We are back in town by mid-afternoon, with the evening free.
Included
- Full day on a private boat for the group with your guide and crew
- Big Lagoon and Small Lagoon by kayak, the Secret Lagoon and Shimizu Island
- El Nido eco-tourism fee, lagoon fees, kayaks, snorkel gear and life jackets
- Lunch grilled on the beach
Easier option: Stay on the boat or the beach at any stop; the crew paddle a kayak for you in the Big Lagoon if you prefer.
More active option: Take a kayak for the long way round the Big Lagoon and snorkel at every stop.
Free time: Evening free in El Nido
Activity: Swimming in a life jacket; the Small and Secret Lagoons involve a short swim or a crawl over sharp rock. Water shoes help.
Hidden beaches, then a free afternoon
El Nido to Hidden Beach, Matinloc Shrine and Helicopter Island, then back to town
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in El Nido
- By boat
Morning
A second morning on our private boat, on a different loop to the west of the bay. Hidden Beach is a strip of white sand closed off by limestone walls, which you reach by wading or swimming through a gap in the rocks. On Matinloc Island a small shrine to the Virgin Mary sits on a ridge, and a short climb on the rocks behind it looks out over the open sea. Helicopter Island, named for its shape from the water, has a long beach for a swim and snorkelling along its edge.
Afternoon
Lunch is grilled on a beach again, and we head back to El Nido by early afternoon, when the sun is fiercest. The rest of the day is yours: sleep, read, take a massage in town, or hire a tricycle to Nacpan Beach, a long curve of sand about 45 minutes north.
Evening
For sunset, Las Cabanas Beach south of town faces west over the islands.
Included
- Morning on a private boat for the group: Hidden Beach, Matinloc Shrine and Helicopter Island
- Snorkel gear, kayaks and life jackets
- Lunch grilled on the beach
Optional experiences
- Kayak or stand-up paddle board hire in El Nido (price shown at booking)
Easier option: Skip the boat and keep the whole day free at the hotel or on Corong Corong beach.
More active option: In the late afternoon, a guided climb of Taraw Peak behind the town: steep, sharp limestone with ropes in places, about 2 to 3 hours, for the view over the bay.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free in El Nido
Activity: Back by early afternoon. Wading and short swims at Hidden Beach.
Ferry to Coron and Mount Tapyas
El Nido to Coron by fast ferry, then Mount Tapyas
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Coron
- By ferry
We take the fast ferry from El Nido across to Coron town on Busuanga Island, the main island of the Calamian group, about three and a half to four hours on open water.
Morning
The ferry sails early in the morning on most timetables, so this is the one morning the schedule is set by the boat, not by us; breakfast is packed if the hotel is not yet serving. Your guide handles the tickets and the bags, and porters carry luggage on and off.
Afternoon
In Coron we check in, then sit down to lunch in town. The afternoon is free to rest.
Evening
Late in the day, before sunset, we climb the stairway up Mount Tapyas, a little over 700 steps to a large cross and a view over Coron town, its harbour and the islands of the bay as the light goes gold. If the steps are too much, the Maquinit saltwater hot spring outside town is a gentler way to end the day.
Included
- Fast ferry from El Nido to Coron with porterage
- Sit-down lunch in Coron
- Mount Tapyas at sunset with your guide
Optional experiences
- Maquinit Hot Springs in the evening (price shown at booking)
Easier option: Skip Mount Tapyas and soak in the Maquinit saltwater hot spring instead.
Free time: Afternoon free in Coron
Activity: Ferry timetables change by season and sailings are cancelled in rough seas; the sailing time is confirmed close to departure, and if a sailing is cancelled we rebook the next one and rearrange the Coron days.
Coron Island lakes and wrecks
Coron town to Coron Island, Barracuda Lake, Twin Lagoon and the Skeleton Wreck, and back
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Coron
- By boat
A full day on our own boat, starting early to reach Coron Island's lakes before the shared tour boats. The island is the ancestral land of the Tagbanua, who manage the lakes and collect the entry fees. At Kayangan Lake a steep stairway climbs to a viewpoint over the cove and its karst towers, then drops to a lake of clear water ringed by limestone. At Barracuda Lake you float over layers of fresh and salt water at different temperatures, a strange feeling on the skin. The Twin Lagoon is two lagoons joined by a gap in the rock that you swim through at low tide.
Afternoon
Lunch is grilled on a beach, then we snorkel the Skeleton Wreck, one of the Japanese ships sunk by American aircraft around Coron Bay in September 1944, shallow enough to see from the surface.
Evening
Tonight the group shares a farewell dinner in town.
Included
- Full day on a private boat for the group with your guide and crew
- Kayangan Lake, Barracuda Lake and the Twin Lagoon on Coron Island, with the Tagbanua community fees
- Snorkelling over the Skeleton Wreck
- Snorkel gear and life jackets
- Lunch grilled on the beach
- Farewell dinner in Coron
Easier option: Stay on the boat at Kayangan Lake and Barracuda Lake, or swim only where you can stand.
More active option: Add a snorkel stop at a coral garden or a second wreck, agreed with the crew on the day.
Free time: Late afternoon free before the farewell dinner
Activity: The Kayangan stairway is short but steep and uneven. Swims are in life jackets; Barracuda Lake is deep, so stay near the boardwalk if you are a weak swimmer.
Fly from Coron to Manila
Coron town to Busuanga airport, then Manila by air
- Breakfast
- Drive about 45 min
Morning
A slow morning with breakfast at the hotel. Coron town is small, so if there is time before the airport walk the harbour front, buy dried fish or cashews in the market, or take a last coffee looking out at the islands. We drive about 40 minutes across Busuanga to Francisco B. Reyes Airport (USU), where your guide sees you through check-in, and take the included flight of about an hour back to Manila. The group arrives at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL) around the middle of the day, where you connect to your flight home or stay on in Manila. Your guide checks your onward flight before saying goodbye. Manila's airport has several terminals that are not connected inside, so allow time for the transfer between them, and book your international flight to leave after about 4 pm. If you want to stay longer on Palawan, ask us to add nights in El Nido or Coron before you fly.
Included
- Transfer to Busuanga airport (USU)
- Flight from Busuanga to Manila (MNL)
Free time: Morning free in Coron
Activity: Book your flight home from Manila after about 4 pm; the Busuanga flight time is confirmed with your final itinerary.
- Manila1 night
- Puerto Princesa1 night
- El Nido3 nights
- Coron2 nights
- Manilaend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: December to May is the dry season. December to February is a little cooler and can bring choppy seas from the northeast monsoon, which can delay the ferry; March to May is calm and hot. From June to November rain and typhoons make the boat days unreliable, so we do not run then.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want El Nido and Coron in one trip without planning the flights and ferry themselves
- Swimmers and snorkellers, from nervous to keen, who like a life jacket and a boat to climb back onto
- A private boat and time in each lagoon instead of a crowded shared tour
- A mix of guided boat days and free afternoons
Not for you if you want
- Scuba divers who want to dive the Coron wrecks every day (ask us about adding dive days)
- Travellers who cannot get in and out of small boats from a beach or ladder
- Anyone who wants nightlife or a big resort with a pool every night
- Travel from June to November, the wet and typhoon season
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
7 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Manila1 night
- Puerto Princesa1 night
- El Nido3 nights
- Coron2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 7 nights: 1 in Manila, 1 in Puerto Princesa, 3 in El Nido and 2 in Coron
- Central hotels of a 3-star-plus standard with air-conditioning and private bathrooms; we name each hotel when we confirm your dates
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL) on day 1
- Flights from Manila to Puerto Princesa and from Busuanga (Coron) to Manila, with a checked bag
- Our own air-conditioned van and driver on Palawan
- Fast ferry from El Nido to Coron, with porterage
- A private boat and crew for the group on the three boat days
- Transfers between hotels, harbours and airports
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from day 1 to day 8, including on the flights and the ferry
- Local boat crews in El Nido and Coron, and local site guides where a site requires them
Activities
- Manila: Intramuros walk with Manila Cathedral, San Agustin Church and Fort Santiago
- Sabang: Puerto Princesa Underground River permit and boat trip
- Taytay: Fort Santa Isabel
- El Nido: full-day private boat to the Big, Small and Secret Lagoons and Shimizu Island, and a morning private boat to Hidden Beach, Matinloc Shrine and Helicopter Island
- El Nido eco-tourism fee and lagoon fees
- Coron: Mount Tapyas at sunset
- Coron Island: Kayangan Lake, Barracuda Lake and the Twin Lagoon, with Tagbanua community fees
- Snorkelling at the Skeleton Wreck
- Snorkel gear, kayaks and life jackets on every boat day
Meals
- 7 breakfasts
- 6 lunches: Sabang, Taytay, Coron and three grilled on the beach on boat days
- 2 dinners: a welcome dinner in Manila and a farewell dinner in Coron
Not included
- International flights to and from Manila
- Visa, if your passport needs one
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed
- Drinks
- Tips for your guide, drivers and boat crews
- Optional activities: the Iwahig firefly trip, Maquinit Hot Springs, kayak or paddle board hire
- Extra baggage on the domestic flights
- Scuba diving
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 550 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
Prices in these answers apply from Jan 1, 2027. Black Friday offer: 11% off the small-group price for requests received by Dec 1, 2026. From CAD 2,875 per person. Dec 2 to Dec 31: from CAD 3,035. From Jan 1, 2027: from CAD 3,230.
What does the Palawan trip price include?
Seven nights in central hotels, 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 2 dinners, both domestic flights, the El Nido to Coron ferry, our own van on Palawan, a private boat on all three boat days, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, and every visit in the day plan, including the Underground River permit, lagoon and eco-tourism fees and snorkel gear.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. That fits one private outrigger boat comfortably, so we choose when to reach each lagoon instead of following a shared tour boat, and everyone fits around one table at lunch on the beach.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from Manila to the last flight, including the ferry and both domestic flights. Local boat crews run the boats in El Nido and Coron, and local site guides join where a site requires them, such as the Underground River.
Do I need to be a strong swimmer?
No. Every swim and snorkel is in a life jacket, and you can stay on the boat at any stop. You do need to climb in and out of an outrigger boat from a beach or a ladder, and the Small Lagoon and Twin Lagoon are reached by a short swim or paddle.
How fit do I need to be?
An easy level suits most people who walk regularly. The steep parts are the stairway at Kayangan Lake and the optional climb of a little over 700 steps up Mount Tapyas, which you can swap for the hot springs. Day 3 is a long drive, about five hours, broken by two stops.
I am travelling solo. Do I pay a single supplement?
Only if you take a room of your own, from CAD 550 more, about 17 percent of the trip price. Solo travellers join the same departures, boats and tables as everyone else, and the supplement is shown up front, before you request to book, so there is no surprise at checkout.
When is the best time to visit El Nido and Coron?
December to May, the dry season. December to February is a little cooler but can bring choppy seas that delay the ferry; March to May is calm, sunny and hot. June to November brings heavy rain and typhoons, which cancel boat days, so we do not run then.
What happens if the El Nido to Coron ferry is cancelled?
The Coast Guard cancels sailings in rough seas, most often from December to February. If it happens, we rebook the next sailing and rearrange the Coron days, and your guide stays with you throughout. The fallback plan is confirmed with you before you travel.
Why is there a long drive from Puerto Princesa to El Nido?
No regular flight links the two towns, and flying back through Manila would cost a day. The road is about 250 km and five hours, the only day over four hours on the trip. We break it with coffee in Roxas and a sit-down lunch in Taytay by its old Spanish fort.
Do I need a visa for the Philippines?
Canadians and many other nationalities can visit visa-free for up to 30 days, with a passport valid for 6 months beyond the stay. Every traveller must register on the government's eTravel website within 72 hours before arrival. We confirm the rules for your passport when you book.
How does booking work, and can I choose my own dates?
Pick a small-group start date and request to book; we confirm within 24 hours and take no payment until then. For your own dates, choose the private trip for your party only, or ask us from the dates section for an independent quote using the same hotels, boats and flights.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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