El Nido Island Hopping TourHow Much Does an El Nido Island Hopping Tour Cost?
Last reviewed September 2026
The El Nido island hopping tour price has two halves, and only one of them is printed on the listing. A shared boat on Tour A, B or D books online for $22 to $28 per person with lunch, guide and life vest inside the fare. The second half is paid in pesos on the morning: a ₱400 eco-tourism fee, a ₱200 lagoon fee on the routes that enter a lagoon, and a kayak to paddle into it. Add those up and the real day on Tour A lands near $37, on Tour B near $34. This page lays out every figure by route and traveller category, so the cash you carry matches what the crew asks for. The fares themselves sit in every El Nido island hopping listing on one page.
Quick answer The online fare, the peso cash on the day, and the one listing that folds the fees in
Budget $22 to $28 for a shared boat plus about ₱775 (about $12) in cash on Tour A, ₱400 on Tour B, ₱950 on Tour D. The ₱400 eco fee is paid once and lasts 10 days. Private boats start at $124 per person online or ₱6,000 to 12,000 per boat in town. Only one listing here already contains the fees.
Key takeaways
- The cheapest all-in shared day is Tour B at $28: no lagoon, no kayak, only the ₱400 eco fee in cash
- Tour A and Tour D each add a ₱200 lagoon fee plus a kayak; Tour D enters two lagoons, so it needs two paddles
- Pay the eco fee once, keep the receipt, and every later tour in the same 10 days is fee-free
- The fee-inclusive Tour D at $41 removes the ₱600 of fees from the morning; only the kayak stays in cash
- Walk-in joiner rates in town run ₱1,200 to 1,800 depending on the route, in the same band as the online fares once converted
- Not sure which route the money should go on? Start with the four routes side by side
Price Overview
Every fare on this site is quoted in US dollars for online booking, while every fee on the water is collected in pesos. The conversion used throughout is ₱62.6 to the dollar, so ₱400 reads as about $6.40 and ₱200 as about $3.20.
What the listings charge, route by route
The spread between the cheapest and dearest shared boat is small. The Beacfront joiner on Tour A is $22, the Corazon shared boats on Tour A and Tour D are $25 and $26, the Alexzus Tour A is $25, and the Corazon Tour B is $28. Private boats jump to $124 per person for Tour A and $126 for Tour C, and the private A+C day is $290.
The Cliffside Tour D at $41 looks expensive next to the $26 Corazon boat on the same route until you notice that the ₱400 eco fee and the lagoon fees are inside it. The table below puts the online fare beside the cash the same day still needs.
| Listing | Online fare | Cash still due on the day | Realistic all-in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tour A joiner, Beacfront | $22 | ₱400 eco + ₱200 lagoon + shared kayak ≈ ₱775 | about $34 |
| Tour A shared, Corazon | $25 | ≈ ₱775 (about $12) | about $37 |
| Tour A shared, Alexzus | $25 | ≈ ₱775; mask and snorkel already included | about $37 |
| Tour B shared, Corazon | $28 | ₱400 eco fee only (about $6.40) | about $34 |
| Tour D shared, Corazon | $26 | ₱400 + ₱200 + two kayak legs ≈ ₱950 (about $15) | about $41 |
| Tour D fees included, Cliffside | $41 | Kayak at the Small Lagoon, ₱300 per hour for two seats | about $46 with a whole kayak, less shared |
| Private Tour A, Poseidon | $124 per person | ₱400 + ₱200 + kayak, fins and tips | about $137 plus tips |
| Private Tour C, Poseidon | $126 per person | ₱400 eco fee, optional ₱200 shrine | about $132 to $136 |
| Private A+C, Alexzus | $290 | ₱400 + ₱200 lagoon; kayak already included | about $300 |
What Affects the Price
Four things move the number: the route, whether the boat is shared or private, what the operator folds into the fare, and how many of the peso fees your route triggers.
Route and distance
Tour C is priced higher than the other three in town, ₱1,400 to 1,800 for a joiner seat against ₱1,200 to 1,500 for Tour A, because Matinloc Shrine and Secret Beach sit farther out across the Tapiutan Strait and the boat burns more fuel getting there. Tour B and Tour D stay closer to town, which is part of why the Tour B shared boat is the cheapest all-in day even though its online fare is the highest shared fare here at $28. Tour A carries the Big Lagoon, and the Big Lagoon carries a ₱200 users fee and a compulsory kayak, so its cheap online fare grows the most on the day.
Which stops sit on which route, and why, is laid out on the route comparison.
Shared or private
A shared bangka carries roughly 15 to 25 passengers and runs one fixed route in one fixed order. A private boat carries your party alone and lets the captain reorder stops around the fleet. The online gap is $22 to $28 against $124 to $126 per person, so a couple pays about five times more for the private version of the same route.
In town the private price is quoted per boat rather than per head, roughly ₱6,000 to 12,000 depending on the operator, which changes the arithmetic for a group of six or eight. The point at which the private boat stops being a luxury and starts being the cheaper option per person is worked through on private versus shared.
What the fare already contains
Every listing here includes lunch, a licensed guide and a life vest. Beyond that the inclusions vary, and the variation is worth money. The Alexzus Tour A puts a mask and snorkel in the fare, which saves about ₱150 of rental; the Corazon Tour A does not promise one.
The Beacfront joiner adds fruit and water. The private A+C day includes one two- or three-seat kayak at the Big Lagoon, worth ₱350 to 500. The Cliffside Tour D includes the ₱400 eco fee and the lagoon fees, a ₱600 saving that explains most of the difference between its $41 and the $26 Corazon boat on the same route.
Read the excluded list on any listing before you compare fares; on this site the fee lines are printed on every card.
Budget, Mid-Range, Private
Three ways to spend a day in Bacuit Bay, with the full peso-and-dollar arithmetic for each, so you can see where the money goes before you choose.
Budget: a shared boat with the fewest add-ons
The lowest all-in figure on this site belongs to Tour B. The Corazon Tour B fare is $28, and the only cash the route asks for is the ₱400 eco fee (about $6.40), because Snake Island, Cudugnon Cave, Cathedral Cave and Entalula have no lagoon fee and need no kayak. That is about $34 for a six-hour day with lunch. The Beacfront Tour A joiner at $22 looks cheaper on paper, and its five stops with a buffet are good value, but the Big Lagoon adds ₱200 and a kayak: ₱400 + ₱200 + half of a ₱350 two-seat kayak is about ₱775, or roughly $12, for an all-in near $34 as well.
If you have already paid the eco fee on an earlier day, knock ₱400 off either figure.
Mid-range: Tour A or Tour D on a shared boat
The Corazon Tour A at $25 plus about ₱775 in cash comes to about $37 all in. The Alexzus Tour A costs the same online and saves the mask rental. The Corazon Tour D at $26 enters two lagoons, the Small Lagoon with its ₱200 fee and Cadlao Lagoon, and a reviewer on that boat priced the kayaks at ₱350 for two seats or ₱500 for three in each; with the eco fee the day needs about ₱950 (about $15), for an all-in near $41.
The Cliffside Tour D at $41 lands in the same place with the fees prepaid, and only the ₱300-per-hour kayak at the Small Lagoon left for cash. Both Tour D days come out a few dollars above Tour A, and both buy the quietest lagoons in the bay.
Private: your own boat
The private Tour A is $124 per person and the private Tour C is $126, each with a buffet lunch, bottled water and a tuk-tuk pickup within a kilometre of Corong-Corong. The eco fee, the lagoon fee on Tour A, the kayak, fins and tips are all cash on top, so a private Tour A day runs about $137 per person before tipping and a private Tour C about $132 to $136 with the optional shrine. The $290 private A+C day includes the kayak and covers the Big Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, Seven Commandos, Hidden Beach, Secret Beach and Entalula in seven hours, with the eco fee and the ₱200 lagoon fee still in cash.
Walk-in charters in town are quoted per boat, roughly ₱6,000 to 12,000, and elnidoparadise takes a 25% deposit with the balance paid in cash on the day.
Extra Costs to Budget For
None of the fees below appear on a card or in an online checkout. They are collected in pesos at the operator's office, by the guide before boarding, or at the lagoon mouth, and the crews check receipts.
The peso list, with what triggers each line
The eco fee is universal. The lagoon fee and the kayak depend on the route. The rest are rentals and options you can decline, though water shoes earn their ₱100 on the reef wades of Tour C and a towel is the item most people forget.
Figures come from the listings' own excluded lists, from a reviewer's receipt on the Tour D boat and from the municipality's fee explainer. Prices are per person unless the row says otherwise, and the kayak rows are per boat, so a couple splits them. The last column tells you which routes trigger each line, which is the quickest way to see why Tour B needs the least cash and Tour D the most.
| Item | Peso price | About in USD | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eco-Tourism Development Fee (ETDF) | ₱400 per non-resident adult, once per 10 days | $6.40 | Every route; already inside the Cliffside Tour D |
| Lagoon users fee, Big Lagoon | ₱200 per person, one-time access | $3.20 | Tour A and the A+C day |
| Lagoon users fee, Small Lagoon | ₱200 per person, one-time access | $3.20 | Tour D (inside the Cliffside fare) |
| Kayak, two seats | ₱300 to 350; Cliffside quotes ₱300 per hour | $4.80 to 5.60 | Tour A once, Tour D twice; included on the A+C day |
| Kayak, three seats | ₱500 | $8 | Same lagoons, for a family of three |
| Matinloc Shrine | ₱200 per person, optional | $3.20 | Tour C only |
| Water shoes rental | ₱100 per pair | $1.60 | Worth it on Tour C's reef wades |
| Towel rental | ₱100 | $1.60 | Any route |
| Mask and snorkel rental | about ₱150 | $2.40 | Where not included; Alexzus includes it |
| Soft drinks and beer | Cash to floating vendors | varies | Any route; water comes with lunch |
Why the kayak is not really optional
Motorised boats may not enter the Big Lagoon or the Small Lagoon, so the bangka anchors at the mouth and you paddle the rest. The listings print the kayak as a rental you can decline, and reviewers on the Beacfront boat and the Corazon Tour D boat both describe it as compulsory in practice: having paid the ₱200 users fee to enter, nobody sits on the boat while the group paddles in. A reviewer on the Tour D boat put it plainly, adding that it is still necessary to enjoy the experience.
Budget one kayak per two people on Tour A and two on Tour D. The A+C private day is the only listing here that includes the paddle, one two- or three-seat kayak at the Big Lagoon.
Cash, receipts and the eco fee line on the listings
Carry pesos in small notes. The eco fee is collected at the operator's office or by the guide before boarding, the lagoon fee and kayak at the lagoon itself, and drinks from floating vendors who pull alongside at lunch. Keep the ETDF receipt: crews ask to see it, and the Corazon listings state that a copy avoids paying the fee twice.
Two Alexzus listings print the fee as valid for five days only; the municipality and every other source state 10 days, and the 10-day figure is the one to plan around. Lunch is included on every listing here, so the cash list above is the whole of it unless you rent gear or buy a drink.
The Eco-Tourism Development Fee, by Category
The ETDF is a municipal levy that funds waste collection, the lagoon carrying-capacity scheme and the ranger stations. It is charged per person, paid once, and covers every tour and every site in El Nido for 10 days.
Who pays what
The rates below follow the municipal schedule as published on the elnidoparadise ETDF page, which tracks the ordinance that raised the adult rate to ₱400. Palawan residents pay a lower band on proof of address. Students and senior citizens need an ID to claim their rate, and the guide collecting the fee will ask to see it.
Children aged six to thirteen pay a reduced rate and children under six pay nothing. Every band has the same 10-day validity, so a student's ₱300 covers as many tours as an adult's ₱400. The last column shows what a couple with one child of school age hands over in total, which is the figure to have ready in small notes at the office on the first morning.
| Category | Non-Palawan resident | Palawan resident | Validity | Family of two adults + one child aged 6 to 13 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist (adult) | ₱400 (about $6.40) | ₱200 | 10 days | ₱800 for the adults |
| Student with ID | ₱300 | ₱100 | 10 days | replaces ₱400 for each student |
| Senior citizen | ₱320 | ₱160 | 10 days | replaces ₱400 for each senior |
| Child aged 6 to 13 | ₱250 | ₱150 | 10 days | ₱250, so ₱1,050 for the family |
| Child under 6 | free | free | n/a | ₱800 for the family |
Once per stay, not once per tour
The single most expensive mistake on the water is paying the eco fee twice. The ₱400 covers ten days, which is longer than most stays, and it covers every route and every land site in the municipality. Pay it on the morning of your first tour, photograph the receipt, and show the paper on every later boat.
If you book the fee-inclusive Cliffside Tour D as your first day, the fee is paid through the operator and you still receive the receipt for the days after. Children under six pay nothing at all, and a child of six to thirteen pays ₱250 against the adult ₱400. What a child can and cannot do on each route, and which listings rule anyone out, is covered on the family page.
How to Pay Less
The fares are close together; the savings sit in the cash column and in the order you book the days.
Six moves that cut the day's cost
None of these involves haggling. They come from the fee rules and the listings' own inclusion lists.
- Pay the ₱400 eco fee once and keep the receipt; every later tour in the same 10 days is fee-free
- Choose Tour B for the cheapest all-in day: no lagoon fee, no kayak, about $34 total
- Share a two-seat kayak at ₱300 to 350 rather than paying ₱500 for a three-seater you do not fill
- If Tour D is the plan, the fee-inclusive $41 listing prepays ₱600 of fees and removes two cash queues from the morning
- Pick the listing that includes the kit you would otherwise rent: the Alexzus Tour A carries a mask and snorkel, the private A+C day carries the kayak
- Bring a refillable bottle; plastic bottles are banned on the tours and water comes with lunch, so drinks money only goes to the floating vendors if you want it to
Online dollars against walk-in pesos
Walk-in joiner seats in town cost ₱1,200 to 1,500 for Tour A, ₱1,300 to 1,600 for Tour B, ₱1,400 to 1,800 for Tour C and ₱1,200 to 1,500 for Tour D. At ₱62.6 to the dollar the bottom of the Tour A band is about $19 and the top about $24, so a $22 to $25 online fare sits inside the walk-in range rather than above it. The online listing adds free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start, reserve-now-pay-later, and a refund from the platform if the Coast Guard cancels the day. The walk-in desk adds the chance to see the boat and pick the day's weather.
Neither route to a ticket saves you the peso fees, which are the same at the lagoon mouth whoever sold you the seat. A combo A and C seat sold in town for ₱2,000 per person, eight hours and back around 5 pm, is the walk-in answer to the private A+C listing.
Is It Worth the Price?
At $34 to $41 all in for six to eight hours on the water with lunch, the shared boats are among the cheaper full-day tours anywhere. Whether the private premium earns its keep depends on your group size and how much the crowds bother you.
What the money buys, and what it does not
A shared fare buys the boat, a licensed captain and guide, a life vest, lunch and around five to six hours at the stops. The Alexzus Tour A prints its own timings: 60 minutes at Seven Commandos, 105 at the Big Lagoon, 105 at Shimizu for lunch and snorkelling, 45 in the Secret Lagoon. That is a long day at a low fare.
What the fare does not buy is solitude. Shared boats leave the town beach together after Coast Guard clearance between 9:00 and 9:30 am and arrive at the lagoons together. Tour B and Tour D carry fewer boats, and reviewers on the Corazon Tour D boat counted 17 people and were alone at both lagoons.
A private boat at about $137 per person buys the freedom to leave at 7:00 am or 10:45 am and to run the route backwards, which is how a reviewer on the A+C day was first at every stop. For a couple that is a large premium; for six people sharing a ₱9,000 charter in town it is ₱1,500 a head, level with a joiner seat. The full hour-by-hour day, boat sizes and the onshore lunch rule are on the itinerary page, and all of the fares sit together on the tour comparison.
How Much to Carry, by Plan
If You want the cheapest full day and do not mind skipping the lagoons
Book Tour B at $28 and carry ₱400 plus drinks money. About $34 all in.
If You want the Big Lagoon on a shared boat
Book a Tour A listing at $22 to $25 and carry about ₱775 per person: eco fee, lagoon fee and half a kayak.
If You want the Small Lagoon and no fee queues
The Cliffside Tour D at $41 has the ₱600 of fees inside; carry ₱300 for the kayak and small notes for drinks.
If You are three or more and want your own boat
Compare the $124 per person private listings against a ₱6,000 to 12,000 charter in town with a 25% deposit; the break-even is on private versus shared.
If You are staying three days and doing two routes
Pay the eco fee on day one, keep the receipt, and the second boat costs only its fare plus any lagoon fee.
Questions About the Cost
How much does it cost to go island hopping in El Nido?
A shared boat books for $22 to $28 online and needs ₱400 to 950 in cash on the day depending on the route, so the realistic figure is about $34 for Tour B, $37 for Tour A and $41 for Tour D. Walk-in seats in town cost ₱1,200 to 1,800. Private boats start at $124 per person online; the private Tour A and Tour C listings both sit near that figure before fees and tips.
How much is the environmental fee in El Nido?
The Eco-Tourism Development Fee is ₱400 (about $6.40) per non-resident adult. Students pay ₱300, senior citizens ₱320, children aged six to thirteen ₱250, and children under six pay nothing. Palawan residents pay half or less in each band. It is collected in cash at the operator's office or by the guide before boarding, and the receipt is checked on the boat.
Is the eco-tourism fee valid for more than one tour?
Yes. One payment is valid for 10 days and covers every island hopping route and every land site in the municipality. Keep the receipt and show it on each later boat; the listings say a copy of it avoids paying again. Two listings print a five-day validity, but the municipal schedule and the fee page both state 10 days.
How much is a private boat in El Nido?
Online, the private Tour A is $124 per person and the private Tour C is $126, with the private A+C day at $290. In town a whole boat is quoted at roughly ₱6,000 to 12,000 depending on the operator and route, with a 25% deposit and the balance in cash. The eco fee, lagoon fee, kayak and tips are extra either way.
Do children pay the El Nido environmental fee?
Children under six pay nothing. Children aged six to thirteen pay ₱250 if the family lives outside Palawan, or ₱150 for Palawan residents. From fourteen the adult ₱400 applies unless the child holds a student ID, which drops it to ₱300. The lagoon users fee is ₱200 per person regardless of age on the listings that print it.
Is it cheaper to book island hopping online or in El Nido?
The two are close. A walk-in Tour A seat costs ₱1,200 to 1,500, about $19 to $24, against $22 to $25 online, and the peso fees are identical whichever way you book. Online adds free cancellation up to 24 hours before and a refund if the Coast Guard cancels; the cheapest Tour A listing here is $22 with a buffet lunch and five stops.
The fare is the small half of the bill and the easy half to compare. The cash half follows the route: ₱400 everywhere, ₱200 and a kayak wherever a lagoon sits on the plan, twice on Tour D. Settle the route first, count the pesos second, and the day costs what the table above says it costs.
When the route is decided, the El Nido boat tours compared on this site list every fare with its fee lines on the card, and the reasons to choose one route over another are on which tour is best.