El Nido Island Hopping ToursThe El Nido to Coron Expedition: Three Days Between Two Towns
The El Nido to Coron expedition turns a four-hour ferry crossing into a three-day journey on a wooden bangka, sleeping on beaches with no electricity along the Linapacan chain in between. It costs $323.97 per person for 3 days and 2 nights, runs in both directions, and is the only product in El Nido that is not a variation on the four lettered day tours. This is what the price covers, what the nights are actually like, and who should book the ferry instead.
About the expedition
One-way between El Nido and Coron. Operators also sell 4-day and 5-day versions of the same route with more stops
Per person. Rated 4.8 from 570 reviews on the El Nido to Coron direction and 4.8 from 154 the other way
Two nights on islands with no electricity. Basic huts with a mattress and mosquito net, or a tent, or the sand if you prefer
Cooked on board by the crew, plus snacks, coffee, tea and drinking water. Snorkelling gear and camping equipment included
Depending on the boat, with a minimum of four local guides and crew
Not daily. Boats leave on set dates and the schedule thins during the June to October monsoon
Check expedition dates
Live calendar for the three-day crossing. Departures are on fixed dates rather than every morning, so check before you book flights either end.
What the Three Days Look Like
The Route, and Why It Takes Three Days
This is not one of the four lettered day routes. If you want a single day on the water out of El Nido, the El Nido island hopping day tours are the cheaper answer; this is the three-day version.
El Nido and Coron sit at opposite ends of a scatter of islands about 150 kilometres apart. A fast ferry runs it in three and a half to four hours by going more or less straight. The expedition does not go straight. It works north-east through the Linapacan group, a chain of islands with a handful of fishing villages, almost no road, and beaches that day boats from either town cannot reach and back from.
That is the entire product. You are not paying for transport, which the ferry does better and cheaper. You are paying for two nights in places nobody visits on a day trip, and for the eight or nine snorkelling stops between them.
Days run long and loose. Boats move in the morning while the water is flat, stop through the middle of the day, and reach camp in time to set up before dark. Nothing is timetabled to the minute and crews change the plan for weather without much ceremony.
Which Direction to Book
Both directions cost the same and cover the same water. The El Nido to Coron listing carries 570 reviews at 4.8; the Coron to El Nido version has 154 at the same rating, which is a difference in how many people travel each way rather than in quality.
Pick by what you want at the far end. Ending in Coron puts you next to Kayangan Lake, Barracuda Lake and the Japanese wrecks, which is the better wind-down if you dive or want a change of scenery. Ending in El Nido puts you back in Bacuit Bay with the four lettered routes still to do, which suits anyone who has not done them yet.
The practical tiebreaker is flights. El Nido's Lio airport is small and its schedule is thin; Coron's Busuanga airport has more capacity. If your onward flight is the fixed point in the trip, end at the airport you have already booked out of.
The Snorkelling Between the Camps
Linapacan water is the reason experienced snorkellers pick this over another week of day tours. The reefs get a fraction of the boat traffic that Bacuit Bay sees, the visibility is often better, and stops last as long as the group wants rather than as long as the schedule allows.
Expect several stops a day: shallow coral gardens, a sandbar or two, and on most itineraries a wreck. Masks and snorkels come with the trip. Fins usually do not, and if you snorkel seriously, bring your own mask rather than trusting a shared one for three days.
Current is the thing to watch. These are open channels between islands, not enclosed lagoons, and the crew will tell you which side of the boat to swim from. Take that seriously: there is no other boat within sight to pick anybody up.
Both Directions on This Page
Same boat operator, same route, same price. Prices are per person from the operators' own GetYourGuide listings, checked on 5 August 2026.
from $323.97Most Reviewed — 570 Reviews El Nido to Coron: 3-Day 2-Night Island-Hopping Expedition
The El Nido to Coron leg of the same off-grid expedition: three days of remote reefs and beach camps, and the better-reviewed direction of the two.
Read the full guide → Check Availability
from $323.97Coron → El Nido, 3 Days Coron to El Nido: 3-Day 2-Night Island-Hopping Expedition
Three days and two nights sailing south through northern Palawan from Coron, sleeping on remote islands. The same expedition as below, run the other way round.
Read the full guide → Check AvailabilityA Three-Day Expedition, Day by Day
Every operator runs a slightly different set of islands and swaps stops for weather. The shape of the three days is fixed; the specific beaches are not.
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Day 1, 07:30
Boarding in El Nido
Bags aboard, safety briefing, eco fee receipt checked if you have been island hopping already. Boats leave the town beach early to use the flat morning water.
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Day 1, midday
First snorkelling stops
Two or three stops in Bacuit Bay's outer islands, past where the day tours turn around. Lunch cooked on board and eaten on a beach.
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Day 1, 16:30
First camp
A beach in the Linapacan group. Huts or tents go up, the crew starts dinner, and the generator, if there is one, runs for an hour at most.
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Day 2, 07:00
Sunrise and breakfast
The crew is up before the guests. Coffee, eggs, rice, and packing the camp down onto the boat.
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Day 2, all day
The long middle day
The most water time of the trip: reefs, sandbars, a fishing village stop on some itineraries, and a wreck on most.
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Day 2, 17:00
Second camp
Closer to the Coron side. Dinner on the sand, and the darkest sky most guests will ever stand under.
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Day 3, 07:00
Last stops
Two or three final reefs while the boat works toward Busuanga.
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Day 3, 15:00
Coron town
Dropped at the pier. Arrival time moves with the sea, so do not book a same-day flight out.
Expedition, Ferry or Flight
Three ways to get from El Nido to Coron. Only one of them is a holiday in itself, and it is the slowest and the most expensive by a distance.
| Option | Time | Cost per person | Book | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3-day expedition | 3 days, 2 nights | $323.97 | Linapacan islands, beach camping, all meals, 8+ snorkelling stops | |
| Fast ferry | 3.5-4 h | About $50 | A seat, a crossing, and the afternoon free at the other end | |
| Flight via Manila or Cebu | Half a day with connections | Varies widely | Speed, and two airport transfers you did not want | |
| 4-day or 5-day expedition | 4-5 days | Higher, set by operator | More islands, more remote camps, the same boat and crew |
Ferry figures are indicative for August 2026: fast services run most days around midday and take longer when the sea is up. Confirm the current schedule before planning around it.
Sleeping, Eating and Washing on an Expedition
The Nights
Camps are basic and the operators say so in writing. You get a hut with a mattress, a pillow and a mosquito net, or a tent, and camping equipment comes with the trip. Plenty of guests skip both and sleep on the sand, on the boat deck, or on a bamboo floor with the sides open, which crews allow as long as you tell them where you are so they can account for everybody.
There are toilets at every camp and on the boat. Showers are a bucket or the sea. Two nights without a proper wash is the part most people underestimate, and it is also the part nobody complains about afterwards.
There is no electricity at the camps. Charge everything before you leave town and bring a power bank you have actually tested.
The Food
Three meals a day, cooked by the crew on the boat, plus snacks between them. Fish bought or caught along the way, pork, chicken, rice, vegetables, and fruit. Coffee, tea, purified water and soft drinks are included on most operators' inclusions lists.
Alcohol varies. Some boats provide rum with dinner and are explicit that this is not a party boat and the supply is limited for safety reasons. Most let you bring your own beer or wine with no corkage. Ask before you buy a case in town.
Dietary requirements are workable but need warning at booking. There is no shop between the two towns and nothing gets bought mid-route.
Signal, Money and the Things You Cannot Fix Out There
Mobile signal disappears for most of the route and returns in patches near villages. Download maps, tickets and anything you need to read before you board, and tell whoever is expecting to hear from you that they will not for three days.
Carry cash in small notes. There are no card machines, no ATMs and nothing to buy beyond an occasional cold drink from a village store or a tip for the crew at the end. Nobody needs much, but nobody can get any either.
Medical help is hours away. If you take prescription medication, bring the whole course plus a margin, and mention anything relevant at booking so the guides know before day two rather than during it.
Know Before You Book
What to Pack
Leave the single-use plastic bottles at home. El Nido has banned them across the protected area and the camps have nowhere to put rubbish, so everything that comes aboard goes back to town on the boat.
- A soft bag rather than a hard case. It gets stacked under a tarp on a boat deck
- A dry bag for electronics, and a tested power bank, because there is no charging at camp
- Reef-safe sunscreen, a rash guard and a hat. Three days of tropical sun on open water is a different exposure from a day tour
- Cash in ₱100 and ₱500 notes for drinks in villages and a crew tip at the end
- Your own mask if you snorkel often, plus a quick-dry towel and a headtorch
- Any prescription medication for the full trip plus a couple of spare days
Fees, Season and Cancellation
The ₱400 Eco-Tourism Development Fee applies at the El Nido end. You pay it once in cash, it is valid 10 days, and if you have already done a day tour in Bacuit Bay inside that window your existing receipt covers you. Some island stops along the route collect small local fees of ₱50 to ₱200, also cash.
Departure dates are fixed rather than daily, and the schedule thins from June to October when the southwest monsoon puts swell across the open channels. Operators cancel rather than run a bad crossing, which is the right call on a route with no shelter for hours at a time. Dry season, late November to May, is when these boats run most reliably and fill first.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure applies to the listings here. That protects your money but not your schedule, so leave a spare day at the far end before any flight.
Who Should Not Book This
Anyone travelling on a tight schedule. Three days becomes three and a half when the sea slows the boat, and no crew is going to push a crossing to meet your flight.
Anyone who needs a private bathroom, air conditioning or a bed off the ground. The listings are honest about the conditions and the reviews that go badly are almost always from people who read the price and not the inclusions.
Families with very small children, and anyone with limited mobility: boarding is a wade out to a boat, and camps are sand and rock with no built paths. Everyone else, including people who have never camped, tends to come off the boat saying it was the best part of the trip.
The Route Between El Nido and Coron
North-east from Bacuit Bay through the Linapacan islands and on to Busuanga. The ferry cuts across this in under four hours; the expedition spends three days inside it.
Questions About the Expedition
Is the El Nido to Coron expedition worth it?
If you want the islands rather than the transfer, yes. It is $323.97 for three days and two nights against about $50 for a four-hour ferry, so you are paying roughly $270 for two nights on beaches with no electricity, all meals, and eight or more snorkelling stops on reefs that day boats cannot reach. The listing sits at 4.8 from 570 reviews, which is the highest rating of anything on this site. It is not worth it if you need a schedule, a shower or a bed off the ground.
How long is the boat ride from El Nido to Coron?
On the fast ferry, three and a half to four hours in decent conditions and longer when the sea is up, with departures most days around midday. The expedition covers the same water in three days because it goes north-east through the Linapacan chain instead of straight across, stopping to snorkel and camping two nights on the way. Four-day and five-day versions of the same route exist and add more remote islands rather than more speed.
What is the best way to get to Coron from El Nido?
The fast ferry, if you just need to arrive: about four hours, around $50, and you have the afternoon in Coron. The expedition, if the journey is the point. Flying is the worst of the three for this particular hop because there is no direct route and you connect through Manila or Cebu, which costs a day and two airport transfers. Whichever you pick, do not stack it against a same-day onward flight.
How much does a ferry from El Nido to Coron cost?
Around $50 per person for the fast service, with fares moving by operator, class and how far ahead you book. Montenegro and Jomalia run the crossing several times a week, typically departing around midday, and tickets sell out in high season. These are indicative figures for August 2026, so check current schedules before building a plan around them.
What is included in the expedition price?
The boat and crew with at least four local guides, three meals a day cooked on board plus snacks, drinking water, coffee and tea, snorkelling gear, camping equipment, and the huts or tents at each camp. Not included: the ₱400 El Nido eco fee, small island fees of ₱50 to ₱200 along the way, alcohol beyond whatever the operator provides, fins, and a tip for the crew. There are no shops or ATMs on the route, so bring cash in small notes.
Can I do the expedition in the rainy season?
Boats run from June to October but the schedule thins and cancellations are common, because the southwest monsoon puts swell across open channels with no shelter for hours at a time. Operators cancel rather than risk a bad crossing. If your dates fall in those months, book with free cancellation, keep a spare day at the far end, and have the ferry as a fallback. Dry season is late November to May.
Do I need to be a strong swimmer?
You need to be comfortable getting off a boat into deep water in a life jacket. The stops are open channels rather than enclosed lagoons and currents run between the islands, so the crew directs which side to swim from. Guests who describe themselves as weak swimmers do the trip regularly and stay close to the boat. If open water genuinely worries you, the El Nido island hopping day tours are a better fit.
What Guests Wrote About the Expedition
Three days from El Nido to Coron and I would do it again tomorrow. Sleeping in a tent on an island with no electricity, snorkelling a wreck on the second morning, crew cooking on the boat the whole way. Pack light and accept that you will be salty for 72 hours.
The food was the surprise. Fresh fish every day cooked on a boat with a tiny gas ring, and more of it than twenty people could eat. Camp toilets are basic but they exist. Charge everything before you go, there is nothing out there.
Went Coron to El Nido in March. Second night camp had the clearest sky I have ever seen. One long day on the boat in the middle if the wind is against you, so bring something to read. Guides were excellent and knew every island by name.