Coron to El Nido: 3 Day and 2 Night Island Escape Expedition

About This Experience

This is the trip for travellers who start in Coron and want an outdoorsy, back-to-basics crossing to El Nido with two nights on remote islands. The downside is comfort and crowding: huts have no fan, bathrooms are shared, one reviewer described a bucket-and-cup shower at camp, and another found several other boats at the same beaches. It holds 4.8 stars from 167 reviews on GetYourGuide.

The evening before departure there is a 5 pm briefing at We Are Juan’s office in Poblacion 1 on the National Highway in Coron, a grey building. The boat leaves from the Port of Coron and sails south toward El Nido, landing at San Fernando port, from where the included transfer takes you into El Nido town on the afternoon of day three.

Days mix snorkelling over coral reefs with beach and swim stops, and meals come from the on-board chef, with snacks, purified water and rum included. Both nights are spent in native huts for two adults with a mattress, linen, pillows and a mosquito net. The camp is off-grid, with minimal electricity and no Wi-Fi.

Every guest needs valid environmental tickets for El Nido, Linapacan, Culion and Coron. The listing says to bring any you already hold, and the operator can process the rest for you; at the published rates they total about PHP 900 per person, so ask at booking whether they are added to your bill. On dates we checked in late October 2026 the trip cost $311 per person, with free cancellation up to 2 days before.

We’d pick it for its long track record and simple logistics at both ends. Keep a spare day in El Nido in case weather delays the trip, since one reviewer was held at the first camp for two days.

Highlights

• Two nights at isolated beachfront basecamps in traditional native huts
• Snorkelling on coral reefs and swim stops off quiet beaches
• Freshly cooked Filipino meals from the on-board chef
• Traditional bangka crossing from Coron to El Nido with local guides
• Off-grid evenings with no Wi-Fi and minimal electricity
• Groups of up to 25, with guides who speak English and Tagalog

What's Included

• ✓ Pre-departure briefing the evening before
• ✓ Licensed tourist boat, captain and local tour guides
• ✓ On-board chef
• ✓ Two nights in native huts
• ✓ Breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus snacks
• ✓ Purified drinking water
• ✓ Rum
• ✓ Mask, snorkel and life jacket
• ✓ All entrance fees
• ✓ One-way transfer from San Fernando port to El Nido town

Not Included

• Environmental tickets for El Nido, Linapacan, Culion and Coron unless you already hold them (published rates PHP 400, 200, 100 and 200 per person)
• Tips (optional)
• Personal expenses
• Travel insurance
• Good weather, which nobody can guarantee

What to Bring

• Small bag or dry bag for three days' essentials
• Power bank
• Reusable water bottle
• Toiletries and a towel
• Sunscreen and insect repellent
• Hat and sunglasses
• Cash in pesos
• Camera

Good to Know & Caveats

• The briefing is at 5 pm the evening before departure at We Are Juan's office in Poblacion 1 on the National Highway, Coron (a grey building).
• You arrive in El Nido town on the afternoon of day three; the listing gives no exact time, so avoid a same-evening flight.
• Main luggage is stowed on the boat for the trip. Pack a small bag with three days' essentials, ideally a dry bag.
• Minimum age is 16.
• Huts sleep two adults and have a mattress, linen, pillows and a mosquito net, but no fan or air conditioning. Toilets and showers are shared.
• Off-grid trip: minimal electricity and no Wi-Fi.
• Environmental tickets are a government requirement; bring any you already hold.
• Some reviewers found the stops short and shared with several other boats, and the boat basic compared with others they saw.
• Camps vary: one reviewer rated the first camp well above the second and showered from a bucket and cup.
• Departures and onward sailing depend on weather and Coast Guard clearance. One reviewer was held at the first camp for two days.

Meeting Point

A briefing at 5 pm the evening before at We Are Juan's office in Poblacion 1 on the National Highway, Coron; the boat then departs from the Port of Coron.