El Nido Tour A Guide 2026: Big Lagoon, Secret Beach & More

Tour A is the one that started it all. It’s the original El Nido island hopping route, the one nearly every travel photo of El Nido online traces back to, and if you’re only doing one tour in El Nido, honestly, this is the one to pick.

Big Lagoon. Secret Beach. That impossible turquoise water framed by limestone cliffs rising straight out of the sea, and you’ve probably seen the photos already. This guide is about what actually happens when you go.

Here’s the thing: knowing what to expect is what separates an average day from an unforgettable one. In this El Nido Tour A guide we’ll walk through every stop, what it actually costs in 2026, the timing tricks that get you a lagoon to yourself instead of sharing it with ten other boats, and what to pack so nothing catches you off guard. We’ve run this route more times than we can count, so trust us on the details here.

What Is El Nido Tour A?

El Nido Tour A is a full-day island hopping route through the western half of Bacuit Bay, run on traditional outrigger boats called bangkas. Depending on your operator, you’ll hit four to five stops in a single day, through some of the most dramatic limestone karst scenery anywhere in Southeast Asia, no exaggeration.

The tour is built for everyone. You don’t need to dive, you don’t even need to be a confident swimmer, and the pace is relaxed enough that families and older travelers do it comfortably every single day. Some stops are calm, shallow lagoons you can wade straight into, while one requires a short swim through a crack in solid rock. It’s a good mix.

Most boats leave from Corong-Corong Beach or the town wharf, usually between 8:30 and 9:00 AM, and you’re back in town by around 4:00 to 5:00 PM. Budget the whole day for it, roughly 7 to 8 hours door to door.

Insider tip: ask your operator the night before which order they plan to hit the stops. Boats that reach Big Lagoon first thing in the morning get it nearly empty. Boats that show up at 11:00 AM share it with five other groups.

El Nido Tour A Stops

Big Lagoon

Big Lagoon is the headline act, and it genuinely earns the hype. You pull up by bangka, jump into water somewhere between teal and electric blue, and kayak or swim into a lagoon boxed in on every side by limestone cliffs that seem to keep going up forever.

It’s big enough that even on a busy day, you can paddle to a quiet corner and have the cliffs mostly to yourself. Kayaks are included in most tour packages. Bring a waterproof camera if you have one. The water’s clear enough that you’ll see fish swimming beneath your kayak without even trying.

Big Lagoon and Small Lagoon share one entrance ticket: around ₱200 per person, on top of the ETDF (more on that fee below).

Small Lagoon

Small Lagoon is a short paddle from Big Lagoon and a completely different mood. It’s tighter, more enclosed, and the water feels even calmer because of it. Depending on the light, the cliff walls can turn a deep gold late in the day, though most Tour A visits happen earlier in the morning.

You kayak through a narrow channel to reach the interior, and that moment when the view opens up past the entrance still gets people, even if they’ve already seen a hundred photos of it.

The entrance fee is shared with Big Lagoon on the standard Tour A ticket, so you won’t pay twice. Just confirm with your operator, since a few charge separately depending on the season.

Insider tip: Small Lagoon tends to get crowded later in the morning faster than Big Lagoon does. If your boat visits Small Lagoon first, you’ll likely have it to yourself. If not, ask to swap the order.

Secret Beach

Secret Beach is the one everyone asks about before they even book. Getting there means swimming through a narrow gap in the limestone, just wide enough for one person, and only passable at low to mid tide. On the other side: a small hidden beach, white sand, walled in completely by rock. No boat can reach it directly.

The swim through takes maybe 30 seconds and is shallow enough to stand through most of it. Life jackets are available if you want the extra confidence, and guides are right there to help nervous swimmers through. It’s not doable in rough seas, which is rare outside the wet season.

There’s no separate entrance fee for Secret Beach. It’s baked into the standard Tour A route.

Shimizu Island

Shimizu is the snorkeling stop, and the reef here is legitimately good: colorful coral in shallow water you can reach straight from the beach. Parrotfish, clownfish, occasionally a sea turtle if you’re lucky. You don’t need to be a diver. Basic snorkeling gear, usually included in your tour price, is all you need.

Most operators use Shimizu’s beach for the lunch stop too. Expect grilled fish, rice, and a couple of simple sides, either cooked on the boat or set up at tables on the sand. Always confirm with your operator whether lunch is actually included before you book, so there’s no surprise mid-tour.

7 Commandos Beach

A lot of Tour A operators tack 7 Commandos Beach on as the last stop before heading back. It’s a long, easy stretch of white sand with palm trees and a couple of beach bars, exactly the kind of place to dry off and watch the light shift over Bacuit Bay while you wait for the boat home.

After a full day of swimming through lagoons and rock channels, this is where the day winds down. Cold drinks, no rush, just watching the karst islands turn gold as the sun drops. No entrance fee at most times, though a couple of operators add a small beach fee.

El Nido Tour A Price 2026

Let’s talk numbers, since that’s usually the part people actually want to know. Fees on Tour A come from two different sources, and mixing them up is the single most common confusion we hear at the pier: the municipal Eco-Tourism Development Fee (ETDF), a flat government charge covering your whole trip across multiple sites, and the specific lagoon entrance fee charged separately at Big Lagoon and Small Lagoon.

A quick word on the ETDF since it trips up a lot of first-timers: El Nido raised this fee from ₱200 to ₱400 per person under Municipal Ordinance 01, Series of 2024, and it’s valid for 10 days across every eco-tourism site in town, not just Tour A. If you’ve already paid it earlier in your trip for another tour, keep the receipt. You typically won’t need to pay it again within the window.

The lagoon entrance fee is separate and smaller, and it’s non-negotiable no matter who you book with, since it’s collected by the local government, not the tour operator. Our El Nido Tour A package folds the ETDF, lagoon fees, lunch, snorkeling gear, and kayaks into one upfront price, so there’s nothing extra waiting for you at the pier.

El Nido Tour A vs Private Tour: Which to Book?

Group tours are the standard option and honestly work just fine. You’ll share a bangka with roughly 8 to 12 other travelers, and more often than not you end up trading trip stories with people who become genuine friends by the end of the day.

A private tour gives you the whole boat. You set the pace, linger longer at whatever stop you fall in love with, and can even ask your boatman to hit Big Lagoon first, something a group tour won’t let you control. If you’re traveling as a couple or a family of four or more, private often works out cheaper per head than individual group tickets. Our private El Nido Tour A option starts from around ₱4,500 for the boat, split four ways that’s roughly ₱1,125 each, not far off the group rate, with none of the waiting around for other people’s photos.

So which is worth it? If flexibility matters to you more than saving a few hundred pesos, go private. If budget matters more and you don’t mind sharing, group tours are a perfectly good day out.

What to Bring on El Nido Tour A

• Reef-safe sunscreen: Bacuit Bay is a protected marine area, and chemical sunscreen isn’t allowed at most lagoon stops. Bring mineral or biodegradable sunscreen only.
• Underwater camera or GoPro: both Big Lagoon and Secret Beach are worth capturing above and below the surface.
• ₱1,000 in cash: covers entrance fees if they’re not pre-included, plus drinks at 7 Commandos.
• A change of clothes and a dry bag: you’ll be wet most of the day, and having something dry for the ride home is worth the extra bag space.
• Water shoes or reef shoes: a few stops have rocky entry points.
• Motion sickness tablets, if you’re prone to it: the bay itself is usually calm, but the open crossings between islands can have some swell, especially outside peak season.

Best Time to Do El Nido Tour A

November through May is the sweet spot: calmer seas, clearer water, and more reliable visibility inside the lagoons. January and February tend to bring some of the clearest conditions of the year, based on seasonal patterns tracked by PAGASA, the Philippines’ national weather bureau.

The rainy season, June through October, can knock a stop or two off the itinerary on rough days. Tours still run, but operators may skip Secret Beach or Small Lagoon if the swell picks up. If you’re visiting off-season, book with an operator who actually monitors conditions and tells you straight, rather than one who just shows up regardless of the weather.

Within the day itself, depart as early as your operator allows. Big Lagoon and Secret Beach get busier by the hour once the morning gets going, and the gap between a 9:00 AM arrival and an 11:00 AM one can mean having a lagoon to yourself instead of sharing it with five other boats.

If you’re flying directly into El Nido rather than transferring overland from Puerto Princesa, AirSWIFT runs direct flights into town, which saves several hours compared to the van. Cebu Pacific also serves El Nido on select routes, worth comparing if AirSWIFT is sold out for your dates.

How to Book El Nido Tour A

You can book through your hotel, at the tourism booths near the town wharf, or directly with a local operator like us. Prices land in a similar range no matter the channel, but what actually varies is service quality, group size, and whether your quote is honest about what’s included.

Before handing over any money, confirm:

• Is lunch included, and what does that actually mean?
• Are the ETDF and lagoon entrance fees included, or paid separately at the pier?
• Is snorkeling gear provided?
• How many people will be on the boat? Smaller groups mean a better day, always.
• What time does the boat actually leave?

Our El Nido Tour A package covers all of that upfront, no pier surprises, and we keep boats small enough that it doesn’t feel like a cattle call. If you want to see how Tour A stacks up against the other routes, our complete El Nido island hopping tours guide breaks down Tour A, Tour B, Tour C, and Tour D side by side. For packing, our El Nido packing list covers everything beyond what’s listed above, and our best time to visit El Nido guide has a full month-by-month breakdown if you’re still deciding on travel dates.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is El Nido Tour A?

Most full-day Tour A trips run from around 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM, roughly 7 to 8 hours including travel between stops and a lunch break.

How much does El Nido Tour A cost in 2026?

Group tours run ₱1,200 to ₱1,500 per person, plus the ₱400 ETDF and around ₱200 for the combined Big Lagoon and Small Lagoon entrance fee. Private boat charters start from around ₱4,500 for the whole boat.

What stops are on El Nido Tour A?

The standard stops are Big Lagoon, Small Lagoon, Secret Beach, Shimizu Island, and 7 Commandos Beach. Exact order and inclusions vary slightly by operator.

Is El Nido Tour A suitable for non-swimmers?

Yes. Most stops are shallow enough to enjoy with a life jacket, and Secret Beach’s short swim comes with guide assistance and flotation for anyone who wants it.

Can I do Tour A in the rain?

Tours run in light rain without issue. In rough seas or strong wind, operators may skip a stop or two, most commonly Secret Beach. This is rare during the November to May dry season.

What is the best El Nido tour for first-timers?

Tour A, hands down. It covers the most recognizable stops and suits every fitness level. See our El Nido island hopping tours guide for how A, B, C, and D compare.

Is Big Lagoon or Small Lagoon better?

Both, honestly, they’re different enough to be worth doing together. Big Lagoon has more room to kayak. Small Lagoon feels tighter and more intimate. Tour A includes both on one ticket.

Book El Nido Tour A with CMT

Tour A is where most El Nido trips begin, and for a lot of travelers, it’s still where the best memories happen. Our El Nido Tour A package includes the ETDF, lagoon fees, lunch, snorkeling gear, small group sizes, and flexible departure times, all in one upfront price.

Book El Nido Tour A here or message us on Facebook Messenger to check today’s availability and ask about early departure slots.