Update (January 2022): As of today, El Nido Tourism office has reverted the change and tours A, B, C and D are still available. You can book them amongst the private tours in El Nido!

In October 2020, the authorities of El Nido formalized the discontinuation of tours A, B, C and D and their replacement with new tours. These are seven in number and called the “7 Wonders of El Nido Tours“. In this article, we will explore the reasons for this change, as well as the features of these new boat circuits in El Nido.

Stopping and Replacing Tours A, B, C and D

For several years, the municipal authorities and the local tourism office had planned to replace the tours offered in Bacuit Bay and El Nido Bay. With the development of mass tourism, these Tours A, B, C and D were causing problems. The quotas at the entrance of Small Lagoon and Big Lagoon were a consequence of these. To limit the influx and the environmental impact, the authorities had imposed a maximum number of visitors per day.

The objective of these new tours is to offer lighter tours. The limitation of the number of destinations allows to welcome a greater number of tourists each day. The increase in the number of tours is also a way to prevent overcrowding at certain sites. In fact, the classic tours all followed exactly the same routes, with exactly the same schedules. As a result, all the boats would stop first on one island, then on another, creating overcrowding throughout the day…

As a result of these changes, tours A, B, C and D are now prohibited. Local authorities no longer allow them to be held and have formalized their replacement in an October 26, 2020 ordinance. In other words, no company is allowed to offer these old tours. That said, don’t worry: it is still possible to spend a whole day in the islands. We’ll see how below.

The New Circuits and their Characteristics

The new circuits are seven in number. They are divided into two categories: three so-called “premium” tours and four other so-called “regular” tours. The distinction between these two types of tours has not been specified. However, we can assume that the premium tours will be among the most popular, thanks to their destinations.

The Small Lagoon Premium Tour includes the famous Small Lagoon in El Nido

Here is the list of the 7 Wonders of El Nido tours, with their destinations and the price per person (for the public tours). Simply click on their name to get more information about each tour.

Premium Tours

Regular Tours

  • Cave Exploration Tour : Cudugnon Cave, Snake Island, Cathedral Cave. (P1,300)
  • Tapiutan Strait Tour : Talisay Small, Talisay Beach, Star Beach. (P1,400)
  • Cadlao Channel Tour : Helicopter Island, Cadlao Lagoon, Pasandigan Beach. (P1,200)
  • History Islands Tour : Pinagbuyutan Island, (Unnamed) Sandbar, Seven Commando Beach. (P1,300)

These new island hopping circuits include three destinations each and take half a day, or about four hours. In theory, you can choose either a morning or an afternoon tour. At least, this is possible for the private tours. These are available with a price that varies according to the number of participants. You can check out our single half-day tour package, and the one offering two tours for a full day of island hopping adventures.

“El Nido, Our Safe Haven”: Pandemic Measures

Our Safe Even El Nido - Reopening tourism during the coronavirus pandemicDue to the health situation, specific measures have been put in place as of February 2021. Their goal is to allow for the return of tourism, an essential sector of the local economy. The campaign accompanying these measures has been named “Our Safe Haven: El Nido“. The objective is to enable tourists to travel to the region in the safest possible conditions.

All these principles and guidelines concern many areas related to tourism (health pass, PCR or antigenic test, quarantines, etc.). Moreover, they can be modified according to the evolution of the sanitary situation. Therefore, we will only discuss here those that concern the organization of tours in El Nido.

  • Transportation of tourists: Pick-up from and drop-off to the hotel before and after a tour must be provided by the accommodation itself.
  • Mask and respect for barrier gestures: During the tour, employees and visitors must wear masks, use hand sanitizer and observe the principles of social distancing.
  • No cooking on boats or islands: Operators may not cook for their guests on the boats or islands. Food must be purchased by the tourists themselves, or provided by a restaurant accredited by the local authorities.
  • Prohibition on providing masks and snorkels: Operators are not allowed to rent or provide snorkeling equipment to their guests. Tourists must use their own mask and snorkel.

Another recommendation is to book online. You can do this very easily for the expeditions, private tours and other services we offer in El Nido and the rest of Palawan.

Booking a Tour During the Pandemic

Our company is currently focusing on offering private tours and services. You can book one of the 7 Wonders of El Nido Tours by clicking here. These are, as explained above, half-day tours. You can choose your departure time, either in the morning or in the afternoon.

To replace the old tours, and spend your whole day exploring the islands of El Nido, we invite you to book two tours, through this link: 2 tours in 1 day in El Nido. With this option, you will not have to come back to El Nido for lunch as your meal is included in this offer.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Our team is here to help you plan the best possible vacation in El Nido. We look forward to introducing you to the new 7 Wonders of El Nido tours!