El Nido Tour A Route Through Small Lagoon Swim-Through and Big Lagoon Kayak Crowd Timing

On prices: the figures on this page were gathered in September 2026 and are given as bands rather than current quotes. Rates, fees and timetables change every season - check with the operator before you book.

El Nido Tour a Small Lagoon Crowd Timing

By 10:00, forty visitors are crammed into the narrow rock gap of Small Lagoon. The swim-through becomes a queue. Your Tour A itinerary is a race, not a paddle. Book the earliest boat you can find. Demand a 07:30 assembly time from your El Nido town booking office. The first bangka onto Bacuit Bay gets the lagoons alone.

Tour a Itinerary Stops

Every Tour A operator runs the same five-stop sequence, branded The Lagoons Tour. The route runs 08:00 to 17:00, door-to-door from El Nido town. Boats depart the town beach for Bacuit Bay.

Standard Tour A Stop Order

Big Lagoon is the first stop for most boats: a kayak entry through a narrow channel. Secret Lagoon follows, a short swim through a keyhole rock entrance. Shimizu Island is the lunch stop, with a buffet grill and snorkelling. Small Lagoon is the main swimming and kayaking highlight. Seven Commando Beach wraps the day, a relaxation stop with a coconut stand.

This order is not fixed. Boat captains talk to each other and reverse the sequence to dodge congestion, sending some groups to Small Lagoon first. Your only control is boarding a boat that leaves before 08:30.

Tour a Big Lagoon Kayak El Nido

Big Lagoon on Miniloc Island is a deep, enclosed turquoise channel. Entry is by kayak only. Swimming the narrow entrance is discouraged. Kayak rentals cost PHP 250 to 350 per person for 20 to 30 minutes, paid in cash to independent operators at the lagoon mouth. The El Nido Tour A Eco-Tourism Development Fee lagoon ticket, PHP 200 per person, is required for entry and covers Big Lagoon, Small Lagoon, and Secret Lagoon.

Big Lagoon is tide-dependent. At high tide, the channel is easier to paddle. The lagoon closes annually for rehabilitation; the 2025 closure was 15 August to 15 September. During closure, operators substitute Hidden Beach or Helicopter Island.

Tour a Secret Lagoon Entrance El Nido

Secret Lagoon is a tiny hidden pool behind a limestone karst wall west of Shimizu Island. The entrance is a small keyhole opening in the rock. You swim or wade through at low tide. It is a brief photo stop, not a swimming destination. The pool inside is only 5 to 8 metres across. No kayak rental is available. Your Tour A ETDF lagoon ticket covers entry. There is no time-slot system for Secret Lagoon beyond your boat’s schedule.

El Nido Tour a Boat Cost PHP

The all-in cost for El Nido Tour A has three components. The boat tour itself costs PHP 1,200 to 1,500 per person, booked through a town office. The El Nido environmental fee is PHP 200 per person, valid 10 days, paid in cash at the tourism office. The ETDF lagoon ticket for Tour A is another PHP 200 per person, also cash. Budget PHP 1,600 to 1,900 total per person. Kayak rentals at Big Lagoon and Small Lagoon add PHP 250 to 350 per stop, paid on the spot.

No operator accepts cards. ATMs in El Nido town run dry by Sunday afternoon. Withdraw cash in Puerto Princesa or the moment you arrive.

Hour-by-Hour Crowd Avoidance for Tour a Stops

Congestion on Tour A is predictable. Boats leave El Nido town beach between 08:00 and 09:30. The first wave hits Big Lagoon by 08:45. The last boats return around 17:00.

Big Lagoon Crowd Peak: 09:00 to 10:30

Arrive before 09:00. Kayak rental queues form by 09:30. The morning time slot for Big Lagoon runs 08:00 to 12:00, but boats are assigned slots randomly. An early departure does not guarantee an early slot.

Small Lagoon Crowd Peak: 10:00 to 12:00

Small Lagoon is impassable at extreme high tide. The swim-through rock gap is single-file. Forty-plus visitors crowd it by 10:00. Aim to arrive by 09:15. Renting a kayak here beats swimming when queues build.

Secret Lagoon Crowd Peak: 11:00 to 12:30

This is a quick stop. Crowds move through rapidly. Arrival time matters less, but late morning bottlenecks the tiny entrance.

Shimizu Island Lunch Crowd Peak: 12:00 to 13:30

Boats stagger lunch stops. The first groups eat at 11:30, the last by 14:00. Snorkel before or after eating. That avoids the peak crush on the fringing reef.

Seven Commando Beach Crowd Peak: 15:00 to 16:30

This final beach stop is less crowded. Arrival after 15:00 means sharing the sand with Tours B and C finishing their routes.

Booking the Earliest El Nido Tour a Boat

Book directly at an El Nido town office the day before. Demand a 07:30 assembly time. The first boats load at 07:45 and depart by 08:00. Smaller operators with one boat leave earlier than large companies juggling fleet schedules. Get the assembly time written on your receipt. Van transfers from accommodation are included but often late. Walk to the beach yourself if you have to.

Monsoon Season Cancels El Nido Tour a

The southwest monsoon, July to mid-October, brings rough seas to Bacuit Bay. The Philippine Coast Guard suspends island-hopping tours for days at a time during typhoon warnings. Tour A is cancelled more often than others because the enclosed lagoons become hazardous. Do not plan a short trip to El Nido in these months. The dry season, November to May, has reliable boat conditions.

What to Do When a Lagoon is Closed

Closures happen. Big Lagoon has an annual rehabilitation closure, typically August or September. Small Lagoon may close ad-hoc during monsoon storms. Operators substitute stops immediately. The standard replacement for Big Lagoon is Hidden Beach. The replacement for Small Lagoon is Helicopter Island. Your tour price stays the same. Verify closure news at the El Nido Municipal Tourism Office the day before your tour.