Coron to El Nido Expedition
(98.7% rated us ‘Excellent’)
About the Coron to El Nido Expedition (4D/3N)
The Coron to El Nido expedition is a four-day, three-night boat trip that sails the length of northern Palawan, from Coron to El Nido. Rather than rushing the crossing, you island-hop slowly, snorkelling reefs, kayaking in quiet bays, and sleeping on remote beaches. The Chef cooks every meal fresh for enjoyment at camp or at sea. It's run by the famous Big Dream Boatman crew, and it's built for travellers who want to know the islands between the two towns, not just a way across!
| Route | Coron → El Nido |
| Duration | 4 days / 3 nights |
| Departs | Coron Port (PPA) — meet 9:00 AM, sail ~10:00 AM |
| Arrives | El Nido (San Fernando Roro Port → jeepney to Sitio Uno, Lio) ~4:00 PM, day 4 |
| Group size | Around 6–24 guests depending on boat capacity and seasonality |
| Includes | 3 meals a day, beach cottage/glamping, snorkel/kayak/SUP gear, island fees, jeepney transfer, drinks |
| Reserve | 40% deposit |
| Season | October–July |
What is the Coron to El Nido expedition like?
Picture a mix of travellers and a passionate crew setting off together to reach islands you'd never see on the day tours out of Coron or El Nido. The days are yours to shape: snorkel, kayak, paddleboard or play beach volleyball if you want to stay active, or read and wander if you'd rather slow right down. Each evening the boat slips into a quiet island around sunset, and dinner turns into shared stories under the stars before you settle at a beach camp for the night.
What does each day of the trip look like?
No two departures follow exactly the same path. The stops shift with the weather, the sea and the group, which is half the appeal. But the shape of the four days stays consistent. Below is an example of the itinerary:
Day 1 — Out of Coron. You meet at Coron Port at 9:00 AM and head out to sea by about 10:00, easing in with a first snorkel, a swim off a secluded beach and lunch cooked on board, before the first island camp at dusk.
Day 2 — Deep into the islands. A full day of remote stops follows: reefs to snorkel, kayaks and paddleboards to take out, sandbars and beach volleyball, and closing in on another quiet island for the night.
Day 3 — Villages and open water. As the route bends toward El Nido, you could call in at small fishing communities, snorkel a little more and eat the day's fresh catch, then round off the last night with a campfire and some karaoke.
Day 4 — Into El Nido. One or two final stops in the morning lead to San Fernando Roro Port, where an included jeepney carries you the last stretch into El Nido, arriving around 4:00 PM.
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“Fresh native cuisine and rustic and comfortable cabins, cottages and glamping are Big Dream Boatman’s signature experiences. Travel with them and you’ll get to know the region’s hidden gems” Lonely Planet
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Trip Advisor’s Best Philippines Expedition
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“Big Dream Boatman wants to showcase the hidden gems of Palawan to travelers... By day, travelers can go spearfishing, snorkeling, learn about indigenous traditions, explore fishing villages and get to know the crew.” CNN
Why Travel With Big Dream Boatman?
We are not the cheapest way to cross from Coron to El Nido, but if you want the best experience, we are confident it is us. WE LOVE WHAT WE DO is our motto, and here is what that looks like in practice:
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A longer trip that never feels rushed. Four days and three nights, so you have the time to actually take it all in rather than racing across.
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Genuinely all inclusive. Every meal, drinks, gear and fees covered, always more than enough, so you are never reaching for your wallet or fighting for the last plate. Tipping the crew at the end is the only exception.
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The best boats in Palawan. Side nets for sunbathing, beanbags and roomy, comfortable seating. No thirty people crammed onto a boat built for fifteen.
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Quality gear, always working. Top quality snorkels, masks and paddleboards included, with no extra costs or broken equipment.
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Comfortable camps. Six inch deluxe mattresses instead of thin foam sheets, no huts packed with strangers, plus security and amenities at every camp.
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A crew that outnumbers most. No more than eight guests per guide, meaning an onboard barman, chef and assistant chef, guides who look after your safety and get to know you, a mechanic to reduce boat trouble, and an emergency response team for the worst case. More than enough crew means they are never exhausted, and their passion actually shows.
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The Boat
We use the highest quality boats in Palawan, and each one has room to spread out, with a toilet on board, cushioned seating, beanbags, side nets and an open upper deck for sunbathing between stops.
We keep numbers sensible too, around 6 to 24 guests depending on the boat and season, so you'll never find thirty people crammed onto a boat built for fifteen.
Whatever the water tempts you into, the snorkelling gear, kayaks and paddleboards live aboard, well maintained and free to use whenever you like, with no broken equipment and no extra charges.
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Accommodation
You sleep on the islands themselves, moving to a different beach camp each night. The camps are bamboo cottages or glamping set right on the sand, modest but well kept, with proper six inch deluxe mattresses rather than the thin foam sheets found on cheaper trips, plus mosquito nets and fans.
We don't pack multiple guests into a single hut, and every camp has its own security.
Power runs off a generator until around 3:00 AM, and there are freshwater showers and manual-flush toilets on site. With limited electricity and no air conditioning, it's a rustic setup, which, for most guests, is exactly the point.
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The Team
Despite the incredible natural beauty you will experience during the expedition, the best thing about Big Dream Boatman is our team. They are the most passionate, kind-hearted and hard-working people.
They are happy and friendly, and ready to welcome you on board as part of the family the second you step on to the boat. From the chef, to the mechanic, the guide and the boatman, and of course the captain, they are just friends you haven't met yet!
Is the Coron to El Nido Expedition worth it?
Yes, the Coron to El Nido Expedition is for the kind of travellers who love adventure, and the island experience it's built for, and the reviews bear that out. Big Dream Boatman has been rated #1 on TripAdvisor and received the Travellers' Choice Award since 2019, on the strength of over 1,900 verified reviews. Because this is a genuine multi-day expedition rather than a single-day tour, you reach camps, reefs and beaches that the quick boats never touch, which is what most of those reviews end up describing. You can read them for yourself on our TripAdvisor page.
Price & Details
4 Days, 3 Nights
All Meals Included
Drinks including limited local beers and rum
Authentic island accomodationCoron to El Nido Expedition Dates
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Dates not quite fit?
Check schedules for El Nido to Coron
- Deposit Requirement: A 40% deposit is required to secure your booking.
- Remaining Balance: The balance payment link will be sent via email by our team. Please ensure the remaining payment is settled at least 7 days before your trip.
- Taxes & Discounts: All prices are tax-inclusive. Any applicable discounts will be reflected during checkout.
- Cancellation Policy: Cancellations made 30 days or more before the expedition date are eligible for a refund of the deposit, less $50 cancellation fee per person. For cancellations within 30 days of the expedition date, the deposit becomes non-refundable.
- Transfer Policy: Bookings can be transferred to another date up to 14 days before the trip with a transfer fee of USD 50 per order. Transfers are not allowed within 14 days of the trip.
Coron to El Nido
Frequently Asked Questions
What's included in the price?
Almost everything for the four days is covered, so there's no reach for your wallet once you're aboard, and there's always more than enough to go around, so you're never fighting for the last plate or the last drink. You get three freshly cooked meals a day, plus local beer, rum, and cocktails. Also included are three nights of island beach-camp accommodation, all the masks, snorkels, fins, kayaks and paddleboards, the island entrance fees, and the jeepney transfer into El Nido at the finish. The only thing you'll settle on the ground is a small environmental fee, paid in cash on site.
How is this different from the Coron–El Nido ferry?
There are fast ferries that make the direct Coron–El Nido crossing in a few hours, so if all you need is to get between the two towns quickly, one of those is the answer. This trip is the opposite choice on purpose: instead of a point-to-point transfer, it turns the journey itself into a slow island-hopping tour, so you arrive in El Nido having actually explored the sea in between rather than skimming over it.
Where does the expedition sail?
The route threads through the islands and open water between Coron and El Nido, with largely uninhabited islands, coral reefs, sandbars, pale beaches, and the occasional fishing village. Since the day's conditions decide the best anchorages, we don't promise a fixed checklist; the crew picks what suits the weather and the group, which is why each trip lands somewhere a little different.
Is this a boat trip or a proper tour?
Both words fit: it's a guided island-hopping tour run as a multi-day boat trip, where instead of sleeping overnight on the boat you get to stay in native cottages on secluded islands.
How do you book, and what deposit is needed?
Booking is online through the dates & prices above; a 40% deposit holds your place, with the balance due before departure.
Is there a toilet and somewhere to shower?
Yes, there is a toilet on board, and freshwater showers with manual-flush toilets are available at each island camp.
What should you pack?
A dry bag is the one true essential. Bring your own for electronics, clothes and anything that must stay dry, and pack valuables carefully, since no dry bag is completely waterproof. Beyond that, load up on reef-safe sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses, swimwear, water shoes, toiletries and insect repellent, plus motion-sickness tablets and any personal medication. There's a medicine box aboard, but your own is safer. We hand out one towel per guest, and since large bags ride under the boat and only come out in emergencies, keep a small day bag for what you need, as camps are often reached by kayak.
Can you cater to dietary needs?
Yes. Vegan, vegetarian, pescetarian, and other diets are all workable. After you book, we send a short form so you can tell us exactly what you need ahead of time. Because ingredients come fresh from local markets, the choice is narrower than at a restaurant's, which is to be expected. You're also welcome to bring your own snacks.
When is the best time to sail from Coron to El Nido?
The season runs from roughly October to July. The driest, calmest stretch falls about mid-November to April, while October and May to July are quieter shoulder weeks and August to September make up the low, wetter months. Weather shifts from year to year, though, so treat this as a guide.
Coron or El Nido — do you need both?
Both towns reward a visit, and this trip is really a way to experience the islands between them rather than pick a side. Because you finish in El Nido, you're well placed to carry straight on into the lagoons of Bacuit Bay for a few more days. If you'd rather end in Coron instead, the same journey runs the other way as our El Nido to Coron expedition.
Who is the trip for?
It suits active travellers who are happy to rough it a little — beach camps, simple amenities and full days on the water. The minimum age is 12, and the upper age limit is 55 in good health, so families with older kids, couples, groups of friends and solo travellers all fit the small-group style.
