10 Days in Palawan: The Honest El Nido + Coron Itinerary
- Palawan
- Itinerary
- El Nido
- Coron
Desk note — the quick answer
The best 10-day Palawan route is 2 nights in Coron → 3 nights in El Nido → 1 night at Nacpan Beach → 2 nights in Puerto Princesa (Underground River) → fly out of PPS. Budget around ₱38,000–60,000 per person all-in, not counting flights to and from the islands. Fares and fees checked August 2026.
Palawan is the trip everyone plans and the trip everyone gets slightly wrong. After a decade of booking this loop — and after making every mistake in the book on our early circuits — here is the 10-day version we actually book for people. It’s the route that balances the two big islands, dodges the worst crowds, and costs exactly what we say it costs. All numbers checked August 2026.
The quick answer
- Route: Coron (2 nights) → El Nido (3) → Nacpan (1) → Puerto Princesa (2) → fly out of PPS
- All-in budget: ₱38,000–60,000 per person (tours, food, lodging, inter-island transport)
- Flights: CRK → USU (Cebgo) — Coron’s flights left Manila in March 2026 — then PPS → MNL (jets). Both legs issued by the desk.
- Best months: November to May; April is the sweet spot (dry, not yet scorching)
Day 1–2: Coron
Fly into Busuanga (USU) from Clark or Cebu. Spend the afternoon on the Mt. Tapyas sunset hike — 700 steps, free, and it shows you exactly where you are. Day 2 is the Coron Super Ultimate tour — Kayangan Lake, Twin Lagoon, Skeleton Wreck — the desk quotes today’s rate at booking. If you dive, swap in a wreck dive instead; if you don’t, the Super Ultimate is non-negotiable.
Where we stay: town center, walking distance to the pier. The island resorts look amazing in photos and eat an hour of every day in boat transfers.
Day 3: The ferry to El Nido
The Coron → El Nido fast ferry takes 3.5–4 hours and costs from about ₱1,800. Book the morning sailing (6:00 Montenegro, 7:00 Atienza or 7:30am Jomalia) and you’ll be in El Nido by lunch. Spend the afternoon walking the town beach and booking your next two tours at the pier — same-day booking is normal here.
Day 4–6: El Nido
Day 4: Tour A (Big Lagoon, Secret Lagoon) — the classic; Day 5: Tour C (Hidden Beach, Helicopter Island) — the dramatic one. The desk quotes today’s rates at booking. Day 6: Nacpan Beach — the golden 4-kilometer curve 40 minutes north of town. Hire a scooter (₱350–600/day) or join a Nacpan day trip; bring snorkel gear for the reef at the far end.
The crowd math: Tour A boats leave between 8 and 9am. The 8am departure gets you to the Big Lagoon before the flotilla. It costs nothing extra — it just requires being on the beach early.
Day 7: Nacpan overnight
Most itineraries treat Nacpan as a day trip. Staying overnight is the upgrade: after 4pm the day-trippers leave and you get the famous beach mostly to yourself. There are a handful of simple guesthouses behind the palms; book one with a hammock.
Day 8–9: Puerto Princesa
Van from El Nido to Puerto Princesa: 5–6 hours, ₱600–800 shared. Day 9 is the Puerto Princesa Underground River — a UNESCO site and one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. The DIY fees run about ₱740 all-in (₱500 entrance + ₱150 environmental + ₱85 audio device + ₱5 terminal); guided tours start around ₱2,000/head. The boat queue is infamous; book the first morning slot through your hotel and you’ll wait 20 minutes instead of two hours. Day 9 evening is for the PPS seafood market — the grilled squid is the best in the country.
Day 10: Fly home
Puerto Princesa (PPS) has multiple daily flights to Manila — the jets stayed at NAIA when the turboprops left, so this leg is easy. Fly out mid-morning and you’re home by lunch.
What this itinerary costs (real numbers)
| Item | Per person |
|---|---|
| Flights CRK→USU, PPS→MNL | ₱7,000–12,000 |
| Coron & El Nido boat tours (quoted at booking) | — |
| Coron–El Nido ferry | from ₱1,800 |
| El Nido–PPS van | ₱600–800 |
| Underground River (DIY fees) | ~₱740 |
| Lodging × 9 nights | ₱13,500–27,000 |
| Food × 10 days | ₱6,000–10,000 |
| Total | ₱38,000–60,000 |
Mistakes we made so you don’t
- Skipping the Nacpan overnight. The day-trip version misses the island’s best hours entirely.
- Booking Tour C before Tour A. Tour C is the spectacular one; Tour A is the essential one. Do the essential first.
- Rushing Coron. People squeeze Coron into one night “because it’s just a lagoon.” It’s the diving capital of Southeast Asia — give it two.
- Not booking the first ferry. The second Coron–El Nido sailing is afternoon and burns your first El Nido day.
- Expecting Manila flights. Coron and El Nido no longer fly from Manila — book Clark (CRK) and don’t plan a same-day Manila transfer.
FAQ
Is 10 days in Palawan enough?
Yes — for Coron and El Nido it's the ideal length. If you add Puerto Princesa's Underground River (recommended), 10 days is exactly right. If you want a third island, add 3 days and skip the Underground River leg.
Coron or El Nido first?
Coron first, then ferry to El Nido. Doing it this way means your flights book into USU (cheaper, more frequent) and out of PPS, and the ferry direction runs with the daylight.
What's the best month for Palawan?
April. The dry season (Nov–May) is still running, the sea is calm, and the Christmas and Easter crowds are gone. June–October is cheaper but wetter and rougher for island hopping.
Do I need to book tours in advance?
In high season (Dec–Mar), yes — book tour A and C at least a day ahead at the pier. Off-season, same-day booking is fine. Our planner builds the day-by-day version of this trip in seconds.
How much cash do I need?
Bring ₱10,000–15,000 in cash per person. Island fees, trike rides and small restaurants don't take cards, and ATMs in El Nido and Coron run out on weekends.