How and how to get to El Nido

Overview of how to get to El Nido

El Nido, like the whole island of Palawan, is inconveniently away from other popular tourist routes on the islands of the Philippines. There are very few direct flights here, and when planning a route, it is not possible to include a visit to El Nido in the route for reasonable money so as not to return to the departure point or not to make a transfer. We have developed several interesting route options so that you can visit El Nido and Palawan together with other tourist places in the Philippines, you can get acquainted with them in this article - How and how to get to Palawan.

So, you can get to El Nido on Palawan through the local airport near the resort, but it's much cheaper to fly to Puerto Princesa airport and take a taxi or buses from there, although it will take 4-8 hours to travel by land. From other cities and resorts on Palawan, you can get here by regular buses or tourist minivans, however, there are very few direct flights, and you may have to transfer via Puerto Princesa. And finally, you can take a ferry here from Coron Island, which is also a popular tourist destination.

By plane to El Nido

There are direct flights to El Nido Airport from Manila, Cebu and Caticlana (Boracay). Flights from Cebu and Caticlan are operated only 1-2 times a day, from Manila at least 6 times a day. Unfortunately, only one airline, AirSwift, operates here, and the prices for flights are very high, many times higher than at Puerto Princesa airport. Therefore, if you need to save money, it will be cheaper to buy tickets to Puerto Princesa, and from there take a taxi or buses.

Flight to Palawan

Here is a selection of the lowest prices for flights from Aviasales or buy tickets for Trip.com:

How to get from the airport to El Nido

• From El Nido Airport the center of the resort can be reached for 350-400 pesos (6.21 rub.), for a trip to Napcan beach, they ask from 500 pesos (8.86 rub.), and the hotel on the beach of Lio (Lio Beach) with light luggage can even be reached on foot.

• From Puerto Princesa Airport to El Nido 260 kilometers. A taxi ride from 5,000 pesos (88.65 rub.) and about 4 hours. It is possible to get cheaper or split the cost with other passengers, but that's a matter of luck.

  Cheaper can be reached by minivan, cost from 700 pesos (12.41 rub.), sent in the daytime several times, on the way 5-8 hours. Their schedule is tied to the arrival of planes, including very late evening flights. But so that it doesn't turn out that all the seats will be occupied, you can buy tickets in advance on the website 12go.asia or bookaway.com . Unfortunately, these sites do not accept Russian Mir cards and may refuse to accept Union Pay from Russian banks, but they accept payment from GCash and Maya wallets.

  There is also a theoretical way to get there by local buses RORObus or Chery Bus. But to do this, first you will have to get to the new bus station, which has now moved far out of town to the Irawan district, and as a result you will spend more time and will not get any money winnings. So we do not recommend considering a trip on local buses now.

By bus to El Nido

Direct bus service and tourist minivans connect El Nido only with Puerto Princesa and the airport, and along the way these buses pass through Rojas and Taitai. To get from other cities on Palawan, you need to transfer to Puerto Princesa. In order not to make a detour through the PP from Port Barton and San Vicente, it is better to get there with a transfer on the main highway Puerto Princesa North Road.

Bus to El Nido

• On tourist minivans

  • 🕐 Travel time: from 6 hours.
  • 💵 Cost: from 600 pesos / 10.64 rub ..

  We recommend using minivans for tourist trips. They walk often, make fewer stops along the way. But the most important thing is that you don't have to get to the bus station, because minivans pick up passengers from hotels. There is, perhaps, only one small inconvenience: it is better to book them in advance, preferably at least the previous day before the trip. You can order a minivan at the hotel or at travel agencies on the streets of resorts.

• By regular buses

  • 🕐 Travel time: 7-8 hours.
  • 💵 Cost: from 350 pesos / 6.21 rub ..

  If the van for some reason does not suit you, for example, if you want to leave here and now, and in advance minivan you are booked, you can use regular buses. Puerto Princes buses ROROBus Chery Bus and depart from the new bus station Irawan Bus Terminal, which is located far to the outskirts of the city (Iravan terminal on the map). Attention! Buses from the old bus terminal, located near the new market, are no longer sent. To Irawan Bus Terminal of the city centre of Puerto Princes go jeepney cost 30 pesos for a taxi tricycle ride from 250 pesos.

  ROROBus buses depart from Irawan Bus Terminal every 1-3 hours in the afternoon, the fare costs about 350 pesos, 8 hours on the way.

  Chery Bus branded buses run faster, cost 400 - 650 pesos depending on the bus, but they depart less often:

  • Departure from Puerto Princes - 07:00, 09:00, 11:00 and 21:30
  • Departure from El Nido - 07:00, 09:00, 11:00 and 21:00.

  The Chery Bus schedule may change, you can check and book tickets again at 12go.asia or on the website https://cherry.cherrypalawan.com /.

  In El Nido, these buses arrive/depart each from its own bus station:

  • RoRo Bus station in El Nido on the map
  • Chery Bus station in El Nido on the map

To El Nido by ferry

The ferry to El Nido can be reached from Coron Island. The fare costs from 3000 pesos + 200 pesos terminal fee, there are several scheduled ferries, 6 hours on the way, arrive directly at the pier in the center of El Nido.

Ferry tickets are sold on the streets in travel agencies, or you could buy it at 12go.asia, but only accepted foreign crats or paying with wallet Gcash:

High-speed passenger ferry in the Philippines

In El Nido by rented transport

Near the airport in Puerto Princesa or in the city, in Port Barton, and possibly in other places in Palawan, you can rent a motorbike. Also available car rental in Puerto Princesa. Prices for cars start from 1500 pesos per day (26.59 RUB) , and that the real price for the rental of a motorbike, we met personally:

• In Puerto Princesa – they ask for 500 pesos per day (8.86 RUB), for a period of 10 days we haggled up to 333 pesos(5.9 rubles).
• In El Nido - they ask for 400 pesos per day (7.09 RUB), for a few days it is really possible to bargain up to 350 pesos (6.21 rubles).
• In Port Barton, they ask for 500 pesos per day, they bargain very reluctantly up to 400 pesos.

Rented motorbike on Palawan

And now you can book a motorcycle and get it on arrival without difficult searches on the spot through the service 🏍 BikesBooking.com:

From Puerto Princesa to El Nido there is a magnificent road, a distance of about 260 kilometers. There are no traffic jams on it, only when leaving Puerto Princesa during rush hour you will have to stand for a while. By car you can get there in 4-5 hours.

But for a motorcycle, this is a long distance, and it will take 7-9 hours on the road. To drive such a distance sitting on the fifth point is very difficult and painful, you will have to make constant rest stops. Therefore, as an option, we advise you to plan a route with an intermediate stop for an overnight stay in Taytaya, or go with a rest for a few days to Port Bartone or San Vicente.

If you need to travel in one direction, for example, to continue the journey from El Nido further to the Crown, then such options are also offered. But for this you will have to pay 2,000 pesos more.