With so many things to see and do in El Nido, you are probably already looking for the fastest way to get there. Located in the north of the island of Palawan, 238 kilometers from the island’s capital, Puerto Princesa, El Nido can be reached in several ways from different parts of the Philippines, some cheaper than others.
Although there are two basic ways to get to El Nido—the expensive option, which is to take a direct flight from Clark, Cebu, Coron, Bohol, or Boracay to El Nido, and the cheap option, which is to fly to Puerto Princesa (also from Manila) and then take a bus or van to El Nido—we are going to explain all the ways to get to El Nido from the country’s main tourist destinations.
Where El Nido is and its transportation infrastructure
El Nido is located at the northern tip of the famous island of Palawan, which lies in the western part of the archipelago. As we mentioned, the island’s capital is Puerto Princesa, located to the south, and between the two is Port Barton, a tourist destination you have probably heard about more than once.
El Nido has an airport next to Lio Beach (IATA code: ENI), just a 20-minute tricycle ride from El Nido Town. It is a very small airport served only by small aircraft from a single airline: Cebu Pacific Air (which acquired the former AirSWIFT), one of the most important airlines in the Philippines.
Due to the increase in tourism, the number of flights to El Nido has risen in recent years. Most depart from Clark and Cebu, but it is now possible to fly to this corner of Palawan from other tourist destinations in the Philippines, such as Bohol, Coron, and Boracay.
If you are thinking about flying to El Nido to save time, there are four things you need to keep in mind:
- The flights are usually among the most expensive you will take during your trip around the Philippines, as they are operated by only one company. Prices are around $160, although you can sometimes find deals by booking in advance, and flights from Clark can cost a little under $96.
- The planes are quite small and are propeller aircraft, so it is advisable to book as early as possible because there are not that many seats.
- El Nido Airport is small and has modest infrastructure, so flights can be canceled in bad weather. Our advice as travelers is therefore to leave enough time in your itinerary in case you need to catch another flight afterward or travel to Puerto Princesa Airport, which is much better equipped. Whenever possible, if El Nido is the final destination on your trip, it is best to return to Manila or Cebu the day before your international flight.
- Since March 29, 2026, there have been no direct flights from Manila to El Nido or vice versa. All these flights were moved to Clark Airport, located around 3-4 hours from Manila by land. If you want to fly from Manila, you will have to connect in Cebu.
El Nido also has a main port, located right in the center of El Nido Town. Boats to and from Coron, Manila, and Puerto Princesa depart from and arrive here. In addition, between El Nido Town and the Corong Corong area, opposite the market, there is a terminal for buses, vans, and jeepneys that travel overland to other destinations in Palawan.
How do you get from El Nido Airport to your hotel?
If you have decided to fly, once you arrive at El Nido Airport, you can take a tricycle to your destination. You can negotiate with the drivers a little, but fares from El Nido Airport to El Nido “Town” or Corong Corong, two areas where you can stay in El Nido, range from 300 to 350 Philippine pesos. The journey to central El Nido Town will take no more than 15-20 minutes.
Recently, they have stopped allowing more than 2 people in each tricycle, which we do not really understand, but it is a regulation that apparently has to be followed.
How do you get from the port or bus terminal to your hotel?
As in the previous case, by tricycle. You will need to negotiate the fare, but if you are traveling within El Nido Town, it should not cost more than 50 pesos for the entire vehicle, as it will be a short ride. If you are heading to the farther part of Corong Corong, it should be around 100 pesos per tricycle, and if you are going to Las Cabañas, it is 150 pesos for the whole vehicle.
How to get to El Nido from Manila
The best way to get to El Nido from Manila is by plane. You can choose between:
- Look for a connecting flight: since April 2026, there have been no direct flights from Manila to El Nido because propeller planes are not permitted as part of efforts to reduce congestion at the airport. Therefore, one option is to look for connecting flights. Bear in mind that the only airline flying to El Nido is AirSWIFT (now owned by Cebu Pacific Air), so to avoid problems with your connections, it is best to book the connecting flights together rather than separately with other carriers. If you book in advance, you can get to El Nido this way for around $160.
- Look for a flight from Clark to El Nido: the propeller planes that used to depart from Manila were moved to Clark Airport (IATA code: CRK). This airport is 3-4 hours from Manila by road. Buses costing 450 pesos connect the two terminals and also depart from the Cubao area of Manila. You can find the schedules here. These flights are also operated by AirSWIFT, which runs between 5 and 10 daily flights between Clark and El Nido (roughly between 5:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.), and the journey takes just 1 hour and 30 minutes. It is possible to find flights from Manila to El Nido for $80, although prices are usually around $112-128 each way. As you can imagine, the earlier you book, the cheaper it will be. You can bring 7 kilos of carry-on baggage and, depending on the fare, different amounts of checked baggage.
- Look for a flight to Puerto Princesa and then travel overland to El Nido: this is almost certainly the cheapest option, but also the longest. Puerto Princesa Airport (IATA code: PPS) is larger—in fact, it is even an international airport—and receives flights from Manila and Cebu, as well as other destinations such as Iloilo and Clark. They are operated by airlines including Air Asia, Philippine Airlines, and Cebu Pacific Air, so they are considerably cheaper ($48-64 if purchased in advance). The flight takes approximately an hour and a half. Once in Puerto Princesa, you will need to travel overland to El Nido, either by van or bus. The journey takes between 5 and 6 hours, and you can book directly here.
Book flights from Manila to El Nido
Book flights to Puerto Princesa
By the way, if you have more days and are landing in Puerto Princesa, since Port Barton is more or less halfway between Puerto Princesa and El Nido (although you need to turn off toward the coast), you could consider stopping here for a few days. You can also do this on the way back. You will find all the information you need in our Port Barton Guide.
Another alternative is to get to El Nido from Manila by ferry, but we certainly do not think it is the most comfortable option. The shipping company Atienza operates a few ferries a week from Manila to El Nido, usually stopping in Coron first, but the journey takes more than 24 hours and prices are around 2,500 pesos. Unless flights to Puerto Princesa are extremely expensive, we would not choose this option. You can check dates and schedules and book here.
How to get to El Nido from Puerto Princesa
If you are looking for how to get to El Nido without spending too much, you have already seen that the best way is through Puerto Princesa, the capital of Palawan. In this case, in addition to the flight time, you need to factor in between 4.5 and 6 hours of travel by bus or van.
Once you have arrived in Puerto Princesa, you have two options for getting to El Nido. Both are very straightforward and inexpensive, and you can arrange them yourself, even directly from the airport.
Some travelers choose to hire private transportation, which costs around 6,000 pesos. However, we have been visiting Palawan since 2010 and have never had any problems with the public transportation options. It is true that if you hire a car or van for yourself or your group, you will have more room, but as you can see, it also costs considerably more. You can try negotiating once you are there or avoid the hassle and book it directly through this link.
a) Getting to El Nido by van
This is the fastest option, although it is a little less comfortable. Plenty of vans depart directly from Puerto Princesa Airport for El Nido. The journey takes between 4.5 and 5 hours, including a short stop at a café. They usually depart frequently between 5:00 a.m. and 8:30 p.m.
As soon as you step outside the airport terminal, regardless of the time, plenty of people will offer you this journey. Put your negotiating skills to work—the usual price is 700-800 pesos for this trip.
If you want to save a little bit of money (bringing the price down to roughly 500 pesos per person), you can also leave the airport and take a multicab (11 pesos per person) to the San Jose terminal, where you will find slightly cheaper vans.
If you want to book this journey in advance and not have to worry about it, you can book minivan transportation from Puerto Princesa Airport to El Nido here. If you are spending the night in Puerto Princesa, choose the “Puerto Princesa transfer” option and they will pick you up from your hotel.
Transportation from Puerto Princesa to El Nido
The “problem” with these vans is that they are usually quite full and can therefore be somewhat uncomfortable. Our advice is to sit in one of the seats next to the driver or in the first row. In addition, the drivers tend to go quite fast and are not particularly careful, so the journey can make you feel a little carsick.
b) Getting to El Nido by bus
If you have plenty of time and want to travel a little more comfortably, the best way to get to El Nido is to take Cherry Bus. Since early 2023, this company’s buses have departed from Puerto Princesa’s new bus terminal, the Irawan Bus Terminal, so you will first need to travel the 12 kilometers from the airport to the station. To do so, you can take a tricycle (they usually charge 250 pesos) or a multicab (30 pesos per person, which is similar to a jeepney but smaller).
The bus journey from Puerto Princesa to El Nido usually takes between 7 and 9 hours, depending on the number of stops it makes. There are air-conditioned buses (800-900 pesos depending on the type of bus) and non-air-conditioned ones (around 700 pesos). Besides being considerably less comfortable, the latter tend to make a loooot of stops, so they are only an option if you have plenty of patience and time, because the price difference compared with the van is not really that significant.
Cherry Bus departures from Puerto Princesa to El Nido are at 7:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 9:30 p.m. Do not worry about arriving late in El Nido—you can take a tricycle from the bus terminal to anywhere for just 50 pesos. It is a safe place.
If it is more convenient and you want to secure your seat, book your Cherry Bus ticket here
How to get to El Nido from Coron
We now know how to get to El Nido from Manila and Puerto Princesa, but many travelers arrive from the neighboring island of Busuanga, specifically from Coron, another paradise for island hopping and diving. In How to get from Coron to El Nido, we go into this topic in much greater detail, but below we will give you the most relevant information so you can decide how to travel to El Nido in the way that suits you best.
a) Getting to El Nido from Coron by plane
AirSWIFT (remember, now owned by Cebu Pacific) also operates direct flights from Coron (Busuanga Airport, IATA code: USU) to El Nido every day. They take approximately 25 minutes.
Although, as we explain below, you can also travel from Coron to El Nido and vice versa by fast ferry in around 3 hours, flying is a good option if you want to spend less time traveling and because the airfare is not much higher than the ferry fares. In fact, if you check well in advance, you can find good deals for around 2,500 pesos, a price very similar to the boat fare.
On the other hand, while ferries can be canceled due to rough seas, the same does not usually happen with flights in bad weather, so it is a way to make sure you will reach El Nido. Obviously, in the event of a tropical depression or something more serious, both flights and ferries will be canceled.
Seats on this flight sell out quickly because the planes are very small. Therefore, if you are interested, it is best to book well in advance.
Book flights from Coron to El Nido
b) Getting to El Nido from Coron by boat
If you want to get to El Nido from Coron, in addition to flying, you can take a boat. In 2026, you have the following options:
- Jomalia Shipping: departs daily from Coron at 7:30 a.m. and is theoretically scheduled to arrive in El Nido at 11:10 a.m. On Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, in addition to the 7:30 a.m. departure, it has another boat at 1:00 p.m. Price: 2,850 pesos. You can book your seat here (a completely reliable website).
- Montenegro Shipping Lines: offers a fast ferry from Coron to El Nido every day at 6:00 a.m. The ticket costs 2,816 pesos and the journey takes around 4 hours. You can book your seat here.
- Atienza Interisland: operates every day. It departs from Coron at 7:00 a.m. and arrives at approximately 11:00 a.m. Price: 2,816 pesos. You can book your seat here.
- Phimal: departs every day at 8:20 a.m. and theoretically takes 4 hours. That said, it is a small and somewhat uncomfortable boat, despite being the cheapest. You can book your seat here.
In our opinion, if you do not want to book online—which we recommend doing—it is IMPORTANT to go and buy your ticket as soon as you arrive in Coron so you do not miss out. We also recommend Jomalia, which has larger and more modern boats that, crucially for this crossing, rock less, so you are less likely to feel seasick. It also seems like the most professional company to us.
Remember to bring warm clothing and motion sickness medication. These boats often rock quite a lot and, even if you do not usually get seasick, you will feel it.
VERY IMPORTANT: as of today (2026), only Montenegro, Atienza, Jomalia, and Phimal are sailing. Do not listen if anyone offers you other boats, because other travelers have been scammed—even after buying tickets at the company’s office—and have been put on a bangka that was completely unsuitable for this open-sea crossing at night, taking almost 10 hours. Please, for your own safety, DO NOT HIRE ANY KIND OF PRIVATE BOAT or listen to anyone trying to sell you a different ticket.
c) Getting to El Nido from Coron on an expedition
If you have a few extra days or want to experience one of the best things to do in the Philippines, we recommend looking into traveling between Coron and El Nido by joining an expedition. You will spend 3 or 4 days sailing around uninhabited islands, enjoying incredible snorkeling spots, and sleeping in little huts beside the sea. In our opinion, it is one of the best things we have done in the country during the 15 years we have spent exploring it.
We have been lucky enough to experience it twice and would not rule out doing it again someday. We were among the first to try these expeditions, and they have now become so popular that spots sell out 7-8 weeks in advance.
One of the best companies for this is Big Dream Boatman, which runs 4-day, 3-night trips—we promise you will not get bored—and only operates between October and July. If you want to do a 3-day trip or travel at other times of year, we can recommend this other company. Clicking our link and using the code TRAVELPHILIPPINES will get you a discount of 1,000 pesos.
You will find all the information in our Coron – El Nido Expedition guide.
How to get to El Nido from Port Barton: van or local transportation
If you want to get to El Nido from Port Barton, Palawan’s second gem, you have three options:
- By van: currently, they only depart at 8:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., and 5:00 p.m. (be aware that this final service is sometimes not available) from the transportation terminal in Port Barton. The journey takes around 3-3.5 hours and prices are approximately 700-800 pesos. If you want to avoid worrying about it and be the first to board, you can book your seat here.
- By local transportation (if you have plenty of time): you can take the bus/jeepney that departs every morning for the town of Roxas (100 pesos), telling the driver that you intend to go to El Nido so they drop you off in the right place, and then take a bus to El Nido (around 200 pesos, depending on whether it has air conditioning). Bear in mind that this will take most of the day and that it is best to ask at the Port Barton terminal and confirm the details again.
- Hiring a private van: if you want to travel at another time, you can negotiate a private van, but bear in mind that it will rarely cost less than 5,000-6,000 pesos. You can also hire one through this platform.
⭐ Read our Port Barton Guide.
How to get to El Nido from Cebu
The best way to get to El Nido from Cebu is by plane, as there are no direct ferries.
Cebu Pacific Air is also the only airline that operates flights from Cebu to El Nido. At present, there is only one flight per day between the two destinations, and it takes 1 hour and 40 minutes.
It is possible to book flights from Cebu to El Nido from $96 if you do so in advance, but prices are usually around $160 each way. They also include 7 kg of carry-on baggage and, depending on the fare, checked baggage.
Book flights from Cebu to El Nido
As with Manila, you can also get to El Nido from Cebu by taking a Cebu-Puerto Princesa flight and then traveling overland to El Nido, either by van or bus. Since the overland journey takes between 4.5 and 6 hours, this is a much longer alternative, but it may work for you if direct flights to El Nido are very expensive. You can book the journey here.
Lastly, since mid-2025, Cebu Pacific Air has operated flights from Cebu to San Vicente, a very peaceful town relatively close to Port Barton with a tiny airport located around 120 kilometers from El Nido. It is true that flights can be found for around $64, but given the limited number of departures, frequent cancellations, and lack of regular transportation from the airport to El Nido, we do not see it as such an appealing option.
With all this in mind, you could also stop for a few days in either Port Barton or San Vicente.
How to get to El Nido from Bohol
We are in luck! Since 2019, AirSWIFT (remember, now Cebu Pacific Air) has operated direct flights from Bohol (IATA code: TAG) to El Nido. This makes travel times much shorter. They depart from the airport in Panglao, very close to Alona Beach.
Bear in mind that there are around 3-4 flights per week and that they tend to fill up quite quickly, as the planes are fairly small. Book early, because it is also cheaper to do so in advance. Prices are around 3,500-4,000 Philippine pesos per person when purchased well in advance; otherwise, they rarely fall below 6,000-7,000 pesos.
Book flights from Bohol to El Nido
Other options for getting to El Nido from Bohol:
- Travel from Bohol to Cebu by ferry + fly from Cebu to El Nido: this is not usually the cheapest option.
- Travel from Bohol to Cebu by ferry + fly from Cebu to Puerto Princesa + take a van or bus from Puerto Princesa to El Nido: this is the longest option, but probably the cheapest.
- Connecting flight from Bohol to Puerto Princesa + van or bus from Puerto Princesa to El Nido: possibly the middle-ground option.
✈️ In How to get to Bohol from El Nido, you will find more information about other ways to travel between the two destinations in the Philippines.
How to get to El Nido from other parts of the Philippines
As you can see, we have explained how to get to El Nido from the most common destinations and the closest ones in Palawan, but there is no doubt that you can also reach this place from almost anywhere in the country. That said, the most common option is to travel to Cebu or Clark and, from there, take a flight to El Nido or Puerto Princesa, followed by the corresponding overland transfer. It will therefore be useful to read How to get to Cebu first.
However, we are going to explain the possible routes from the archipelago’s most famous destinations:
- How to get to El Nido from Siargao: the best option is usually to return to Cebu. To do so, you can look for flights from Siargao to El Nido with a connection, or otherwise take a boat from Siargao to Surigao, then another boat from Surigao to Cebu, and then fly from Cebu to El Nido. We explain it in much greater detail in our How to get from Siargao to El Nido guide.
- How to get to El Nido from Malapascua: you will need to return to Cebu by bangka and bus, van, or car, and then take a flight from Cebu to El Nido. You probably already know this, but it is important to calculate the transfer time to Cebu City carefully, as it will take at least 5 hours. The most sensible option is usually to spend the night in Cebu City and depart the following morning.
- How to get to El Nido from Siquijor: you can travel from Siquijor to Cebu by boat (4 hours, schedules and bookings here) and then fly from Cebu to El Nido, or take a ferry from Siquijor to Dumaguete (45 minutes, schedules and bookings here) and look for combinations of flights from Dumaguete to El Nido via Manila or Cebu. You can find a much more detailed explanation in our How to get from Siquijor to El Nido guide.
- How to get to El Nido from Camiguin: the best option is to look for a flight from Camiguin to El Nido with a connection in Cebu. If none of the schedules work for you, you may need to spend the night in Cebu City.
- How to get to El Nido from Boracay: you are in luck because Cebu Pacific Air operates direct flights on certain days of the week, which you can see here. You will find more alternatives in the How to get from Boracay to El Nido guide.
Of course, with any of the options above, you can consider flying to Puerto Princesa instead of directly to El Nido, but as you already know, you will then need to travel overland to El Nido.
If traveling to El Nido via Cebu does not suit you, you will also find flights to El Nido from Clark, around a 3-hour drive from Manila, operated by Cebu Pacific Air.
✈️ If you want to learn more about airlines in the Philippines, baggage, and everything else, read our article about Domestic flights in the Philippines.
Lastly, if you need help with any other route to El Nido, you can leave us a comment and we will reply as soon as possible.
Frequently asked questions about the best way to get to El Nido, Philippines
We know there is a lot of information here, but to briefly summarize what we have covered, below we answer the most common questions from travelers who want to know how to get to El Nido:
How can I travel to El Nido, Philippines?
The most convenient option is usually to fly directly to El Nido Airport (IATA code: ENI), located a few kilometers from El Nido Town. Even so, you can also fly to Puerto Princesa Airport (IATA code: PPS), as it receives more flights, often at cheaper prices, and from there take a bus or van to El Nido (5-6 hours). Another alternative is to travel by van from Port Barton (3 hours) or by boat from Coron (approximately 5 hours). Lastly, you can travel to El Nido from Coron on a 3- or 4-day expedition through the islands in between.
Where should you fly to for Palawan?
You can fly directly to El Nido Airport (ENI), Puerto Princesa Airport (PPS), or, to a much lesser extent, San Vicente Airport (SWL).
How do you get from Puerto Princesa to El Nido?
The most common option is to travel by van, which takes around 4.5-5 hours and costs approximately 600-700 Philippine pesos per person. Another option is the Cherry Bus, which takes between 7 and 9 hours and has 4 departures per day. You can also hire private transportation.
How do you get from Port Barton to El Nido?
The best option is to travel by van. There are currently 3 per day, and the journey takes around 3 hours. Prices are around 700 pesos per person. If you want to save money, you can combine jeepneys to Roxas and then take a bus to El Nido.
How do you get from Manila to El Nido?
Since there are no longer direct flights from Manila to El Nido, an option that is usually cheaper is to fly from Manila to Puerto Princesa and then take a van to El Nido, which takes around 5 hours. The other alternative is to travel overland from Manila to Clark (3-4 hours) and then take a direct AirSWIFT flight to El Nido.
How do you get to El Nido from Coron?
You can fly between the two destinations—it will not be the cheapest option, especially if you do not book in advance, although it is worth comparing prices—take a ferry, which takes around 5 hours, or join a 3- or 4-day expedition on a local boat.
El Nido Guide
You will find much more information in our El Nido Guide: things to do, where to stay, and other useful information.
Do you still have any questions about how to get to El Nido, Philippines? Ask us in the comments and we will reply as soon as possible.
