El Nido With Kids: Our Complete Family Travel Guide
Updated: Sep 12
After spending a few nights in El Nido, it quickly became one of our favourite destinations in the Philippines. With dramatic limestone cliffs, turquoise water, island-hopping adventures and a laid-back beach-town atmosphere, it's easy to see why so many travellers fall in love with this corner of Palawan.
El Nido At a Glance
📍 Location: Northern Palawan, Philippines
🗓️ How Long to Stay: 3–5 days
👨👩👧👧 Family Friendly: Yes — one of our favourite destinations in the Philippines
🏨 Best Area to Stay: Corong Corong Beach
🛺 Getting Around: Tuk Tuk
🏝️ Must-Do Activity: Island Hopping Tour A
🌅 Best Sunset Spot: Corong Corong Beach & Las Cabanas Beach
💰 Budget: Budget to luxury accommodation available
⭐ Don't Miss: The multi-day expedition boat between El Nido and Coron
❤️ Our Verdict: Relaxed, beautiful and easy to visit with kids
El Nido With Kids
When planning our Philippines itinerary, we spent ages trying to decide how to split our time between El Nido and Coron.
Our original plan was to spend 3 nights in El Nido and 3 nights in Coron, catching the ferry between the two destinations. Then I discovered the multi-day expedition boats that travel between El Nido and Coron, stopping at remote islands, beaches and snorkelling spots along the way.
The expedition only departed on certain days, so we had to choose between spending more time in El Nido or more time in Coron. In the end, we decided on three nights in El Nido, followed by the expedition and one night in Coron before flying out.
Looking back, we're so glad we made that choice.
We absolutely loved El Nido. The combination of stunning scenery, beautiful beaches, island-hopping adventures and a relaxed atmosphere made it one of our favourite destinations in the Philippines.
How to Get to El Nido
We flew from Cebu directly to El Nido, which was the quickest and easiest option for us.
If you're already travelling around the Philippines, you can also reach El Nido by flying into Puerto Princesa and taking a shared van (around 5–6 hours), or by ferry from Coron.
We chose to fly because it gave us more time to explore El Nido and made travelling with the kids much easier.
We always compare flight prices before booking, as we've found fares can vary a lot depending on the dates and airline.
Where To Stay In El Nido With Kids
We stayed in Corong Corong with our girls and absolutely loved the area. It's quieter and more laid-back than El Nido Town, but still only a short tuk tuk ride away.
If we went back, we'd happily stay in Corong Corong again.
🌴 Not sure which area to choose? Read our complete guide to where to stay in El Nido, including Corong Corong, El Nido Town, Las Cabanas, Lio and Nacpan.
How To Get Around El Nido
Getting around El Nido is incredibly easy.
The main form of transport is the local tuk tuk/tricycle, and you'll find them everywhere. My girls love getting around in Tuk tuks!
Whether you're heading between El Nido Town, Corong Corong or Vanilla Beach, there are always plenty waiting along the roadside.
Most rides only take a few minutes and are very affordable, making it easy to explore without needing your own vehicle.
Between walking and catching tricycles, we could get everywhere we wanted to go with minimal effort.
If you're staying in Corong Corong, it's only a short tricycle ride into El Nido Town (5-10 mins) while Vanilla Beach is just a little further along the coast (15-20 mins)
El Nido Island Hopping Tours
One of the main reasons people visit El Nido is for the island-hopping tours, with four main options — Tours A, B, C and D.
🏝️ Tour A — The classic first-timer tour, including the incredible Big Lagoon. This is the one we did and loved!
🏖️ Tour B — Caves, sandbars and quieter islands.
🤿 Tour C — Hidden beaches, snorkelling and dramatic limestone scenery.
🌴 Tour D — A quieter option with beautiful beaches and lagoons. If we'd had another day, this is the one I would have loved to do.
We chose Tour A, but which one is best really depends on what you want to see — and how many days you have in El Nido.
👉 Not sure which one to choose? Read our full comparison: El Nido Tour A, B, C or D? Which Tour Is Best?
Is El Nido Worth Visiting With Kids?
Definitly! El Nido ended up being one of our favourite destinations.
Before arriving, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. El Nido is often shown as a backpacker destination filled with island-hopping tours and adventure activities, but we found it incredibly family-friendly.
Getting around was easy. The beaches were perfect for swimming, the island-hopping tours were a huge hit with the girls and there was always something to do, whether that was exploring, kayaking, snorkelling or simply watching the sunset.
Eating out is great! There were plenty of cafes and restaurants serving smoothie bowls, fresh fruit, pizzas, burgers, pasta and other familiar family favourites as well as local Filipino dishes.
For families with older children, the island-hopping tours are an absolute highlight. Kayaking through bright turquoise lagoons, snorkelling over coral reefs and discovering hidden beaches & caves, my girls loved it.
If you're travelling through the Philippines with kids, I wouldn't hesitate to include El Nido on your itinerary. The combination of stunning scenery, outdoor adventures, family-friendly restaurants and laid-back atmosphere makes it a destination that both parents and kids can genuinely enjoy.
Travelling El Nido As a Solo Parent
El Nido was very easy to travel independently with my daughters.
Getting around was simple, the locals were so friendly, and we always felt comfortable exploring on our own. Tuk tuks are everywhere & tour operators were always helpful.
As always, it's important to take the usual precautions you would anywhere in the world, but throughout our stay I always felt safe and completely comfortable travelling with my girls.
If you're considering El Nido as a solo parent, I would recommend it. I've written more about what it's like travelling as a solo parent here.
How Many Days Do You Need in El Nido?
I'd recommend 3–4 full days in El Nido for a first visit. That gives you enough time for an island-hopping tour, a couple of beautiful beaches and time to explore El Nido town, all at a relaxed pace.
We spent 3 days here before continuing to Coron, and it worked really well for us.
👉 Planning your trip? Read our complete 3 Days in El Nido itinerary, including exactly how we spent our time and what I'd add if you have four or five days.
El Nido or Coron?
When planning our Philippines itinerary, I spent ages trying to decide whether to spend more time in El Nido or Coron.
While we only had one night in Coron, El Nido completely won us over. We loved the relaxed beach-town atmosphere, the cafes and restaurants, the beautiful beaches and the easy access to island-hopping tours.
If you have the time, I'd visit both. But if you're trying to decide where to spend a few extra days, I'd happily choose El Nido again.
Our Top Tips For Visiting El Nido
Before you go, here are a few things we learnt during our time in El Nido:
Stay in Corong Corong if you're travelling with kids or prefer a quieter base.
Book at least one island-hopping tour — Tour A was one of the highlights of our trip.
Bring reef-safe sunscreen to help protect the coral reefs and marine life.
Carry some cash, as not every restaurant, tour operator or shop accepts cards.
For Credit Card transactions we use WISE card. We use our Wise card whenever we travel overseas and we love it! It's the easiest way to pay for everyday purchases and transfer funds in the Philippines, without the hefty foreign transaction fees that many banks charge.
Make time to visit Las Cabanas Beach (& Happy Birthday Beach)
Allow at least three nights if your itinerary permits. We stayed three nights and could easily have stayed longer.
If you're travelling between El Nido and Coron, consider taking the multi-day expedition boat rather than the ferry. It ended up being one of the most memorable experiences of our Philippines trip.
Don't overplan every day. Some of our favourite moments were simply enjoying the cafes, beaches, night markets and laid-back atmosphere around town.
Definitely try a fluffy Japanese pancakes at Dayo El Nido, they are amazing!!
Continue planning your Philippines adventure:
If El Nido is just one stop on your trip, these guides will help you plan the rest of your Philippines itinerary:
🇵🇭 Philippines Itinerary with Kids – Our complete route through Cebu, Siargao, El Nido and Coron.
🚤 El Nido to Coron Boat Expedition – Everything you need to know before booking the 3-day island-hopping trip with kids.
🐠 Moalboal Sardine Run Guide – How to snorkel with millions of sardines and sea turtles.
📍 3 Days in Moalboal – Where to stay, eat and what not to miss.
🌴 Siargao Travel Guide – The best things to do on the Philippines' famous surfing island.
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