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Philippines — cover image for a 6-day route through El Nido

Untravel editors · best Nov–Apr

The Philippines the Slow Way

the slow way

EL NIDO · 9 STOPS · 6 DAYS

Philippines · 6 days · Untravel editors

By Untravel editors ·

One base, Bacuit Bay's lagoons, and the discipline to do one island-hop a day — the slow Palawan trip. Pick one stunning base and stay.

6 days and 9 stops — all of it out and back from El Nido. It opens with arrive and exhale. Every stop carries the note that put it on the list. Read it all here, no app and no account.

The 6-day Philippines itinerary, day by day

Day 01 · El Nido

Arrive and exhale

Do · El Nido · Sunset · arrive

Las Cabanas Beach

Fly in, transfer to town (a long travel day — don't fight it). Settle and catch the sunset on the beach.

Eat · El Nido · Evening · dinner

Trattoria Altrove

The consensus wood-fired pizza, or grilled seafood on the sand.

Day 02 · El Nido

The headline hop (Tour A)

Do · El Nido · Tour A · ~₱1,600–2,200

Big Lagoon

Island Hopping Tour A — the Big Lagoon, Small Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, Shimizu Island. The famous Bacuit Bay lagoons (~₱1,600–2,200 all-in). Kayak the Big Lagoon; it's the moment.

Eat · El Nido · Filipino · dinner

Tambok's

A quiet local dinner — sisig and grilled pork belly.

Day 03 · El Nido

Beach + recover

Eat · El Nido · Cafe · recover

Hama Coffee

No boat today. A slow morning and good coffee — the slow trip earns its name on days like this.

Eat · El Nido · Evening · Filipino

Tambok's

An afternoon on the beach or a massage, then a quiet local dinner — sisig and grilled pork belly.

Day 04 · El Nido

A different bay (Tour C)

Do · El Nido · Tour C

Helicopter Island

Tour C — hidden beaches, Matinloc, the dramatic islands. Different islands, same turquoise. Snorkel, swim, lunch the boat cooks on a beach.

Day 05 · El Nido

Land + sunset

Do · El Nido · Land day · sunset

Nacpan Beach

A land day — the twin-beach out of town, gorgeous and quieter, or a Taraw Cliff viewpoint hike with a guide. Last big sunset.

Day 06 · El Nido

Out

Do · El Nido · Morning · out

El Nido Town

Slow morning, transfer back to the airport.

Keep the whole route.

go anyway

All 9 places land in your bucket, grouped by town, with the notes intact. When you know your dates, one tap turns the whole thing into a real day-by-day trip.

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Before you go · FAQ

The questions everyone asks

When is the best time to do this 6-day Philippines itinerary?

Nov–Apr is the window this route is built around. Within each day the timing is as deliberate as the month: 4 of the 9 stops are morning-first and 4 are after dark.

How many days do you need in El Nido?

6 days, 9 stops, one base in El Nido with day trips out and back. Nothing here needs a second hotel.

Do you move around, or stay in one place?

One base for the whole 6 days, in El Nido. Every stop on the list is reachable out and back, which is the point of this one.

What is actually on the list?

9 stops: 5 things to do and 4 places to eat. Among them Las Cabanas Beach, Tambok's and Helicopter Island. Each one carries the note explaining why it is on the list and when to go.

How do I save this Philippines itinerary to my phone?

Scan the code above, or open this page on your phone and tap Save. The 9 stops land in your Untravel bucket grouped into El Nido, notes attached. Put your own dates on it and the 6 days rebuild around them.

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