Tips on Choosing Boat Tours in Coron

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About boat tours around Coron

Nestled in the heart of Palawan, Coron stands as one of the Philippines’ most enchanting destinations, with its stunning limestone cliffs, vibrant coral gardens, and crystal-clear turquoise waters. One of the most popular ways to explore this tropical paradise is through boat tours, which give visitors an intimate look at the region’s most breathtaking sights. These tours offer a unique blend of adventure and serenity, guiding travelers through the famous Twin Lagoons, hidden lakes, and pristine snorkeling spots. Along the journey, visitors can bask in the sun, dive into the region’s rich underwater biodiversity, and even relax on secluded beaches. For those yearning for an authentic experience of Palawan’s beauty, a boat tour around Coron is unmistakingly unmissable.

We specialize in private tours only

Do you want to stay away from the crowds and enjoy the pristine islands for yourselves?

If you prefer a private tour only, just contact us (price depends on number of people or if you customize your tour) and we will arrange a boat for you. Your own boat, your own time and your own islands. Or you can join one of our multi-day tours to El Nido (Sibaltan), hitting the most popular Coron spots along the way. We can also organise private tours in El Nido.

The tours include:

  • include a licensed tour guide
  • lunch
  • snorkeling gear
  • entrance fees

Pick up by tricycle (or van) can be arranged for an additional fee, otherwise they are everywhere and swarming like bees in both El Nido and Coron. Shared vans are frequent and waiting on arrival in both airports.

If you would like some fun diving during your private boat tour in Coron, we can have that arranged as well. Most of our customers would do one fun dive in Barracuda Lake, island hopping to 2 to 3 islands around Coron after that. Just let us know your preferences and we’ll be happy to arrange the perfect tour for you!

Coron tour tips, Barracuda Lake
Diving in the crystal clear and varied temperature waters of Barracuda Lake.

At some of the places, like Twin Lagoons, the local caretaker grills fresh fish and rice. Or the boat crew can cook you up the same for 200p/meal. If instead you buy vegetables from the public market (the loading area for most of the boats), the crew can probably cook that for you for free, but a little tip would be nice.

Take note: As of December 2019, the coast guards in Coron made a bizarre rule that all boats are required to check with them first before leaving. Meaning no boats can leave earlier than 8 am. Our private tour boatmen must follow this rule as well, but don’t worry, we can still help you avoid the crowd by bringing you to the less crowded places first. Contrary to the regular joiner tours, which take the same route every day, usually starting at the nearest island in their itinerary.

Below you will find different single day tour packages (further below multiday expeditions), or you can customize your tour by choosing seven individual locations (maximum seven locations per day).
Price explanation: Below are listed the prices for 2, 3 and 4 pax (people). You can also check out our boat prices page for further clarification, up to 6 people per tour. For groups larger than 6 please send us a note for more information.

A. Single day boat tours around Coron

Coron Island Tour A

  1. Kayangan Lake
  2. Smith Beach
  3. CYC Beach
  4. Queen Reef
  5. Coral Garden
  6. Green Lagoon

Coron Island Tour A price 2

Coron Island Tour B

  1. Twin Lagoon
  2. Barracuda Lake
  3. Reef Garden
  4. Smith Beach
  5. Skeleton Wreck

Coron Island Tour B price

coron close boat tours

Coron Ultimate Tour

  1. Kayangan Lake
  2. Siete Pecados
  3. Banol Beach
  4. Twin Lagoon
  5. Coral Garden
  6. Skeleton Wreck
  7. CYC Beach

Coron Ultimate Tour price

Super Ultimate Tour

  1. Kayangan Lake
  2. Barracuda Lake
  3. Skeleton Wreck
  4. Twin Lagoon
  5. Atwayan Beach
  6. Coral Garden
  7. Siete Pecados

Super Ultimate Tour price

Calauit Safari and Black Island Tour

  1. Calauit Safari
  2. Black Island Caves and Shipwreck

Coron Town Tour

  1. Town Plaza
  2. Maquinit Hot Springs
  3. Souvenir Shop
  4. Mr. Tapyas
  5. St. Augustine Church
calauit coron tours
The following three packages, being farther away from Coron Town, also require a full day, and for a custom tour you can combine three sites of your own choice into your own package.
 

Coron Escapade C1

malcapuya coron tour

Reef and Wrecks

  1. Lusong Gun Boat
  2. Lusong Coral Garden
  3. East Tangat
  4. Pass Island

Reef and Wrecks tour price

lusong

To see the full map in context:

coron boat tours google map
 

Private Custom Tour

And since we only organize private tours in El Nido and Coron (group tours are only available in multiday expeditions between the two), you are certainly welcome to craft your own. For example, for our guests taking a multiday expedition tour from El Nido to Coron, they can see a lot of the main Coron sites on the way up, but not the very popular Kayangan Lake and Twin Lagoons. Because of their immense popularity, the tickets for them must be purchased the same day in Coron town for purposes of crowd control. But if you will be staying a few days in Coron once you arrive there from your multiday expedition, you can take this suggested custom tour to see those two plus some other popular ones you have not seen yet:

  1. Kayangan Lake
  2. Twin Lagoons
  3. Green Lagoon
  4. Smith Beach
  5. Siete Pecados

The price for a custom tour is approximate at 15,000p and is limited by the distance between the sites you choose.

picnic on the beach on a coron boat tour
For lunch the crew always prepares a nice picnic on the beach.
food-palawan-island-hopping-boat-tour

If you are staying at a hotel with a pier, the boatman can pick you up and drop you off straight from there. Or they can arrange a tricycle taxi to take you to their boat.

book-tour-now coron single day

B. Multi-day Island Hopping Boat Tour Expeditions Around Coron

If you have time you can also take a three or four day multiday tour around Coron but including the farther islands like Malcapuya.

Coron Multi-day Island Hopping Boat Tour Expedition, relaxing walks

There are thousands of beautiful islands with tours in the Philippines that every tourist should not miss. Coron has been one of the top most travel destinations when it comes to clear blue water beaches. It is also famous for its beautiful lakes and clear water lagoons. Moerover, it is also popular for divers, especially those who love to dive into shipwrecks. There are many spots and islands to explore, not just around Coron but also a few hours away by boat, such as Black island, Malcapuya island, Banana islandBulog Dos island, Waling-waling island, Bamboo Island, Pass island, Lusong gun boat, and many more.

Coron Multi-day Island Hopping Boat Tour Expedition, swim in crystal clear waters

That being said, two or three days will not be enough to visit all these beautiful islands and lakes. The famous spots around coron island like Siete Pecados, kayangan lake, twin lagoon,  and barracuda (baracuda) lake are always packed full of people, thus it is hard to avoid the crowds to take beautiful photos without people in the background and to just relax and enjoy the scenery.

Coron Multi-day Island Hopping Boat Tour Expedition stress release

3 days/ 2 nights Itinerary:

Day 1 (Coron Escapade):

  • Lusong coral garden
  • Lusong gunboat
  • Maltatayoc island
  • Pass island (sleep)

Coron Multi-day Island Hopping Boat Tour Expedition secluded and quiet beaches

Day 2 (Coron Escapade with sand bars):

Coron Multi-day Island Hopping Boat Tour Expedition fantastic snorkeling

Day 3 (Coron Islands):

In this Coron island hopping boat tour expedition itinerary, you will be staying in basic nipa huts with common basic toilets. This is perfect for those who want to relax and enjoy the sun and beaches. On your third day, you will be able to visit the famous sites in coron island at an earlier, thus avoiding the crowds. Also, if you are looking for some nice drone shots of sand bars, Ditaytayan island has a long stretch of a sand bar, while Bulog Dos has a shorter one. 

4 days/ 3 nights Itinerary:

Coron Multi-day Island Hopping Boat Tour Expedition secluded beaches

Day 1 (Coron Escapade):

Day 2 (Reefs and Wrecks):

  • Lusong gunboat
  • Lusong coral garden
  • East tangat
  • Pass island (sleep)

Coron Multi-day Island Hopping Boat Tour Expedition aquatic life

Day 3 (Coron Islands):

Coron Multi-day Island Hopping Boat Tour Expedition beautiful lagoons and people

Day 4 (Coron Islands):

This Coron Multi-day Island Hopping Boat Tour expedition itinerary is perfect for those who like to free dive, snorkel, relax on the beach and experience real Filipino island life. You will be staying in tents and nipa huts. There are only basic toilets. No hot showers either. If you are looking for something fancy for accommodation, I suggest booking only a day trip to these islands so you can get back to your fancy hotels at the end of the day. Price depends on the number of people on board – the more the less expensive per person.

Tour Inclusions:

  • Private boat
  • Licensed tour guide
  • Boat captain and crew
  • Meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
  • Entrance fees
  • Overnight fees
  • Nipa hut (Banana Island and Pass Island)
  • Tent (Atwayan beach)
  • Beers/rum (complimentary drink on board, limited amount)
  • Pick up and drop off (within coron town only)

Or, for inquiries regarding prices and boat tour packages, please click the photo below:

Palawan custom private boat tours coron

C. Coron Ultimate Expedition Tour to or from El Nido, or Linapacan

So much to choose from, eh? If you will be headed to or from El Nido, or would like to dig deeper than the multiday tours around Coron only, you can take a private expedition all the way to (or from) El Nido, to save costs you can join a group, or if you want to start and end your expedition in Coron, halfway to El Nido there is Linapacan, itself surrounded by 52 islands, to get a real taste of remote paradise off the beaten path.

Between El Nido and Coron there are 82 islands, and it only gets more remote the farther south you go.

maosonon-island-linapacan coron boat tours
Maosonon Island, one of the many dream spots to visit along the way.
magransing-island3 boat tour coron
Magransing Island, south of Linapacan.

Coron diving tours

Please check here for details and prices of scuba diving tours we offer around Coron.

With limited time, which tours to choose: close or far from Coron?

Got only limited time in Coron? Are you having some difficulty in choosing which tour you should not miss? This post will help you decide which island hopping tours you should do despite having limited time or only a few days in Coron, Palawan.

World’s top 3 islands are in the Philippines and obviously, Palawan is on the list. Palawan has 1,708 islands and islets of the Philippines and has been ranked three times in a row to have the clearest waters in the world.

Tips on Choosing Tours in Coron clearest waters

The most popular destinations in Palawan are El Nido and Coron, bombarded by millions of tourists every year. Both are known for their stunning lagoons, white sand beaches and perfect diving spots.

I know, Philippines is massive in terms of the thousands of islands it has, and so is Palawan. If you are visiting Coron and you only have a few days to jump on island hopping tours, I would recommend booking a private boat tour.

Why? It is better because, if you only have a limited amount of time, a private boat tour offers you flexibility. Meaning, you can arrange with your boatman what time you want to start. In order to avoid the flocks of tourists, I suggest leaving earlier, like around 7:00 or 8:00 in the morning. The usual public or joiner tours start at 9:00 or 9:30.

Moreover, one of the perks is no one will rush you. If you have experienced joining a tour before, you know what I mean. Joiner or public island hopping tour guides often blow a horn indicating to everyone it is time to move on to the next location, which can be rather unsettling.

If you prefer to enjoy paradise and stay as long you wish, with no rush, I’m sure you would rather enjoy your time and go at your own pace.

Tips on Choosing Tours in Coron cool rock formations

So what is the best island hopping tour in Coron, Palawan? I would say it depends on what you are looking for.

If you want to see lakes and lagoons, the Coron Only Island tours are best for you. They include Siete Pecados, Kayangan Lake, Barracuda Lake, Twin Lagoons, Skeleton Wreck and Coral Garden. These sites are usually packed with tourists all year round because it is just a few minutes by boat from town and they are known for their picturesque views.

On the other hand, if you prefer to get away from the crowds and chill on the beach, Bulog Dos, Banana Island and Malcapuya Island are perfect for you. It will take roughly an hour and a half by boat to get to Bulog Dos. Because it takes some time to get there, only few tourists venture this far, so you will most likely see fewer of them. You can also avoid most of the travelers by leaving early in the morning around 7:30. Furthermore, if you leave early, the sea is usually calmer, making the trip faster. Banana Island and Bulog Dos are known for their sand bars, while Malcapuya Island is known for its very soft and fine sand. These three islands have clear waters too.

Kayangan-lake Tips on Choosing Tours in Coron great diving
Free Diving In Kayangan Lake, Coron, Palawan

Tips on Choosing beautiful tour guides in Coron
Bulog Dos, Palawan

Tips on Choosing Tours in Coron bulog dos
The sand in Malcapuya Island is so soft it’s like cotton candy you just want to eat.

Coron is well-known for its wrecks and reefs. If you enjoy diving or free diving, Lusong Coral Garden, Lusong Gun Boat and Pass Island will not disappoint you. These sites are on most divers’ bucket lists. There are around eight ship wrecks in Coron, remnants of WW2 when the U.S. bombed Japanese war ships parked in the harbor.

Tips on Choosing Tours in Coron caves to explore
Caves in Black Island.
Tips on Choosing Tours in Coron salty rock formations

Tips on Choosing Tours in Coron closeup of salty rock formations

You can also find another ship wreck in Black Island. If you do not dive, you can see the ship wreck during low tides. It is very accessible and, because of the clear water, it is easy to see. You can also find some caves there (above pictures).

Tips on Choosing Tours in Coron shipwrecks to explore
Ship wreck in Coron
Tips on Choosing Tours in Coron old shipwrecks walking distance from shore
Visible ship wreck in Black Island during low tide

To get there, feel free to contact us so we can design the perfect package for you!

Palawan-boat-tours

Coron Links

Kayangan Lake
Twin Lagoons
Malcapuya Island
Banana Island
Bulog Dos
Barracuda Lake
Atwayan beach
Banol Beach
Skeleton Shipwreck
Siete Pecados
Coral Gardens
Ditaytayan Island
Black Island
Coron Town Proper
Best Restaurants in Coron Philippines
Rural Coron
Coron Island
Diving Reefs and shipwrecks in Coron

Payong-payong-beach-El-nido-palawan-beach-destination
 
Payong-payong-beach-El-nido-palawan-tour-private-boat-snorkeling

Important links and related tours

Private and group multiday expedition tours between El Nido and Coron
Private boat tours around El Nido
Combination El Nido and/or Coron boat tours with multiday expedition in between
Marriage proposal tours

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Home » Palawan » Boat Trips Tours » Tips on Choosing Boat Tours in Coron

A wife and a mother of one with a small family business operation. We love to travel so we know what you need. In our family, I’m the one who loves organizing romantic wedding proposals and El Nido and Coron private day tours.

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Palawan
Average rating:  
 1 reviews
 by Karel
Nicer than El Nido

Beautiful rock formations and fantastic scenery, although can be a lot of tourists.

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