El Nido with Kids: The Ultimate Family Travel Guide (2026)

From exploring hidden lagoons and relaxing on white-sand beaches to snorkeling in crystal-clear water, El Nido offers plenty of unforgettable experiences for families. These are the activities we think are most worth adding to your itinerary.

If there’s one experience you shouldn’t miss in El Nido, it’s island hopping. Exploring hidden lagoons, swimming in crystal-clear water and discovering remote beaches is what makes El Nido so special. It was without a doubt the highlight of our trip and one of our favorite experiences in the entire Philippines.

Why Families Love It

• 💙 The number one reason to visit El Nido.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 Suitable for families of all ages, including young children.
• 🏝️ Every stop is different, from hidden lagoons to white-sand beaches and snorkeling spots.
• 📸 Some of our favorite family memories from the Philippines were made during these boat trips.

Our Tips for Families

• 🛥️ Book a private boat if you’re traveling with younger children. It gives you much more flexibility, avoids waiting for larger groups and lets you adjust the pace throughout the day.
• 1️⃣ If you only have one day, we’d choose Tour A. If your budget allows, combining Tour A + C on a private boat makes for an even better experience.
• 2️⃣ If you have two days, we’d recommend Tour A + C on your first day and Tour D on your second.
• 🕣 Start as early as possible. We left before most other boats and had some of the most popular lagoons almost to ourselves.

💡 Crew Tip: We booked our private tour through The Couch El Nido and had a fantastic experience. The relaxed pace, friendly guides and early departure made a huge difference, especially with young kids.

Lio Beach is our favorite beach in El Nido for families with young children. We visited towards the end of our trip and immediately wished we had spent more time here. The beach is clean, spacious and much quieter than El Nido Town, making it a great place to slow down between island-hopping adventures.

Why We Recommend It

• 🌴 A beautiful sandy beach with plenty of space for kids to play.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 Relaxed atmosphere that’s perfect for families.
• 🍽️ Several restaurants and cafés within walking distance.
• 🌅 A great place to spend an afternoon after a busy morning exploring.

Las Cabañas Beach (also known as Vanilla Beach or Maremegmeg Beach) is one of the best places to watch the sunset in El Nido. We loved spending the late afternoon here, relaxing on the beach while the sky slowly turned shades of orange and pink. It’s a great way to end the day after a morning of island hopping.

Why We Recommend It

• 🌅 One of the most beautiful sunset spots in El Nido.
• 🏖️ A wide sandy beach where children can play while you relax.
• 🍹 Several beachfront cafés and restaurants for drinks or dinner.
• 🎢 Older kids and teenagers can even try the famous Las Cabañas Zipline for an extra adventure.

💡 Crew Tip: During our visit, we bought a day pass at El Nido Bayview Resort, and it ended up being one of our favorite afternoons in El Nido. While our daughters played in the swimming pool, we relaxed with a drink before enjoying dinner and watching the sunset over Bacuit Bay. If day passes are still available during your visit, we highly recommend it for families.

Although many travel guides describe Nacpan as the most beautiful beach near El Nido, we personally preferred Lio Beach and Las Cabañas. Nacpan is definitely worth visiting if you have the time, but we wouldn’t make it a priority over island hopping or spending a day at Lio Beach.

Why It Made Our List

• 🚗 Easy to visit as a half-day or full-day trip from El Nido Town.
• 🌴 A peaceful escape from the busier areas around El Nido.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 Plenty of space for kids to run and play.
• 🍽️ A handful of beachfront restaurants where you can enjoy lunch with your feet in the sand.

Although El Nido is best known for its beaches and island hopping, it’s worth spending some time exploring the town itself. After a day on the water, we enjoyed wandering through the lively streets, browsing the small souvenir shops and finding a nice place for dinner.

Why We’d Go Again

• 🚤 The main departure point for most island-hopping tours.
• 🍜 Plenty of restaurants, cafés and bakeries to choose from.
• 🛍️ Great place to pick up souvenirs or travel essentials.
• 🍦 A fun spot for an evening stroll after a day of exploring.

💡 Crew Tip: If you’re craving a break from Filipino food, we highly recommend Tutto Passa. We had some of the best pizza of our entire Philippines trip here, and it was a big hit with our kids after a long day of island hopping.

Choosing the right area can make a huge difference when visiting El Nido with kids. During our trip, we explored all the main family-friendly areas and stayed in El Nido Town.

Looking back, we would most likely stay at Lio Beach or in the Corong Corong / Las Cabañas (Vanilla Beach) area instead. Both offer a more relaxed atmosphere while still being close to everything El Nido has to offer.

Best for: Families looking for a beautiful beach and a relaxed atmosphere.

If we visited El Nido again with kids, Lio Beach would be our first choice. We only discovered the area towards the end of our trip, but immediately wished we had spent more time there. Compared to El Nido Town, it feels much quieter, with a beautiful sandy beach, plenty of space for children to play and a relaxed atmosphere. You’ll need a short tricycle ride to reach El Nido Town and the main island-hopping departure point, but for us, that small trade-off is well worth it.

Recommended family hotels:

• 🏨 Seda Lio – Our top pick for families looking for a beachfront resort with excellent facilities, a beautiful swimming pool and spacious family rooms.
• 🏨 Huni Lio El Nido – A fantastic family-friendly hotel just steps from the beach, offering comfortable rooms and a relaxed atmosphere at a slightly lower price point than Seda.

💡 Crew Tip: If your budget allows it, choose a hotel with a swimming pool. After a morning of island hopping, we loved relaxing by the pool while the kids played before heading out for dinner.

Best for: Families looking for the best balance between a relaxed atmosphere and easy access to El Nido Town.

If Lio Beach is our first choice, Corong Corong and the nearby Las Cabañas (Vanilla Beach) area would be a very close second. This part of El Nido feels much quieter than the town centre, while still offering plenty of restaurants, cafés and family-friendly accommodation. We especially loved the beautiful sunsets and the more laid-back atmosphere compared to El Nido Town.

Recommended family hotels

• 🏨 El Nido Bayview Resort – We visited this resort ourselves and loved the incredible sea views. A great option for families looking for a quieter stay close to Las Cabañas Beach.
• 🏨 Maremegmeg Beach Club – A stylish beachfront resort right on Maremegmeg (Vanilla Beach), perfect for families looking for direct beach access and unforgettable sunsets.

Best for: Families who want restaurants, supermarkets and tour operators within walking distance.

This is where we stayed during our trip to El Nido, and while we enjoyed the convenience, it’s probably not the area we’d choose again with young kids. Everything you need is within easy walking distance, making it a great base for booking tours, finding restaurants and picking up essentials. However, we found the town busier than expected, and there isn’t really a beach where children can spend a relaxing afternoon.

Recommended family hotels:

• The Apartments at El Nido – Spacious serviced apartments with kitchen facilities, making them a great choice for families planning a longer stay.
• Amari by Vivere Hospitality Group – A stylish boutique hotel with a rooftop pool, located just a short walk from the restaurants, shops and the main island-hopping departure point.

Best for: Families looking for a peaceful beach escape away from the crowds.

Nacpan Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in the El Nido area and a wonderful place to slow down. If your idea of the perfect family holiday is spending most of your time on the beach, this is an excellent choice. The only downside is that it’s around a 40-minute drive from El Nido Town, making restaurants and island-hopping tours less convenient.

Recommended family hotels:

• 🏨 ANGKLA Beach Club & Boutique Resort – A stylish boutique resort with a beautiful pool and direct beach access, ideal for families looking for a peaceful and relaxing stay.
• 🏨 Nacpan Beach Villas – A beachfront resort with spacious villas and family rooms, perfect if you want to wake up just steps from one of Palawan’s most beautiful beaches.

Yes, you can absolutely visit El Nido with a baby or toddler, but it does require a little more planning than places like Bali or Bohol. We visited El Nido when our daughters were 3 and 5 years old and found that choosing the right area, planning slower travel days and keeping our itinerary flexible made a huge difference.

If you’re traveling with a very young baby, we’d probably wait until they’re a little older if you have the flexibility. Much of what makes El Nido so special revolves around island-hopping tours, which means spending several hours on a boat. It’s definitely possible, but we think most families will enjoy the experience much more once their child is old enough to actively enjoy the beaches, swimming and boat trips.

If you only bring one, make it a baby carrier.

Many roads around El Nido are uneven, sidewalks are often non-existent, beaches are sandy, and you’ll regularly be getting on and off boats during island-hopping tours. We used a baby carrier throughout our trip and hardly missed having a stroller. It made getting around much easier, especially during transfers and boat trips.

Island hopping is the main reason to visit El Nido, and it’s absolutely worth doing with young children, as long as you choose a tour that matches your family’s pace.

If you’re traveling with a baby or toddler, we’d highly recommend booking a private boat if your budget allows. It gives you much more flexibility, lets you avoid waiting for larger groups and makes it easy to take extra breaks or head back earlier if needed.

When booking, you’ll usually have a choice between traditional banca boats and speedboats:

• ⛵ Traditional banca boats – Slower but much more spacious, with room to move around and usually a toilet on board, which we found very convenient when traveling with young children.
• 🚤 Speedboats – Much faster, reducing the amount of time spent on the water.

💡 Crew Tip: Before booking an island-hopping tour, ask whether child-sized life jackets are available. Our private tour with The Couch El Nido provided life jackets for both of our daughters, which gave us extra peace of mind.

You’ll find small supermarkets, pharmacies and convenience stores in El Nido Town selling essentials like wipes, basic baby products and diapers (mostly pants-style). However, the selection is much more limited than in larger cities like Manila or Cebu. If your child relies on a specific brand of formula, sensitive diapers or organic baby food, we recommend bringing enough supplies for your entire stay.

Looking back, we’d happily visit El Nido again with young children. The secret is simply slowing down the pace, planning plenty of breaks and focusing on just one main activity each day.

If your child is still a very young baby, waiting a little longer may make the trip more relaxing. But if this is your opportunity to visit El Nido, don’t let that stop you. With realistic expectations, a slower itinerary and a few smart choices, it’s absolutely possible to enjoy one of the most beautiful destinations in the Philippines as a family.

El Nido isn’t the easiest destination to visit with young children, but we genuinely think it’s one of the most rewarding.

Planning a family trip to El Nido is easier once you know what to expect. From deciding how many days to stay to choosing the best time to visit and preparing for island hopping, these practical tips will help you make the most of your trip.

We recommend spending 3 to 5 days in El Nido.

Island hopping is what makes El Nido so special, so we’d build your itinerary around it. Even with just 3 days, we’d recommend doing two island-hopping tours and spending your remaining day relaxing at the beach or exploring El Nido Town. If you’re staying 4 or 5 days, you’ll have extra time to slow down and enjoy the destination without feeling rushed.

Finding family-friendly restaurants in El Nido is easy. You’ll find everything from local Filipino restaurants to Italian pizzerias, cafés and burger restaurants, so even picky eaters should have plenty of choice.

While we always enjoy trying the local cuisine when we travel, we have to admit that Filipino food wasn’t our favorite in Southeast Asia. Luckily, El Nido has plenty of international restaurants, making it easy to mix local dishes with familiar family favorites.

During our stay, we especially loved Tutto Passa for authentic Italian pizza after a long day of island hopping. If your kids are craving burgers instead, we’d also recommend Fuego, which became another family favorite during our trip.

The easiest way to reach El Nido is by flying directly to El Nido Airport, with direct flights available from Manila and Cebu. The airport is just a short drive from town, making it by far the most convenient option for families. Although direct flights are usually more expensive, we think the time you save is well worth the extra cost when traveling with children.

If you’re flying with young kids, don’t miss our Flying with Kids guide for practical tips to make travel days easier.

A more budget-friendly alternative is flying into Puerto Princesa and continuing by van to El Nido. The journey takes around five to six hours and can feel quite long with younger kids.

💡 Crew Tip: We booked our flights to El Nido through Traveloka and found it one of the easiest platforms for comparing domestic flights in the Philippines. It’s also a great place to book flights between destinations like Manila, Cebu, Puerto Princesa and El Nido.

Tricycles are the most common way to get around El Nido and are perfect for short journeys between the town, beaches and your hotel.

You can also use the beach shuttle buses, which run between several popular beaches, making them a convenient option if you don’t want to negotiate individual tricycle fares.

💳 Cash or Card? While many hotels, beach clubs and larger restaurants accept credit cards, we still used cash almost every day for tricycles, local restaurants, convenience stores and smaller shops. ATMs are available in El Nido Town, but they can occasionally run out of cash, so we’d recommend withdrawing enough money before weekends or busy travel periods.

💡 Crew Tip: Our daughters loved riding in the tricycles around El Nido, but as a family of four they were sometimes a tight squeeze, especially when we were carrying beach bags. For longer journeys, such as the trip to Nacpan Beach, we found a private car to be a much more comfortable option.

Packing a few extra essentials will make your trip much more comfortable, especially if you’re planning to spend time on the water.

We recommend bringing:

• 🛏️ A portable travel cot if you’re traveling with a baby and your accommodation doesn’t provide one.
• 👶 A baby carrier instead of a stroller.
• 👕 UV swimwear for long days on the beach and boat.
• 🥾 Water shoes for island hopping and rocky beaches.
• 🎒 A dry bag to protect your valuables during boat trips.
• 🎨 Our Travel Activity Book to keep little ones entertained during flights, transfers and ferry rides.
• 🧸 A few small travel toys or activities for transfers and waiting times.

Looking for more packing inspiration? Our Family Packing List for Thailand works just as well for the Philippines and includes everything we pack when traveling with young kids.

Overall, we found El Nido to be a very safe destination for families. The locals were incredibly friendly, and we always felt comfortable exploring the area with our daughters.

🌊 Ocean Safety

• Always check the weather before booking an island-hopping tour.
• Follow your guide’s instructions while swimming and boarding boats.
• Check in advance whether your tour operator provides child-sized life jackets.

🏥 Medical Care

• Minor medical issues can usually be treated in El Nido.
• For more serious medical care, you may need to travel to Puerto Princesa.
• We strongly recommend comprehensive travel insurance.

🦟 Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are common in El Nido, especially around sunrise, sunset and after rainfall. We recommend bringing a good insect repellent and applying it regularly, particularly if you’re traveling with young children.

Like many tropical destinations in Southeast Asia, dengue fever is present in the Philippines, so preventing mosquito bites is important. Wearing lightweight long sleeves in the evening and choosing accommodation with air conditioning or mosquito screens can also help.

Malaria is generally not a concern for most travelers visiting El Nido, but if you’re planning to explore more remote parts of Palawan, it’s worth checking the latest travel health advice before your trip.

🪼 Jellyfish

Jellyfish are occasionally present around El Nido, especially during certain times of the year. During our trip, both of our daughters were stung by small jellyfish while swimming. Fortunately, the stings were mild, and the boat crew quickly treated them with first aid. They were back in the water not long afterwards.

While box jellyfish have been reported in parts of the Philippines, encounters around El Nido are rare. We recommend checking local conditions, following your guide’s advice and avoiding the water if warnings have been issued.

El Nido isn’t the easiest destination in the Philippines to visit with young children, but we genuinely think it’s one of the most rewarding. Yes, getting there takes a little extra planning, and yes, island-hopping days can be long, but the incredible lagoons, beautiful beaches and unforgettable experiences make it more than worth the effort.

If we were planning another family trip to the Philippines, El Nido would absolutely be on our itinerary again. We’d stay for at least three nights, base ourselves at Lio Beach or Corong Corong, and spend as much time as possible out on the water exploring the islands.

We hope this guide has helped you plan your own El Nido adventure. If you have any questions or your own family tips to share, we’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

💡 Planning a bigger adventure? Continue with our Philippines with Kids Guide, where we share the best islands, family itineraries and everything you need to plan an unforgettable trip around the Philippines.

• Thailand with Kids
• Indonesia with Kids
• Malaysia with Kids
• Borneo with Kids

📥 Looking for printable travel resources? Visit our Family Travel Shop for travel journals, activity books, packing lists and other family travel printables designed to make your adventures a little easier.

Enjoy El Nido with your family! 🏝️

The Little Passport Crew

FAQ: El Nido with Kids

Is El Nido worth visiting with kids?

Yes. We think El Nido is one of the best family destinations in the Philippines. Although getting there takes a little more planning, the island hopping, beautiful beaches and relaxed atmosphere make it well worth the effort.

How many days do you need in El Nido with kids?

We recommend staying 3 to 5 days. This gives you enough time for two island-hopping tours, a relaxing beach day and time to explore El Nido Town without feeling rushed.

Is island hopping in El Nido suitable for young children?

Yes. Many families join island-hopping tours with young children. We recommend booking a private boat if your budget allows, as it gives you much more flexibility and makes the day much more relaxed.

Where is the best area to stay in El Nido with kids?

Our favorite areas are Lio Beach and Corong Corong. Both offer a quieter atmosphere than El Nido Town while still providing easy access to beaches, restaurants and island-hopping tours.

Can you visit El Nido with a baby?

Yes, but it requires a little extra planning. We recommend using a baby carrier instead of a stroller and choosing accommodation with a swimming pool. If your baby is still very young and you have the flexibility, we’d probably wait until they’re a little older before visiting.

Is El Nido safe for kids?

Overall, yes. We found El Nido to be a safe destination for families. The main things to be aware of are ocean conditions, strong tropical sun and occasional jellyfish. Always follow local advice during island-hopping tours and when swimming.

What is the best time to visit El Nido with kids?

The best time to visit is during the dry season from November to May, when you’ll usually enjoy sunny weather and calmer seas for island hopping.

Is El Nido better than Coron for families?

Both destinations are fantastic, but we’d recommend El Nido for most families with younger children. It offers a wider choice of family-friendly accommodation, beautiful beaches and easier access to restaurants, while Coron is generally more focused on diving and snorkeling.