Philippines · November 2026 · 6 days
Limestone karst scenery, shallow lagoons and — around Coron — some remarkably shallow shipwrecks. A photogenic, warm-water corner of the Philippines that packs a lot into short boat hops.
A fixed sample itinerary — the dates are illustrative, not a live trip. Free to read; the $29 Concierge builds the personalized version around your own dates.
Best months to go
Nov–May brings the calmest seas and clearest water; mornings are usually the calmest window of the day.
Day by day
- 1
Arrive in Puerto Princesa
Puerto Princesa (PPS), Palawan
Land in Puerto Princesa (PPS) — transfer up to El Nido for the Bacuit Bay leg of the trip. The transfer north is the longest single leg of the week, so start it early and let the day finish itself.
- Nov–May brings the calmest seas and clearest water; mornings are usually the calmest window of the day.
- Mornings are usually the calmest window of the day — plan boat days accordingly all week.
- 2
Bacuit Bay & the Big Lagoon
El Nido, northern Palawan
Looming limestone cliffs frame shallow, turquoise lagoons and the clear channels between islands — the classic El Nido seascape, with easy snorkeling in calm, sheltered water.
- The classic El Nido seascape in calm, sheltered water.
- 3
A second Bacuit Bay boat day
El Nido, northern Palawan
The clear channels between the islands are the quiet reward of a second day — more shallow lagoons and coral gardens in sheltered water, at an unhurried pace.
- Lagoons and coral gardens are the theme of this coast — shallow, warm and sheltered.
- 4
North to Coron
El Nido → Coron, Palawan
Make the crossing from El Nido up to Coron, the base for the bay's famously shallow shipwrecks — the second half of this sample and the reason many snorkelers come.
- Confirm the crossing locally — the El Nido–Coron leg shifts with the weather.
- 5
The shallow WWII wrecks of Coron Bay
Around Coron Bay
A scatter of Japanese WWII wrecks lies in the bay. A few — like the Lusong gunboat — rise so shallow they can be explored by strong snorkelers or freedivers, coral-encrusted and full of fish.
- Most of the famous Coron wrecks are deeper dive sites — confirm depth and take a guide; some are protected.
- 6
Depart Palawan
Coron → Puerto Princesa (PPS)
Depart via the gateway this sample is built around — Puerto Princesa (PPS) — or onward from Coron if your route allows. One last morning swim first.
- Want more? The Tubbataha Reefs are a separate liveaboard expedition — not a day trip.
Book your Palawan snorkeling
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Palawan itinerary — questions
Is this a real, bookable trip?
No — it's a sample itinerary: an honest sketch of how an El Nido-and-Coron week fits together, in the season we'd plan it. The $29 Concierge builds the full personalized version around your dates.
When is the best time to go?
Nov–May brings the calmest seas and clearest water; mornings are usually the calmest window of the day.
Can you really snorkel the Coron shipwrecks?
A few of them, yes — wrecks like the Lusong gunboat rise so shallow they can be explored by strong snorkelers or freedivers, coral-encrusted and full of fish. Most of Coron's famous wrecks are deeper dive sites: confirm depth and take a guide, as some are protected.
Is Tubbataha on this itinerary?
No — the Tubbataha Reefs are a separate expedition: a UNESCO marine park roughly 180 km east of Palawan among the clearest water on Earth, but remote and only realistically reached by multi-day liveaboard. A bucket-list trip of its own, not a day trip.
Where do I fly into?
Puerto Princesa (PPS), then transfer north to El Nido — the gateway this sample starts from.
Explore the destination
Limestone karst scenery, shallow lagoons and — around Coron — some remarkably shallow shipwrecks. A photogenic, warm-water corner of the Philippines that packs a lot into short boat hops.
Palawan destination guide →