How to book the 3 island tour in Siargao

ByJess Posted on Destinations, The Philippines

The 3 island tour to Duka, Guyam and Naked Island is my favourite thing I did in Siargao.

But when I was trying to book tickets I couldn’t find any clear information online on how to do it, I wasn’t sure if I had to book it in advance, or whether I could just turn up at the pier and jump on a boat (turns out it’s the latter).

Booking the 3 island tour is really easy, and requires zero pre planning, so I’ll take you through everything you need to know in this short guide.

What is the 3 island tour?

The 3 island tour in Siargao is a boat trip to the islands of Guyam Island, Daku Island and Naked Island, all located a short distance away from Siargao.

There’s also the option to visit Mam-on Island, Corregidor Island and Sohoton Cove National Park, but these are purchased as separate tours.

How to book the 3 island tour

There’s no need to prebook your 3 island tour, just head down to the tourism office at General Luna pier when you’re ready to go and buy a ticket.

There’s loads of drivers and guides at the office ready to take you straight away – we arrived at 1pm and were heading out on our tour 15 minutes later.

What’s the boat like?

The boat we went on was a small outrigger boat that you’ll see all over the Philippines. It was a real bucket list moment for me getting to ride on one of these through the most incredible water I’ve ever seen.

I expected it to be a group tour but all of the boats are private, so it’ll only be your group and crew on your boat.

Good to know: The boats are very loud so you won’t be able to talk, and if you’re sensitive to noise I’d recommend bringing earplugs with you.

3 island tour cost

There’s three separate things you’ll need to pay for on the tour:

  1. The boat

  2. The tour guide fee

  3. Entrance fee to the islands

prices (as of march 2024)

1-6 people: ₱2,600/£36

7-10 people: ₱4,000/£56

1-15 people: ₱4,500/£63

16-20 people: ₱6,500/£91

21-25 people: ₱3,000/£126

You’ll also need to pay entrance fees for the islands, payable to the tourism office before you start the tour.

At the time of our tour this was ₱400/£5.64 for two people, so in total we paid ₱3,000/£42 for the whole tour.

We would have paid the same price for the boat whether there was two or six or us, so if you’re travelling in a group it would be a really affordable day out.

How long does the tour take?

We spent the whole afternoon on the 3 island tour, so I’d recommend setting aside at least four hours to give you time to explore each one and have time to swim and relax.

Daku island is the biggest so it might be worth asking your driver if you can have more time here, we spent equal amounts of time on each island and wished we had longer on Daku!

Naked Island

This is the first island you’ll visit on your tour, and it takes around thirty minutes to get here from General Luna pier in Siargao.

This sandbar gets its name because there is absolutely nothing on it, not even a tree to provide some shade. Make sure you bring water and snacks with you because you won’t be able to get anything here.

The water on Naked Island is some of the bluest I’ve ever seen and it’s an amazing swimming spot, definitely the best out of the 3 islands.

Because the water here is so clear it’s a great place to snorkel, but unfortunately all of the coral is now dead. You will still be able to spot a few fish, but it’s not a thriving reef.

Daku Island

Just fifteen minutes from Naked Island is Daku Island, the second stop on the tour.

This is the largest of the 3 islands and it also has the most amount of amenities, including a beach shack bar with a very cute puppy, excellent pina coladas and a lovely owner.

There used to be more restaurants and even places to stay on the island, but unfortunately a lot of it was destroyed in the 2021 typhoon and hasn’t been rebuilt.

There’s a long sandy beach here lined with palm trees and beach huts that are available to hire, but it’s not the best swimming spot as there’s quite a lot of seaweed in the water which makes the visibility poor.

That might not be an issue for you but I prefer to be able to see around me when I’m swimming in the sea.

Despite this, Daku was my favourite of the 3 islands we visited, it has such a lovely vibe and I could easily have stayed here all afternoon drinking cocktails and relaxing on the beach.

Gayum Island

Gayum Island is the last stop on the tour, and the closest thing I’ve seen to a paradise island.

It’s a small island almost entirely covered in palm trees, with a couple of small beach huts selling food and drink.

In the middle of the island there’s a basketball hoop, and you’ll most likely find locals challenging tourists to a game.

They even have tables and chairs in the ocean here, so you can sit with your feet in the water whilst you enjoy your beer.

What to bring with you on the 3 island tour

  • A towel
  • Cash (nowhere takes card on the 3 islands)
  • A dry bag to protect your valuables
  • A swimming costume
  • Goggles (you can hire snorkels + goggles at the tourism office)
  • A drone and a camera if you have them
  • Suncream
  • Mosquito spray

Hiring snorkels

If you don’t have your own snorkel, you can hire one at the tourism office before you board your boat.

I hired a snorkel and goggles for ₱150/£2.11. I’d definitely recommend bringing goggles with you on the tour as it makes it so much more enjoyable.

Hi, I'm Jess, the founder of Where Jess Travels. After studying Psychology at University, I pursued a career in Marketing for 7 years, whilst taking as many trips as my annual leave would allow. I now work full time on my blog, sharing destination guides and hotel reviews.