Island hopping is one of the classic experiences in Siargao.
Even if you only have three days on the island, I would try to keep one day for the traditional Tri-Island tour from General Luna.
The route normally visits three islands:
Naked Island
Daku Island
Guyam Island
Although they are close to each other, each island feels completely different.
Naked Island is an exposed white sandbar surrounded by clear water. Daku is the largest island and usually where you spend the most time and eat lunch. Guyam is a tiny, palm-covered tropical island that you can explore very quickly.
For most travelers, there are two ways to do the trip: book a joiner tour or arrange a private boat.
Here is how it actually works.
How Much Is Siargao Island Hopping?
For a standard joiner Tri-Island tour, a realistic local price is around ₱1,200–₱1,500 per person.
Many current all-inclusive tours are around ₱1,500 per person.
Packages vary, but a typical joiner tour may include:
Boat transportation
Naked Island
Daku Island
Guyam Island
Lunch
Entrance and docking fees
Environmental or tourism fees
Life jackets
General Luna hotel pickup and drop-off
Some operators also include drinks, drone photos or videos, and a side trip to Secret Island when tide and sea conditions allow.
Do not choose a tour based only on the advertised price.
Ask exactly what is included before paying.
A ₱1,200 tour that charges separately for transfers, lunch and fees may eventually cost more than a ₱1,500 all-inclusive package.
Where Does the Tour Start?
The traditional departure point is around General Luna Port and the tourism office near the public market.
If you book a joiner tour through a travel agency, pickup and drop-off from accommodation in the General Luna area is commonly included.
The operator will normally tell you the pickup time the evening before or on the morning of the tour.
If you are arranging a private boat yourself, you can also go directly to the port or tourism area and ask about available boats.
What Time Does Siargao Island Hopping Start?
Most tours begin in the morning.
A typical schedule is approximately:
Hotel pickup: around 7:30–8:30 AM
Boat departure: around 8:30–9:00 AM
Return to General Luna: around 3:00–4:00 PM
Times vary depending on the operator, weather, sea conditions, tide and the group.
Do not schedule something important immediately after the expected return time.
Island time and ocean conditions do not always follow a perfect timetable.
Joiner Tour or Private Boat?
For solo travelers and couples, a joiner tour is usually the easiest option.
You pay per person, transportation is organized, food is normally arranged, and you do not have to negotiate separately with a boatman.
For a group, a private boat becomes much more interesting.
Private boats can be arranged through travel agencies or around the General Luna tourism and port area.
The advantage is flexibility.
You are traveling with your own group and may have more control over how you spend the day.
Private boat prices depend heavily on group size and what is included, so I would not rely on a single price found online.
Ask for the total boat price and then confirm:
Which islands are included?
Are entrance fees included?
Are environmental fees included?
Is lunch included?
Is a guide included?
Are hotel transfers included?
Are there additional docking fees?
Get the answers before leaving.
A Local Way to Arrange a Private Tour
If I were arranging a private boat and wanted more control over the food, I would consider negotiating for the island hopping itself without automatically adding a packaged lunch.
Then, on the morning of the tour, you can visit the market beside the General Luna port area and buy seafood and other ingredients yourself.
Another option is to talk to your boatman in advance.
Tell him that you want to shop for food in the morning and ask whether he can help you at the market and arrange for someone on Daku Island to cook it.
If he is going to act as more of a local guide for the day, agree on his fee before the trip.
This approach requires a little more effort than an all-inclusive joiner tour, but it can make the day feel much more personal.
Buying Seafood Before the Tour
The market near the General Luna departure area makes it possible to buy seafood before boarding your boat.
Depending on what is available that morning, you can choose the food yourself rather than accepting a predetermined tour lunch.
Ask prices before buying and bring cash.
After buying the ingredients, they can be taken to Daku Island, where local residents can prepare the food.
A rough local cooking charge can be around ₱100–₱200 per kilogram, depending on what you want prepared and the arrangement.
Treat that as a guide rather than a fixed official price.
Most importantly, agree on the cooking price before handing over your food.
Also ask whether there are separate charges for a table, cottage, food arrangement, plates or other services.
This avoids surprises when it is time to pay.
Daku Island and the Boodle Fight
For many travelers, lunch on Daku is one of the best parts of the entire tour.
Daku means “big” in the local language, and it is the largest of the three islands.
It has a long white-sand beach, coconut palms and considerably more space than Naked or Guyam.
This is normally where the tour slows down.
You swim, relax, take photos and eat lunch.
One popular way of eating is a Filipino-style boodle fight.
Food is spread across banana leaves on a long table, with rice, seafood, meat and other dishes arranged together for everyone to share.
It is social, informal and particularly fun when traveling with friends or family.
If you buy your own seafood at the market and have it cooked on Daku, the meal can become one of the most memorable parts of the trip.
Naked Island: Nothing but Sand and Sea
Naked Island is exactly what the name suggests.
There are no coconut trees and almost no shade.
It is essentially a strip of bright sand surrounded by clear blue water.
That simplicity is what makes it beautiful.
On a clear day, you get an enormous open view of the sky and ocean, making Naked Island one of the best photo stops on the tour.
The surrounding water can also be excellent for swimming and snorkeling when conditions are suitable.
Because there is virtually no shade, sun protection is important.
Bring a hat, sunscreen and water.
Do not expect to spend half the day here. Naked Island is usually more about swimming, enjoying the view and taking photos before moving on.
Daku Island: The Main Stop
If Naked Island is the photo stop, Daku is where you actually settle in.
It is the biggest of the three islands and usually the place where tours spend the longest amount of time.
There is plenty of beach, coconut-tree shade and room for swimming or playing on the sand.
You will also find different photo spots and simple beach activities.
But lunch is the main event.
This is the point in the day when everyone can sit down, eat together and escape the strongest midday sun.
If you are organizing the trip yourself, Daku is also where arranging your own freshly cooked seafood becomes worthwhile.
Guyam Island: Small and Tropical
Guyam has a completely different character.
It is small, compact and almost looks like the tropical island you would draw from imagination.
Palm trees, sand and ocean are packed into a tiny area.
You can walk around much of the island in roughly ten minutes, although you will probably spend considerably longer swimming, relaxing and taking photos.
Guyam feels more intimate than Daku and greener than Naked Island.
The three islands work well together precisely because none of them feels the same.
Which Island Is the Best?
It depends on what you want.
For photos and open turquoise water:
Naked Island.
For lunch, swimming, shade and spending more time:
Daku Island.
For a small, picturesque tropical-island atmosphere:
Guyam Island.
Personally, I would not skip any of the three on a first Siargao island-hopping trip.
The contrast between them is the reason the classic route works so well.
What Is the Environmental Fee?
When arranging the trip around the General Luna port area, visitors are normally registered and tourism or environmental fees are collected.
A commonly encountered general fee is around ₱100 per person.
However, the exact way fees are collected depends on whether you booked a packaged tour or arranged a private boat.
With many joiner tours, these charges are already included in the advertised price.
Some private arrangements may separate tourism, docking or island fees.
This is why I recommend asking one simple question before paying:
“Is this the total price, including all entrance, environmental and docking fees?”
If the answer is yes, you know what you are paying.
What About Secret Island?
You may see tours advertised as “3 Islands + Secret Island” or even as a four-island tour.
Secret Island can sometimes be added depending on tide and sea conditions.
Do not treat it as guaranteed unless your tour operator specifically confirms it.
The ocean decides part of the itinerary in Siargao.
That is normal.
What Should You Bring?
For a comfortable day, bring:
Swimwear
Towel
Reef-safe sunscreen
Hat
Sunglasses
Dry bag
Water
Cash
Phone or camera
Waterproof phone case
If snorkeling is important to you, ask whether snorkeling equipment is included.
Do not assume that every package provides a mask and snorkel.
A dry bag is particularly useful because you will be getting on and off a traditional outrigger boat throughout the day.
Bring Cash
Do not depend on cards during an island-hopping day.
Bring enough cash for:
Extra drinks
Food
Cooking charges
Cottage or table charges
Tips
Unexpected fees
Anything you buy on the islands
If you are doing the DIY seafood option, you will also need cash at the morning market.
Small bills are useful.
Check the Weather Before You Go
Island hopping depends on the ocean.
During Siargao’s wetter months, particularly around December through February, rough sea conditions can disrupt or cancel boat tours.
Even outside the rainy season, conditions can change.
If the weather looks questionable, ask your tour operator whether the trip is running before leaving your accommodation.
Safety should come before trying to force an itinerary to happen.
Joiner Tour: Who Is It Best For?
Choose a joiner tour if:
You are traveling alone
You are a couple
You do not want to organize food
You want hotel pickup and drop-off
You prefer one price for most of the day
You do not want to negotiate at the port
At around ₱1,200–₱1,500 per person locally, it is one of the easiest ways to experience the classic islands around Siargao.
Private Tour: Who Is It Best For?
Consider a private boat if:
You are traveling as a family or group
You want more privacy
You prefer controlling your schedule
You want to buy your own seafood
You enjoy arranging things locally
You want a more flexible day
For larger groups, compare the total private boat cost with the combined per-person cost of a joiner tour.
Sometimes the private option makes much more sense.
My Practical Recommendation
If this is your first Siargao trip and you are traveling alone or as a couple, I would keep things simple and book a reputable joiner tour.
Confirm that lunch, hotel transfer and fees are included, pay the agreed price and enjoy the day.
If you have a group, I would at least ask about a private boat before booking individual joiner tickets.
And if food is important to your group, consider the local approach:
Arrange the boat, go to the market in the morning, buy seafood you actually want to eat, agree on the cooking price in advance and have lunch prepared on Daku.
It requires a little more organization, but it turns a standard island-hopping tour into a much more personal Siargao experience.
Final Thoughts
The Naked-Daku-Guyam route is popular for a reason.
In a single day you get three very different versions of island life.
Naked gives you white sand, clear water and a huge open horizon.
Daku gives you coconut trees, a long beach, swimming and a proper Filipino lunch.
Guyam gives you a tiny tropical island that feels almost too picturesque to be real.
For most travelers, a ₱1,200–₱1,500 joiner tour is the simplest option.
But if you are traveling with several people, do not automatically book individual tickets.
Ask about a private boat, compare the total cost and decide whether you want the convenience of an all-inclusive package or the freedom to organize the day yourself.
Whichever option you choose, confirm the total price before leaving, bring cash, check the weather and leave enough time to enjoy Daku.
This is one Siargao day that should not feel rushed.