5 Days / 4 Nights PRIVATE Banaue, Sagada & Baguio Round Tour

Itinerary

DAY 1: MANILA – BAGUIO

06:30 am depart Manila for the summer capital of The Philippines, Baguio, a 5 to 6 hours drive one way. Witness areas affected by the 1991 Mt Pinatubo volcanic eruption, as well as winding Canon Road.

We spend the afternoon on a Baguio City Tour including the Mines View, the Mansion & Wright Park plus  Wood Carver’s Village & the fabulous BenCab Museum.

Check in at Camp John Hay for your overnight stay.

DAY 2: BAGUIO – SAGADA

After breakfast we depart for Sagada, a 6 hours drive, experiencing the scenic Halsema Highway (called “the mountain trail of Benguet”) and its wonderful photo opportunities.

Overnight stay at Masferre Inn, or similar, in Sagada.

DAY 3: SAGADA – BONTOC – BANAUE

After 07:00 am breakfast in the hotel you will meet with your local, English speaking, guide who will guide you to glimpse the Lumiang Burial Cave near Echo Valley which houses more than 100 coffins stacked in the entrance. The oldest is around 500 years old. Many of them have images of lizards carved on them which are symbols of fertility and long life. We then enter the impressive Sumaguing Cave, known for its rock formations and impressive chambers.

We hit the road for Banaue; after an hour we stop to visit Bontoc’s tribal museum with artifacts and unique pictures from mountain culture.

After two hours more driving we stop at the Banaue Viewpoint to admire the Banaue Rice Terraces.

Late afternoon arrival in Banaue, the ancestral home of the Ifugao tribe and famous rice terraces. Check-in at Banaue Hotel for your overnight stay.

DAY 4: BANAUE – BATAD – BANAUE

08:00 – We have an early breakfast and then you depart with your English-speaking local guide. From Banaue Batad is approximately 16 kms away, the first 14 kms of which will be traveled by our privately chartered local jeepney. The rest of the distance is on foot using a mountain trail. The trip to Barangay Batad in Banaue, to witness the amphitheater shaped terraces located at 3600 ft., takes only a 30 minutes hike (*).

(*) Provided you have a good level of physical fitness (expect unpaved and narrow mountain trails with steep irregular terrain, usually under a hot sun) and should you wish to trek for three further demanding hours we can offer you:

a) the Tappiya waterfall after Batad.    With a phenomenal 70 metre fall in rainy season and a naturally formed pool at its bottom suitable for a cooling swim ( dress conservatively), Tappiya waterfall is an unique location in the area.

b) Banga-an village instead of Batad. Banga-an village showcases a typical Ifugao community. Wet weather causes damage so the steps need constant renovation. You are rewarded with spectacular views.

We stop at the panoramic Banaue viewpoint at 4800 Ft. that provides a perfect experience of the enormity & extent of the terraces followed by a visit to the Banaue Museum. Banaue Museum features decades-old books by anthropologist Otley Beyer and Igorot artifacts collected by his son William. The museum is on two floors featuring weaponry, jewellery, traditional dress and photographs of Banaue 100 years ago.  

Time permitting we can stop at the market and souvenir shop before dinner.

DAY 5- BANAUE – MANILA

Leave at 08:00 am after breakfast, arriving in Manila at approximately 18:30 pm, depending on weather and traffic conditions.