If you are looking for the ultimate three-day trek in the Philippines, Banaue should be at the top of your list. This unforgettable adventure takes you through the world-famous rice terraces of Banaue and Batad, offering breathtaking scenery and an opportunity to discover the traditions behind these remarkable terraces. If you have more time, you can extend your journey to explore Sagada, Bangaan, and other traditional Ifugao villages nestled in the mountains.
Banaue is a municipality located in the province region of Ifugao, in Luzon, the main island of The Philippines. It is situated around 8 around north of Manila.
Below you’ll find all the information to plan the best trekking trip in Banaue, from when to go, to how to book, including what to expect.
I’d say the best moment to see the rice terraces is May. Rice has been planted few months before and is growing in a vibrant green color. It is not the rainy season yet, so you will get a beautiful clear and dry weather, perfect for hiking.
For a reference, my family went in April and the colors were not as vibrant as in May.
The easiest way and what I would recommend is to book with Silvino. He has been the best guide ever, has adjusted the trekking depending on our level, we even added a 5am hike on the last day to make the most of our journey. He made sure we had great accommodations, the organization was very well managed and he’s the life of the party.
Here’s Silvino contact to book a trekking trip in Banaue with him. Otherwise you can reach him on Instagram as well : @silvino63762
We talked through messages first to plan everything with our group, be aware of the different hiking options and know what to bring.
Price was 5700 php per person (80 euros), including everything except beverages other than water and the food on arrival in Banaue the first morning.
We paid cash on arrival and then we worried about nothing as he took care of everything.
The only thing you will have to deal on your own is the ride to Banaue.
We opted for a night bus, leaving at 10:45pm in Manila (here is the location), plan to be there at the very least 30 minutes before, and most importantly, book well in advance online.
If you want to opt for a more comfortable transportation, consider booking a private van, but expect expensive prices.
First thing to think of is some cash, to pay the guide on yout arrival (5700 php), but also in case you want a breakfast on arrival, drinks during the three days, and maybe a massage or souvenirs.
Definitely bring a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and water, as it gets quite hot when you are hiking under the sun.
Of course, a good pair of hiking shoes, and flip-flops when you’re in the hostel. Don’t forget a towel as well, and a swimsuit as a stop in the waterfall is usually planned.
Also, take a sweater or jacket for the bus ride.
You should arrive around 8 am in Banaue, here the guide will be waiting for you when you get off the bus and you will get on a jeepney to reach the breakfast location. This will be the only meal you’ll have to pay. You also have the possibility to take a shower there.
Once everyone is ready, you will get back on the jeepney, ride for around an hour and then start the first hike.
We started around 10.30am and arrived at Cambulo village around noon. This remote village nestled among the rice terraces of the Cordillera mountains is only accessible by foot. The mountains are covered with rice terraces as far as the eye can see, in a full 360-degree panorama.
The rice terraces of Cambulo are characterized by their pyramid-like appearance :
We stopped to have lunch, get a bit of rest and get settled into our accommodation for the night.
Around 2.30pm, we were ready to start our second hike of the day. We walked through stunning rice terraces, the hike was mostly flat and easy.
Impressive views all along, definitely worth the 12km of walk in total that day. The elevation gain was small, +250.
We had some free time from 5.30pm to 7.30pm and then the little kids from the village greeted us with traditional songs and dance. We then proceeded to have dinner and partied a bit with the locals.
Our second day started with a hike at 9am through ricefields from Cambulo to Batad.
Batad is a remote mountain village renowned for its spectacular 2000-year-old amphitheater-shaped rice terraces. These terraces have been designated UNESCO Wold Heritage Site and are considered the most beautiful in the world, often referred to as the “Eighth Wonder of the World.
We arrived at Batad village around noon, had lunch and visited one of the typical house here in Batad called bale. They have a distinct pyramid-shaped thatched roofs and elevated wooden posts.
A bit before 2pm we were back on the road for hike number 4 of the trip.
We hiked through the rice terraces and to Tappiya Falls. Be ready to climb countless stairs on your way back, it is not for the faints of hearts. But definitely rewarding, the waterfall is impressive and water very refreshing.
We were back around 5pm, we walked a total of 5km that day, with elevation gain of +350.
Once at the homestay, our guide showed us how to hull the harvested rice and explained us the whole process, we even got to try it ourselves :
We then enjoyed watching the sun sets over the rice terraces and mountains. Complete unreal scenery, we couldn’t look away :
The homestay had an exceptional view over the rice fields, felt like we were living right in the the middle of them :
We had an early dinner as we opted to add another hike on the next day at 5am.
On the third day, we had an early morning and we hiked all the way to Palad viewdeck.
Be warned it’s mainly stairs, with a strong ascent. It took us around 40min, but as a comparison, most people do it in 1h30 at least. It is challenging but the view at sunrise is 100% worth it:
After enjoying the sun rise, we walked back to the homestay, had breakfast and went for a final short hike to be pickup up on the main road by our jeepney.
Total walk was 7km, with an elevation gain of 700+. And once again, we witnessed unreal and breathtaking landscapes all along :
We had one last stop on the way to see the Snake River at a terrific viewpoint and also took the opportunity of this stunning spot to have lunch.
We were back at the bus location around 3pm, had a shower at the place we first arrived at 3 days ago and were back on the bus to Manila around 5pm.
We absolutely loved every minute of those three days in the Ifugao region. Whether it was the scenery, food, people, organization of the tour, everything was perfect and well panned out.
It is a unique experience, where you completely disconnect for 3 days, just enjoy nature and your group’s company.
I 100% recommend booking with Sylvino, it was really well organized and he made our trip unforgettable.
Banaue and Batad are truly unique landscapes, completely breathtaking, and discovering them on a three days hike made it even more rewarding.
However, if we had more time we would have loved to discover Sagada and plan some more hikes there as well.
That’s it for my three days trek in Banaue !
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