There were shooting stars.
I was a High institution sophomore when I set foot in Baguio for the extremely very first time. The details of the event are fuzzy now, however it was a boy Scout-related trip. I was just a few steps to ending up being an Eagle Scout then, which was something my good friends as well as I had been working difficult to achieve. To ensure I would be joining the trip, I had to work a bit bit harder. My classmates didn’t understand it then — they believed every cent I had for that trip was provided — however I had to make it by selling fishballs.
After over 10 hours of bus trip from Batangas, we lastly reached Baguio at around midnight. In the middle of unloading our bags, my good friends as well as I sat as well as rested on the base of flagpole. As we were having a conversation about the cold, shooting stars streaked across the night sky.
That was my earliest memory of Baguio City. even now that the city has undergone a great deal of modifications as well as more cool, rustic towns have ended up being accessible, I still discover myself in a bus bound for Baguio once again as well as again. It’s difficult to fail to remember something that left such a wonderful very first impression. I mean, there were shooting stars.
WHAT’S covered IN THIS GUIDE?
UNDERSTANDING BAGUIO
WHERE TO stay IN BAGUIOTop budget plan hotels in Baguio
Search for more Baguio Hotels!
HOW TO get TO BAGUIO FROM MANILA
HOW TO get around BAGUIO
THINGS TO perform in BAGUIO & LA TRINIDADCamp John Hay
La Trinidad Strawberry Farm
Colors of Stobosa (Mural Houses)
Bell Church
BenCab Museum
Tam-awan Village
Burnham Park
Mines view Park
Botanical Garden
Wright Park
The Mansion
WHERE TO eat IN BAGUIO
SAMPLE BAGUIO ITINERARY
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONSWhen is the very best time to see Baguio?
What is the tipping custom in Baguio?
What type of power plug / socket is utilized in Baguio?
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UNDERSTANDING BAGUIO
Baguio was developed as a hill station in 1900, at the begin of the American Colonial Period. That’s why the names of many of the key landmarks noise western or American. Burnham Park was named after designer Daniel Burnham, who organized the city; Wright Park after Governor-General Luke Edward Wright; Camp John Hay after John Milton Hay, who was president Roosevelt’s secretary of State; as well as Bell home after general J. Franklin Bell. The Mansion, one of the city’s most recognizable buildings, was built to serve as the official home of the governor General.
Today, Baguio is the biggest city as well as the economic center of the Cordillera region. in spite of being a resort city, it is extremely urbanized, house to almost 350,000 residents, many of which are from surrounding towns as well as provinces who transferred to the city for work or studies. It is this cooler mindset that makes Baguio a magnet for tourists trying to getaway the searing warm of the lowlands, particularly in the summer.
Long before Sagada as well as Kalinga went into the collective consciousness of tourists, Baguio City was the go-to destination in the Cordillera region. It is understood by a number of nicknames including City of Pines as well as summertime funding of the Philippines, bestowed upon it since it is perched in the middle of tropical pine forests around 1500 meters above sea level, ensuring cool, pleasant temperatures year-round.
Here are more things you requirement to understand about Baguio City.
Language: The four most spoken Philippine languages in Baguio are Ibaloi, Kankana-ey, Ilocano, as well as Tagalog. however English is commonly comprehended as well as spoken too.
Currency: Philippine peso (PHP, ₱). PHP100 is around USD 1.90, EUR 1.69, SGD 2.57 (as of April 2019).
Modes of payment: credit history cards are accepted by many establishments however money is still king (and queen) in Baguio.
WHERE TO stay IN BAGUIO
Baguio looks simple as well as simple on the map, however it is a great deal more challenging in reality. however photo it this way: At the extremely center of the city is Burnham Park. many of the key locations of rate of interest are found somewhere around it. most key roads is somehow directly linked to it. even jeepney terminals are quickly accessible from the park.
Hence, if it’s your very first time as well as you want to see the key attractions in the city, pick a location that is found near Burnham Park. It doesn’t have to be directly across the park. even hotels that are just a short walk away will do. This area will be most practical for you.
But if you’re after some peace of mind as well as you’re not right here to go sightseeing, select a hotel that is found away from Burnham Park as well as a bit bit isolated from all the busyness. Baguio, after all, is still a bona fide metropolitan hub, with great deals of buildings as well as vehicles as well as people.
Top budget plan hotels in Baguio
Here are the best-reviewed hotels below P2500, as scored by Agoda users.
Austrianne Residences. picture provided by Agoda.
Austrianne Residences. inspect rates & Availability!
Hotel Veniz – Session. inspect rates & Availability!
V hotel as well as Apartel. inspect rates & Availability!
Baguio LeFern hotel armed forces Cut-Off. inspect rates & Availability!
Elmar Cabin. inspect rates & Availability!
Travelite reveal Hotel. inspect rates & Availability!
Baguio holiday Villas. inspect rates & Availability!
Search for more Baguio Hotels!
HOW TO get TO BAGUIO FROM MANILA
Several bus business ply the Manila-Baguio route. You can catch a bus at the complying with terminals:
Genesis Transport: Cubao
Dagupan Bus Lines: Cubao
PARTAS: Cubao as well as Pasay
Joy Bus (Genesis): Pasay as well as Avenida
Victory Liner: Cubao as well as Pasay
Baguio is only 4-6 hours away from Manila, depending upon which part of Manila you’re coming from, which path the bus takes, as well as whether or not it makes a stop along the way. routine buses usually take Dau exit (NLEX) or Concepcion exit (SCTEX) as well as make at least one stop.
But higher end buses like joy Bus as well as success Liner’s first-class service utilize NLEX, SCTEX, as well as TPLEX non-stop, cutting down the travel time to 4-5 hours. very first class buses likewise have wider legrooms as well as free snacks.
When I go to Baguio, I usually book with success Liner. No specific reason, really. It’s just out of habit. Haha. So I’m most familiar with their fares.
CUBAO TO BAGUIO – success LINER
Regular aircon: P485
First class: P800
CUBAO TO BAGUIO – JOYBUS
Deluxe: P720
Premier: P740
PASAY TO BAGUIO – JOYBUS
Deluxe: P730
Premier: P760
PASAY TO BAGUIO – success LINER
Regular aircon: P496
First class: P800
For the schedule, inspect this website: success liner & joy BUS SCHEDULE.
From the new success liner terminal, you can take a cab to your hotel. If your hotel is near Burnham Park, the fare should be around P70.
HOW TO get around BAGUIO
One thing that you as a tourist needs to understand about Baguio is that attractions are scattered around the city in clusters. The issue is that these clusters are far from each other. Hence, it’s finest to check out by cluster. There are two primary modes of transportation:
Jeepney. The cheaper method to get around. If your hotel is near Burnham, you can quickly discover a jeepney. There are terminals just outside the park. minimum fare is P8.50.
Taxi. The more practical way. If you’re a group, it’s cost effective too. Cabs in Baguio are much cheaper than in Manila, as well as taxi drivers are understood to be honest as well as provide precise modification (unlike in Manila). Of course, there are likewise poor drivers, however they are more the exception than the rule. Flagdown rate is P35.
GrabTaxi works in Baguio, however the number of offered cabs is extremely limited, so expect to wait a long time to book.
You can likewise travel on foot. Within the city proper, I usually just walk. however I have to warn you that it can be exhausting. visitors usually fail to remember that Baguio’s terrain is largely uneven, something that isn’t obvious if you depend on flat maps. however when you’re there, you’ll recognize that walking around Baguio includes uphill climbs. If you’re not familiar with some short cuts, you’ll likewise discover yourself walking long distances.
THINGS TO perform in BAGUIO & LA TRINIDAD
Camp John Hay
This is my preferred location in the city. When I was young as well as I conjured up pictures of Baguio in my head, they appeared like Camp John Hay as well as its thick blanket of pine trees. It was established on October 25, 1903 as an R&R (rest as well as recreation) station solely for the us armed forces in the Philippines. At the height of world war II, it was bombed by the Japanese however fell back in the hands of the Americans in 1945. almost 50 years later, it was turned over to the Philippine government, which transformed the site into a tourist site.
There’s a great deal to enjoy right here including the following:
Treetop Adventures, where you can enjoy thrilling rides like the Superman trip (zipline), Canopy Ride, as well as Tree decrease (harnessed free fall).
Bell House, formerly the official vacation home of the Commanding general of the Philippines. It now homes a museum featuring American colonial architecture.
Butterfly Garden, great to see if you’ve never been to any type of butterfly garden before or if you’re with kids. Otherwise, skippable.
Cemetery of Negativism, a symbolic site for the burying of negativities — thoughts, emotions, attitude.
Yellow Trail, aka forest Bathing Trail, a 1.5km simple hiking path that will lead you with as well as around the pine forest. The trip takes around 2 hours. You can do it in 2 ways. The usual path is generally uphill, starting at Le Monet hotel as well as ending at Scout Hill. If you don’t believeyou have the stamina, you can do it the other method around instead. (That’s what we did, LOL!) We thoroughly enjoyed it!
For more info about the locations to see here, read: things TO DO AT CAMP JOHN HAY.
La Trinidad Strawberry Farm
Baguio is almost synonymous with strawberries, however the most visited strawberry farm is really in La Trinidad, 30 minutes away. Here, you’ll discover plots of strawberries together with vegetables as well as flowers. You can buy strawberries right here for P250-P300 per kilo. If you want to pick the berries yourselves, prepare to shell out extra P200.
Look exactly how red as well as juicy they are!
Strawberry ice cream! much better than those we usually have right here in the city
Lying along the farm is a pasalubong center made up of a number of souvenir stores. If you get hungry, try the strawberry ice cream (which is truly good) as well as strawberry taho!
Colors of Stobosa (Mural Houses)
Not as well far away from the strawberry field are the vibrant homes of Stobosa. This neighborhood job is one of the newest attractions in La Trinidad. more formally referred to as Stobosa Hillside houses Artwork, it is basically a cluster of hillside homes painted in different colors by the designers of Tam-awan Village. “Stobosa” means Stonehill, Botiwtiw, as well as Sadjap, the three sitios that comprise the giant artwork.
Bell Church
Just within walking distance of Stobosa artwork is Bell Church, one of the most prominent tourist sites in the Baguio-La Trinidad area. The Bell Church is a Chinese temple run as well as handled by a Filipino-Chinese religious organization, established by immigrants from Canton (Guangzhou) in 1960.
BenCab Museum
BenCab museum is really found in the town of Tuba, however it’s just a short drive from the Baguio city center. The museum homes the works of Benedicto Reyes Cabrera, a national artist for visual Arts, as well as other Filipino contemporary art masters. set amid relaxing greenery, the BenCan museum is not just a location to appreciate art however likewise reflect.
Hours open: Tuesdays-Sundays 9am-6pm
Last entry: 5:30pm
Closed: Mondays, Christmas as well as new Year’s Day.
Entrance Fee: P120
How to get there: From the public market, trip a jeepney bound for Asin. Fare is less than P20.
Tam-awan Village
Nicknamed “Garden in the Sky,” Tam-awan village is a reconstruction of a traditional Cordilleran village set in a forest. established by the Chanum foundation in 1988, it aims to showcase the craftsmanship as well as aesthetics of the Cordillera as well as bring the region’s culture better to more people while likewise promoting regional artists. Currently, the village has Ifugao as well as Kalinga design houses, developed utilizing only traditional materials.
Entrance fee: P60
Burnham Park
Most probably, Burnham Park is Baguio’s most widely known attraction. When you see it on the map, it doesn’t look much, however in reality, it is huge. Within its area are a number of smaller locations of interest. The Melvin Jones Grandstand is the most visible, however if you walk around, you’ll likewise see the Children’s Playground as well as the Orchidarium, among others.
There’s likewise a great deal of activities to enjoy here, mainly catering to families. You can lease a swan boat so you can paddle along Burnham Lagoon or you can lease a bike or go kart as well as trip around the park. right here are the rates.
Rental fees:
Chopper (big bike): P75 per 30 minutes
Go kart: P50 per 30 minutes
Boat: P100 per 30 minutes (good for 5 pax) + P50 if with rower
Mines view Park
Another prominent tourist area is Mines view Park, so called since it overlooks the gold as well as copper mines of Itogon town below. The perspective is likewise a amazing area to watch the sunrise.
Unlike Burnham Park, the location can get congested since the area isn’t that spacious. You’ll likewise discover great deals of souvenir stores around.
Botanical Garden
Situated between Wright Park as well as Teachers’ Camp along Leonard wood Road, the Baguio Botanical garden is one more prominent destination in the city. It’s a excellent location to relax as well as surround yourself with trees greenery without going as well far from the city center. This is likewise quite vast, so expect a bit of walking.
Entrance fee: FREE
Wright Park
Named after Governor-General Luke Edward Wright, Wright Park is a forested piece of land found just outside the Mansion. For tourists, it is the very best site for horseback riding since of its proximity to the city center as well as the number of offered horses to select from.
Horseback riding rate: P200 for 7 rounds.
The Mansion
A short walk from Wright Park is the Mansion. developed in 1908, the Mansion served as the official home of the US