Another option for Manila based tourist bound to Sagada is to take the Manila-Banaue-Bontoc-Sagada route. The entire trip takes more or less twelve (12) hours. Manila to Banaue is a nine (9) hour bus ride that passes through Central Luzon provinces of Bulacan, Nueva Ecija and Nueva Vizcaya all the way to this town in the province of Ifugao . From Banaue bus terminal, a short tricycle ride will lead you to the town proper where the buses to Bontoc pass. Banaue to Bontoc is a two hour ride along Halsema highway, and Bontoc to Sagada is 45 minutes on a jeepney.
The journey is quite exhausting as it involves four transfers, not to mention that the busses are not as comfortable as those going to Baguio. If you are unlucky (like me), you will spend the entire travel time in the aisle seat. But it is advisable for those planning to go in the world renowned rice terraces of Banaue and Batad.
Autobus and Florida Bus offer Manila-Banaue route. The Autobus leaves Manila at 10 pm everyday, estimated time of arrival is 7 am the next day. The same bus leaves for Manila at 5 pm. Since only one bus is deployed for Manila-Banaue route everyday both for Autobus and Florida, it would be best to reserve a seat, days prior to your departure. Autobus terminal in Manila is at España corner Cataluna in Sampaloc. The fare is P462.00 (~12 USD).
From Banaue, catch Immanuel Bus Line to Bontoc for P100.00 (~2.5 USD) that will drop you off near the Bontoc Municipal Hall. From there, ride a jeepney to Sagada for P35.00 (<1 USD). You may opt to ride on the jeepney rooftop to enjoy the view and the sea of clouds of Sagada.
Here is the summary of the entire travel.
MANILA-BANAUE (9 hours)
Bus: Autobus Line (España corner Cataluna, Sampaloc, Manila) ETD: 10PM Daily
Contact No: 7358096
Fare: P462.00
Bus: Florida Bus Line (Sampaloc, Manila) ETD: 1045PM Daily
Contact No: 7433809/7315358/4933667
Fare: P450.00
AUTOBUS TERMINAL-BANAUE TOWN PROPER
Tricycle
Fare: P20.00
BANAUE-BONTOC (2 hours)
Bus: Immanuel Bus
Fare: P100.00
BONTOC-SAGADA (45 minutes)
Jeepney
Fare: P35.00
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Hi Benj and Angel! Its me again. My friends would want to visit Banaue after Sagada.. Can you give me some places to visit in Banaue? Thank you..
Comment by jen — March 28, 2008 @ 9:34 pm
Hi Jen, Banaue is all about rice terraces. Are they planning to sleep over in Banaue, coz if they have ample time, they can visit the Batad Village, where the most dramatic rice terraces they called amphitheater and equally enchanting waterfalls with natural cold pool can be found. It is all hiking though, two hours to Batad from the junction and another two hours to the falls, but all worth it.
Comment by Angel — March 28, 2008 @ 10:02 pm
Hi Angel, it will only be a day visit, daan lang talaga, so its all about banaue rice terraces, Batad Village and the falls? How about going to Manaoag?
Comment by jen — March 28, 2008 @ 10:33 pm
Manaoag in Pangasinan?! That’s the other way. That town is closer to the Baguio route - about 7-8 hours away from Banaue, I reckon.
Comment by Benj — March 28, 2008 @ 10:58 pm
Yeah, Benj is right, Manaoag is out of the way.
If it is only a day visit, drop Batad and its waterfalls as hiking alone will consume half of the day. I would recommend going to Bangaan Rice Terraces and Village, it is another UNESCO Heritage Site and you can also visit Gui-Hob Cold Spring on the way to Bangaan.
Comment by Angel — March 28, 2008 @ 11:30 pm
Ok.. Thank you so much.. Ill just inform them of the info.. I just have this confusion about the Sumaguing Cave guide fee, was it for a group of 1-4 persons, each person should pay the guide P400.00 or 1 guide for a group of 1-4 persons needs to pay P400.00? Because we will be like 10 persons and as per guide rate: 10 persons: P1,000.00 (2 guides) so it means each of us will need to give the guide P1,000.00 and the guides will get like P10,000 from all of us? Thanks again.
Comment by jen — March 28, 2008 @ 11:40 pm
Jen, no.
You pay 100 each.
That’s for the regular spelunking.
If you want to go for the cave connection, you’ll pay 400 each.
Comment by Benj — March 28, 2008 @ 11:43 pm
So if we all decided to go for the cave connection, irregardless of our number, each of us will pay the guide P400.00?
Comment by jen — March 28, 2008 @ 11:49 pm
Yes, for the cave connection, it is P400.00 per person. Cave connection is actually a three to four hours venture into the cave that starts in Lumiang Cave and ends in Sumaguing Cave. But if you will just go for the regular spelunking in Sumaguing, it will cost you P100.00 per person for a group of 10.
Comment by Angel — March 28, 2008 @ 11:54 pm
Ok.. So if we are up to the cave connection we should start from Lumiang Cave all the way to Sumaguing Cave? How long a trek would be from Residential Lodge to Lumiang cave?
How about the schedule they have? We are planning to do the caving in the afternoon… Can they still accomodate us if we start like around 4:30 - 5:00 pm?
Comment by jen — March 29, 2008 @ 12:06 am
No. All Spelunking should be done by 5 pm.
Comment by Benj — March 29, 2008 @ 12:08 am
http://www.visitsagada.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/mapofsagada.jpg
Here’s the map. I hope you can figure it out from here. The entrance to Lumiang is roughly 20-30 minutes away from Residential lodge.
Comment by Benj — March 29, 2008 @ 12:10 am
Salamat po…
Comment by jen — March 29, 2008 @ 12:34 am
Do you have an idea on the last hour trip from Bontoc to Banaue?
Comment by jen — March 29, 2008 @ 5:02 am
The last trip to Banaue leaves Bontoc by 3PM.
Comment by Angel — March 29, 2008 @ 9:15 am
thanks for sharing all these information. very helpful.
especially the costs. 
Comment by Laryh — April 1, 2008 @ 10:58 am
How long a trek will take from The Residential Lodge to The Big Falls?
Comment by jen — April 3, 2008 @ 1:09 am
Coz as per Angel’s itinerary, it only took her an hour trekking to The Big Falls. So will it be an hour trek as wekk if we will be comming from The Residential Lodge?
Comment by jen — April 3, 2008 @ 1:17 am
First and foremost, Angel is a he. LOL
Angel took a van to Big Falls. A trek to the Big Falls from Residential Lodge would take 3-4 hours.
Take a van and it’ll be about 90 minutes.
Comment by Benj — April 3, 2008 @ 1:39 am
I’m sorry… Thank you for the info… Peace…
Comment by jen — April 3, 2008 @ 1:53 am
How much it will be?
Comment by jen — April 3, 2008 @ 1:55 am
Balikan na po ba yung P600.00 rent?
Comment by jen — April 3, 2008 @ 2:04 am
Yup, that will cover for the return trip as well.
Comment by Benj — April 3, 2008 @ 2:32 am
Haha, I am He! The one hour I am talking about is from the Bangaan jump off point to the Big Falls, one way. Sorry for the confusion.
Comment by Angel — April 3, 2008 @ 8:45 am
Hi! We’re leaving for Sagada today via Banaue. Your site has been very educational - my head is swimming with the info
Re: clothes - will shorts be ok thru out the trip? A friend told us not to wear jeans because it’s going to be a pain when we get them wet… Thanks!
Comment by syg — April 30, 2008 @ 5:20 am
Hi Syg,
Yeah, shorts would be great. You may want to wear pants for the trip to the falls - you might need protection for your shins.
Comment by Benj — April 30, 2008 @ 12:01 pm
Thanks for the tip! You’ll hear from me again here after we get back next week…
Comment by syg — April 30, 2008 @ 3:05 pm
[...] Via Banawe [...]
Pingback by Lakwatsero Beta » Sagada — May 2, 2008 @ 1:38 am
Hi! We would like to take the Florida bus instead going to Banaue… (better buses hehe). Assuming that we leave 1045 from Manila, we get to Banaue 845am, do you have any idea what are the schedules of the transportations from Banaue-Bontoc and Bontoc-Sagada? We do not intend to stay overnight in Banaue. Thanks!
Comment by TheDreamer — May 2, 2008 @ 4:28 pm
A jeepney to Bontoc located near the Banaue Market leaves 8 in the morning. If you miss the jepney, the option would be to catch the buses to Bontoc at 10:00 AM, (Bonbon Bus) and 12PM (Emmanuel Trans).
From Bontoc there are jeepneys to Sagada every hour up to 5PM.
Comment by Angel — May 3, 2008 @ 11:26 pm
Gud pm ser.. We are a group of 8-10 pax, all first timers, going to sagada on May 16-18. Based on our own research, we’ve developed our own tentative IT. Can you help if this is doable? Also can you suggest a place/tourist guide so everything will be convenient once we’re there.. Also, would you suggest that instead of Bus, we’ll just rent a van?
Day 0 To Bontoc/Sagada (Friday)
08:00 PM ETD Manila to Bontoc
Day 1 Reach Sagada (Saturday)
07:00 AM ETA Bontoc
08:00 AM Sagada
09:00 AM Check-in
10:00 AM Brunch
11:00 AM Tours
- Bangaan rice terraces
- Bomo-ok Big Falls
- Packed Lunch/Snack
07:00 PM Dinner
08:00 PM Free Time
Day 2 Trekking (Sunday)
05:00 AM Wake-up Call
05:30 AM Breakfast
06:30 AM Start of Tours (trekking)
- Sumaguing Cave/Lumiang
- Hanging Coffins
- Echo Valley
- St. Mary’s Church/Calvary
01:00 PM Rest
02:00 PM Leave Sagada for Bontoc
03:00 PM ETD Bontoc
01:00 AM ETA Manila
Comment by Bongoloid — May 5, 2008 @ 7:41 pm
replied. check your email Bongoloid
Comment by Benj — May 5, 2008 @ 7:52 pm
I tried to open this Sagada website and I was amazed about the information how to reach this superb place in the Philippines. Sagada is my hallucination entirely and looking forward by end of this year 2008, I will visit and discover this striking place of Sagada.
Comment by Nilo — May 16, 2008 @ 10:09 pm
Greetings, Sirs!!
We (20 pax) want to go back to Manila via Sagada (Sumaguing Cave) and Banaue(Bangaan Rice Terraces) in October, 2008 after our conference in Baguio. Please give us some advice on what buses and routes to take, travel time and possible expenses.
Thank you.
Comment by Lolita D. Ungui — June 3, 2008 @ 9:53 am
hi!
we are going to sagada on july11-13 and i just want to ask some questions about our plans. we are going to visit and see the rice terraces and the sumaging cave. and on the last day we will go to chico river in kalinga for the white river rafting experience. ask ko lang kung possible ba ung plans namin? magkano kaya aabot ung gas? and kung maayos ba ung roads on those places?
Thank you.
Comment by jay — June 15, 2008 @ 3:33 pm
We are taking the Cable Tours Bus (Trinity College) to Bontoc on our way to Sagada.
1. Bontoc to Sagada is a 45 min jeepney ride correct? Is there an available jeepney every hour?
2. Are there any interesting things to see or do in Bontoc? We may opt to stay there for a few hours before going to Sagada.
Comment by Brenda — August 1, 2008 @ 1:51 pm
1. For the most part, yes.
The jeepney terminal is near the Shell gasoline station.
2. There’s a Bontoc Museum inside the town’s public school. Not too shabby.
There’s a hot springs town about an hour away but I don’t really recommend it. Try going to Sagada as fast as possible. 
Comment by Benj — August 1, 2008 @ 7:42 pm
hi sirs benj and angel… this site is very informative.
me additional question lang po ako. 
is cable bus as comfortable as the florida bus? me mga seats po ba sa aisle? mahabang byahe po kasi yun kaya we want to make sure na komportable byahe namin. hehe.. bibili na po kasi ng ticket tom (wednesday) kung okay po yung cable bus. i already tried both autobus and florida. magsasagada po kasi kami this coming weekend. thanks! 
Comment by doodle — September 17, 2008 @ 12:54 am
sir, very informative po mga comments dito.
me additional question lang po ako. komportable rin po ba ang cable bus tulad ng florida? mahaba po kasing byahe kaya gusto lang po namin masiguro na okay yung byahe namin. me mga upuan po ba aisle? bili na po sana kasi kami ng ticket tomorrow. this coming weekend po kami magsasagada. thanks po. 
Comment by doodle — September 17, 2008 @ 1:01 am
sirs benj and angel: napakainformative po nung mga comments dito. me additional question lang po ako. komportable rin po ba ang cable bus tulad ng florida? me mga seats po ba sa aisle tulad ng autobus o ala po tulad ng florida? malayo po kasi yung byahe kaya preferred po namin yung komportable. bibili na po kasi kami ng ticket tomorrow. this weekend po kami magsasagada. nasakyan na po namin pareho yung autobus at florida. thanks po.
Comment by Doodle — September 17, 2008 @ 1:13 am
Hello po. My grade 6 pupils and I will be going to Banaue first time. we will depart manila, florida bus, and ETA banaue at 8. From there we will go to baguio ETD 430PM. Can you suggest where to go for the whole day? Isnt it too tiring to go to Sagada? Is there a bus from sagada to baguio that travels in the evening? Thank you for your help
Comment by Annalyn — October 10, 2008 @ 11:37 am
check your mail, Annalyn.
Comment by Benj — October 12, 2008 @ 9:24 am
Annalyn, I think your submitted email address is nonexistent. My email bounced. here’s my original message:
Hello po. My grade 6 pupils and I will be going to Banaue first time. we will depart manila, florida bus, and ETA banaue at 8. From there we will go to baguio ETD 430PM. Can you suggest where to go for the whole day? Isnt it too tiring to go to Sagada? Is there a bus from sagada to baguio that travels in the evening? Thank you for your help
Sagada is still about three hours away from Banaue and you can only reach it via jeep. It might be too tiring. Also, there is NO bus that travels at night in the Cordillera region.
Cheers.
Comment by Benj — October 12, 2008 @ 9:56 am
Hi. Your site has certainly been of great help. Thanks. My friends and I have just experienced the mystique of Sagada and I still gush about it.
Our vacation though was marred by a bit of inconvenience.
For those intending to take the Banaue route, beware of man known as Mang ABE CULHI with a silver jeep and a blue Tamaraw. He did drive us to Sagada
( actually his brother WILLY did ) but did not pick us up from Sagada as earlier agreed, informing us at the last minute.He offered us a two-way service for a certain amount and then refused to pick us up unless we agreed to double the amount. What a disappointment, to say the least. We filed a complaint with the Banaue Tourism Council but have yet to be given an update.
Comment by pinktooth — October 26, 2008 @ 4:11 pm
Greetings!
We’re a group of 10-15 pax going to sagada on february. it’s our first time and we have no idea how to get there.we’re also planning to do a sidetrip to banaue and batad and lastly baguio. do you have a complete itinerary for this trip. including the fares, guide fees,travel time of each trip and places to go there. i’ve seen the hotel rates here in your website.we have a very limited time of 4 days and five nights.
thanks very much!
Comment by ROEL CORALDE — October 28, 2008 @ 10:52 am
Hi! A group of friends and I are planning to go in December (just a weekend trip), but it’s our first time (all of us…we’re 6-7 people) and we’re kind of clueless as to the musts & the not-necessaries!
So here are my inquiries, hope you could enlighten me!
a] The travel time (9-10 h) is quite a concern since it’s only a weekend trip for us. Do you think we can take the Manila-Banaue-Bontoc-Sagada route GOING there, then just take a faster (via Baguio route) going home? Is it an absolute must to see the Banaue Rice Terraces, thus the travel time?
b] Among all the sites, given the tight schedule (I assume just Friday half day, Saturday whole day, and if they’re willing, staying until Sunday to get back Monday for work), which ones should we prioritize?
c] We’ve narrowed down our hotel-choices to George Guest House, and Sagada Rest House. Do you have other suggestions/comments on these places?
Thank you so much! Hoping you could get back to me!
Comment by Ysabel — November 9, 2008 @ 11:22 pm
Hi! A group of friends and I are planning to go in December (just a weekend trip), but it’s our first time (all of us…we’re 6-7 people) and we’re kind of clueless as to the musts & the not-necessaries!
So here are my inquiries, hope you could enlighten me!
a] Among all the sites, given the tight schedule (I assume just Friday half day, Saturday whole day, and if they’re willing, staying until Sunday to get back Monday for work), which ones should we prioritize?
b] We’ve narrowed down our hotel-choices to George Guest House, and Sagada Rest House. Do you have other suggestions/comments on these places?
Thank you so much! Hoping you could get back to me!
Comment by Ysabel — November 9, 2008 @ 11:36 pm
Hi, we are a group of 6 ladies from cebu who want to visit sagada on dec 26-30. Can you please help up plot our itinerary, we want to do the Manila-Banaue-Bontoc-Sagada route on going there but would like to take the Sagada-Bagiuo-Manila in going back. We will be in manila on the 26th of dec. and plan to go home by the 30th of december (cebu already)…thanks so much…will be waiting for your email…
Comment by george — November 11, 2008 @ 6:59 pm
hI bENJ, aNGEL
wE’RE PLANNING also to go to Banaue-Sagada, come January 2009 but we have no idea how to get there, your conversations above is really informative, Is this itinerary og bongoloid possible? But I want to bump in a trip to banaue, since we’re already there… can you suggest how we can bump it in on the sched? we can add additional day. Hope you can also assist us where to stay and other staffs we need to know. Thanks a lot…
Day 0 To Bontoc/Sagada (Friday)
08:00 PM ETD Manila to Bontoc
Day 1 Reach Sagada (Saturday)
07:00 AM ETA Bontoc
08:00 AM Sagada
09:00 AM Check-in
10:00 AM Brunch
11:00 AM Tours
- Bangaan rice terraces
- Bomo-ok Big Falls
- Packed Lunch/Snack
07:00 PM Dinner
08:00 PM Free Time
Day 2 Trekking (Sunday)
05:00 AM Wake-up Call
05:30 AM Breakfast
06:30 AM Start of Tours (trekking)
- Sumaguing Cave/Lumiang
- Hanging Coffins
- Echo Valley
- St. Mary’s Church/Calvary
01:00 PM Rest
02:00 PM Leave Sagada for Bontoc
03:00 PM ETD Bontoc
01:00 AM ETA Manila
Comment by Bryan Posadas — November 21, 2008 @ 2:57 pm
Hi Benj, Angel,
Hope you can assist us re: banaue sagada tour we are planning this January, we’re from Manila… We have no idea where to stay in there..
I checked bongoloid’s itinerary, can this be done? how can we bump in another day at Banaue? and what are the “Must-see” in there. Thanks
Day 0 To Bontoc/Sagada (Friday)
08:00 PM ETD Manila to Bontoc
Day 1 Reach Sagada (Saturday)
07:00 AM ETA Bontoc
08:00 AM Sagada
09:00 AM Check-in
10:00 AM Brunch
11:00 AM Tours
- Bangaan rice terraces
- Bomo-ok Big Falls
- Packed Lunch/Snack
07:00 PM Dinner
08:00 PM Free Time
Day 2 Trekking (Sunday)
05:00 AM Wake-up Call
05:30 AM Breakfast
06:30 AM Start of Tours (trekking)
- Sumaguing Cave/Lumiang
- Hanging Coffins
- Echo Valley
- St. Mary’s Church/Calvary
01:00 PM Rest
02:00 PM Leave Sagada for Bontoc
03:00 PM ETD Bontoc
01:00 AM ETA Manila
Comment by Bryan Posadas — November 21, 2008 @ 2:59 pm
hello! can you please inform us of a doable itinerary because were planning to stay 1 night in banaue then go to to sagada the next day, is it possible to arrive in sagada before lunch on the second day from banaue then proceed to caving after lunch/rest? then stay in sagada for 1 night the proceed back to banaue or baguio to go back to manila on the 3rd day? Im sorry if this sounds confusing but im just a little nervous as its only gonna be me ang my bro that’s visiting and both of us dont know anything about banaue or sagada as well as schedules for transpo. Thanks in advance!
Comment by diwata — November 21, 2008 @ 3:35 pm
Hello,
We plan to go to banaue after Christmas on the 26th or 27th probably. Which one would you recopmmend, going through Baguio or through Nueva Viscaya. we are in our early 60’s already and I’m talking about comfort because of the long drive. Thanks for the info.
Comment by Thelma — November 22, 2008 @ 10:00 pm