Visit Sagada is your one-stop resource website for everything that has everything to do with Sagada, Philippines.

Here’s the Sagada Super Post. Almost everything you know for planning your very own cost-efficient, organized and fun Do-It-Yourself Sagada getaway  is here. If you don’t find it here, email us at team@visitsagada *dot* com

Think of this post as a table of contents that would tie together almost all the entries that we have here.

How do I get to Sagada?

Comparing the routes - what's the best one? 

• Via the Manila – Baguio City – Sagada route
• Via the Manila – Banaue – Sagada route
• Via the Manila – Bontoc – Sagada route

What are the places to see and the things to do?

• List of Attractions
• Bomod-ok Falls (Big Falls)
• Sumaguing Cave
• Sumaguing-Lumiang Cave Connection
• Mt. Ampacao
• Echo Valley
• Lake Danum
• Bokong Falls (Small Falls)

How do I see the sights and places of interest?

• How to plan your itinerary
• How to organize tours and look for tour guides

Where can we stay in Sagada?

• Residential Lodge – Visit Sagada highly recommends this.
• George Guesthouse

Budget for Sagada? How many days?

• Holy Week/ Holidays In Sagada: What To Expect

• The Sagada Budget Matrix

• Question: Should you bring a kid to Sagada?

• How Many Days Should You Spend In Sagada?

• ATM in Sagada

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Here are the ten things you have to do when you’re in Sagada:

1. Complete the Lumiang-Sumaguing cave connection.

Most people haven’t gone caving and most people are NOT prepared for the physical requirement that this task entails. This makes it the perfect almost-once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to somehow push yourself to the limit and take some risks with your physical well-being. You’ll be surprised how many seemingly nonathletic people have managed to finish the course. Expect to get wet and use muscles that you’ve never used before.

2. Go to the Bomod-ok Falls (Big Falls)

The Big Falls is one of the largest waterfalls you’ll see in the Philippines and the trek to the valley that hides it is a great treat. You will be literally walking along the rice terraces and going through villages that don’t have access to a main road. It’s an easy enough hike if you can go walk for 60-90 minutes without huffing and puffing. Do not underestimate the sun – it may be cold in Sagada but the sun is still king around these parts. Always protect your skin with sunblock. The water temperature in the natural swimming pool is pretty close to ice cold. Reward yourself for walking under the sun with a quick dip before shivering all the way back to the top of the trail.

3. Not fall while doing the Echo Valley trek

It’s cool that I still got to take this photo as two of my friends were falling down the trail! Echo Valley is just within the confines of the town proper but by the time you’re done with the trail, you would have seen three cave openings, dozens of hanging coffins, an underground river and lots of perilous ravines. The path has changed a lot so if you’re a first timer or you haven’t been to Sagada in a while, get a guide to make sure you don’t get hopelessly lost.

4. Run with the wild horses at Marlboro Country

I first heard about Marlboro Country through Howie Severino’s I-Witness documentary on the wild horses of Sagada. You may not see the horses but you’ll know that they’re there – the evidence is all over the place. Even if you don’t get to see the horses, the panoramic view from the hill top is just spectacular. It probably offers the best view of Sagada.

5. Try the coffee

I don’t usually drink a lot of coffee but the one that they have in Sagada is awesome. Residential Lodge has overflowing coffee for all their hostel guests and I usually drink five to six cups a day when I’m there. The coffee is just that good. Maybe the special context of the cold, dry weather makes it the perfect place to sip a hot cup. Bana’s Coffee is the premier cafe in town. It is located just across Residential Lodge at Traveler’s Inn.

6. Climb Mt. Ampacao

Yes, that’s me in the middle – the only one who’s actually off the ground. Mt. Ampacao is probably one of the easiest mountains to climb in the entire country. Near the summit is a central clearing that allows for a great view of Sagada and the neighboring town of Besao, Mt. Province.

7. Have the cinnamon bread at Navales Bakeshop

Formerly Makamkamlis Bakeshop, Navales is the go-to-place for really good breads and cookies. For just 17 pesos, you’ll get a nice sized cinnamon bread (much larger than your face!). The sugar on top is burnt just right and the bread is really fluffy and soft especially when you’re getting it in the afternoon when they cook their second batch of bread. The bakeshop is located just a few meters away from the hospital and is situated atop a small hill.

8. Eat at Log Cabin

Log Cabin is the best restaurant in town in terms of the menu and overall ambiance. It’s also the priciest one so be prepared to spend more than usual. There’s a Saturday buffet for just 350 and a full course meal on a regular day would probably cost the same as well. The food is great and the breads are really something else. You may reach them by texting +639205200463. The photo here was taken by Tet Grajo and features my friends from Couchsurfing Manila.

9. Have the Hiker’s Delight at Yogurt House

Hiker’s delight is essentially a crepe with a banana and yogurt filling. It comes with toast and eggs. I used to love the yogurt from Yoghurt House but in recent years, it seems like they have opted for a less sour and more umm… bland “flavor” making eating the plain yogurt a similar experience to eating mayonnaise. During the good old days though, their yoghurt was simply excellent – sour and almost excruciatingly impossible to eat plain. The strawberry preserves give the otherwise unremarkable yogurt a good flavor though. Hopefully they go back to the old recipe soon.

10. Stay at Residential Lodge

This could have been number one, actually. I have stayed in Residential Lodge (+639196728744)over ten times over my 16 trips to Sagada and it has been an awesome experience. I’ve met a lot of great people here and I’ve referred this place to many of my friends – and just about everyone who has e-mailed me about Sagada. They let you cook, there’s wi-fi in the lounge for a minimal fee and there’s a television set on each floor. The rooftop also affords for an amazing night time view.

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This list would be different for everyone so if you disagree with it, please post your own top ten. If you haven’t been to Sagada yet, I hope this inspires you to go there and most if not all of the things on this list.

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The inn also offers the unique experience of orange picking. For just 50 pesos entrance fee, you can enter the premises and get all the oranges you want. The oranges you get will be weighed and priced at a fairly reasonable 50 pesos per kilo once you step out of the premises.

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The Sagada Genuine Guides Association or SaGGAs would be once again hosting a year end bonfire party on December 28. The guides hosted an awesome feast last year and I definitely have a lot of photos that would never be posted on Facebook from that night. As you can see on the poster, the cost of the ticket is 250 pesos – inclusive of transportation to the bonfire site, dinner, drinks and the entertainment (cultural presentation) for the night. Expect to dance around the fire til midnight!

This should be fun! Please contact 09295569533 or email sagadagenuineguides@gmail.com for any inquiries.

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Marlboro Country is a thirty minute hike from a drop off point in Lamangan. It’s a fairly easy walk and you would be definitely enamored with the tall trees that line the marked path to a central clearing. You’ll know that you’re at the end of the trail when the entire panorama opens up and just surprises you with a full 360 view of the mountains, hills and terraces nearby. It’s almost like being at a mountain summit.

It’s perfect for those who want to sit by the cliff and just reflect. It’s also a good place for photographers.

You can hire a guide from the tourism office for 600 pesos to take you to Marlboro Country. This is the rate if you’re traveling as a group of ten or less so you definitely make the most out of it with more people that you have on board. You can also rent a van for 450.  Here’s the list of other rates:  Sagada tours and rates

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Southern Sagada

Cave Connection – 400 per person
Short course caving – 500 per 4 people. 600 for 5 people.
Optional Ride: 350

Central Sagada

Eco-cultural Tour
Echo Valley Hanging Coffins
Underground River Entrance
Bokong Falls

Price – 400 for 1-10 people.

Northern Sagada

Bomod-ok Falls
Fidelisan Rice Terraces
Northern Sagada Villages

Price – 600 for 1-10 people.
Optional Ride: 650

Eastern Sagada

Lamangan/ Marlboro Country
Limestone Formations
Wild Horses

Price – 600 for 1-10 people
Optional Ride: 450

Western Sagada

Amapacao Mountain Trek
Demang Community

Price – 600 1-10 people

Sunrise

Kiltepan Viewpoint
Rice Terraces

Price 450 1-10 people *the driver can be your guide

Sunset

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CAVE CONNECTION: Lumiang to Sumaguing Cave

BASIC CAVING: Sumaguing Cave

TREKKING: Bomod-ok (Big) Falls or Mt. Ampacao

TREKKING: Mt. Polis

SIGHT SEEING: Choose 3 Spots

• Kiltepan Viewpoint
• Bokong (Small) Falls
• Underground River
• Echo Valley
• Lumiang Burial Cave
• Sumaguing Cave Entrance
• Lake Danum
• Pottery
  

ESCORT: Choose 1 Spot

• Sugong and Lumiang Cave
• Bokong (Small) Falls
• Underground River
• Echo Valley

ROCK CLIMBING: 400 per person

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We at Visit Sagada believe that to truly enjoy your stay in Sagada, your trip should have a good balance between adventurous spontaneity and a rough idea of what to do formulated through research (in your case: reading this website ) During the early months of this site, most of the people were happy with figuring out things for themselves, but more and more now, visitors seem to be more open to the idea of having somebody else do an itinerary for them. To accomodate those who are probably scared of venturing into the deep end during their first time up there, we have come up with this easy-to-follow guide on how to plan your activities.

Resource: How To Tour Sagada

HOW MANY DAYS?

This should be the first question that you should answer before planning the rest of your activities in Sagada. Keep in mind that a round figure like three days will not translate as three days in actual waking hours. Here’s why:

If you were to take the Manila-Baguio-Sagada bus route, the earliest time you could arrive in Sagada would be 12 NOON because the first bus leaves the station at around 5:30 AM.  Keep in mind that this will only be feasible if you can leave Manila the night before. This means that your first day isn’t really a full day – you lose a significant chunk of potential tour time to travel. Once you factor  in the things you have to do after checking in (lunch, unpacking etc.), it’s likely that you will only have  three to four hours  of sunshine left to do whatever you want to do.

Keep in mind that you are also coming off a very taxing half-day journey on bus through the rough and winding roads of the Cordillera mountains. Some people (like myself) may prefer resting during Day 1 and just focus on the touring the next day.

If you can muster the strength to do some touring for the afternoon, you may try any of the following by going to the town hall and inquiring at the tourism desk:

• The “sightseeing” package is a medley of three points of interest that are reachable within a few minutes hike of each other. You may choose three places to go to and the tour will probably take  3-4 hours depending on when where you choose to go. Echo Valley is probably among the most popular of these sites. It’s fairly easy to go to and it will surely be a hit for younger travelers.
• Go to the caves! Sagada is famous for its cave system so no one should ever leave the town before checking out Sumaguing cave. It’s a twenty minute walk from the town center it’s a fairly easy hike up the road. You will also see nice views of the Sagada Rice Terraces and traditional village houses called dap-ays along the way. The normal spelunking route takes 2-3 hours to finish.
• After a day of traveling, most people would probably want to relax. If you’re with me in that regard then I strongly suggest that you visit Bokong Falls (also known as Small Falls). The falls is situated next to rice paddies and though it  doesn’t really dazzle you with the way it looks, it sure makes up for it with sheer adrenaline potential. You can jump off the falls’ highest point into a cold deep natural pool below. There’s nothing like a nice cold dip that could rejuvenate your road-weary body, right?

LESSON #1: DAY ONE HAS A VERY TIGHT TIME WINDOW.  DON’T EXPECT TO DO A LOT OF THINGS DURING THIS DAY.

PRIORITIES

In my opinion, visitors should prioritize two points of interest while in Sagada – the Bomod-ok Falls (Big Falls) and the Sumaguing-Lumiang cave system. Both would require a considerable amount of time and energy to get to so it will be wise to reserve a day for each site. I’ve heard of people doing both in a single day but those people were  hardly comparable to your average human being (haha). To be on the safe side, stick to one for one day.

• Bomod-ok Falls / Big Falls – There are two routes to the falls – one’s a bit easy (a leisurely 90 minute hike along paved bridges) while the other one is a 2-3 hours traverse of rice terraces that would have you balancing for your life! You might want to rent a van for this since the barangay that has jurisdiction of the falls is already at the outskirts of Sagada. The water is quite cold and deep. The rocks and boulder near the falls are also slippery. Be  extra careful.
• Cave Connection – Again, the caves are around 20 minutes away from the town. The traverse from one mouth of the cave to the other would take 3-6 hours depending on the skill level of the spelunker.  This would require scaling cave formations, a bit of rope climbing, rapelling, crawling and even a little bit of swimming. You will get wet!

These two activities will require one day each with the afternoons reserved for walking around town, meditation, buying souvenirs or getting a massage. I really think that an important part of a trip to Sagada is to feel its natural serenity that lulls you into sitting back and  just relaxing. Sagada isn’t all about extreme eco-adventures. It’s also about communing with nature and the alien landscape of the Cordilleras that urbanites can’t fathom at first.

LESSON #2: Realistically speaking, you need 4 days in Sagada. But once you think about it, four days in Sagada is more like three days. The first day doesn’t start until 12 NN.  The last day can only last  until 1PM (the time the last bus for Baguio leaves).

So to make it simpler for you guys:

Day -1

10PM Leave Manila For Baguio

Day 1

4AM Arrive in Baguio

530 AM Leave for Sagada

12NN ETA Sagada

2 PM – Sightseeing/ Caving/ Falls

Day 2

AM – Kiltepan for sunrise

Cave Connection

Day 3

Big Falls

Day 4

Leave for Baguio

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Yes people. it’s worth it. This shot was taken near the summit of Mt. Ampacao in Sagada. The area provides a very good vantage point to the towns of Sagada and Besao as well as the summit of Mt. Polis and the humongous waterfalls of Bauko, Mountain  Province.

Here are resources about Mt. Ampacao

Visit Sagada: Mt. Ampacao

Pinoy Mountaineer: Mt. Ampacao

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If you’re a first time traveler, you’re definitely going to benefit from having a tour guide that could give directions and pertinent information about the places you want to see.

To arrange a guided tour, make your way to the municipal hall near the intersection of Sagada’s three main roads. The tourism desk is to your left immediately upon entering the building. There, you would see the list of possible destinations and the standard rates for each.

All travelers are charged 10 php (~0.25 USD) as environmental fee.

There are two types of destinations in Sagada – one group consists of the sites that are in close proximity to the town center and is relatively accessible and the other is composed of destinations that require more than 2 hours of trekking to reach.

The ‘easier-to-reach’ destinations are commonly lumped under the Sightseeing package.

These sites include:

• Bokong Falls - also known as a Small Falls. Though not so majestic in height, the pool still a good thrill for those willing to jump from its natural 20-foot platform.
• Echo Valley – Despite being very close to the town center, Echo Valley exudes a very serene atmosphere. As the name suggests, the valley’s topography is perfect for propagating echoes.
• Kiltepan Viewpoint
• Underground River
• Demang Village
• Hanging Coffins
• Lumiang Burial Cave
• Lake Danum

To avail of the Sightseeing package, simply pick three of the sites on the list and your guide will be the one to plot out the most convenient route for your party. The rate is 400 pesos for a group of four people.

The second group consists of sites that would require more time and effort to reach. This includes:

• Bomod-ok Falls (Big Falls)
• Sumaguing Cave
• Sumaguing-Lumiang Cave Connection
• Mt. Ampacao

These destinations would require at least half a day for you to enjoy. The rates can be seen on their respective pages (just follow the links). Since some of these places may be too far too walk (e.g. Big Falls is about 3-4 hours away by foot), it would be advantageous to hire a van through the tourism desk as well. The standard rates are also prominently posted on the booth. :

See how easy it is? I hope this helps you maximize your time in Sagada.

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