SAGADA gained so much attention when it appeared to be one of the filming locations of the romantic comedy film That Thing Called Tadhana. Because of that, more travel agencies organized tours making Sagada more accessible to travelers for exploring.
Sagada is definitely one of those places where you can temporarily disconnect from the real world. It is very laidback and pretty much untouched by urbanization. I had a lot of fun memories during our visit. This is where I first witnessed the sea of clouds and to a greater extent, got a taste of how spelunking felt which was totally the real deal. I don’t need to say much, but Sagada was pure bliss!
SAGADA: About the Place
Popular activities in Sagda include trekking, exploring caves, swimming in waterfalls, spelunking, and visiting famous tourist spots like the hanging coffins. All tours now need to register at the tourist office in Sagada Proper (the main town). Most of the guides are local natives, also known as Kankanaeys, one of the 6 ethnolinguistic groups of Igorot that dominate the Cordillera Administrative region encompassing the provinces of Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, and the Mountain Province.
Sagada is often paired with a trip to Banaue, Baguio, or Bontoc, so you may want to plan your trip with those other destinations in mind. We were able to explore Sagada for 3 days and 2 nights with our 1-night stay in Batad Banaue.
WHERE TO STAY IN SAGADA
Most accommodations in Sagada are basic with less-to-no internet or WiFi connectivity. What you need to consider is finding accommodation that is at a close distance from the main road or that is near the town proper where most tourist spots are situated.
Camping is allowed at Kiltepan Viewpoint, Marlboro Hills, Calvary Hill, and Lake Danum.
For backpackers and budget travelers, below are accommodations that you can choose from
| Click the link to book or check for more details. | AGODA Ratings |
| The Shire of Sagada | 9.1 |
| Sagada Lodging Home | 9.1 |
| Isabelo’s Inn and Cafe | 8.6 |
| BAEY B0GAN Homestay | 9.2 |
| Kanip Aw Pines View Lodge | 8.5 |
| Dagdag Village Homestay – Sagada | 8.8 |
| AJjaa’s Place (INDIVIDUAL room) | 8.9 |
| AJjaa’s Place 2 | 8.8 |
| Inn Maugay Bed and Bath | 9.2 |
| Sagada Heritage Village | 8.3 |
HOW TO GO TO SAGADA
Sagada is only accessible via land trips.
Direct bus from Manila
Coda Lines Corporation offers an overnight bus trip direct to Sagada from Cubao HM Terminal in Quezon City. The night bus leaves daily at 8:00 p.m., 9:00 p.m., and 10:00 p.m. Travel time is roughly 12 hours.
| Reserve your seat – Manila to Sagada |
Via Banaue
If you plan to drop by Banaue for its rice terraces before going to Sagada like what we did, you can take the Ohayami bus in Sampaloc, Manila. Their buses leave daily at 10:00 p.m. Travel time is at 8 hours minimum. At the bus stop, you can either go immediately to Sagada or take a side trip to Bontoc.
| Reserve your seat – Manila to Banaue |
- Van from Banaue to Sagada – Taking a van is arguably the easiest and most convenient way to get to Sagada. As soon as you get off your bus in Banaue, van drivers will approach you asking if you need a ride to Sagada. There is at least one van departing for Sagada at around 9 a.m. As far as the majority of Manila–Banaue buses arrive in Banaue early in the morning between 5 am and 8 am, you will have enough time to grab a quick breakfast in town. Note that the van will leave near the Banaue Tourist Information Centre so do not venture too far out. One-way fare is about PHP300 per person and the travel time is roughly 3 hours with a quick stop at one of the most spectacular viewpoints in Cordillera.
- Jeepney from Banaue to Sagada – Jeepney to Sagada leaves from the same terminal as for Bontoc located at the Banaue Public Market. Travel time is between 3 and 4 hours as jeepneys are often overloaded and travel at a lower speed than vans plus make two stops for a meal and one more – at the aforementioned viewpoint. Jeepneys won’t depart unless there are at least 4 passengers but during the peak season they fill up extremely quickly and you are more likely to risk finding no seat than spending much time waiting for other travelers.
- From Banaue to Sagada via Bontoc – Getting from Bontoc to Sagada is possible via jeepneys. A one-way ride will cost you about PHP50. There are multiple trips a day from as early as 6.30 am till approximately 5.30 p.m. Note that if you arrive in Bontoc later in the evening, you won’t find any transport to Sagada. You may be lucky to find a local to give you a lift but traffic is really thin after dark. It takes between 45 minutes and an hour to get to Sagada.
Via Baguio
There are a number of bus companies that travel to Baguio from Manila. The most recommended of them is the Victory Liner in Cubao Terminal which leaves for Baguio on an hourly basis the whole day. Regular bus fare is close to P500, travel time is around 5 hours. Once in Baguio, grab a taxi to Baguio Dangwa terminal, just behind Baguio Center Mall, the fare is roughly P70. At the terminal, take the bus from GL Liner to Sagada. The fare is around P300, travel time is 6 hours. The last trip is 1:00 p.m.
From Vigan
A trip from the Ilocos region will require three transfers and will commence in Tagudin, Ilocos Sur. Follow these steps:
- Go to the Bitalag UV Express van terminal and take a passenger van bound for Cervantes. Trips start at 6:00 a.m. and end at 5:00 p.m. Fare is around P170, and travel time is 90 minutes.
- At the town of Cervantes, take a van for Bontoc. Van terminal is located at the plaza in Sitio Bulaga. It leaves as early as 6:00 a.m., and the last trip is around 2:00 p.m. Apart from the vans, you can also take a bus or jeepney to Cervantes Market. The fare is around P140, travel time is another 90 minutes. Tell the driver that you will drop off at Sagada junction.
- At the junction, catch a jeepney or bus to Sagada. Travel time is 15 minutes, the fare is around P40.
GETTING AROUND SAGADA
Transport options in Sagada are limited.
- By Foot – The town center is quite small and very walkable. Most restaurants and shops are just within walking distance from one another.
- Book a tour to get to the attractions outside the town proper. Tourism operations in Sagada are very organized. Visitors are required to have a guide when they explore. Your guide can also arrange your transportation to get to any destination. The vehicle fee is charged on top of the guide fee.
BEST TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN SAGADA
Here are the tourist spots we visited when we were in Sagada.
LUMIANG BURIAL CAVE
We did explore the Lumiang-Sumaguing Cave Connection in Sagada. Basically, we enter Lumiang cave and exit at Sumaguing cave. The first thing we notice at the entrance of Lumiang cave is the enormous pile of 500-year-old coffins on the wall of the cave. I have a separate blog for this, which you can read here – Lumiang Sumaguing Cave Connection in SAGADA. Spelunking is an extreme activity and is definitely not for the claustrophobic. Please avoid taking any risks.
All tours are arranged by the Tourism Office of Sagada located in the town proper.
CAVE CONNECTION (40-minute walk to Lumiang Burial Cave Entrance, passing by Dokiw Hanging Coffins, emerging at Sumaguing Cave. Plus, 3-4 hours exploration inside the cave)
- Guide Fee: P1,000 for 2 visitors or less
- +P500 for each additional visitor
- Optional: Two-way Transportation: P400
SUMAGUING CAVE
Sumaguing cave also has the greatest number of stalactites and stalagmites developed naturally by traces of calcium in water droplets. Stalactites hang from the top, while stalagmites grow from the ground. I have a separate blog for this, which you can read here – Lumiang Sumaguing Cave Connection in SAGADA
All tours are arranged by the Tourism Office of Sagada located in the town proper.
SUMAGING CAVE or SHORT COURSE CAVING (1-hour walk from the town center, passing by the Dokiw Hanging Coffins and Lumiang Burial Cave Entrance. Plus, 1 and a half hours exploration inside the cave.)
- Guide Fee: P800 for 4 visitors or less (1 guide)
- P900 for 5 visitors (1 guide)
- P1,600 for 6-9 visitors(2 guides)
- P1,800 for 10 visitors (2 guides)
- P2400 for 11-12 visitors (3 guides)
- P200 per person for 13 visitors or more
- Optional: Two-way Transportation: P350
HANGING COFFINS IN ECHO VALLEY
This is the one that caught the curiosity of most tourists who visit Sagada. Hanging coffins is a traditional way of burial by the Igorot people in Sagada, Mountain Province. They believe that vertical burial brings their dead loved ones to their ancestral spirit in heaven and the higher the dead were placed, the greater the chance of their spirits reaching a higher nature in the afterlife. I have a separate blog for this, which you can read here – The Hanging Coffins of Echo Valley SAGADA, PHILIPPINES
All tours are arranged by the Tourism Office of Sagada located in the town proper.
ECHO VALLEY TOUR: (Mission Compound, Cemetery, Hanging Coffins)
- P300 for 1-10 visitors (1 guide)
- P400 for 11 visitors (1 guide)
- P600 for 12-20 visitors (2 guides)
- P700 for 21 visitors (2 guides)
- P800 for 22-30 visitors (3 guides)
- P900 for 31 visitors (3 guides)
- P1,000 for 32-40 visitors (4 guides)
- *41 pax and above— 30 pesos per head
ECHO TOUR: (Mission Compound, Cemetery, Hanging Coffins, Latang Underground entrance, Bokong Water Falls.)
- Guide Fee: P800 for 10 visitors or less (1 guide)
- P1,600 for 11-20 visitors (2 guides)
- P 2,400 for 21-30 visitors (3 guides)
- *31 and above 60 pesos each
ADVENTURE TRAIL: (Mission Compound, Cemetery, Hanging Coffins, Latang Underground, Bokong Water Falls.)
- Guide Fee: P1,000 for 10 visitors or less
- *31 and above 100 pesos each
LAKE DANUM
A nature lake in the middle of a forest offers a perfect spot, on its elevated ground, to watch over the sunset and the surrounding landscape.
All tours are arranged by the Tourism Office of Sagada located in the town proper.
LAKE DANUM SUNSET (Leave for Lake DANUM at 4:30 p.m. then a 10-minute drive from the town center.)
- Transport Fee: P550 for 1-10 visitors
P55.00 per person for more than 10 visitors - one day tour guide: P2,200
- one day shuttle: P2,400 —
BOMOD-OK FALLS
Bomod-ok Falls is also called the Big Falls because it is bigger than the other two falls in Sagada. An hour-long hike is required to reach these waterfalls but you will be rewarded by refreshing cold waters flowing from the top of the cliff. I have a separate blog for this, which you can read here – BOMOD-OK FALLS | The Big Falls of SAGADA.
All tours are arranged by the Tourism Office of Sagada located in the town proper.
PONGAS FALLS
Pongas Falls is known also as the Twin Falls in Sagada, although there are a total of 7 mini falls that compose it. I have a separate blog for this, which you can read here – Trekking PONGAS FALLS of Sagada Mountain Province.
All tours are arranged by the Tourism Office of Sagada located in the town proper.
KILTEPAN VIEWPOINT
Kiltepan Viewpoint offers an amazing display of the sun as it hovers over a thick sea of clouds which slowly dissipate later in the day to reveal the wondrous details of the Kiltepan rice terraces underneath. I have a separate blog for this, which you can read here – Kiltepan: Sea of Clouds in SAGADA, PHILIPPINES
All tours are arranged by the Tourism Office of Sagada located in the town proper.
SAGADA SAMPLE ITINERARY & BUDGET
Here is a sample Sagada itinerary that is good for 2 to 3 days. It assumes a party of two and will set back a budget of P4,800.00+ per person, excluding expenses for accommodation, souvenir,s and other incidentals.
Day 1: ARRIVAL, LUMIANG-SUMAGUING CAVE, HANGING COFFINS
09:00 am – Arrival in Sagada from Banaue
09:30 am – Lumiang Sumaguing Cave Connection
12:00 pm – Lunch
01:00 pm – Back to the accommodation to freshen up
02:00 pm – Echo Valley Hanging Coffin
06:00 pm – Dinner and back to the accommodation
Day 2: BOMOD-OK FALLS, PONGAS FALLS, LAKE DANUM
06:00 am – Wake-up call
07:00 am – Bomod-Ok Falls
12:00 pm – Lunch
01:00 pm – Pongas Falls
05:00 pm – Lake Danum
06:30 pm – Dinner and back to the accommodation
Day 3: DEPARTURE, KILTEPAN SUNRISE
04:30 am – Wake-up call
05: 10 am – Watch sunrise at Kiltepan Viewpoint
06:30 am – ETD Sagada,
08:00 pm – ETA Manila
Things to note when you visit Sagada:
- Visitors are required to register at the Tourist Information Center and pay P50 for the Environmental Fee. Keep all your receipts because you need to present it upon entering the sites.
- Tour packages are offered in the Tourism office. You may tag along with other groups or solo travelers to save your budget.
- Strictly No Guide, No Tour for all the tourist spots. Only registered local tour guides that are assigned by the Tourist Information Center are authorized to accompany the tourists.
- Respect the locals and their rituals. Do not touch anything, especially the Hanging Coffins.
- Obsere Leave No Trace ethics.
- There are only 2 ATMs in Sagada: one inside the tourism center and another on the 2nd floor of the next building. To avoid the hassle, stack up some cash.
- Accommodations in Sagada are basic and may not provide toiletries.
- Smart and Globe cellular networks work fine, but mobile data and Wi-Fi connectivity may not be reliable. Working here remotely may not be a great idea.
WHAT TO BRING IN SAGADA?
Prepare for your trip with our must-have travel essentials. Always be prepared to get wet in going to the waterfalls and caves. Also, trekking is a major activity in Sagada so it is a must to bring non-slippery footwear.
Waterproof backpack: 65L Water-resistant Hiking Backpack with Rain Cover for Outdoor Sport Travel
Quick dry microfiber travel towel: Naturehike Quick Drying Pocket Bath Towel
Action camera: KIMSTORE GoPro Hero 11 – Black
Hiking Sandals: Sandugo SD-1201 Hiking Sandals
Rash Guard: rash guard for men and Rash Guard for women Travel Pillow Powerbank – Multi-Functional Portable Powerbank Fast Charging Headlamp – Waterproof Headlamp
If you have questions let me know in the comment section below!
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