How to get to Sagada Using the Baguio Route

Almost every tourist who visits the Philippine archipelago does not leave the country without hearing of Sagada. Sagada is a municipality located in Mountain Province. Since it is located in the north of the country, even Filipinos living in Manila, consider it as one of the best places to see in their lifetime. From abroad or from within the Philippines, Sagada is in the top list of best places to visit in the Philippines. How to get to and from Sagada, though, is not that simple a trip. The fifth class municipality is actually 275 kilometers north of Manila so the trip would be a 12-hour adventure of sorts. By land, there are only two common ways on how to get to and from Sagada.

Before we tackle the ways on how to get to and from Sagada, let us first mention the numerous places to see and the activities to be done, that make Sagada as one of the best tourist spots in the Philippine islands.

One of the things Sagada boasts of is their Hanging Coffins. From the term itself, they are coffins suspended in air attached to cliffs and caves. This tradition started around 200 years ago as an ancient ceremonial burial for the locals.

Other must-sees are the Sumaguing and Lumiang Caves plus the Bomod-ok Falls (Big Falls). Other places that cannot be missed are the Echo Valley, Kiltepan Tower , Underground River and the Lake Danum. What makes Sagada different from other tourist spots is the fact that the local government has been able to preserve the culture and traditions in spite of the influx of curious tourists.

With all the great places to see and the culture to experience, how to get to Sagada is the question many want answered. There are two ways on how to get to and from Sagada, Mountain Province. The first is via Baguio, the Pines Capital of the Philippines, while the other way is via Banaue. We will be discussing the first method of how to get to and from Sagada, that is, via Baguio City.

From the country’s capital Manila, commercial buses may be taken going to Baguio City. Hourly trips daily are usually offered by the big bus companies so finding a clean and comfortable air conditioned bus wouldn’t be a problem. The trip going to Baguio usually takes five to six hours. From Manila, it is best to leave at around midnight so arrival in Baguio would be at 5 or 6am.

So how to get to Sagada from Baguio City? Sagada-bound buses which travel hourly (but only until 11am) are plenty. If Baguio arrival is at 6am, the Sagada arrival will be at around 12:30pm since the duration of that particular bus ride is roughly six hours. It has been a common tip to travelers never to sleep on the bus from Baguio going to Sagada because that bumpy trip provides one of the best scenic views of the Cordillera Mountains.

Going to Sagada Mountain Province is surely one of the things offered in the Philippines. The actual destination is quite a treasure for travelers but the trip itself is already memorable. The Manila-Baguio-Sagada or Sagada-Baguio-Manila routes are the most practical and scenic ways how to get to and from Sagada.