Small-Group Weekend Hiking Tour to Banaue-Ifugao from Manila
Overview
Enjoy this weekend hiking group tour to the land of the Ifugao. Ifugao is the name of the region and the people famous for the Banaue rice terraces that stand out among other terraced crop paddies in the world because of their magnitude and beauty. But the grandeur of the Ifugao province extends far beyond Banaue. This 4 day guided adventure with a small group of maximum 7 travelers, takes you through the stunning scenery of mountains, rice terraces, and forests and stops at native communities along the way. You interact with the fascinating Ifugaos and get a deep appreciation of their culture by making a village your home one night.
Inclusions
- All land transportation for the duration of the trip
- One night accommodation in village inn
- All fees associated with the specified activities
- Professional guide
- Group tour open to other travelers
- Accommodation included: 1 night
- Entry/Admission - Banaue Rice Terraces
- Entry/Admission - Batad Rice Terraces
What to expect
Itinerary
Day 1: Travel to Banaue
Stop At: Banaue, Banaue, Ifugao Province, Cordillera Region, Luzon
The group assembles in Manila in the evening and you get some shut-eye while you travel through winding mountain roads. When you wake up you will be in Banaue, home of the famous rice terraces, often referred to as the eighth wonder of the world.
Duration: 9 hours
No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.
Day 2: Cambulo and Batad
Stop At: Banaue Rice Terraces, Banaue, Luzon Philippines
Before starting the hike you will ride a tricycle (motorcycle with side car) and visit the Banaue Rice Terraces view deck.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Cambulo, Banaue, Ifugao, Philippines
Your trek through the Ifugao mountains begins at the town of Kinaking. You stop by the Banaue Rice Terraces view deck on the way there. You hike 4 hours to Cambulo, the first Ifugao village. The rice terraces of Cambulo are characterized by their pyramid-like appearance, with the terraces cut almost 360 degrees around the mountains.
Duration: 4 hours
Stop At: Batad Rice Terraces, Batad Trail Tappiya Falls Trail, Banaue, Luzon 3601 Philippines
From Cambulo it is another 3-hour hike to Batad, famous for its amphitheater of rice terraces. The night is spent at a village inn with a spectacular view of the terraces.
Duration: 3 hours
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Batad, accommodations are basic. A villager’s house converted into an inn with private rooms but shared bathrooms.
Day 3: Bangaan
Stop At: Bangaan Rice Terraces, Sagada, Mountain Province, Philippines
In the morning you hike 3 hours to visit Tappiyah waterfalls and explore the village and rice terraces of Batad. After lunch, you hike 3 hours to Bangaan, the final village of your adventure. On the way, you pass through more rice paddies and see picturesque villages and rice terraces in the distance. you reach Bangaan in mid-afternoon and drive back to Banaue to get some well-deserved food and booze before catching your evening bus to Manila.
Duration: 3 hours
No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.
Day 4: Arrival in Manila
Pass By: Manila, Manila, Metro Manila, Luzon
At around 4am you arrive at the same bus station where your trip started.
No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.
Day 1: Travel to Banaue
Stop At: Banaue, Banaue, Ifugao Province, Cordillera Region, Luzon
The group assembles in Manila in the evening and you get some shut-eye while you travel through winding mountain roads. When you wake up you will be in Banaue, home of the famous rice terraces, often referred to as the eighth wonder of the world.
Duration: 9 hours
No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.
Day 2: Cambulo and Batad
Stop At: Banaue Rice Terraces, Banaue, Luzon Philippines
Before starting the hike you will ride a tricycle (motorcycle with side car) and visit the Banaue Rice Terraces view deck.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Cambulo, Banaue, Ifugao, Philippines
Your trek through the Ifugao mountains begins at the town of Kinaking. You stop by the Banaue Rice Terraces view deck on the way there. You hike 4 hours to Cambulo, the first Ifugao village. The rice terraces of Cambulo are characterized by their pyramid-like appearance, with the terraces cut almost 360 degrees around the mountains.
Duration: 4 hours
Stop At: Batad Rice Terraces, Batad Trail Tappiya Falls Trail, Banaue, Luzon 3601 Philippines
From Cambulo it is another 3-hour hike to Batad, famous for its amphitheater of rice terraces. The night is spent at a village inn with a spectacular view of the terraces.
Duration: 3 hours
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Batad, accommodations are basic. A villager’s house converted into an inn with private rooms but shared bathrooms.
Day 3: Bangaan
Stop At: Bangaan Rice Terraces, Sagada, Mountain Province, Philippines
In the morning you hike 3 hours to visit Tappiyah waterfalls and explore the village and rice terraces of Batad. After lunch, you hike 3 hours to Bangaan, the final village of your adventure. On the way, you pass through more rice paddies and see picturesque villages and rice terraces in the distance. you reach Bangaan in mid-afternoon and drive back to Banaue to get some well-deserved food and booze before catching your evening bus to Manila.
Duration: 3 hours
No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.
Day 4: Arrival in Manila
Pass By: Manila, Manila, Metro Manila, Luzon
At around 4am you arrive at the same bus station where your trip started.
No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.
Additional information
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- A maximum of 7 people per booking
- Minimum age is 12 years
- The physical demand of the trip is very high, with each day involving six (6) to seven (7) hours of hiking on moderately hilly to steep terrain
- You will need to carry a backpack with two (2) days worth of clothes, though you have the option of hiring a porter
- Accommodations will be in very basic village inns that have running water but communal bathrooms
- Packing guide will be sent post booking
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 7 travelers
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 7 days of travel. In this case confirmation will be received within 48 hours, subject to availability
Ticket delivery
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
Cancellation
If you cancel at least 7 day(s) in advance of the scheduled departure, there is no cancellation fee.
If you cancel between 3 and 6 day(s) in advance of the scheduled departure, there is a 50 percent cancellation fee.
If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, there is a 100 percent cancellation fee.
If you cancel between 3 and 6 day(s) in advance of the scheduled departure, there is a 50 percent cancellation fee.
If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, there is a 100 percent cancellation fee.
hudhoh
October 2023
Traveling solo after a week working in a hospital in Cebu City. I decided to head up into the mountains. Leo booked everything and all plans went perfectly. The Bayleaf Imtramuros was kind enough to store my suitcase and I traveled with just my backpack on the bus. It is an overnight bus trip ....
Traveling solo after a week working in a hospital in Cebu City. I decided to head up into the mountains. Leo booked everything and all plans went perfectly. The Bayleaf Imtramuros was kind enough to store my suitcase and I traveled with just my backpack on the bus. It is an overnight bus trip .... if you are a group of 2-4 ask for a car and driver. The trip up was OK. On a bus with plenty of spare seats I was able to spread out and sleep - I am pretty short and think the night would be pretty uncomfortable on a full bus ( it was on the return trip ) Jody meet me off the bus - Easy going, very concerned for my comfort and fun. We had a great time. We chatted away about the Cordillera area, the history, growing up there, Covid in this area and a return to life post Covid. And Jody has a very lovely singing voice - a bonus when driving to Sagada. The hiking is moderate. Lots and lots of steps and so slippery - take walking poles!!! And good boots! Day 1 - 8 hours with good breaksI had slept on the bus and would have found this tough with little to no sleep. The heat and high humidity was very, very hard for me. I carried about 10-12Kg in my pack and 3 litres was water. Apparently I can drink 3 litres and not pee all day. You just sweat it out! Day 2. My advice - Get up really early and hike to the home stay. Sleep the afternoon away and then hike down, down, down to the waterfall, swim in the cooler late afternoon and hike up, up up all those steps around 5,6 pm. The middle of the day was just a humid furnace. You will walk a bit further but this is my strongest advice. The food was so tasty here a huge bowl of chicken soup, lots of veggies. Day 3. I choose to walk 45-60 mins up steps to the road and travel back to Banaue via Bangaan Village view point. The coffee and snacks at guesthouse where I left clean clothes was superb. In fact the coffee is really good almost everywhere. I did take my own protein bars and some nuts to have - very grateful Leo suggested this. I did struggle with the heat and I found Hydralyte in my drinking water and one packet and the end of the day really helped. I was not sick but felt some electrolyte replacement was essential.Also, Panadol and Ibuprofen. Mossies are about and there are leeches. so, take stuff to deter stings. The drive to Sagada is so beautiful and had my only really torrential rain on this drive - so glad it was not when hiking. The cave closes for 4-6 weeks every year in Sept. I enjoyed this little tourist town. The Guest house is divine and like the 2 Home Stays during the hike spotlessly clean with great care taken of guests. Only one night is needed here, in Sagada, though. The Blue Soil Hills are a 30min walk and really not essential. Give them a miss. Goodbye to Jody. What a treasure - and the biggest thank you to him for being kind and fun and that lovely singing voice.Bus back to Manila - not a single spare seat, a bit of a long night. The Bayleaf Intramuros is really great. Wonderful location. Great staff and the roof top bar and restaurant - a real treat. Walked everywhere. Did a gourmet street food tour in China Town - amazing and the best dumplings ever. Then it was goodbye to Manila and hello to Melbourne. Ruth.dennisaQ8347FP
July 2023
My wife and I signed up for Uncharted’s 3 day/2 night Ifugao village trek. Engaging with the local communities was the highlight of the trip and trekking amongst the UNESCO-recognized rice terraces was an amazing experience. Our guide, Marvin, was very informative and taught us so much along the ...
My wife and I signed up for Uncharted’s 3 day/2 night Ifugao village trek. Engaging with the local communities was the highlight of the trip and trekking amongst the UNESCO-recognized rice terraces was an amazing experience. Our guide, Marvin, was very informative and taught us so much along the way, and ensured we safely traversed some of more challenging sections of the trek. We found the guest houses in the villages quaint and comfortable, although visitors should know they are simple and rustic and not to expect 5-star resort accommodations. Come with an open mind, be prepared to endure some hardship and remember that you are just an interloper on an ancient way of life. If you do, you will hopefully have the same magical experience that we did. We try our best to do our research and utilize guides that are responsible, ethical and use sustainable practices. We were impressed by Uncharted and will use them again in the Philippines when we have the opportunity.KirstenLynn_T
May 2019
Jonathan was an absolutely fantastic tour guide, he was very friendly and knew lots about the region. The people running the homestay in Banaue were also amazingly friendly, and it had the best homemade yogurt I've ever tried! The only reason I gave this experience 4 stars instead of 5 was that ...
Jonathan was an absolutely fantastic tour guide, he was very friendly and knew lots about the region. The people running the homestay in Banaue were also amazingly friendly, and it had the best homemade yogurt I've ever tried! The only reason I gave this experience 4 stars instead of 5 was that the homestay in Batad took well over an hour to prepare my meal when I stayed there, which was only a rice and vegetables. Overall, would highly recommend, Jonathan as a guide especially.kiwigal51
December 2017
Early November I set off to conquer the rice terraces of North Luzon....I knew it would be challenging and I wasn't in the best of shape but it was certainly worth the effort. The bus trip north was the first challenge, I was soooo envious of the man next to me who slept blissfuly the whole wa...
Early November I set off to conquer the rice terraces of North Luzon....I knew it would be challenging and I wasn't in the best of shape but it was certainly worth the effort. The bus trip north was the first challenge, I was soooo envious of the man next to me who slept blissfuly the whole way, later as I discovered thanks to a sleeping pill - note to self. I arrived in Banaue to be greeted by Jody my guide, right from the start he proved to be an excellent guide and host, everything went like clockwork, he was patient with my lack of speed and huffing and puffing up hills and he was also billiant fun and informative. The walk is a MUST yes it it very challenging, more steps up and down than you can dream of but the views are out of this world. Also the chance to see village life and stay in a local home are humbling and heart warming, you realise what a easy life you lead back home yet these people are so friendly and welcoming despite their hard lives. What would I do differently ....I would stay the first night in Banaue and get some sleep, I felt jet lagged walking the first day on no sleep, plus Banaue is a cute wee town, well worth exploring. I was also glad I split the trip up into only 3-4 hour days, walking Banaue to Pula only the first day. At the end of the day it's important to remember you don't need to make any time limits, just walk slow, enjoy the views, soak up the culture and sights you have ALL day to get to your next village. .....and take advantage of those wonderful village ladies who spend all day labouring in their rice paddies and come in and re-arrange your muscles by night under the guise of a massage......the pain is phenomenal ! and you give so much to their family in payment. All up, a unique experience in the Philippines, I was sooooo glad I did it, it was a great contrast to the island hopping and more touristy areas and as you eat your way round the Philippines with rice for every meal it give you a whole new perspective on how labour intensive the production of rice just for their own needs is. Just do it !!Lydia D
February 2014
My husband is Philippino and has been talking about bringing me to the Philippiines for years and our 10 year anniversary seemed like a good occasion. We were joined by 3 friends and hubby found Unchartered Philippines to help him with making our trip unforgettable. He set us up with 2 of the t...
My husband is Philippino and has been talking about bringing me to the Philippiines for years and our 10 year anniversary seemed like a good occasion. We were joined by 3 friends and hubby found Unchartered Philippines to help him with making our trip unforgettable. He set us up with 2 of the trips. Palawan Adventures - Beautiful, fun and relaxing. Our tour guide was Yob Red. Yob was amazing, extremely professional, personable and efficient. Yob was also responsive: he got to know us and made modifications to our trip to better meet our tastes. The snorkeling trips he arranged with El Bacuit and captain Jayson Gonzales were incredible. Great snorkeling and the food was 5 stars! He was so much fun and it was a perfect start to our adventures! We had 4 hours in between our return flight from Palawan to Manilla and our bus ride from Manilla to Banaue. Of course, we had a 3 hour delay in our flight. Leo and Cami Cuesta met us at the airport and got us to the bus station (with repacking and changing clothes in the street) with 30 minutes to spare. What service!!! Ifugao Villages Trek - Incredible, but wow it kicked our butt!!! Marvin was our tour guide and Jonathan (Jun Jun) was our porter and Marvin's assistant. They were incredible. Our group is in our mid forties to mid fifties and although in good shape, the first day (23k Banaue to Cambulo) was extremely challenging, both physically and mentally. Have you seen how narrow the rice terrace walls are? Not to mention the challenging paths up and down the mountains! There were some scary sections... Going through the small villages is an intimate adventure and would not have been successful without Marvin's knowledge and familiarity of the people and customs. The Cambulo Inn was great, a little rustic (no showers here), but very clean, delicious food (highly recommend the fresh made pita), cold beer and fantastic people. Loved the show put on by the village children and yes, there are even masseuse's! The next day was, thank goodness, a much shorter hike to the village of Bataad. Will say, the accomodations there were not as nice as Cambulo. It's a little bigger village, the hostel is busier, was not as clean and the food was okay. Marvin, again, knew exactly what to expect and took outstanding care of us (mostly self service without a great guide). Marvin is extremely knowledgeable about the region and gave great insight to us. He and Jun Jun made trekking that was definately out of our comfort zone, safe and "fun". I don't know if I would have made it without them! Uncharted Philippines was an integral part of making our trip an experience of a liftime. We are already planning our next trip and Uncharted will be a part of it! Would give 6 stars if I could, I can't say enough about the professionalism and incredible staff that makes up this organization. Tagay!!MrBeardy
April 2013
I reached out to several adventure travel companies a month before coming to Manila for work. Leo with Uncharted Philippines was the first to respond and answered all my questions with great detail. He was also the only provider that was willing to modify the length of one of his traditional tr...
I reached out to several adventure travel companies a month before coming to Manila for work. Leo with Uncharted Philippines was the first to respond and answered all my questions with great detail. He was also the only provider that was willing to modify the length of one of his traditional trek offerings to fit my weekend schedule. He was very accomodating and even answered non-tour related questions. I took a 2-day Ifugao villages trek and had an excellent experience. All my questions before and during the trek were answered promptly. The pricing was reasonable and affordable considering the quality of the experience. Leo met me before departure and gave me a full debriefing. I met my Ifugao guide, Jodi, immediately after getting off the bus in Banaue. Jodi was an excellent guide, very personable, knowledgeable and respectful of my desires during the trip. We hiked to the Bataad saddle and then down to Bataad on the first day. The rice terraces are absolutely beautiful. On the second day, we hiked to the waterfalls and then to the small village of Bangaan. We finished the last day some shopping and viewpoints in Banaue before boarding the bus back to Manila. Both days were filled with amazing scenery, excellent hikes, and wonderful food. For my shortened timeframe, it was just perfect and I felt very satisfied with every activity we were able to fit into the itinerary. I am very satisfied with the overall experience and am glad I was able to book with Uncharted Philippines. The next time I'm in the Philippines I will be booking with Uncharted Philippines. Leo and Jodi, thanks a lot!