Benj Tupas

Benj Tupas

Baguio Travel Guide

Hi there! πŸ‘‹ I'm Benj and welcome to another Philippines Travel Guide where I share DIY and budget-friendly guides on how to travel to all 82 provinces of the Philippines!

In this guide, we will be exploring Baguio in the province of Benguet!


If you have any questions about this trip, feel free to message me on Facebook. 😍

Summary

I've been to Baguio more than 10 times but mostly for speaking engagements and side trips from Mount Pulag, Mount Ulap, and Sagada.

This time, we'll visit Baguio's usual tourist attractions, new ones, food trips, and the popular Northern Blossom in Atok.


Day 1:

🚌 Bus from PITX to Baguio

πŸŽ’ Deposit Luggage at the Accommodation

🏨 Check-in at Accommodation

β˜•οΈ Brunch at Ili-Likha Artists Village

β›ͺ️ Baguio Cathedral

🏬 SM Baguio

🌲 Burnham Park

πŸ“ Strawberry Taho

🚴 Go Kart

🦒 Boat Ride at Burnham Park Lake

🦺 Igorot Costume

πŸ›Ό Burnham Park Skating Rink

⚽️ Melvin Jones Grandstand

πŸ˜‹ Dinner at Canto Bogchi Joint

Discounted Link for Cheaper Stays


Other Accommodations for Couple and Groups:

πŸ›– Pines Stay Condotel (Near Baguio Cathedral)

πŸ›– Hotel Veniz (Beside Mcdo Session Road)

πŸ›– Travelite Express Hotel (Beside Foam Coffee and near Burmham Park)

These are the accommodations I've also listed while researching but Goshen Land Towers has solo-friendly rates.


Day 2:

🚐 Ride Lourdes Domican jeep from Kayang Street

πŸ›οΈ Old Diplomat Hotel


Strategy Map

I've pinned all places I've visited and wanted to visit on Google Maps. You can use this when walking from one point to another.


How To Get There?

Baguio is a prime destination any day of the week. Bus seats fill up quickly so I highly recommend reserving your tickets in advance.


🚐 Option 1: Solid North (From PITX and Cubao)

⏰ 02:00AM to 11:30PM (Every 2 hours)

🎟️ Fare: P1,150 (Luxury: lazy boy chairs with CR)

1. Book your ticket here:

Use Klook 5% Discount Code: BENJKLOOK

2. Go to PITX one hour before the departure time to print out your boarding pass.

PITX is like an airport terminal with the jumbotron and boarding gates

Get your boarding pass for Solid North at Counter 5, located beside McDonald's on the ground floor, by showing your ticket from Klook.

3. Board the bus 30 minutes before the departure time

PITX also has a huge two-floor mall with a wide array of fast food restaurants, convenience stores, coffee shops, and more. Just go more than an hour before if you decide to eat breakfast here.


Inside the Solid North Luxury Bus

Comfortable recliner chairs with spacious legroom

A perk of traveling on a weekday: fewer passengers. No one was sitting beside me so I used the extra space for my bags.

The bus has a comfort room so there's no stop over and you'll arrive in Baguio faster.

Free snack and water. They also have wifi for entertainment.


🚐 Option 2: Victory Liner (From Pasay and Cubao)

⏰ From Cubao: 7AM, 9AM, 11AM, 1PM, 5PM

⏰ From Cubao: 02:30PM and 09:30PM

🎟️ Fare: P879 (way cheaper but they don't have good schedules for Baguio)

Use Klook 5% Discount Code: BENJKLOOK

Day 1

🚌 Baguio Arrival

- If you see these two bridges, you're near the bus terminal.

- I booked the 05:00 AM trip and arrived at 09:55 AM

- It took close to 6 hours to arrive to Baguio from PITX

- From the terminal, ride a taxi to Goshen Land Towers.

- The fare is only P50

- If you can't find a taxi, you can book Grab.


πŸŽ’ Deposit Luggage at the Accommodation

- The unit I booked at Goshen Land Towers is managed by Pines Stay.

- Remember to deposit at Pines Stay's reception just infront ofGoshen Land Towers for free.

- Goshen Land Towers charges P100 every 3 hours for depositing your luggages.

Discounted Link for Cheaper Stays


πŸ‘¨β€πŸŽ¨ Brunch at Ili-Likha Artists Village

- An art center full of cafes, souvenir shops, and a theater where they host weekly screenings.

- Every corner is Instagrammable!

- You can walk here from Goshen Land. (See the map in the Summary section)


πŸ›– A Blend of Art and Culture

You'll find artworks made from recyclable materials on every corner: hallways, cafes, stores, theaters, basta everywhere you go.


πŸ’΅ A Mix of Manned and Honesty Stores

Yes! There are honesty stores here where you can simply take anything you want and leave your payment in the box or send it via GCash.


πŸ˜‹ Food and Coffee

- If you start to feel hungry or in need of a coffee kick while exploring the village, there are multiple cafes inside to choose from.

- All menus are displayed at the entrance so you can conveniently choose which restaurant to visit.

Little Milkyway Vegan Cafe stood out the most for me so I had to try it.


β˜•οΈ Little Milkyway Vegan Cafe

This cafe serves delicious vegan meals. I'm not vegan but I always lean toward healthy options when available.

Orders:

πŸ› P180 - Adobo Rice Meal

Slow cooked tofu and potato in adobo seasoning with rice and salad

πŸ₯€ P130 - Iced Latte

Creamy blend of espresso and milk

Super affordable! I love the food, coffee, and vibe of the place!


β›ͺ️ Baguio Cathedral

Located at the heart of Baguio City within Session Road and in front of SM Baguio.

This is near Ili-Likha Artists Village. Walk to Session Road and take the Baguio Cathedral Stairs.

Baguio Cathedral Stairs in the morning and at night.

There's also a Sky Zone at the parking spot that features an overlooking view of the city, a cafe, and pasalubong shops.


🏬 SM Baguio

Ang nagpaalam ka na magpapalamig ka lang sa mall pero dito sa SM Baguio. πŸ˜†

- SM Baguio is probably the most energy-efficient mall in the Philippines.

- The mall only relies on natural ventilation and daylight.

- It operates without air conditioning and only uses artificial lighting at night

Go straight to the roofdeck to witness the panoramic view of Baguio City and Burnham Park.

You can also see the bus terminal from here.

View of SM Baguio from Burnham Park and Baguio Night Market.


🏨 Goshen Land Towers

Left photo courtesy of Goshen Land Towers

- Solo-friendly rates

- I paid P7,720 for 5 nights or P1,544 per night

- Goshen Land Towers has a lot of units.

- This is the exact condotel I've booked:

Discounted Link for Cheaper Stays

- This condotel is just 5 to 15-minute walk from food trips in Session Road, SM, Baguio Cathedral, Burnham Park, and terminals bound to all popular tourist destinations.

- I've been to Baguio close to 10 times and I learned to stay slightly away from the heart of the city to avoid the noisy traffic.

Lobby area

Elevator

They will send your the code to their key box and you can self check-in to the room.

Full room view with a comfortable twin bed and the following:

A large and small cabinets for long stays

Electric fan only. Most accommodations in Baguio don't have an aircon. You won't need it.

Table with TV for dining and working. The room also comes with microwave oven and coffee maker.

View of the balcony every time you wake up.

Private toilet and shower with heater

The building's roof deck offers a beautiful view of Baguio City and a swimming pool that you most likely won't use because of the cold weather. πŸ˜† (See the first photo above)

There are convenient stores, milk tea, and snack houses on the ground floor.

Silog and pares meals worth P100 if you're on a budget.

Apparel shops, saloons, and art classes

Discounted Link for Cheaper Stays


Other Accommodations for Couple and Groups:

πŸ›– Pines Stay Condotel (Near Baguio Cathedral)

πŸ›– Hotel Veniz (Beside Mcdo Session Road)

πŸ›– Travelite Express Hotel (Beside Foam Coffee and near Burmham Park)

These are the accommodations I've also listed while researching but Goshen Land Towers has solo-friendly rates.


🌲 Burnham Park

I've tried all the activities here during my previous visits, so I decided to skip everything this time. I just wanted to relax and watch other people enjoy the activities.

If you're a first-timer in Baguio, I highly recommend trying all the activities in Burnham Park.

I'll share the updated rates below.


πŸ“ Strawberry Taho

Before you start roaming around the park, consume Baguio's energy drink: Strawberry Taho.

Only P50 with huge chunks of fresh strawberries.


🚴 Go Kart

My favorite activity in Burnham Park!

Fees:

P75 - Go Kart Single (30 minutes)

P100 - BMX and Mountain Bike (1 hour)

P150 - Tandem and Tri Bike (1 hour)

P200 - Quadcycle (1 hour)


🦒 Boat Ride at Burnham Park Lake

- Another favorite activity in Burnham Park!

- Baguio can switch from sunny to foggy very quickly.

Boat rental starts at only P200 for 30 minutes

- There are various options: row boats, paddle boats, swan-themed, seahorse-themed, and more.

- Every corner of the lake offers different kinds of boats.

- Although the swan boats are the most popular, I suggest exploring the entire lake first before choosing.


πŸ›Ό Burnham Park Skating Rink

Fees:

🎟️ P50 - Rink Fee (if you have your own)

πŸ›Ό P100 - Roller Skates

⛸️ P200 - In-line Skates or Roller Blades

- You need to wear socks or buy for P50

- Optional: helmet (P30), elbow and knee pads (P50), and wrist guard (P25)


🦺 Igorot Costume

The costume is only P50


⚽️ Melvin Jones Grandstand

- You'll see people playing soccer or practicing group dances for school.

- This is where the highlight of the Panagbenga Festival dance competition takes place.


πŸ– Canto Bogchi Joint

- One of my favorite restaurants in Baguio

- It's located just outside Burnham Park, near the Skating Rink.

Go-To Orders:

πŸ– P420 - Lomo Ribs

From the menu: "Oven-baked, grilled barbecued pork ribs served with Cascade Salad, house blend barbecue sauce. Choice of mashed potatoes or organic brown rice.""

πŸ₯€ P90 - Calamansi Iced Tea

🍨 P290 - Dessert Nacho

From the menu: "Scoops of vanilla icecream, strawberries, and coulis served with cinnamon-sugar-dusted nacho chips.""

Tips:

- This place can get packed very quickly, especially during peak seasons and rush hours, which results in longer serving times.

- I've experienced this on my previous visits so I decided to go on a weekday and have an early dinner at 05:30 PM.

They are already experts at handling lines:

- They have a comfortable and aesthetically pleasing waiting area.

- They strictly enforce one door for entrance and another for exit. Smart move!

They have limited parking and a coffee shop you can visit after your meal.


😴 Walk back to Goshen Land Towers. You're most likely exhausted from the early trip. Time to rest for tomorrow's activities.

Day 2

🚐 Ride a Jeep from Kayang Street

If you're coming from Session Road, head to Baguio Market and turn right.

- Cross the overpass bridge

- Enter Baguio Market

- You'll exit directly at Kayang Street

- Turn left

- Ride the Lourdes Domican jeep

- The fare is only P13

- Tell the driver to drop you off at the Old Diplomat Hotel


πŸ›οΈ Old Diplomat Hotel

It's a 5-minute walk from the jump off to the entrance.

There's an entrance fee of P10 only.

Parking Fees for 2 hours:

πŸš™ P35 - Cars and Van

🚌 P40 - Tourist Vans and Buses

πŸ›΅ P10 - Motorcycle

The facade of the hotel

View from the place

Check the garden and gazebos at the back.

The comfort room is well-designed and has its own garden. They charge P9 per use.

Expenses

🚌 P2,260.10 - Round Trip Solid North Bus Ticket

🏨 P7,718.39 - Goshen Land Towers for 5 Nights (P1,544 per night)


Day 1: P920

πŸš• P50 - Taxi from Solid North to Goshen Land Towers

β˜•οΈ P310 - Breakfast Ili-Likha Artists Village

πŸ“ P50 - Strawberry Taho

πŸ– P510 - Canto Bogchi Joint


Day 2:

🚐 P13 - Jeep

πŸ›οΈ P10 - Old Diplomat Hotel entrance fee

Thanks for reaching this far!

πŸ‘‹

Say hi on Facebook if you have any questions about the guide

πŸ—“οΈ

Founded in April 2023