[su_box title=”UPDATED 2017″ box_color=”#f9a02c”]Hey guys! After almost 2 years, I finally got the chance to go back here in Baguio. My latest visit is for work purposes so we were not able to roam that much (not a big deal for me since I have pretty much seen the whole of Baguio). But I got to visit new places like the Camp John Hay and colorful houses in Stobosa. Not much have changed but hopefully you find this update helpful.[/su_box]
Well this is a really long overdue post but hey, since I’m receiving messages regarding my trip to
Baguio City this summer, I’ve decided to do a compilation of places you should visit. After a 3-day trip to the summer capital, I went straight back home in Manila to just literally wash my clothes. Because after a couple of days, I went back to Baguio for another 5-day stay, this time with my best friends. This is our first out-of-town trip and we’re pretty excited. We are all first-timers
(well not me technically and since I had an idea already, I became an instant tour guide haha!) and being students at the time being, our budget is really tight. Php 2,000-3,000 max. And remember this is a 5-day visit! But hey, we survived! We even managed to do a side trip to
La Union where we tried surfing
(more on that on my next posts so do watch out for it). Anyways, let’s the start the trip.
GOODBYE MANILA
The road to Baguio city is tough. And by tough I mean you have to wait for hours. The best way to go to Baguio is by riding a bus (Victory, Genesis, Dagupan). You have two options: deluxe (which is around 4-6 hours travel time, free biscuits and a bottle of water, La-Z Boy recliner chair, comfort room. Costs Php 700) or the regular air-conditioned bus (7-8 hours travel time, has stop overs. Costs Php 445. Php 356/student discount).
If you have some time to spare, I’d say go for the regular. It’s almost half the fare. Plus, if you’re a student, go take advantage of the discount by showing your ID. A little note though: try to book earlier or go earlier to the station. We went there around 3pm and it was already around 7pm when we got on board.
HELLO BAGUIO
Baguio under bad weather conditions.
We arrived by around 12mn. Travel time is faster during at night. We have a friend who’s staying in Baguio so we already have a contact. Original plan was for her to help us find a transient place. Unfortunately we couldn’t contact her since it was already late. So we had no option but to find a hotel. But due to some great circumstances, everything is fully booked. It was PMA’s graduation so we couldn’t find a place to stay. Good thing we have a tent with us so we had no choice but to camp at Burnham Park. Yes, it’s okay to camp there. To make things more interesting, it was 17°C due to an incoming storm.
WHERE TO GO
Now it’s time for a breakdown of places you should visit and check out. This is listed in a random order since I’ve combined my 2 trips. Also, I didn’t include the places where you should eat. I’ll be posting that on a separate posts since they’re quite a handful (I’d like to think that the only reason we went there was to eat. LOL!)
BURNHAM PARK
This should be first on your list. Why? It’s because it’s the center of Baguio City. At Burnham Park, you could enjoy the boat ride at the lagoon. Best time would be morning since the mist is visible which adds drama to the experience. From there, you can easily access SM Baguio, Session Road and Baguio Cathedral. I would suggest to put Session Road at the very end of your itinerary since it has the market where you can shop for pasalubong.
Best friends. Tracy, Patrick, Lois and me. Special thanks to Jam for touring us!
NIGHT MARKET
Harrison Road along Burnham Park is known for its night market. Check my full feature
here.
TEACHER’S CAMP
If you’re into jogging, go for Teacher’s Camp. They have a lap there plus a garden full of sunflowers. And if you’re into history and architecture, it’s a great visit. Just beside it is the famed haunted house, the Laperal White House.
WRIGHT PARK
Next on the list would have to be Wright Park. Just like Burnham Park, it’s also a central area. Around it includes The Mansion, Ketchup Community (a food district) and Botanical Garden.
You shouldn’t miss these horses (especially the pink one).
Across Wright Park is The Mansion (in the background)
BOTANICAL GARDEN
MINES VIEW PARK
A popular destination, Mines View Park gives you a great view of Baguio City. On our visit though, it was foggy and rainy so we didn’t stay long. Beside it is the Good Shepherd, a popular shopping place where you can buy food items such as their famed Ube Jam, Snowballs and Alfajor.
BENCAB MUSEUM
TAM-AWAN VILLAGE
Also known as Garden in the Sky, Tam-Awan Village is a literally an indigenous village. After some flight of stairs, you’ll be presented with an awesome view. Wasn’t able to go inside though since I was dead tired and I just wanted to rest outside. Beside is another art gallery, Arko Ni Apo which has no entrance fee. Cameras are not allowed though and on the other side is The Farmer’s Daughter Restaurant.
TREE TOP ADVENTURE
If you’re in for some adventure, visit Tree Top. They have many options to choose from. I went for the superman ride. Twice.
STRAWBERRY FARM & ROSE GARDEN
The perfect place for strawberry picking! Check my full feature
here.[su_box title=”UPDATE” box_color=”#f9a02c”]We visited the Strawberry Farm again but before heading there, we decided to drop by first at Stobosa, a new attraction downtown.[/su_box]
STOBOSA HOUSES
When this became a hit last year after it was launched, I told myself that I’ll go here. Inspired by the colorful houses in Brazil, the houses in Stobosa is a collaboration project between the community and a paint brand. You’ll pass by these houses on your way to the Strawberry Farm so do make a stop over.
Honestly, I was very disappointed by these houses. It looked so good in photos but in person it was like, meh. So if this is your main destination, I’d say skip this and go to BenCab Museum instead. But if this is along the way, a 5-minute photo opp wouldn’t hurt.
CAMP JOHN HAY & BAGUIO COUNTRY CLUB
This is a nice place although they’re kinda strict so make sure to call them first before visiting.
BAGUIO CONVENTION CENTER
If you’re into architecture, you’ll love this place. It’s just near SM Baguio. However, it’s not properly maintained.
OTHERS
We weren’t able to go these places since it rained almost the entire time we were in Baguio but it’s on our list:
The Manor
Camp John Hay
(finally got the chance to see these two!)
Lourdes Grotto
Diplomat Hotel
HOW TO MAXIMIZE YOUR BUDGET
Fare is very cheap. It only cost Php 45-100 per trip. I would suggest you go the central areas then walk from there. Compared to Manila, walking in Baguio is fun even if it’s sunny outside. You don’t have to worry about it too much. Food is VERY cheap as well. Php 150 would go a very long way. As for the accommodation, since we stayed at Teacher’s camp, we only spent roughly Php 600 for 5 days.
SUGGESTED ITINERARY
This is my suggested itinerary for your next trip. Take note that I just grouped the places according to their distance so travel time and fare would be maximized. You can actually visit all of them in just 2 days.
Tour 1
Drop off point: Burnham Park
SM Baguio
Session Road
Baguio Cathedral
Teacher’s Camp
Laperal White House
Baguio Convention Center
Night Market (around 8pm-12mn)
Tour 2
Drop off point: Wright Park
The Mansion
Ketchup Community
Botanical Garden
Tour 3
Drop off point: Mines View Park
Good Shepherd
Tour 4
Drop off point: Camp John Hay
The Manor
Diplomat Hotel
Lourdes Grotto
Tour 5
(this has no drop off point as you have to go to each place directly via taxi/car)
Ben Cab Museum
Tam-Awan Village
Stobosa House
La Trinidad Strawberry Farm
Rose Garden
That’s it. Thank you reading guys. And thanks to my best friends for having such an awesome trip. If you have any suggested itineraries or other places to visit, comment them in!
READ MORE: WHERE TO EAT
Cheers~!
– Justin –
It's nice sharing some tips on how to get the most out of baguio even when one is on a tight budget.
Beautiful photos of Baguio! I think That Thing Called Tadhana made it one of the hottest destinations this year. And who can blame us? I wish to get back there soon. There's more to it than just Burnham Park 🙂
Me and my friends planned to raid Baguio this end of the month and I cannot wait to visit it. Thanks for the tips Justin! 🙂
Baguio City, a victim of exploitation which as of this writing, is haunted by a person or group of skilled worker or Mapapasano.
I was at Baguio last summer but I wasn't able to tour and enjoy the place because I was there for a seminar. Hopefully next time with my soon-to-be-hubby!
waaah Justin! Love the photos! Grabe nakakaloka yung camping! I wish I can do this with my friends too! You stayed in Teacher's Camp omg! Super dami kong nakakatakot na stories na alam jan haha. i wish to visit baguio soon! The last time I was there was year 1999 pa 😀
i've been to baguio a couple of times already. seeing burnham park, mines view and the bencab museum brings back fond memories for me since it was a fun trip! oh and I've tried the night market also once – got me very cheap silver accessories (bracelet, earrings and ring) which I still wear til now. untarnished! 😀
I miss Baguio City, the strawberry picking…the Tamawan Village…I wanted to experience this place again ang again 🙂
I think Teacher's camp is among the more affordable place to go plus you also get a lot of ghost stories to scare each other. When I'm in Baguio I just walk a lot and hit the trails.
Isn't The Laperal White House the haunted house used in most movies? I believe this has been also featured in Misteryo. It would be cool to see it in actual. The accommodation you guys stayed in is quite really freaky. I don't think I'd get a decent sleep there. haha.
Your photos are so nice! I love Baguio. It's one of those vacation spots where, if you play it smart, you really won't need to spend much to have a good time.
Super Thanks.Isa to sa mga goals ko for this year.
I'm also a student kaya tight budget talaga. Atleast ngayon may idea na ko. Super Thanks. Godbless.
Now I can't wait to see Baguio. I am a traveler and I love to explore the world around. Thanks a lot for sharing! I had a great time reading your blog.
This comment has been removed by the author.
How cute that horse is looking like.,Its like an unicorn.I thought to pass my vacancy seeing recliner reviews but you have given me a very good idea of going on a tour.And your budget planing is also considerable.
Add Dinausor Island and Holy Land if you have the time… Kids at heart and alike will like it as an experience… 😉
Nice! I love Baguio .very inspiring site
hello. id like to know how can we make a book at teachers camp?
hello. id like to know how can we make a book at teachers camp?