Sagada Itinerary and Expenses 4 Days / 3 Nights | Travel Guide

Two years ago, I made a post about the picturesque Sagada.  But this year, me and my college friends went to Sagada.  It's my fourth visit so I think it's best to share our itinerary and expenses during the trip. There are also available adventures in this post.  Hope to be of help!

(Do It Yourself - DIY)
 ITINERARY

Day 0	Thursday
9:30PM	Ohayami Bus Departure to Banaue
11:00PM	Stopover in Bulacan
Day 1	Friday
4:00AM	Stopover in Nueva Vizcaya
7:30AM	Arrival in Banaue
7:45AM	Breakfast in Banaue
9:00AM	Off to Sagada (with Stopover in Banaue Viewpoint)
12:00PM	Arrival in Canaway Inn, Sagada
12:30PM	Check in, rest, freshen up
2:00PM	Foodtrip: Lunch in Salt and Pepper
3:00PM	Walk to SAGGASS office to inquire
3:15PM	Register in Tourist Information/Municipall Hall and inquire
3:30PM	Watch Locals Dancing in Basketball Court
4:00PM	Raining / Stand by / Paid Log Cabin Dinner
4:30PM	Back to Tourist Information to book Kiltepan for next day
5:00PM	Foodtrip: Lemon Pie in Lemon Pie House
5:30PM	Foodtrip: Light Dinner in Sagada Brew Cafe
6:00PM	Sunset Picture taking
7:30PM	Dinner at Art Cafe (again)
9:00PM	Foodtrip: Crepe with Banana and Chocolate or Peanut Butter
7:00PM	Back to Canaway Inn, freshen up
9:00PM	Sleep
Day 2	Saturday
4:00AM	Wake up, for Kiltepan Sunrise Viewing
6:30AM	Back to Town Proper
7:00AM	Breakfast Sagada Taste
7:30AM	Prepare for Bomod-ok Trek
8:30AM	Off to Bangaan
9:00AM	Bangaan Registration
9:15AM	Start trekking down to the falls
1:20PM	Back to Town Proper
1:35PM	Lunch at Town Proper Carenderia
2:30PM	Back in Canaway Inn, freshen up, rest, sleep
6:00PM	Out for Souvenir Hunting
6:45PM	Buffet at Log Cabin
Day 3	Sunday
7:00AM	Register in SAGASS and breakfast
8:00AM	Cave Connection
12:30PM	End of Cave Connection
1:00PM	Back at Canaway, stopover in Gaia Cafe along the way after spelunking
2:30PM	Foodtrip: Lunch in Strawberry Cafe
3:30PM	Souvenir Hunting until until 5pm
7:00PM	Dinner at George Guest House
8:30PM	Pack up
10:00PM	Rest
Day 4	Monday
6:00AM	Breakfast in George Guesthouse
6:45AM	Walk to GL Trans Terminal Supposedly for 7Am but we're late
7:40AM	Next bus arrived but already full of passengers from other town
2:15PM	Market in Baguio for vegetables hunting and lunch in SM
4:00PM	Arrival in Victory Liner
5:00PM	Departure from Baguio to Manila
6:30PM	Stopover in La Union
8:30PM	Stopover in Tarlac
10:40PM	Arrival in Manila

Date of Visit: May 2015

Number of Bakasyonistas: 5 people

EXPENSES

Day 1	Group Expenses	Per Head
Transportation
Bus: Manila to Banaue		Php 450
Van: Banaue to Sagada		Php 300
Accommodation
Canaway Inn Accommodation		Php900
Php 300/night/pax (x 3 nights)
Food/Meals
Breakfast in Banaue		Php 90
Lunch in Salt and Pepper		Php 190
Lemon Pie House: 1 Lemon Pie and 1 Egg Pie	Php 65	Php 13
Dinner in Sagada Brew		Php 150
Bottled Water 500ml		Php 25
Tour Fees
Tourist Registration Fee		Php 35
Day 2	Group Expenses	Per Head
Transportation
Jeep Rental: Kiltepan Sunrise Viewing	Php 500	Php 100
Jeep Rental: Bomod-ok via Bangaan	Php 550	Php 110
Food/Meals
Breakfast: Sagada Taste		Php 90
Bottled Water 1L		Php 25
Halo-halo in Bangaan after the trek		Php 20
Siomai in Bangaan after the trek		Php 25
Lunch in a carenderia in front of the jeep terminal		Php 70
Gulay + Rice - 70      Pork + Rice - 90      Beef + Rice - 100
Dinner: Log Cabin (call to reserve, pay upon arrival)		Php 390
Tour Fees
NOSIGA Guide (Bomod-ok falls)	Php 500	Php 100
Php 500 for 10 pax or less
NOSIGA Guide Tip (voluntary)	Php 200	Php 40
Bangaan Village Environmental Fee		Php 10
Day 3	Group Expenses	Per Head
Transportation
Jeep/Van Rental: For Cave Connection	Php 500	Php 100
Food/Meals
Breakfast: Canaway Inn		Php 120
Lunch at Strawberry Cafe		Php 120
Strawberry Yoghurt in Strawberry Cafe	Php 70	Php 14
Dinner: George Guesthouse		Php 100
Bottled Water 1L		Php 25
Tour Fees
Cave Connection		Php 400
Guide Tip to Kuya Larry and Harry (voluntary)	Php 400	Php 100
Miscellaneous Expenses
Peanut Butter Cookies (3 for 100)		Php 100
Wild Honey		Php 150
Day 4	Group Expenses	Per Head
Transportation
Non AC Bus: Sagada to Baguio		Php 220
AC Bus: Baguio to Manila c/o Victory Liner		Php 450
Jeepney Fare: Market to SM Baguio		Php 8.50
Taxi Fare: SM Baguio to Victory Liner Terminal	Php 50	Php 10
Meals
Breakfast: George Guesthouse		Php 100
Bottled Water 1L		Php 25
Lunch in Baguio		Php 100

TIPS:

- Register first at Municipal Tourism office before doing any activity

- Buy your bottled water in mini stores.  Cheaper then buying it in restaurants or guesthouses.

- You can ask the guides to join you with others to save money especially in transportation.  The more in the group, the cheaper.

- We've tried various restaurants in Sagada.  Aside from the famous Log Cabin buffet, George Guesthouse's also stand out as they have home cooked meals (Sinigang, chopseuy) good for 2-3 person with reasonable price.  For breakfast, Sagada Taste is great option as well. 

- For Log Cabin buffet, you may contact them prior going to Sagada for reservation, then pay once you're already there. 

- Sagada is cheaper when touring in groups. 

Available Adventures in Sagada Provided by Municipal Tourism

Spelunking
Sumaguing Cave
Most of the time first timers would try this first. Expect waist deep water in some parts of Sumaguing cave.
Last entrance to the cave: 4:00pm
Guide Fee:
Php 500 for 4 visitors or less
Php 600 for 5 visitors
Php 1000 for 6-9 visitors (2 guides)
Php 1200 for 10 visitors (2 guides)
Php 1500 for 11-12 visitors (2 guides)

Cave Connection
Lumiang-Sumaguin Cave takes about 4-5 hours.
Last entrance to the caves: 4:00pm
Guide Fee: Php400/person

Balangagan Cave aka Marcos Cave
Last entrance to the cave: 4:00pm
Guide Fee: Php 650 for 4 visitors or less

Waterfalls
Bumayeng Twin Falls
Fee: Php 2500 for 5 visitors or less (guide fee + packed meals)
Hike Duration: 3 hrs one way
Transportation: Php 650 two way

Bomod-ok Falls aka Big Falls
There are two ways to get there, via Aguid and via Bangaan. I suggest to try via Anguid going down, then via Bangaan going up, or vice versa for a different view.
Hike Duration: 1 hr going down, 2 hrs going up (depends on your phase)
Fee: Php 500 for 10 visitors or less
Transportation: Php 650 two way

Pongas Falls
This is the second favorite option because Bomod-ok becomes overcrowded.
Fee: Php 600
Hike Duration: 1 hr
Transportation: Php 650 two way

Bokong Falls
Bokong falls is known as small falls.
Fee: Php 200
Transportation: Php 250 two way

Eco-Tour
3 hours of loop hike to Echo Valley Hanging Coffins, Sagada Underground River entrance, St. Mary's Church, and Bokong Natural Swimming Pool passing thru small river, valley/canyon, rice fields and Sagada Weaving
Guide Fee: Php 600 for 10 visitors or less

Adventure Trail
3 hours trek to Echo Valley, Hanging Coffins passing through St. Mary's Church, enter the Underground River, forest trails, river crossing, Bokong swimming pool
Guide Fee: Php 1000 for 10 visitors or less

Echo Valley Hanging Coffins
Short hike to have a close-up view of the coffins
Guide Fee: Php 200 for 10 visitors or less

Kiltepan Sunrise
The best time for sunrise viewing will be in summer. Leave for Kiltepan at 4:30am, 15 minutes drive from the town center. You can do topload going back so make sure that the vehicle has some rails for you to do topload.
Transport Fee: Php 500

Lake Danum/Sunset
You can drop by Sagada Stoneware pottery along the way. 20 minutes drive, or around 1 hr walk.
Transport Fee: Php 500

Mountain Trekking
Mt. Ampacao Traverse
A loop hike from town center to Lake Danum viewpoint then to Mt. Ampacao and down to the village of Demang or Ambasing. This will take around 3 hours or so depending on your ability to walk on natural mountain or trails.
Guide Fee: Php 800 for 10 visitors or less

Grassy Land / Marlboro
2-3 hours of back trekking.  It is also a camping site and sunrise viewpoint.
Guide Fee: Php 1000 for 3 visitors or less

Mt. Sisipitan
The highest mountain in Sagada, it is 2,200 meters above sea level.
Guide Fee: Php 2000/person

Mt. Polis
Nestles between Mt. Ampacao and the "Grassy Land"/Marlboro, provides a good view of Sagada.
Guide Fee: Php 1500 for 3 visitors or less

Marlboro Hills - Blue Soil Traverse Trek
4-5 hours trek passing through rice terraces and limestone formations.
Guide Fee: Php 1800 for 3 visitors or less
Transport Fee: Php 1,350

Schedule of Regular Trips From Sagada

There are two transportation options from/to Manila:

One is Manila-Baguio-Sagada, and the other one is Manila-Banaue-Sagada. We chose Manila-Banaue-Sagada going to Sagada because we haven't seen the Banaue rice terraces.  We then decided to take the Sagada-Baguio-Manila going home because my friends bought some vegetables from the Baguio market.

Sagada-Baguio (GL/Lizardo Bus)
Bus Fare: Php 220 | 5 hours
5:00AM / 7:00AM / 8:00AM / 9:00AM / 10:00AM / 11:30AM (depends on availability of bus) / 1:00PM

Sagada-Bontoc
Jeep Fare: Php 45 | 40 minutes
6:30AM / 7:00AM / 7:30AM / 8:00AM / 8:30AM / 9:00AM / 10:00AM / 11:00AM / 12:00 PM / 1:00PM

Bontoc-Banaue
Bus Fare: 150 | 1.5 hours
7:00AM / 9:00AM

Jeep Fare: Php 150 | 1.5 hours
8:30AM / 10:00AM / 1:00PM

Banaue-Manila
Bus Fare: Php 450 | 9-10 hours
Via Ohayami Bus
7:00PM