The beauty when you travel in Northern Luzon is that you can just ride a bus anywhere you wanted to go. People who visit Ilocos always end up visiting the Mountain Province, Ifugao Province, and of course Benguet.

So what are in these provinces?

Mountain Province: Bontoc and Sagada.

Ifugao Province: Banaue

Benguet: Baguio

The Regular Route: Vigan to Sagada via Baguio

1. From hotel go to Partas Bus Terminal
2. Vigan City to Baguio bus fare is 334 pesos.
3. Vigan City to Baguio travel time is 5 to 6 hours.
4. Go to Baguio Dangwa Terminal near Dangwa Market.
5. Baguio to Sagada bus fare is 250 pesos.
6. Baguio to Sagada travel time is 6 hours.
7. Baguioto Sagada last trip bus is 1:00pm
8. Baguio to Sagada bus schedule
   1. GL Trans bus Line – 5:30am, 6:30am with 30 minutes interval until 11:30 am, 1:30pm last trip.
   2. Ordinary Bus in Slaughterhouse Terminal – Lizardo Bus leaves at 9:00am

Traveling is an adventure, so why not take the route that is less traveled. A route that will give you time and experience to get along with the locals. A route that will give you a chance to know more about the locals.

A (Vigan) – B (Tagudin) – C (Cervantes) – D (Abatan, Bauko) – E (Bontoc) – F (Sagada)

What to Expect:

• This route is not a tourist route so expect to ride with locals. Riding with locals means sitting next to a person carrying chickens, basket full of vegetables, half sack of rice, box full of local goods to be delivered to another town.
• Breathe taking view. You can see mountains and lots of them.
• You will be traveling uphill.
• The Tagudin Cervantes road is the mini great wall of China in the Philippines.

Vigan to Sagada Route via Tagudin – Cervantes Road

The time that babe and I went for our Northern Luzon Backpacking Trip this route is my favorite. Most of the places and path we have taken are the touristy ones and this I can tell is a legit backpacking route.

1. From hotel go to Partas Bus Terminal.
2. Buy Ticket for Tagudin, Ilocos Sur.
3. Vigan to Tagudin fare is 150 pesos aircon bus and is 89.9km.
4. Vigan to Tagudin travel time is 2 hours and first trip bus leaves at 5:00am.
5. Ask the driver to drop you off at Bitalag Junction in Tagudin.
6. In the junction is a van waiting to be full by passengers to Cervantes, Ilocos Sur. The van is in the junction already at 7:00am.

Bitalag Junction in Tagudin, Ilocos Sur

Tagudin, Ilocos Sur to Cervantes, Ilocos Sur

7. Tagudin to Cervantes van fare is 150 pesos
8. Tagudin to Cervantes travel time is 3 hours uphill route.
9. Long and winding road from Tagudin to Cervantes.

Tagudin – Cervantes Road

Cervantes, Ilocos Sur, to Abatan, Bauko, Mt. Province

10. In Cervantes there are van scheduled to either Tadian or Abatan that is the drop off to Bontoc.
    1. Van schedule
       1. Cervantes, Ilocos Sur to Tadian, Mt. Province – 8:00am and 9:00am
       2. Cervantes, Ilocos Sur to Abatan, Bauko, Mt. Province – 7:00am, 10:00am, 1:00pm.
    2. Jeepney – only one trip at 5:30am.
    3. Tricycle – You can rent for 500 pesos to Abatan, Bauko
11. Cervantes to Abatan travel time by tricycle is 1.5 hours.
12. Your drop off is where the vans are.

Cervantes, Ilocos Sur to Abatan, Bauko, Mt. Province

Abatan, Bauko, Mt. Province to Bontoc, Mt. Province

12. Abatan to Bontoc fare is 100pesos by van.
13. Abatan to Bontoc travel time is 2 hours.
14. Your drop off is in the market. Ask around for the van to Sagada.

Abatan, Bauko, Mt. Province to Bontoc, Mt. Province

Bontoc, Mt. Province to Sagada, Mt. Province

15. Bontoc to Sagada fare is 90 pesos by jeep.
16. Bontoc to Sagada travel time is 1 hour.

Bontoc, Mt. Province to Sagada, Mt. Province

Travel Tip:

• Starting from the Bitalag junction most van or jeepney leaves only when it is full.
• To get a good view during your travel, I suggest sitting in the front.
• Vans are not air-conditioned.
• Do not get intimidated by the stare locals give you, instead greet them politely.

I highly encourage backpackers or all travelers to try the Tagudin – Cervantes route to Sagada. The beautiful serene view allows you to meditate. Experiencing this transport will give you awareness of the life of the locals living in this remote part of the Philippines.

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Meet geemiz

Geezelle Maningo - A Cebu based travel blogger and the other half of GeeMiz Travel blog. She has been traveling around the Philippines and Asia since 2010 with her husband. A casual trekker/hiker since 2017 and has been blogging since 2008. A digital marketer during workdays and a bookworm on lazy days - she co-founded Cebu Book Club.

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