Baguio & Ilocos

From the pine ridges to the Spanish north

Five days is enough to cross two very different Norths. It begins in the cool of the Cordillera and ends among the baroque churches and windswept coast of Ilocos — a long, satisfying road trip that groups tend to remember for years.

Baguio sits around 1,500 metres up, and you feel it the moment the bus doors open: pine air, jackets out, and mornings that actually need a hot drink. Burnham Park, Session Road, Mines View and the strawberry fields at La Trinidad fill the days — and the city was named a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art in 2017, which explains the quality of the weaving and woodwork in its markets.

Then the road drops to the sea and to Vigan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999 and the best-preserved Spanish colonial town in Asia — Calle Crisologo still cobbled, still lantern-lit, still lived in. Further north, Ilocos Norte lays out the greatest hits: Paoay Church, a UNESCO-listed baroque landmark finished in 1710 and buttressed against earthquakes; the Bangui wind farm turning above the bay; the white Kapurpurawan rock formation; and the Cape Bojeador lighthouse, guiding ships since 1892.

It is a proper long-haul itinerary, run on our own DOT-accredited coaches with a Tierra de Ibalon coordinator travelling with the group from departure to return.

Good to know

• Baguio is genuinely cold at night — pack a jacket or fleece even in summer.
• This is a long-distance overland route with early starts; comfortable clothes and travel-sickness remedies are worth bringing.
• Vigan’s cobbles and Paoay’s grounds are best handled in flat, comfortable shoes.
• Bring cash for pasalubong — Vigan empanada, Ilocos bagnet, and Baguio strawberry preserves.