Baguio City Tour and Itinerary Details

The Lion's Head in Baguio

The City of Baguio is known for its cold climate and pine trees. It's geographical nearness from Manila which is approximately 5-6 hours away from each other makes it one of the favorite destinations of the city dwellers to go up there to chill out especially during summer and holiday season. That is I have no qualms about Baguio City being designated by the Philippine Commission as the "Summer Capital" of the Philippines on June 1, 1903. 

Historically speaking, It was the Americans who established Baguio as a hill station in 1900 . It was also the first and only one if its kind in Asia that time. The word Baguio is derived from "bagiw", an Ibaloi (indigenous language in the Benguet region)  word  meaning "moss". 

I have been to Baguio 4 times already. First, in 2002 for an educational trip when I was a college student.  We stayed in a dormitory at the Teachers' Camp.  It was very cold that time when we arrived. Three am in the morning! We also felt some scary vibes inside. We were a dozen of girls inside a big room sleeping in a double deck. Second, in 2002 with my former co - workers.   The one who organized it used finished her degree in Baguio so we did not have any problems of finding accommodation and all that stuff.  

The Annual Sagada Bonfire or Panag - apoy Festival

Our  Sagada Bonfire Fest 2013 souvenir 

If you want to experience a different kind of nightlife where people gather around the biggest bonfire they probably have ever seen in their whole life, come visit Sagada during last week of December. They have this event called Sagada Bonfire Festival where traditional games and folk dances of Igorots (people of Sagada) are performed as a way of educating the guests of the lives of their ancestors during pre - colonization period. I am very lucky I was able to catch it during my Sagada tour with side trips to Banaue, Benguet and Baguio.

The climate from December to February in Sagada and neighboring mountains are at its coldest so you will get to feel the winter sans snow! I suggest you bring a cap, scarf, jacket, wear long sleeve attires and pants instead. 

You may be wondering of all the things that Sagada can make a festival out of, why bonfires? I think obviously because it represents their resilience to the cold weather. One can just stay in the room the whole day and whole night for that kind of weather then forget to plant crops or learn new skills outside but they proved that was not a problem. Their rice terraces are one of the world's most admired architecture that has baffled a lot of engineers on how these were built without aid from technology hundreds of years ago!

2014 Panagbenga Flower Festival Tour Package

Photo courtesy of St Michael Explorer Travel and Tours

Rates:

Package rates:
Php 2,800/person  (minimum of 4-6 in a room)
Php 3,050/person  (triple sharing)
Php 3,250/person  (twin sharing)

Travel Dates: Feb 23-24, 2014

Target Slots: 12-14 clients 

Van Capacity: 16 Seater Nissan Urvan/Toyota Commuter/Toyota Hi-Ace

Accommodation: Transient house type

Baggage Allowance: 1 luggage per person not more than 5kgs for your convenience.

18th Panagbenga Festival 2014 in Baguio Schedule of Activities

Baguio's Flower Festival or locally called as Panagbenga Festival is one of the most famous festival in the Philippines. It was originally celebrated to cheer up the whole province after the devastating earthquake happened in 1990. Later on, the locals saw the potential of  these lovely flowers to attract visitors thus a good effect to their tourism sector. 

We are offering a Panagbenga Tour Package 2014 which includes roundtrip van, 2 days Baguio tour, watch the Grand Street Dancing Parade, overnight accommodation and travel insurance.  Please click here for the rates, itinerary and questions you have just let us know.