Small-Group Weekend Hiking Tour to Banaue-Ifugao from Manila

I had a wonderful trek! The terraces were just beautiful - it was incredible to be in the presence of these structures that were carved by hand 2000 years ago! Marvin was a truly excellent guide - very knowledgeable (and I had a lot of questions!), and very encouraging when I had to face my fears on the hike. The trek is honestly very manageable even if you aren't too active in your daily life, and guides like Marvin help to create an empowering experience even if you face some challenges. Besides, the views make it all worth it :) In addition to the hike, I learned a lot about how rice is cultivated and harvested in Ifugao province, and also about the cultures of the people who live there. I definitely recommend visiting the Banaue Museum before you return to Manila, if you have the time. As a solo traveler, I felt very safe on my entire journey - from the bus station in Manila to the tricycle rides in Banaue, all along the trek, and in my homestay. It was also great to meet other travelers along the way.

Great trip! Instructions were very clear and helpful — first bus from Manila-Banaue ran 10pm-7am, and our guide, Jody, was right there when we got off. He was fantastic — very helpful and friendly, answered questions, figured out some logistics when we had a couple of challenges along the way. The hike is not technically tricky but does involve going up and down stone stairs that might be a bit wet and therefore a bit slippery with no railings and a drop to one side, and we met someone and heard more stories of people who discovered they had a bit of a phobia with that, so be warned! The views are truly stunning if you’re up for it. As an additional note, the bus back to Manila runs 6pm-3am, and we ended up booking a hotel room for that night even though it meant getting there at 3:30am. We thought it was totally worth it to get a bit more sleep and a shower before facing the day!

Our feedback is glowing. Marvin was an excellent guide: friendly, nimble and very organised. Our guide was also able to accommodate requests that we had during the tour, too -- to go to a restaurant we wanted to try, to slot in a visit to the museum -- on the fly. Everything worked like clockwork. The company accommodated our request to see Sagada (for spelunking, i.e. traversing a 2-3h cave connection) on the third day, rather than to do more hiking. They are very responsive by email and willing to tailor your trip. For the tour itself, it is an adventure tour. You see lots and leave with a better understanding of the place off the tourist route. However, that comes at the cost of sleeping on the bus there/back and enduring a few hours of steep hikes and rudimentary sleeping/showering. Pack lightly as you carry your own bag. The food is a perk if you like simple home-cooked meals and local flavours. Embrace all that, and it will be a memorable trip. One more note: spending a night in Batat is brilliant—you get a different view of the famed terraces in the evening and then the next morning. Also, if the weather is bad, you have two shots at seeing them. The museum in Banaue was also great for the context of the indigenous traditions.