Here you’ll find everything you need to know about how to get to Vigan without making things too complicated. If you want to explore what is, without a doubt, the most interesting Filipino city in historical and cultural terms, you’ll have to “suffer” a little with transport, but with this guide it will probably be a bit more manageable. Let’s go!
Where Vigan is and main points of interest
To know how to get to Vigan you first have to locate it, and for that we need to set our sights on the largest island in the entire Philippine archipelago: Luzon. For more reference, it’s also where Manila, the capital, is; the magnificent rice terraces of Banaue and Batad; the interesting mountain area of Sagada; the surf breaks of La Union; the Pagupud area, with little tourism and beautiful beaches; or the Pinatubo volcano.
As you can imagine, Luzon is quite large, so traveling it from end to end will take you some time. Specifically, Vigan is about 400 kilometers north of Manila and 85 kilometers from Laoag, the city where its nearest airport is located.
Although, at first glance, the airport in Clark may seem convenient for getting to Vigan, in our experience, those in Laoag (IATA code LAO) or Manila (IATA code MNL) are more convenient, since from both cities you have direct buses to Vigan.
Vigan has a fairly large bus station that receives buses from Manila, but also from other parts of Luzon such as Laoag, Baguio, or La Union.
How to get to Vigan from Manila
The vast majority of travelers usually get to Vigan from Manila, the capital. In this case, you have 2 alternatives:
- Search for a flight from Manila to Laoag (approx. 1 hour) and then take a bus from Laoag to Vigan (approx. 2 hours).
- Take a bus from Manila to Vigan (between 9 and 12 hours).
We’re going to tell you how to get to Vigan from Manila both ways so you can make a decision.
a) How to go from Manila to Vigan by plane (via Laoag)
There are several flights a day from Manila Airport to Laoag with Cebu Pacific Air and Philippine Airlines starting at 21€ if you buy them in advance and from the very early morning.
Book flights from Manila to Laoag
Once in Laoag, you can go to Robinsons by tricycle and wait for any bus to Vigan on the main road, or take a jeepney to the center and go to the Florida Bus Terminal, Fariñas Bus Terminal, or Partas Bus Terminal and wait for the next bus to Vigan. Most of them are the ones heading to Manila, but they pass through Vigan.
The journey from Laoag to Vigan will take between 90 minutes and 2 hours, depending on the stops it makes. The price is around 200 pesos, depending on the type of bus.
b) How to go from Manila to Vigan by bus
If you don’t feel like flying, it’s feasible to go to Vigan by bus from Manila. There are several companies operating the route, but the most important and most frequent are Fariñas, Partas, and Florida Bus. The journey takes between 8 and 11 hours, depending on the traffic when leaving Manila and the stops it makes.
All of these companies have different types of buses, which basically differ in the comfort or width of the seat, since almost all have air conditioning and a bathroom (although they also make 1 or 2 stops in service areas). Some have individual TV screens. Prices range between 1,000 and 1,200 pesos per ticket. You can see schedules and book your ticket from THIS LINK.
Keep in mind that in Manila the issue of terminals is somewhat confusing, since there isn’t a central station that groups everything. In the case of Fariñas it’s here, Partas has one in Pásay (this one) and another in Cubao (this one) We highly recommend going to the terminals with plenty of time because Manila traffic tends to be hellish, especially in the afternoons.
Personally, unless you don’t feel like taking a bus at all or you want to combine a visit to Pagupud, the church of Paoáy, and Vigan, we think it’s better to get to Vigan on a night bus. To make it less tiring, since during the day there can be traffic and the bus tends to stop much more to pick up and drop off people, we strongly recommend taking a night bus to Vigan. The time we did the route during the day was exasperating.
How to get to Vigan from Cebu
Since there are no direct flights between Cebu and Laoag, you’ll have to book a flight from Cebu to Manila and then choose between flying to Laoag or taking one of the buses we’ve mentioned.
If you plan to take two flights, we recommend doing it with the same airline or leaving at least 3 hours between them just in case the first one is delayed.
How to get to Vigan from Laoag or Pagudpud
If you’ve decided to explore northern Luzon (nice!) you just have to head to the Fariñas, Partas, or Florida bus terminals located in the center of Laoag. From there you have buses roughly every hour throughout the day toward Laoag, which take just an hour and a half or two to Vigan. The price is around 200 pesos.
If you’re in Pagudpud, just take any bus or van toward Laoag (about an hour and a half/150–170 pesos) and connect with another bus to Vigan. The company Partas has buses from Pagupud to Manila that pass through Vigan, so you could also consider this option.
How to get to Vigan from La Union
You can get to Vigan from La Union easily, you just have to wait on the main road for a bus heading to Laoag to pass. Even so, we think it’s better to go to the Partas station in San Fernando, from where they frequently depart heading north.
The journey takes about 3 hours, although it also depends on the traffic and the stops it makes. The price depends on the bus, but estimate between 300 and 350 pesos. It can’t be booked online.
Remember that you have all the info about this area in our La Union Guide.
How to get to Vigan from Sagada
You have a couple of options to reach Vigan from Sagada:
- Take a bus from Vigan to Baguio: they’re operated by the company GL Trans 3 times a day. It’s better to ask for schedules, but there’s surely one at 8:30, which tends to be the most direct. The journey takes between 5 and 6 hours, depending on the condition of the road, and is around 350 pesos. You’ll pass through the entire Benguet area, which is very beautiful. Then another from Baguio to Vigan, which also takes another 5 hours and is operated by Fariñas and Partas. Prices are around 550–650 pesos, depending on the type of bus. Keep in mind that it’s possible that the buses from Sagada arrive at the Dangwa Terminal, but that those going to Vigan do so from the one in front of SM City. You can join them by walking or take one of Baguio’s taxis, which use a meter.
- Via Cervantes and Tagudin. Take a jeepney from Sagada to Bontoc (45′, about 80 pesos), then a bus from Bontoc to Cervantes (2 hours, about 150–200 pesos), another from Cervantes to Tagudin (Bitalag Junction, 1 hour) and another from Tagudin to Vigan (2 hours). As you can see, it will be a somewhat shorter journey, but with more connections and tiring. You could also look at the option of going from Sagada to Bauko and linking there toward Cervantes.
Don’t miss our Sagada Guide.
How to get to Vigan from Banaue
As in the previous case, you have 2 alternatives:
- Via Baguio. Take a bus from Banaue to Baguio (between 7 and 10 hours, about 800 pesos, operated by the company Ohayami and you can see schedules and book here) and then a bus to Vigan (about 5 hours, Fariñas or Partas, about 550–650 pesos and they cannot be booked online).
- Via Bontoc, Cervantes, and Tagudin: you’ll have to take a jeepney or bus from Banaue to Bontoc (around 2 hours, about 330 pesos), then Bontoc–Cervantes by bus (approx. 2 hours), Cervantes–Tagudin by bus or van (1 hour), and Tagudin–Vigan by bus (2 hours). Try to leave very early so you don’t have to stay overnight at some point along the route.
Have a look at our Banaue Guide to discover the best of the area.
How to get to Vigan from other places in the Philippines
We’ve tried to group the best ways to get to Vigan from the main starting points for travelers, but, of course, with 7,000 islands, they’re not the only ones. Broadly speaking, we could say that the solution to get to Vigan involves taking a flight to Manila or Laoag and then getting on a bus to Vigan, but here’s a brief summary:
- How to get to Vigan from El Nido: you’ll have to book a flight from El Nido to Manila and then a flight to Laoag + bus to Vigan or a flight from Manila to Laoag. If you want to save money, take a van from El Nido to Puerto Princesa and, from there, a flight to Manila.
- How to get to Vigan from Coron: the most practical will be a flight from Coron to Manila, but you also have some ferries per week from Coron to Manila (about 15–17 hours). Then follow the previous steps.
- How to get to Vigan from Puerto Princesa: take a flight from Puerto Princesa to Manila and choose one of the previous alternatives.
- How to get to Vigan from Bohol: there are cheap flights from Bohol to Manila. Afterwards, opt for the bus to Vigan the flight to Laoag + bus.
How to get around Vigan
The bus station is close to the interesting area to visit in Vigan, so you’ll be able to get to your hotel perfectly on foot. Even so, if you don’t feel like walking, you can negotiate a tricycle. Journeys within Vigan don’t cost more than 20 pesos per person.
I hope we’ve helped you figure out how to get to Vigan, but if you have any questions, you can write us a comment and we’ll help as much as possible. Have a great trip and enjoy Vigan!
