If on your trip around the Philippines you plan to visit the spectacular and historic Batad rice terraces, you’ve come to the right place. Here we’re going to tell you how to get to Batad with every last detail.
Where is Batad?
The small village of Batad is located on the island of Luzón. More specifically, it belongs to the Cordillera region, in the heart of this huge island. The closest city is Banaue, which will be your starting point to reach Batad.
There are no roads to reach Batad. Although, over time, the paved part of the route has increased and you no longer have to slog through a long hike, it is still necessary to walk along a dirt path for about 15 minutes from the end of the road. In other words, you won’t find vehicles that will take you to where you are staying.
There are also no operational airports near Batad. Although there are rumors that the airline Air Swift might start operating flights from Clark to Bagabag (40 minutes by bus from Banaue), they have not materialized yet. On the other hand, Cauayan Airport is an interesting alternative if you want to explore off‑the‑beaten‑path places or pay for a direct transfer to Banaue (about 7.000 pesos/4 hours). Going from Cauayan to Banaue by public transportation will take you a little over 6 hours, so if you add the time to get to the airport and so on, you don’t save much compared to the journey from Manila.
As you’ll see, from Clark Airport the way isn’t easy either. Therefore, the airport we advise you to consider is Manila. From the capital of the Philippines to Batad it’s about 380 kilometers.
How to get from Banaue to Batad
Batad is about 18 kilometers from the town of Banaue. These 18 kilometers can be covered in 2 ways:
- Doing a trekking of several hours or days
- Going by jeepney or tricycle
The first option can be done in several ways. You can choose to do it on your own or by hiring a guide at the tourism office. You will also have to choose the route. The most popular is the one that passes through the villages of Pula and Cambulo, spending one or two nights in them or in Batad.
The second is, of course, the easiest way to get to Batad. In addition, from here you can also go hiking and, if you want, head toward Pula and Cambulo, then make your way back to Banaue.
Jeepneys are usually parked at a terminal opposite the market. Usually there is only one per day, at 15:00. Sometimes there is another at 9:00, but that’s not the norm. The trip from Banaue to Batad takes about 45 minutes and costs 80 pesos per person.
If you don’t want to wait for the jeepney, you can negotiate with a tricycle to take you. These usually charge 400–500 pesos per ride (readers tell us that now up to 800 pesos), so it will be quite cost‑effective if there are several of you. In addition, the route is very beautiful and you can make stops to admire it. You can also ask the driver to wait to take you back.
A few years ago, the road between Banaue and Batad was a real nightmare and only reached a point called Saddle Point. Once there, vehicles couldn’t go any farther and you had to walk for quite a long while. However, although cars still don’t reach Batad, the paved road has advanced and you will only have to walk for about 20 minutes to get to Batad.
If you don’t feel like carrying your backpack because it’s a hassle or because you’re going to continue your route through the Ifugao rice terraces, don’t worry, almost all the hotels in Banaue will store it for a few pesos. Don’t worry, it’s safe, since most even have lockers with padlocks.
How to get to Batad from Manila
You have two options to cover the route from Manila to Banaue: by bus or by plane.
a) How to get from Manila to Batad by bus
The most comfortable way to get to Batad is via Manila. Although it’s not close, there are direct night buses to Banaue and, from there, you can take a jeepney or a tricycle to Batad.
There are 2 bus companies that operate the Manila–Banaue route: Ohayami Trans and Coda Lines. All depart from their own terminals. Coda Lines’ is this oneand Ohayami’s this one.
Keep in mind that if you’ve arrived on a flight to Manila, it can take a very long time to reach the stations. Without traffic it’s barely 25 minutes, but it’s not unusual for it to take an hour or even two. So leave plenty of time and, above all, use GRAB (Southeast Asia’s Uber) so they don’t take you for a ride.
Although schedules often change, these are the following:
| Bus company | Scheduled departure and arrival time |
| Ohayami Trans | 22:00 – 7:00
21:00 – 6:00 (only during periods of high demand) |
| Coda Lines (Tourist) | 20:00 – 5:00 |
| Coda Lines (VIP, with toilet) | 21:00 – 6:00 |
Prices range around 8000-1.000 pesos, depending on the type of bus. Our advice is to book online, since these buses are usually quite full and the terminals are very far apart to swap if there are no tickets left on one side.
Book your bus from Manila to Banaue here
Keep in mind that these buses are freezer‑cold. Really, believe us, it’s VERY cold. Go prepared with thermal clothing because they don’t provide anything. We also suggest taking a sleep mask and earplugs. Although there are a few stops for the bathroom (only one bus has one), we recommend bringing drinks and food.
Schedules from Banaue to Manila
Many travelers don’t venture further in Luzon and return to Manila from here. These are the bus schedules from Banaue to Manila:
| Bus company | Scheduled departure and arrival time |
| Ohayami Trans | 17:30 – 4:00 |
| Coda Lines (Tourist) | 16:30 – 3:00 |
| Coda Lines (VIP, with toilet) | 17:30 – 4:00 |
Keep in mind that the jeepney from Batad (the parking area) to Banaue leaves at 9:00. It’s better to ask first, as this keeps changing.
b) How to get to Batad from Manila by plane (via Cauayan)
As we mentioned above, you can also get to Batad from Manila by plane. While it isn’t a direct way and it’s more expensive, it’s an alternative to consider if you don’t want to endure an overnight road trip.
To do this, you need to book a flight from Manila to Cauayan. The only airline that operates them is Cebu Pacific Air. For now, it’s not daily; it departs at 9:05 and lands in Cauayan at 10:45.
Search flights from Manila to Cauayan here
Prices are quite variable, but it’s not uncommon to find them from 33€ if purchased in advance.
Once in Cauayan, you can choose between 2 ways to get to Banaue:
- Take a car or van from those waiting at the airport. Prices are usually around 7.000 pesos, but you can try to get it cheaper. This will take about 3,5–4 hours.
- Go by public transportation. To do this, you can hop on a tricycle and ask them to take you to the point where the buses to Bagabag pass. A fair price would be 100 pesos. Once you manage to get on the bus, tell the driver you want to get off at Bagabag Junction. There you’ll have to wait for a jeepney to Lagawe and from there another to Banaye. Allow about 400 pesos and about 6 hours to make this journey.
Once in Banaue, follow the steps to reach Batad that we explained above.
How to get to Batad from Clark
Looking at the map, it may seem that you’ll reach Batad more easily from Clark Airport, since it’s closer than Manila. However, the truth is that it becomes more of a hassle because there is no direct transportation.
What you would have to do is take a taxi to DAU Bus Terminal in Angeles (15 minutes) and from there any bus heading to Tuguegarao. However, you have to tell them that you’re going to get off at Bagabag (about 6 hours). Once there, you would take a jeepney or bus toward Banaue (about 3 hours).
How to get to Batad from Bontoc
If you’re exploring a bit more of Luzon, you might be wondering how to get to Batad from Bontoc. Well, it’s as easy as taking one of the buses, jeepneys, or vans that connect Bontoc with Banaue. Prices are around 330–350 pesos, depending on the transport you choose. Keep in mind that jeepneys are the slowest and also the least comfortable.
Perhaps the most comfortable thing is to take one of the Coda Lines buses. These depart at 14:00 and 15:00. They take 2,5 hours.
Book the bus from Bontoc to Banaue
How to get to Batad from Sagada
To go from Sagada to Batad you just have to follow the steps to go from Bontoc, but first you’ll need to take one of the jeepneys that run the route between Sagada and Bontoc. These usually start at 6:30 and take just under 1 hour. They charge 80 pesos per passenger.
You can also take one of the Coda Lines buses from Sagada to Manila and get off in Banaue. These depart at 13:00 and 14:00. The journey takes about 3,5 hours.
How to get to Batad from Buscalan
If you’ve gone in search of the famous Kalinga tattoo artist and want to keep exploring the north, you just have to take a jeepney or bus toward Bontoc. They charge 120–140 pesos. The jeepney is more comfortable, since it leaves from the nearest paved point to Buscalan, but it’s also slower, and it can take more than 2 hours. The official departure time is 9:00, but it’s not unusual to have to wait for it to fill up. In contrast, the bus is faster (1,5 hours), but first you’ll have to take a habal‑habal (100 pesos) to Butbut, which is where it departs from.
Remember that you’ll first have to retrace your steps from Buscalan. It’s a walk of about 45 minutes.
How to get to Batad from Baguio
Going to Batad from Baguio is quite simple because you just have to take the daily bus from Baguio to Banaue run by Ohayami Trans. It departs at 19:30 from Otek Street (near Burnham Park) and takes about 8 hours to arrive.
Search buses from Baguio to Banaue here
Once in Banaue, follow the steps we explained above on how to get to Batad.
How to get to Batad from Vigan
If you’ve decided to visit this beautiful colonial city, you have 2 ways to get to Batad from Vigan:
- Combining a bus to Baguio and an overnight one to Banaue. You can do it so that you spend a few hours visiting Baguio or just leave a few hours in between. Frequent buses to Baguio depart from Partas Terminal (3 hours/150 pesos) and then you’ll have to take the bus from Baguio to Banaue.
- Doing the long but scenic route through the mountains. To do this, take a bus to Tagudin Juction (about 2,5–3 hours), where there are usually vans waiting to take you to Cervantes (2 hours/about 150 pesos). There you will find jeepneys to Bontoc (2 hours/100 pesos), from where you can follow the steps we described above. We recommend leaving first thing in the morning, because it’s rare that it won’t take almost the whole day or that you’ll have to stay overnight in Bontoc.
How to get to Batad from La Unión
If you’re surfing in La Unión and you want to go hiking in Batad, you also have 2 alternatives to go from La Unión to Batad:
- Via Baguio: take any bus going to Baguio (2 hours/150 pesos). They pass along the main road, so you don’t have to go to San Fernando. Take a bus to Banaue (8 hours). You can see the bus schedules from Baguio and buy your ticket here.
- Via Bontoc, Tagudin, and Cervantes: take any bus heading toward Vigan or Laoag and tell the driver that you’ll get off at Tagudin Junction (1,5–2 hours). From here, take a van to Cervantes and then a jeepney to Bontoc. After that you can take a bus, jeepney, or van to Banaue, from where you can go to Batad by jeepney or tricycle.
If you’re curious about what this area has to offer, take a look at Things to do in La Unión.
How to get to Batad from other parts of the Philippines
Here we’ve detailed how to get to Batad from the most popular and relatively nearby places. If you’re in other parts of the Philippines in the Visayas or Mindanao, the most comfortable and economical thing will probably be to look for a flight to Manila and from there follow the steps we’ve indicated.
If you’re a bit lost, if you leave us a question in the comments, we’ll help as much as possible to give you the fastest solution.
We hope this guide on how to get to Batad has helped you. Enjoy these rice terraces that are more than 2.000 years old!
