You only have one day to spare and you badly need a break. Years ago, a trip to Baguio would be off your list of day trips, but that is no longer the case. If you have the energy and the courage to try new things on a day tour, all you need is a well-planned itinerary for you to conquer Baguio in a day.
Travel Tips
Bus travel is the most reliable form of transport to this northern city. Hop on a Victory Liner bus, from their Cubao or Pasay stations in Metro Manila which have hourly trips, round the clock. Regular air conditioned buses costs PhP 450 per person per trip and will take 6 to 7 hours, depending on the weather, the road conditions and the traffic. If you want a faster and more comfortable ride, take the non-stop De Luxe bus trips at PhP 750, which have scheduled trips in the mid-morning, mid-afternoon or late evening every day. If you take the De Luxe trip from Cubao at 12:10 a.m., you will arrive in Baguio at 4 or 4:30 a.m.
What follows is a list of places you must see while you are in Baguio. And we promise you will be able to go through this list in just a day. Enjoy the adventure!
- Baguio Cathedral
There is a daily mass at 6:00 a.m. at the Our Lady of Atonement Cathedral, more popularly known as Baguio Cathedral. Located on Mount Mary hill, it gives a good vantage point of the city, were it not for the surrounding buildings that block the view. If you are not the religious type, you can still visit the church and appreciate its neo-Gothic style of architecture. Simply said, it is one of the most majestic structures in the city. The church’s inside decoration is also very ornate and typical of big Catholic cathedrals.
A notable side visit would be Porta Vaga Mall, which is right next to the Cathedral. If you want to start your pasalubong shopping early, check out the Mountain Grown Natural Food Store located at the covered parking area where you can get organic veggies, salad dressings and other organic goodies.
2. Bookends
Bookends is a homegrown used bookstore with a branch in T. Claudio St., right off Session Road. The nearest landmark is the UCPB branch, as well as Skyworld. This bookstore is helping bring back love for reading because its philosophy is to make reading and books more affordable and accessible. It carries a wide range of books from novels, to self-help and reference books, to children’s books. Recently, the bookstore opened an art corner where you can buy paintings, stone art and wire art, all done by local Baguio artists. Take your time browsing through the titles and you may end up finding a rare book or a title you have long been looking for.
3. Local Art haunts: Ililikha Artists Village and Oh My Gulay!
Baguio is also known for its local arts scene and for you to catch a glimpse of this, you have two places you can visit. On Assumption Road, which is right off Session Road, Ililikha Artist’s Village welcomes you to explore every nook and cranny. From the outside, it may look like a rundown place and a hodge-podge of structures. But most visitors appreciate the eclectic art that you can find in its surroundings. It also houses several small restaurants that serve an equally eclectic range of food, from the more exotic balbacua, and the usual pastas and salads.
For another quick art fix, head to Kidlat Tahimik’s vegetarian restaurant and cafe called Oh My Gulay!. Located on the fifth floor of La Azotea along Session, visitors will be treated to a visual feast, with different sculptures and mixed media decorating the whole restaurant. To appreciate local art better, take your time and spend at least an hour or two in each place.
4. Baguio Public Market
A visit to Baguio is never complete until you go pasalubong shopping at the Baguio City Public Market. From Session Road, you can walk down towards the intersection of Session Road and Magsaysay Avenue and cross the pedestrian walkway past Malcolm Square.
Stalls in the market offer the same kind of pasalubong merchandise, from brooms, strawberry jam or preserves, and fresh Baguio vegetables. If you want a more unique pasalubong, try Benguet coffee beans at Garcia’s Coffee, located past the rice section of the market. You can buy a kilo for only PhP 210, much lower than the price of good coffee beans in Manila. Two hours will be more than enough to do your shopping.
5. Baguio Night Market
Baguio is known for its vintage shops or ukay-ukay shops, where one can buy pre-loved clothes, shoes, and other accessories. While there may be a lot of these shops in Bayanihan near Burnham or in Skyworld along Session, the best place for bargain ukay-ukay buys is said to be the Baguio Night Market.
Starting at 9:00 p.m., a portion of Harrison Road from the main intersection where the pedestrian overpass is, down to the corner of Baguio Patriotic School, is closed off to traffic. This is where the night market vendors set up their stalls. Selections range from clothes, shoes and accessories and knick-knacks. If you are hungry, there are also street food stalls in the market. You can spend an hour or two here, before you head off to the bus station for your trip back to Manila.