Banaue, Philippines: travel guide
Ifugao mountain town and the base for the Cordillera rice terraces
The Ifugao mountain town at the centre of the Cordillera rice terraces, a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape, and the road head for the Batad amphitheatre.
About Banaue
Banaue is a mountain town in Ifugao province, in the Cordillera of northern Luzon, and the main base for visiting the rice terraces that have shaped the region for centuries. The terraces are carved into steep green slopes and form part of a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape.
From the town you can look out across the stepped fields from viewpoints along the road, and travel on to Batad, where the terraces curve in an amphitheatre around a village. Trails link small hamlets, with walks that range from short strolls to full days, and local guides share the story of the Ifugao farming culture.
Banaue suits hikers and photographers. The best time to visit is usually the dry season from November to April, though planting and harvest times change the colour of the fields.
- Country
- Philippines
- Currency
- PHP
- Time zone
- Asia/Manila
Last updated
Top places to visit in Banaue
Batad Rice Terraces
Heritage · 4.7 rating · about 5 h · check the fee at the gate
The stone-walled amphitheatre at Batad, the most complete of the five UNESCO-inscribed Cordillera terrace clusters (World Heritage ref. 722, inscribed 1995). Reached only on foot: a rough road from Banaue to the saddle, then a descent into…
Banaue Rice Terraces Main Viewdeck
Viewpoint · 4.6 rating · about 0.8 h · free entry
The roadside viewdeck above Banaue looking across the amphitheatre of Ifugao terraces — the view on the Philippine 1000-peso note. Stone-walled terraces cut into the mountainside and still farmed, part of the UNESCO-inscribed Rice Terraces…
Getting to Banaue
Nearest airport: Baguio (BAG), about 76 km away in a straight line. The road or rail journey is longer.
Getting around
- Jeepney
- Tricycle
- Walking