Departure for Banaue, 360kms from Manila. Travel north on the express way and Cagayan Valley Road until the town of Bagabag in Nueva Vizcaya, then climb 1300m above sea level to Banaue. Check in at Banaue Hotel late in the afternoon.

Banaue Hotel, 1N

From the hotel, board a local jeepney for a ride to Banga-an native village, accessible after a short hike from the main road. After spending some time in the village, continue to a vantage point to view and admire the 2,000 year old rice terraces. If placed end to end, the Banaue Rice Terraces will reach halfway around the world. Proceed to the town’s public market to mingle with the local people and view the vast array of native handicraft. Time permitting, visit another village before returning to the hotel in the afternoon. Read more

Banaue Hotel

Drive north along the winding mountain trail and hinterland town of Bontoc, where the museum founded by the Belgian sisters is visited. Weather conditions permitting, visit the Ifugao burial caves in Sagada and inter mingle with the natives. Continue the drive through the winding narrow road of unspeakable beauty until you reach Mount Data, atop of which is Mount Data Lodge. Overnight at either Mt. Data or Bontoc depending on prevailing weather conditions. Read more

Mount Data Lodge, 1N

After breakfast, drive through high mountain passes with spectacular views of the Cordilleras, past deep gorges, and canyons, until we reach the town of Cervantes, which links Ilocos Sur with Mountain Province. Breeze through the highway towards Bessang Pass, once the site of one of the bloodiest battles of World War II. Going further onto the flat, low-lying areas, the highland scenery transforms into idyllic agricultural towns ringed by many tobacco-curing barns, rice and corn fields. And then there are coastal settlements fronting the Luzon Sea, with craggy, grey sandy beaches that are lined with coconut and mangrove trees. The Abra River signals your entry into the quaint town of Vigan, where from afar, the ancient Bantay bell tower is visible. Proceed to VIGAN PLAZA HOTEL (or similar) for check in. Dinner and overnight. Read more

Vigan Plaza Hotel

Breakfast. Stroll along the cobbled street of Mena Crisologo where old colonial houses line the road, and horse-drawn carriages called ‘calesa’ would occasionally go ambling by. Close by is St. Paul’s Cathedral, whose bell tower stands separately in Plaza Burgos. Built in 1574, it has a main altar with beaten-silver panels; the stone-carved Fu dogs standing in attendance at the church entrance reflect Vigan’s strong Chinese heritage. Proceed to Syquia Mansion which contains antique furniture and memorabilia of Elpido Quirino, who became president of the Philippines. A short calesa ride brings you to a jar factory which Vigan is also noted for. Called pagburnayan, this centuries-old industry produces the dark brown burnay jars that have countless uses among Ilocanos. Here a carabao is used to trample the clay, which is fashioned on a primitive wheel and fired in a long, low kiln heated by wood. Cap the tour with a delectable lunch in a quaint garden setting located in the outskirts of the city. After lunch, proceed to Ilocos Norte and stop at the fortress-like church of St. Augustine in Paoay. First constructed in 1704, the church is noted for its variety of architectural styles and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Move on to Museo Iloko, housed in the old Tabacalera where government-controlled tobacco was stored in colonial times. Drive past the Abolition of Tobacco Monopoly Monument at the town plaza and pause briefly at St. Williams Cathedral and its Sinking Bell Tower, before continuing on to Fort Ilocandia Resort. Check in, dinner and overnight. Read more

Fort Ilocandia, 1N

Breakfast. Rest of the day free at leisure. Check out and transfer to Laoag Airport for your return flight to Manila.