Over the past several years, Sagada has emerged as a popular destination, especially among adventurers and soul searchers. It is most famous for Sumaguing Cave, Blue Soil Hill, Bomod-ok Falls, and the Hanging Coffins, a traditional way of honoring the dead, which is still practiced to this day. But when the film That Thing Called Tadhana featured it in its most iconic scenes, this quiet town made a permanent mark on pop culture as a romantic destination.
But Sagada isn’t the easiest to reach. From Manila, it is quite a long drive. For the longest time, the most common way to get there is by first going to Baguio and catching another bus to Sagada. But more options have been made available over the past couple of years. The most convenient is the DIRECT BUS, which can take you from Quezon City (in Metro Manila) straight to Sagada overnight.
In this post, we’ll discuss these two options in detail: by direct bus and by making a stop in Baguio.
Manila to Sagada by Direct Bus
Coda Lines Corporation offers a direct transit between Manila and Sagada via Banaue and Bontoc. The company shares the bus terminal with HM Transport in Cubao along EDSA-Southbound. There are two types of bus: Semi Deluxe Bus (No CR) and Super Deluxe Bus (CR Onboard).
Will there be stopovers for Super Deluxe Buses? YES! Same as the stops that Semi Deluxe Buses will make.
Time of Departure: All are OVERNIGHT BUSES. You can sleep during the ride and when you wake up, you’re already in Sagada!
- 8:00 PM
- 9:00 PM
- 10:00 PM
- 10:30 PM
Please be at the terminal at least thirty minutes (or an hour) before departure time.
Fares: P760 (Semi Deluxe) and P980 (Super Deluxe). It’s highly recommended to book your seat in advance to secure your slot. They prioritize those who book online. It’s a bit risky to do walk-in as seats can run out real fast.
Here’s how to book online:
- Go to 12GO website and punch in the necessary details: date of your departure, point of origin, and destination.
- You will be directed to a page that allows you to choose the bus type and the departure time.
- Once you are done selecting the bus type and the time of departure, you will then choose your seat (marked by numbers).
- After that, you will be shown a summary of your booking details. Then fill out the passenger information form.
- Click proceed and payment option.
Manila to Sagada via Baguio
It is also possible to reach Sagada via Baguio. This involves a change of bus and terminal in Baguio City. A number of companies offer bus services to Baguio, but two of the most popular are Victory Liner and Joy Bus. These are also the only two we have tried, so we’ll be focusing on them.
1. Ride a bus to Baguio City.
Victory Liner has terminals in:
- Pasay
- Cubao
- Caloocan
- Sampaloc
JoyBus has terminals in:
- Cubao
- Pasay
- Avenida
To see the full schedule and fares of JoyBus and Victory Liner buses, check out: MANILA TO BAGUIO BUS SCHEDULE.
If you can, choose a late night bus so you’ll arrive in Baguio in the early morning because the last Sagada-bound bus leaves Baguio at either 11:30am or 01:00pm.
2. Take a taxi to GL Trans Terminal.
GL Trans and Lizardo Trans are the two bus companies that offer the Baguio-Sagada route. Between the two, GL Trans is more recommended by our local friends.
From Victory Liner/JoyBus station, take a taxi to GL Trans Terminal.
Fare: P80.
Travel time: 10 minutes.
3. Catch a bus to Sagada.
At the GL Trans Terminal, approach the counter and purchase a ticket to Sagada, which costs P220.
As of writing, here are the schedule and routes:
- 05:30 am – Sagada > Besau
- 08:30 am – Sagada Ambasing
- 09:30 am – Sagada > Besau
- 10:30 am – Sagada > Besau
- 11:30 am – Sagada Ambasing
- 01:00 pm (last trip) – Sagada > Besau
Notice that the latest departure time is at 1:00 PM. If you are coming from Manila, make sure to be in Baguio before the last bus departs. It’s better to arrive early in the morning to guarantee the transfer to Sagada from Baguio to give you time allowance and save you from the hassle and stress. Note that the seats can sell out fast, especially on weekends, that even when you arrive at 10:00 AM, the bus departing at 11:30 AM is already full.
Travel time: 6 hours.
Fare: P220.
IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
- Be alert. Don’t fall asleep because Sagada town proper isn’t where the trip terminates. You might miss it and end up in Besau, which is the usual final stop for the route.
- No reservation and advance bookings. Again, you need to be there early because they issue bus tickets for that day’s schedule only on a first come, first serve basis.
- Ticket-selling starts at 5:00 AM.
- Hungry while waiting for your bus? Baguio’s popular local restaurant, Good Taste, has a branch near the terminal.
- The bus will make at least two stops.
Top Sagada Hotels
- Isabelo’s Inn & Café. Check Rates & Availability!
- Masferre Country Inn & Restaurant. Check Rates & Availability!
- Grandma’s Yellow House. Check Rates & Availability!
- Kanip-aw Pines View Lodge. Check Rates & Availability!
- Kenlibed Inn. Check Rates & Availability!
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