Baguio Activities

Baguio has plenty of things to keep kids occupied with including Burnham Park and Camp John Hay, which offer a huge number of sporting options from tennis to skating. The Baguio Botanical Gardens offer relaxation in a beautiful environment and there is also potential for horse and pony rides.

Baguio Botanical Gardens
Baguio’s attractive botanical gardens are located less than a mile outside the city and are a great place for kids to run around and let off some steam. Children and adults alike can learn about the various different plants that grow in the Philippines here. There is a souvenir shop and handicrafts centre onsite that are both well worth visiting.

Burnham Park
Burnham Park, the oldest park in Baguio, is a good place to take the kids with plenty of child-friendly activities on offer. The grass and colourful flowers make it the ideal location to relax. For kids, there’s boating, skating, and biking as well as tennis courts, basketball courts and an athletic oval. There’s also an orchid house, which is an interesting place to stroll around.

Camp John Hay 
This was once the R&R club for the US Army in the Philippines, and a visit here can easily tie in with a history lesson. There’s a wealth of things to do here for all the family with tennis, basketball, and volleyball courts, as well as a heated swimming pool, 18-hole golf course, mini-golf, a bowling alley, and a skating rink. It’s the perfect place to relax and enjoy sport. There’s even the option of horse-trekking here too.

Horseback Riding
Going on a horse or pony ride is a popular activity for children and there are some good options for this activity in Baguio. The best two places for riding are Wright Park or Camp John Hay. At weekends or during school holidays it can get pretty busy at these places, making arranging a riding excursion during the week a good idea. There are also possibilities for more extensive pony treks at Mines View Park or Outlook drive. Longer treks involve going with an experienced guide.

There are plenty of options in Baguio for those interested to learn about the culture of the Cordilleras, with a number of interesting museums including the Aguinaldo Museum which has a playground for children. The Easter Weaving Room gives you the chance to see the ancient cloth weaving process, and if you don’t mind the long journey, Banaue is considered by many as the eighth wonder of the world.

Aguinaldo Museum
The Aguinaldo Museum is an interesting place to spend some time and sits beside the huge statue of General Emilio Aguinaldo, which also serves as an important Baguio landmark. The museum and statue are on General Luna road in an area of the city referred to locally as ‘Jungle Town’. There is a small playground near the statue which is popular with young children, as is the nearby Bonuan restaurant.

Baguio-Mountain Province Museum
This museum was opened by local people wanting to preserve the culture of the Cordilleras, and was temporarily situated in Camp John Hay after the building was destroyed in the 1990 earthquake. The museum is a good place to learn about the mountain culture. The displays include a number of relics and artefacts showcasing local traditions. The museum is spread over a number of different buildings designed in the local style of the mountain provinces.

Banaue
Banaue is nine-hour bus ride from Baguio, but it is worth the trip for the remarkable culture and architecture that awaits visitors. Referred to by many as the eighth wonder of the world, the Banaue rice terraces were carved hundred of years ago by the Ifugaos (one of the oldest mountain tribes in the area) from the mountains.

Bell Church
Situated on Baguio city border with Trinidad Valley is this stunning cluster of temples. Built in an exotic oriental style with an ornate gateway, pagoda, dragon ornaments and Buddha statues, the Bell Church offers excellent photo opportunities. The priest at the Bell Temple practices a combination of Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Christianity, and it’s possible to have your fortune told here.

Easter Weaving Room
Anyone with an interest in local fabrics or handicrafts will find this a fascinating place to visit. The school was built in the early 20th century with funds donated by the Episcopalian Church of the Philippines. While here you can see the ancient process of cloth weaving that has been practised for hundreds of years. Phone: +63 74 442 4972.

Kabayan Mummy Burial Caves
The town of Kabayan is located just over 50 miles from Baguio and contains one of the region’s cultural treasures. The Mummies of Kabayan were buried in capsule-shaped coffins in caves high up in the cliffs. Experts estimate three of the mummies to be at least 500 years old. Some of the mummies are exhibited in the Kabayan Museum.

St Louis University Museum of Arts and Culture
This museum is a good place to learn about the cultural heritage of the Cordilleras. Situated in a university building, the museum displays a range of relics and artefacts including an ancient coffin. A museum curator is always on hand to answer any questions and offer interesting snippets on information about the local culture. Phone: +63 74 442 3043.

Eating out is normally a good experience in Baguio, with an excellent range of restaurants to choose from. All tastes are catered for here with restaurants including Mongolian, Chinese, Italian, American, Korean, Japanese and of course plenty of local delicacies to sample.

North Philippine eateries include small family-run restaurants, fast-food chains and bakeries offering up delicious bread, sweets, cakes and other local delights. The best area for eating is Session road, where it is always possible to find plenty of food choices between 10:00 and around 22:00.

There are a number of local delicacies that you should sample, and the best idea is to be brave and experiment. One dish you shouldn’t miss out on is kulangot ng intsik, coconut shell sweet treats that are native to Baguio. The name literally translates as ‘Chinese boogers’, but don’t let that scare you off. Peel off the red paper that holds the sweet together and savour the brown nectar inside.

Baguio’s pleasant climate means that eating al fresco is a popular option. Choose one of the city’s many parks or open spaces, pack a picnic and head for a lovely lunch. There are plenty of places in town where you can buy suitable picnic food including bread, salad, cheese and wine, and of course kulangot ng intsik for dessert.

Aside from the many eateries on Session road, it is also be a good idea to check out some of the city’s best hotels. Many of Baguio’s luxury accommodations offer fine meals at their onsite restaurants.

Baguio is a good shopping destination and the shopping options here are endless. The region is renowned for its hand-woven fabrics, with the tribe-folk of Bontoc, Ifugao, Kalinga and Igorot being famous for weaving cotton with beautiful motifs called lepanto. The best place to shop for these fabrics is the city market. If you’re interested in finding out how the fabric is made, then you can head to Easter road to the Easter Weaving School and watch the weaving process as they produce blankets, blouses and bags for the local market.

Aside from fabrics, the region is known for its high quality silver jewellery, traditionally crafted by Ifugao blacksmiths. A visit to the St Louis University silver shop will allow you to watch young silver craftsmen busy at work. The shop is located close to the Baguio Cathedral and you can purchase some beautiful pieces here. Another place to buy silver is at Wright Park, where you’ll find hundreds of stalls selling all sorts of different items made from silver.

For delicious sweets and preserves head to the Good Shepherd Convent, where nuns raise funds for various good causes by cooking some of the most fantastic preserves in the country. In the peak season you should visit the convent in the morning to try and avoid the long lines that form later in the day. The nuns’ strawberry jam, coco jam, and cashew and peanut brittle are especially recommended.

Baguio City Market is a good place to stroll around and people watch. The market specialises in fresh fruit and vegetables as well as flowers. The market is awash with colour as strawberries, tomatoes, lettuce and other delights line the stalls. It’s also a good place to pick up handicrafts as well as backpacks, baskets and other locally made items.

Visitors to Baguio will have no problem in finding outdoor activities to add to their holiday experience. Climbing enthusiasts will enjoy the outdoor mountain climbing and indoor climbing facilities. River trekking is great fun and good exercise, while the Philippines also have some excellent caves to explore.

Caving (Spelunking)
There are some excellent opportunities for cave exploring in the mountainous province of Northern Luzon. Sagada, which is around six hours drive north of Baguio, is the best place to head for this sport. There are a range of different treks available, from one-day hikes to routes involving an overnight stay. It is relatively inexpensive to hire a local guide to take you. The Philippine Cave Guides Association has recently been established to ensure guides are of a good standard.

Climbing
For climbing enthusiasts, there are a few indoor climbing facilities where you can keep dry on rainy days or simple hone your skills before heading into the mountains. Once you’ve finished practicing indoors, there’s some great potential for outdoor climbing in the Philippines. Mount Pulog dominates the view between Baguio and Ambuklao and at 2,934 metres above sea level, is the second highest mountain in the country. The trek up this mountain begins on a path that winds through the alpine grassland and then continues through highland meadows and forests with low trees. Don’t forget your camera, as you’ll get some wonderful photo opportunities.

Pony Riding
Pony riding is especially good for families with small children, and the best place to head for this activity is Wright Park. The ponies here are sturdy and can carry adults, but visitors should ensure they ride an animal that can manage their weight. Tourirts can either go for a simple trot around the park or on a longer ride with an experienced guide.

River Trekking
River trekking is growing in popularity and can add extra excitement to an ordinary trek. Balance and agility are important skills for this sport, as trekking through rivers can mean getting wet. The Baguio area has some excellent river trails to explore.