Getting Around Baguio
Baguio is a compact, hilly city, and most visitors find they can cover the centre on foot while relying on jeepneys, taxis and hired cars for the steeper or more distant trips. There is no rail, metro or tram network in the city, so all movement is by road.
By Jeepney
Jeepneys are the mainstay of local public transport, plying various routes within Baguio and its immediate surroundings. Many of the jeepneys heading out of the city — to destinations such as P.M.A. and Country Club — are stationed in Burnham Park, where they load passengers for their destinations. It is possible to rent a jeepney, though this is not advisable for long-distance trekking.
By Taxi
Taxis are common and are often the more convenient option for tourists, though they can be harder to come by once you are in the outskirts. All Baguio taxi cabs are painted white and carry proper identification markings. Each taxi takes a maximum of five people — four passengers and one driver.
Taxis can also be booked for a whole-day tour of the main attractions in and around town. You can arrange one at the Tourist Information Counter at the Victory Liner terminal or through your place of accommodation.
By Car
Car rental suits short out-of-town trips as well as getting around the city. Several agencies offer car hire in Baguio, with both self-drive and with-driver options. To rent a car you should have an international driver's licence. Expect to navigate a series of winding mountain roads, and note that traffic drives on the right side of the road. Because parking around Session Road and the public market is very limited, consider leaving your car outside the city centre. Rental rates can be charged by the hour, the day or the week.
Walkability
The city centre is small enough that walking is a practical way to reach many of the main sights, and it is the easiest way to avoid the parking crunch around Session Road and the public market. The terrain is hilly, so allow extra time for slopes.
Getting There
Baguio has its own airport, Loakan Airport (BAG). Visibility challenges, its high altitude and its short runway all affect operations there, and as of 2024 there is no commercial service to Loakan after PAL Express cancelled its flights from Cebu due to low passenger numbers. In practice, visitors arriving from outside Luzon pass through Metro Manila or Clark airport and continue to Baguio overland.
By Bus from Manila
This is the most common and economical way to reach Baguio from Metro Manila. Several bus lines ply the route, with terminals scattered across the metro, and the trip generally takes about five to seven hours — roughly an hour longer than by car because of stopovers along the way.
- Victory Liner runs hourly service to Baguio from its Monumento main terminal in Caloocan City, as well as from Cubao and Pasay. Buses are generally modern and air-conditioned, but seats are sized for Filipinos, so taller passengers should use the stopovers to stretch. A non-stop deluxe service is also available, with water and snacks served during the trip, and some buses have free WiFi.
- Dagupan Bus serves the Manila–Baguio route from its Cubao terminal in Quezon City, with buses leaving hourly.
- Genesis departs every hour from the Cubao, Pasay and Avenida bus stations. It also operates a premium bus service via the expressways from Parañaque, with stops at all terminals of Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
By Bus from Clark Airport
Partas Bus operates a service that stops at Clark airport and heads north from there, departing the airport in the late afternoon. The usual approach is to get off at Sison, Pangasinan, cross the road to the restaurant stop opposite, and board a Victory Liner bus that makes a dinner stop there. Travel time is roughly three hours from Clark to Sison, then about an hour and a half from Sison to Baguio, plus some waiting time at Sison.
By Bus from Angeles City
Philippine Rabbit operates from the Dau Terminal. The journey takes about four to five hours.
By Car
From Manila, the fastest route by car is through the expressways: take the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) up to Angeles, exit to the Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), then continue on the Tarlac–Pangasinan–La Union Expressway (TPLEX) up to Rosario. From there you can take Kennon Road (Rte 54) or Marcos Highway (officially Aspiras–Palispis Highway, Rte 208) via Pugo–Rosario Road (Rte 209).
- Kennon Road is the shortest, taking only three-quarters of an hour to an hour from the foot of the mountains in Rosario, La Union. It is long and winding — scenic but also dangerous.
- Marcos Highway starts at Agoo, La Union, a little further northwest from Rosario. It takes about an hour but is a wider, less winding road with a more gradual uphill incline, making it safer in the rainy season, and it offers spectacular vistas of the South China Sea on a clear day.
- Naguilian Road (Rte 54) is usually taken by travellers coming from the north, from Ilocos, and takes longer.
All three roads can be blocked by landslides. If you plan to drive to Baguio, it is best to hire a Filipino driver; most rental car companies in the Philippines offer chauffeur-driven rentals in addition to self-driven ones. As anywhere in the Philippines when travelling by land, don't underestimate the distance — the drive takes four to five hours once traffic and road conditions are accounted for.
From Cagayan Valley, the primary route is Benguet–Nueva Vizcaya Road (Rte 110), which starts at the junction at Aritao in southern Nueva Vizcaya and ends in the vicinity of SM Baguio.