Kibungan – is a faraway municipality in the province of Benguet and quite popularly known as the Switzerland of the North. Known for it’s long circuit trails that surround the province; it’s gigantic walls of rock make it really jaw-dropping! Add to these the scenic rice terraces and the overgrowing woodlands along the way, and you get one of the best sights here in the Philippines! Not to mention that you would be passing thru a lot of Kankanaey folks along the way! If you’re picking one hike spot in Benguet then this one should stay atop your list!
HOW TO GET THERE
Before doing so, it’s important to note that there are a lot of options when it comes to rediscovering Kibungan. The popular “Kibungan Circuit” which will take you on a long tour around the mountains normally takes 2-3 days. This trip would be rewarding as you would witness beautiful sunrises and sunsets atop famous mountains of Mt. Tagpaya, Mt. Oten, and Mt. Tagpew.
The other option (when you only have a little time) is to take an overnight climb and witness the sunset and sunrise at Mt. Tagpaya (1800+ masl). It will reward you of a proud Kibungan wall and a scenic trail along the way. Pine ridges and cliff hanging views atop the wall will surely be one of the most daring if not frightening moment at Kibungan.
The third option is called the “Cross Country Traverse” in mountaineering lingo. It is called this way because you would also be visiting mountains on the nearby municipalities of Ilocos and La Union. Normally you would end up finishing at La Union and you would be on your way home from there. We’ll cover this option sometime this year and will update you guys as always!
Public Transport
1. Take a bus from Pasay or Cubao (usually Victory Liner) taking you to Baguio City.
2. Upon arriving at Baguio City, take a taxi to Dangwa terminal or the Old Slaughterhouse terminal.
***Note that you also could prearrange any jeeney services from Baguio to Kibungan as well
3. Ride a bus at the terminal that will take you to Kibungan
4. Register at the Municipal Hall and settle guides and porters as needed
Private Van/Car
1. The best option if you are in a large group like 7 or more is to take a private van from Manila to Kibungan. This trip will be a lot less troublesome and actually a little cost efficient when you sum it up (not much difference in cost but a big difference in time and convenience).
2. Travel from Manila to Baguio City.
3. From Baguio City, I recommend this route as it would skip you the traffic at Trinidad and is an alternate route for private vehicles only. Trust me it’s the fastest and most efficient option. (I’m a local here so I know the goods. Haha!)
4. Register at the Municipal Hall and settle guides and porters as needed
IMPORTANT NOTES
Landslides are frequent at Kibungan and it normally closes during the rainy season so it’s best if you check with the tourism office for inquiry. Here are the numbers as of this date.
- FB: Kibungan Municipal Tourism Council
- Mr. Charo Solimen (Tourism Officer): 0917-5890138 / 0910-8771725
- Engr. Kolbel (Tourism Officer): 09059206276
- Alternatively, you may contact the Office of the Mayor thru Mobile #0920-2242115
THE BUDGET
- Guide Fee: 600-700php per day
- Porter: 600php per day (approx. 15kg max load)
- Environmental Fee: 60php per head
- Van (Manila to Kibungan): 10k php + 2.5k per day
- Bus (Manila to Baguio) via Victory Liner: 455php
- Jeepney rental (Baguio to Kibungan vice versa): 10k php (good for 15 pax or more depending if it fits.haha)
- Bus (Baguio to Kibungan): 130php each
THE HIKE
Regardless of how you decided to take on Kibungan’s challenge, you’ll definitely be rewarded as much awe and beauty. Let’s explore and rediscover why it’s dubbed to be the “Switzerland of the North”.
***Just like always, photos are not arranged in order of the hike.
Let’s begin with the great wall of Kibungan!
It’s sheer size lits up those eyes with amazement!
And jaw-dropping it is indeed…
Truly a beautiful view of the rice terraces and the surrounding mountains at Kibungan!
My personal favorite time of the day…
As the sun starts to hide, the sky is filled with radiant hues of orange!
Add the beautiful slopes of Kibungan then you have one hell of a view!
And as the sun sets deeper, surreal colors fill up the sky…
One can’t argue the beauty on this campsite…
Just a little further up is the campsite near Mt. Tagpaya.
And of course a new day shall rise in golden yellow…
A soothing sunrise glow welcomes us to a great day ahead!
Meet the hikers! 🙂
Another good thing, Mt. Tagpaya summit is just 5min away from campsite!
One long rusty old hanging bridge for everyone! Haha!
Rewinding back the trail…we see great view decks upon these stairs.
These beautiful slopes welcome you as you near Mt. Tagpaya.
Trails are often wide and gradual so it’s pretty an easy climb if I may say so…hehe
Surprise surprise! The sea of clouds never gets old…
A hidden gem in the vast wilderness is Lungsad Falls!
Dip in and cool yourself in these colds waters!
The snaky highway crawling up the mountain ranges of Kibungan!
Trails going down are quite easy at the start but will tend to be slippery as it goes deeper.
Concrete steps are frequent at Kibungan since it’s just a normal walkway for the locals.
A pretty cool facade even from the Municipal Hall entrance.
Hi Good Day!
How much is the budget for the Kibungan circuit climb?
Thank you.
Hi Marc,
I’ve updated the post with “THE BUDGET” section for a complete breakdown of expenses depending on how you choose.
Happy hiking!
good day blogger! i would just like to ask since we are planning to maximize our time conquering the Kibungan Circuit, we would like to take the overnight climb. my question is that, at Mt Tagpaya, are there bunk houses that we could rent or no, that we should really bring our own tent? thanks
Hi Troy.
No there are no bunk houses at Tagpaya. You should bring your tent if you plan to do the circuit 🙂
HI Sir!
After the registration in Kibungan Municipal Hall, how far is the jump-off (Sition Tanap)? Thank you.
Hi Nestor,
The registration area is the jump-off itself technically speaking.
You would go down the road past the cemetery and some houses before you reach the “non-road” part.
Probably around 15 minutes walk (less than a kilometer)
Thanks for your reply. By the way, I already have had an initial contact with Sir Charo and they are charging an additional P100./pax entrance fee on top of the P60. environmental fee.. well I just hoped that they issue us an official receipt for these charges (like in Bgy Tinongdan Benguet).
hi! i was wondering if it is mandatory to do the hike with porters/guides. i have all of my own equipment and am very comfortable going without a guide.
It’s mandatory. There are a lot of trails here, some will lead you to other provinces. Also, in case of emergencies these guys know what and where to go.
You could always use your Maps Me aps or gps, and I bet you’re really strong at that. Treat this as a safety precaution and help to the local community that maintains the trails. Also not all people welcome guests in their mountain with open arms, sometimes they do open fire.
Hello Nestor! I am looking at doing the circuit in early March. What is the temperature like on top of he mountains during the day and overnight. Also, is a guide mandatory, or can you go on your own with a trail map?
Can refer an organizer for the hike?
Here are my best guys.
Search them on FB or contact me on facebook @RediscoverPH
Greg Galicia (Sandugo/Basekamp)
Ron Doquenia Rabadon (Team Extreme)
Darz Amata (Tripsanity)
Good afternoon, may I know if you have any contact number for the jeepney rental? The guide fee of Php600-700 is for how many persons?
Sorry for the late reply Cris. It’s a 1:5 ratio the last time we went there.