Sagada to Manila

Want to know how to get from Sagada to Manila? In this post, we’ll share a summary of the two ways to get there and compare each option on duration, costs and level of comfort. For each option, we go into more detail to help you decide which transport provider to book with and where to buy your tickets.

What to expect when visiting Manila

Manila is the capital of the Philippines — an old city often disregarded by travellers who use it only as a gateway to the country’s more visually appealing islands. But if you have an extra day in your itinerary, we think Manila’s colourful history is a great way to kick off your trip.

Explore the walled city of Intramuros, Fort Santiago, Manila Cathedral and San Agustin Church — all of which were first built in the late 1500s. Art and anthropology also attract many locals to Manila. You will find here the National Museum, a complex of three museum buildings that tell the story of the Filipinos.

2 ways to get from Sagada to Manila

There are two ways to travel the distance of 390 km (242 miles) from Sagada to Manila: by bus (11h5m-12h) and flight (5h10m). The journey takes between 5h10m - 12h and the quickest way is by flight. The lowest priced tickets start from 1,090 PHP ($19.50) for the bus.

Sagada to Manila by Bus

Duration: 11h5m-12h

Starts from: 1,090 PHP ($19.50)

Duration: 11h5m-12h

Cost: 1,090 PHP ($19.50)

Coda Lines operates three direct buses from Sagada to Manila daily. You can choose to take a standard tourist bus or a VIP bus.

There is not so much difference between the semi-deluxe (tourist) and super deluxe (VIP) buses for this route. The VIP bus offers a little more legroom, but don’t expect a huge difference between the two.

Also, most of the buses arrive in the middle of the night in Metro Manila. There is one VIP day trip that will eat up a whole day of your vacation just on travelling, although this could be appealing if you want to enjoy the views along the way.

Expect to pay 1,090 PHP ($19.50) for the tourist bus and 1,150 PHP ($20.50) for the VIP bus. During peak season or on weekends, make sure to book your ticket online beforehand via BookAway.

Departure and arrival station

The buses depart from the Sagada Bus Terminal near the Sagada Municipal Hall in the town centre.

The arrival location in Manila is at the Coda Lines Terminal in Cubao. Cubao is about 10 km north of Makati and a taxi costs around 250 PHP ($4.40) outside peak hours.

There are plenty of taxis or Grab cars in this area so you should have no problem getting to your end destination or hotel from the terminal.

Bus schedule from Sagada to Manila

Sagada to Manila by Flight

Duration: 5h10m

Starts from: 4,300 PHP ($77.00)

Duration: 5h10m

Cost: 4,300 PHP ($77.00)

Instead of taking a bus from Sagada to Manila, there is another option. You can also travel back to the capital of the Philippines with a combination of a taxi and flight.

Flying via Tuguegarao is the most common option, but there is also an option to fly from Cauayan to Manila. Via Cauayan is normally a bit more expensive, but you can always check Skyscanner for the latest flight fares and compare the fares of both options:

Check Flights from Tuguegarao to Manila

Below we will explain how to travel from Sagada to Manila via Tuguegarao. Flight times from both Toguegarao and Cauayan are about the same. The taxi journey from Sagada to Cauayan is slightly longer (6 hours) and more expensive 3,500 PHP ($62.00).

TIP: If you decide to travel by plane, please consider including a carbon compensation fee to reduce your impact on the environment.

Step 1: Sagada to Tuguegarao Airport by Taxi

Duration: 5.5 hours

Costs: 3,000 PHP ($53.00)

Duration: 5.5 hours

Costs: 3,000 PHP ($53.00)

If you don’t want to risk missing your flight, we recommend taking a taxi or private car from Sagada to Tuguegarao Airport. You can ask your guesthouse to assist you. Taxi fares start at 3,000 PHP ($52.00).

If you want to save money on the ride, ask if there are other tourists heading to the airport on the same day. This way you can share the taxi fare and split the costs.

The travel time by taxi is about 5.5 hours.

Sagada to Tuguegarao by Public transport

Another option is to take public transport. But this will include at least four transfers and can easily take about 6 hours.

If you’re really keen to make it work, read our page on how to travel from Sagada to Banaue first. From Banaue, you have to take a jeepney to Lagawe and then another one to Bagabag Junction. This costs about 150 PHP ($2.60).

Next, you wait for a bus going to Tuguegarao along the highway. The fare for the bus ride is about 250 PHP ($4.40). The bus station is not too far off from the airport so you can hail a local transport going there.

Keep in mind that you need to be at the airport, at the very least, an hour before your flight.

Step 2: Tuguegarao to Manila by Flight

Duration: 1hr 10m

Costs: 1,300 PHP ($23.00)

Duration: 1hr 10m

Costs: 1,300 PHP ($23.00)

There are only two flights operating from Tuguegarao to Manila daily. These flights depart at 08:35 and 13:55 from Tuguegarao Airport and arrive at Manila Airport Terminal 3. The flight takes a little over an hour.

Airfares start at 1,300 PHP ($22.50) but can go higher during peak season. On the other hand, there are sometimes seat sales with tickets selling as low as 800 PHP ($14.00).

Arrival in Manila

Once you land at the Manila Airport Terminal 3, you can easily hail a taxi to your hotel. Taxis are lined up outside the arrival area. It’s best to avoid the more expensive yellow taxis. Another great alternative to hailing a taxi is using the taxi app Grab.

If you are flying to another destination, you may need to transfer to another terminal. You can just catch the Airport shuttle bus outside Terminal 3. It is free to ride the bus but you need to show your flight booking or boarding pass.