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The Banaue Rice Terraces are hand-built farming terraces carved into the mountains of Banaue in Ifugao province, northern Luzon, still farmed by the Ifugao people and declared a National Cultural Treasure.
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Banaue Rice Terraces
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In short
The Banaue Rice Terraces are hand-built terraces carved into the mountains of Ifugao province in northern Luzon, still farmed by the Ifugao people and declared a National Cultural Treasure. Visitors pay a ₱50 environmental fee at the Banaue Municipal Tourism Office, and the main viewpoint is free. Plan one to two days for walks.
The Banaue Rice Terraces cover the mountainsides around the town of Banaue in Ifugao province, in the Cordillera region of northern Luzon in the Philippines. They rise to about 1,500 metres above sea level and were built largely by hand by the ancestors of the Ifugao people.
Their age is still debated. The anthropologist H. Otley Beyer estimated that the terraces were more than 2,000 years old, but later researchers have argued that much of the system was built in more recent centuries. The Philippine government declared the Banaue terraces a National Cultural Treasure in 1973.
The terraces follow the contours of the slopes in long curving steps held up by stone and earth walls. Water from the forests on the mountaintops is carried down through an old network of channels and bamboo pipes that irrigates each level in turn. Rice farming still shapes Ifugao culture, with harvest feasts, rice wine and a rest day called tungul, and families also grow vegetables on some terraces.
Banaue itself is not part of the UNESCO World Heritage listing. The 1995 inscription, Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, covers nearby Batad, Bangaan, Hungduan, Mayoyao and Nagacadan, partly because modern buildings had changed the Banaue landscape. Erosion is a constant problem, as many younger Ifugao have left farming for other work and walls need regular repair.
The main viewpoint is a short ride above Banaue town, and local guides lead walks to villages and to Batad, whose amphitheatre-shaped terraces are among the most photographed. The terraces are greenest in the growing season and turn golden before harvest. Overnight buses run from Manila, a journey of around nine hours.
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Key information
🌾Built by: Ancestors of the Ifugao people
⛰️Altitude: About 1,500 m
🏛️Status: National Cultural Treasure (1973)
💰Currency: Philippine peso (₱ PHP)
🕕Time Zone: PHT (UTC+8)
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Plan your visit to Banaue Rice Terraces
Dates, opening hours and how to get there are below. Booking ahead secures your preferred day.
Highlights Include:
Type of attraction
- Heritage
- Landmarks
Where it is
- Philippines
What They Offer
Visit duration
1 to 2 days
Timed entry required No
Tours & experiences
Guided tours and experiences that include Banaue Rice Terraces. See tours
Accessibility
Not confirmed yet. Please check with the venue before you visit.
Age limits
Not confirmed yet. Please check with the venue before you visit.
What to pack
A jacket for the cold bus air conditioning; cash, as Banaue has no reliable ATM for foreign cards (nearest Visa machine in Lagawe, about an hour away)
What to wear
Not confirmed yet. Please check with the venue before you visit.
Not allowed
Not confirmed yet. Please check with the venue before you visit.
Amenities
Not confirmed yet. Please check with the venue before you visit.
Driving
Up to nine hours from Manila on winding mountain roads.
Public transportation
Overnight buses from Manila: Ohayami Trans from Sampaloc (9 and 10 PM, 9–10 hours), Coda Lines from Quezon City (about 8 or 9 PM). For Batad, an afternoon jeepney to Saddle Point (about 15 km), then a 40-minute downhill walk.
Address
Banaue, Ifugao. The small Banaue Museum (7 AM – 4 PM) covers Ifugao dress, crafts and daily life.
Opening Hours
Not confirmed yet. Please check with the venue before you visit.
Special events
No special events on record for Banaue Rice Terraces.
Best times to visit
Not confirmed yet. Please check with the venue before you visit.
Best days to visit
Not confirmed yet. Please check with the venue before you visit.
Best months to visit
November to May, when hiking trails are drier.
Admission tickets
Prices and how to get tickets.
Banaue Rice Terraces admission ticket
Ticket prices
₱50 environmental fee per visitor, paid at the Banaue Municipal Tourism Office; main viewpoint free
Opening hours
Not confirmed yet. Please check with the venue before you visit.
Visitor policy
Cancellation and prepayment
Not confirmed yet. Please check with the venue before you visit.
Children and admission
Not confirmed yet. Please check with the venue before you visit.
Groups
Not confirmed yet. Please check with the venue before you visit.
Pets
Not confirmed yet. Please check with the venue before you visit.
Photography
Not confirmed yet. Please check with the venue before you visit.
Bags
Not confirmed yet. Please check with the venue before you visit.
Smoking
Not confirmed yet. Please check with the venue before you visit.
Accepted payment
Not confirmed yet. Please check with the venue before you visit.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
General
They are in the municipality of Banaue in Ifugao province, in the Cordillera mountains of northern Luzon.
They were built by hand by the ancestors of the Ifugao people, who still farm many of them.
Estimates vary. Otley Beyer suggested more than 2,000 years, but later studies argue that much of the system is a few centuries old.
Not Banaue itself. The UNESCO listing of 1995 covers five nearby clusters, including Batad and Mayoyao. Banaue is a National Cultural Treasure of the Philippines.
Water from the mountain forests above flows down through channels and pipes that feed each terrace in turn.
The main Banaue viewpoint, a short ride above the town, gives a wide view of the terraces.
Yes. Local guides lead walks through the terraces and villages, including treks to Batad and its hot spring and waterfall area.
Erosion, drought, pests such as giant earthworms, and fewer young people farming all put pressure on the walls and fields.
Not reliable ones for foreign cards. The nearest Visa ATM is in Lagawe, about an hour away by jeepney, so bring enough pesos.
Yes. Use "Ask a question" under "Travelers are asking" on this page. The bookingMentor team answers it, and the answer then appears on the page for other travellers too.
Timing & weather
The terraces look greenest during the growing season and golden before harvest. Planting and harvest times vary by area.
Most visitors spend 1 to 2 days at Banaue Rice Terraces.
Getting there
Overnight buses run from Manila and take around nine hours. Vans and jeepneys link Banaue with nearby towns.
Prices & payment
Visitors pay a ₱50 environmental fee at the Municipal Tourism Office. The main viewdeck has no separate charge, and Batad collects its own heritage fee.
Health & safety
In Philippines, call 911 in an emergency. Police, fire and ambulance.