Baguio For All Seasons: The Best Times to Visit
Any time of the year is a good time to visit Baguio City.
It really all depends on how exciting or relaxing you want your vacation to be!
It's year-round cool climate is one major attraction for those wanting to experience an entirely different Philippines.
Most visitors to the Summer Capital of the Philippines come up during the months of March, April and May, especially on the Holy Week.
But a little known fact is that Baguio hotels are full (and booked months in advance, too) during the Christmas season. Because this is the most popular time for Filipino families, with or without balikbayan relatives, to get together for reunions, weddings and other celebrations.
More Than Just the Summer Capital of the Philippines!
Festive February. A deluge of tourists come up for the Baguio Flower Festival (Panagbenga) in February -- the same month the Philippine Military Academy Alumni Homecoming is held.
Food Festivals. There are two huge festivals in the culinary arts -- those of the Hotel Restaurant Association of Baguio (HRAB) that caters to members of the hospitality industry and its students and the Baguio Association of Hotels and Inns (BAHAI) Baguio Tossed Salad Festival which attracts tourists and locals alike.
Convention City. A popular venue for conventions, our meeting halls are filled with delegates throughout the year for corporate, religious and industrial conferences. Favorite venues for government and religious groups would be Teacher's Camp, Baguio Convention Center and the Saint Louis University Gym, among others. For corporations and other organizations, The CAP-John Hay Convention Center and the Baguio Country Club Multi-Purpose Hall are preferred.
University Town. Considering itself the educational center of Northern Luzon, Baguio is converted into a 'university town' during the Philippine school year from June to March, and Nursing Board Exam Review Center (believe me when I say that thousands upon thousands of nursing graduates from the Ilocos, Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog and Metro Manila regions come up to review and take the exams here) April to early June and again from October to early December.
Recently 'crash courses' in the English language for Koreans on summer vacation (late July to September) are held in the many English Academies and small inns.
Honeymoon Haven. The 'quiet months of January, June, July and August are the best times to go on honeymoon. January is 'perfect weather month' with the lowest temperatures, clear skies and less tourists, while the rainy months are perfect for curling up before a fire and just being in love.
'Little America' Baguio was a favorite honeymoon destination for those Filipinos who could not take the time off to go abroad, because one is transported to another time and place while in here. A graceful blend of colonial America and rich in indigenous culture, there isn't a place like this anywhere else in the world!
FESTIVE DAYS IN BAGUIO
January - March
- New Year:s Celebrations
- Chinese New Year
- PMA Homecoming
- Baguio Flower Festival (Panagbenga)
- Start of Summer Vacation
- At Times Holy Week is in Late March
- 1st Quarter Planning Conventions
April - June
- Holy Week Celebrations
- Philippine Summer Vacation
- Baguio's Peak Season
- Other Long Weekends:
Bataan Day (April 9)
Labor Day (May 1)
Independence Day (June 12)
- Nursing Board Reviews
- Strawberry Season ends in May
- Philippine School Year Starts in June
July - September
- The Philippines' Rainy Season
- Influx of U.S. Tourists and Balikbayans on
Summer Vacation
- Peak Season for Koreans on Summer Break for
Crash Courses in the English language
- HRAB's Culinary Festival
- Baguio's Charter Day (September 1)
October - December
- PMA Foundation Anniversary (Ocober)
- Semestral Break (October to November)
- All Saints/ All Souls Day Long Weekend
- Nursing Board Reviews
- BAHAI's Tossed Salad Festival (November)
- Strawberry Season Starts
- Fil-Am Golf Tournament
- BEPZ Bazaar
- Silahis ng Pasko Celebrations (December)
The way to really enjoy Baguio is to select lodging accommodations that provide you with both privacy and easy access to tourist spots or business centers, regardless of the season, depending on whether your mood is festive or contemplative.
Whether you come during the summer break or the schoolyear, vehicular traffic is bound to be heavy in the Central Business District (see maps) when visitors replace transient students and vice versa. The only time Baguio is really quiet is during the November 1 weekend when most current residents go to their hometowns and provinces on All Souls and All Saints Day.
And during the Panagbenga and Holy Week, please be prepared to do a lot of walking, too!
My Quiet Baguio Days
January. Perfect weather all month long! Chilly but dry, clear blue skies, everything is green and blue. The first week of January especially great with fewer tourists, no students yet, and one may even catch the last days of the BEPZ Bazaar early in the month. Strawberries should be cheaper by now.
March. After the Panagbenga and before the Holy Week.
June 1-12 - the students are just arriving from the lowland provinces, light rain showers in the afternoons
July to September. Baguio is most romantic on these days, with the rains, the fog. and the warm fire at night. I have to note though that our last two 'wet" seasons (2006 and 2007) have been relatively dry, which is great for tourists wanting to take in the sights.
October. The rains are sporadic, weather starts to get colder, wild sunflowers start to dot the hillsides, tourists are just starting to come up.
November. Strawberry season starts, the flowers are in full bloom, time to bring out the hats scarves and coats.
December 1 - 23. Chilly days and nights, students leaving for the Christmas break
Photo taken on 6/13/2007. All is quiet on my street where there are schools at the end of the road
FAQs: Holidays in the Philippines
Philippine Legal Holidays
The Philippines has 10 non-working holidays. In recent years, when a holiday falls on a weekday, it is celebrated as a long weekend, which actually promotes domestic tourism.
January 1 - New Year's Day
March or April (movable) - Good Friday
April 9 - Araw ng Kagitingan
May 1 - Labor Day
June 12 - Independence Day
Last Sunday of August - National Heroes Day
November 1 - All Saints Day
November 30 - Bonifacio Day
December 25 - Christmas Day
December 30 - Rizal Day
Philippine Special Holidays
The President of the Philippines may declare any other day as a special working or non-working holiday.
Usually days that are 'sandwiched' between legal holidays, such as December 31 or a day April that falls between Good Friday and Araw ng Kagitingan, will most likely be declared a special holiday.
Then there are local holidays. For example, July 16 is Cordillera Day and September 1 is Baguio Day. Banks and offices in the Philippines are open except in the affected areas.
Are Shops in Baguio Open During Holidays?
Only recently have Baguio restaurants and shops realized the wisdom of keeping their businesses open during Holy Week, when there are a lot of visitors.
But if you're spending Christmas or New Year's here, I suggest you prepare to cook your own meals as most restaurants were closed in 2007.
Quick Links
@Baguio Insider
How to enjoy your Baguio Flower Festival better
Every Novembertime Baguio natives and visitors alike eagerly wait to pick fresh strawberries from the Strawberry Farm in nearby La Trinidad, Benguet ...
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