The Rice Terraces of the Cordilleras

Quick answer

• What it is: the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995 and the first listed in the cultural landscape category.
• The five inscribed clusters: Batad and Bangaan in Banaue, Hungduan, Mayoyao Central and Nagacadan in Kiangan, all in Ifugao.
• Best for most visitors: Batad, a village in an amphitheatre of terraces, reached on foot.
• Getting there: a long road trip or overnight bus from Manila to Banaue, then local transport and a hike.
• Pair it with: Sagada or Baguio elsewhere in the Cordilleras.

Why it is a wonder

In the mountains of Ifugao, in northern Luzon, whole valleys have been reshaped into staircases of rice fields. Walls of stone and earth follow every curve of the slopes, and water from the forests above flows down through them, field by field.

UNESCO inscribed the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras on the World Heritage List in 1995, the first property ever listed in the cultural landscape category. The inscription covers five clusters: Batad and Bangaan in the municipality of Banaue, Hungduan, Mayoyao Central, and Nagacadan in Kiangan.

What makes them a wonder is not only the engineering but that they are still farmed. The terraces depend on Ifugao families and their knowledge, passed down through generations. When abandonment and damage put them at risk, UNESCO placed them on its List of World Heritage in Danger in 2001; years of conservation work saw them removed from that list in 2012.

Their age is debated. They were long described as up to 2,000 years old, while recent archaeological research suggests that at least some terraces are a few centuries old. Either way, they are a living landscape, not a ruin.

Beat the crowds

• Stay overnight in Batad. Day-trippers leave in the afternoon, and early morning in the village is peaceful.
• Visit a second cluster. Bangaan, Hungduan and Mayoyao see far fewer visitors than Batad.
• Avoid long holiday weekends, when Banaue’s roads and guesthouses fill up.

Getting there

The journey is part of the experience, and it is long.

1. Manila to Banaue: by overnight bus or private car, through the mountains of northern Luzon. Plan on most of a day or a night of travel.
2. Banaue to Batad: local vehicles run towards the Batad trailhead. Arrange this through your guesthouse.
3. Into Batad on foot: the last stretch is a steep walk down into the village. Pack light and wear proper shoes.

Mountain roads can close after heavy rain or landslides, especially in the rainy season, so build in a spare day. See our guide to getting around the Philippines.

A perfect day

1. Wake early in Batad and watch the light reach the terraces from your guesthouse terrace.
2. Walk the terrace walls with a local guide, crossing the amphitheatre of fields and stopping to talk with farmers.
3. Rest at lunch, then, if your legs allow, hike to Tappiya Falls below the village.
4. Return to a viewpoint for late afternoon, when the terraces glow and the village goes quiet.

Through the seasons

• Dry months, roughly December to May: the best conditions for hiking, with clearer skies and drier trails.
• Rainy season, roughly June to November: greener, quieter and misty, but trails get slippery and mountain roads can close.
• The rice cycle: the terraces change colour through the year, from water-filled mirrors after planting to bright green to gold at harvest. Timing differs by cluster, so ask your guesthouse what stage the fields are at.

Respect the place

The terraces are farms and homes, not a theme park.

• Hire a local guide and walk only where they lead, keeping to the top of the walls.
• Don’t step into the fields or dislodge stones from the walls.
• Ask before photographing people, and respect requests for a fee or for no photos.
• Take your rubbish with you. Waste is hard to manage in villages reached only on foot.

Photo gallery

📍 Open in Google Maps

Frequently asked questions

Are the Banaue Rice Terraces a UNESCO World Heritage Site?

The famous terraces at the Banaue viewpoint are not part of the inscription. The UNESCO site is made up of five clusters in Ifugao: Batad and Bangaan, both in the municipality of Banaue, plus Hungduan, Mayoyao Central and Nagacadan in Kiangan.

How old are the rice terraces?

It is debated. They have long been described as up to 2,000 years old, but recent archaeological research suggests that some of the terraces were built more recently, within the last few centuries.

How do I get to Batad?

Travel to Banaue first, by overnight bus or private car from Manila. From Banaue, local transport takes you towards Batad, and the final stretch into the village is on foot down a steep trail.

When is the best time to see the rice terraces?

The dry months are the most comfortable for hiking. The look of the terraces changes with the rice cycle, from flooded mirrors to bright green to golden at harvest, so ask locally what stage the fields are at.

Do I need a guide in Batad?

It is a good idea. Local guides know the trails along the terrace walls, help you avoid damaging the fields, and the fee supports the community that keeps the terraces alive.

Next wonder · No. 3

The Puerto Princesa Underground River

A river that runs through a limestone mountain and out into the sea, explored by paddle boat in the dark.