HomeAsiaPhilippinesLuzonIlocos NorteIlocos Norte Itinerary – My 4 Day DIY Tour of Pagudpud, Laoag, Paoay 174 shares By Marcos Detourist on October 4, 2011Here is the itinerary during my do-it-yourself (DIY) tour of Ilocos Norte for 4 days. My major destinations in Ilocos Norte were Pagudpud, Laoag City, and Paoay.My first stop was Pagudpud, located at the northernmost tip of Luzon Island. To get there, I took the long bus commute from Tuguegarao City in Cagayan Province.I arrived at around mid-morning and spent the rest of the day going to a couple of spots in town like the Patapat Viaduct, Kabigan Falls, Blue Lagoon, and Saud Beach.On the second day, I decided to do a commuting tour of the Bangui Windmills, Kapurpurawan White Rock, and Cape Bojeador Lighthouse on my way down to Laoag, the capital city of Ilocos Norte. I spent two nights in Laoag while taking day trips to the beautiful churches of Paoay, Sarrat, and Bacarra.I made sure to visit the Malacanang of the North at Paoay Lake before moving further south to the heritage city of Vigan, Ilocos Sur.Ilocos Norte Itinerary Map My Ilocos Norte Itinerary, a Day DIY Tour of Pagudpud, Laoag, and PaoayDay 1 – Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte; Bus commute from Tuguegarao(also day four of my Northern Luzon Circuit) 5:00am – Tricycle ride to “GMW Bus Liner” Terminal, Tuguegarao City, Cagayan from Hotel Ivory – P20 5:20am – Board “Laoag” GMW aircon bus. All Laoag-bound buses pass by Pagupud 6:20am – Departure from Tuguegarao City Bus ride from Tuguegarao City to Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte (5 hours) – P350 fare 11:30am – Arrival in Pagudpud Drop-off at highway intersection to Saud Beach Tricycle ride to Saud Beach – P60 charter Drop-off at Henry’s Homestay, located near Polaris Beach Resort Check-in at Henry’s Homestay – P300 per room per night (fan room with double bed and private CR). Room was clean enough, aptly sized, and the reception was very friendly 12:20nn – Lunch at Polaris Beach Resort Longsilog meal + 500ml bottled water – P140 Saud Beach sightseeingSaud Beach 1:20pm – Tricycle tour of Pagudpud – P600 per tricycle 1:40pm – Kabigan Falls (30 minute inland trek) – P100 guide fee 3:15pm – Patapat Viaduct 3:25pm – Agua Grande / Agua Paraiso 4:00pm – Timmangtang Rock 4:20pm – Blue Lagoon / Maira-ira Beach Blue Lagoon / Maira-ira Beach 5:00pm – Back to Saud Beach Sunset at Saud Beach 7:00pm – Dinner at Evangeline Beach Resort Buffalo Chicken Meal (with drink) + extra rice – P214 Sleep: Henry’s HomestayDay 2 – Pagudpud to Laoag City road trip 10:00am – Ride tricycle to Pagudpud town proper or “centro” (15 minutes) – P30 11:20am – Departure from Pagudpud centro Bus ride from Pagudpud to Brgy. Baruyen in Bangui, Ilocos Norte (30 minutes) – P20 12:00am – Ride tricycle to Bangui Windmills – P100 round-trip charter 12:15am – Bangui Windmills photo stop Bangui Windmills 1:00pm – Drop-off at Bangui Windmills viewdeck (along the highway) 1:10pm – Ride bus toBurgos – P15 Drop-off at Cape Bojeador Lighthouse highway intersection 1:30pm – Walk to Cape Bojeador Lighthouse (20 minutes uphill hike) 1:50pm – Arrival at Cape Bojeador Lighthouse Cape Bojeador Lighthouse photo stopCape Bojeador Lighthouse 2:20pm – Ride jeep to Kapurpurawan White Rock highway intersection – P10 2:30pm – Walk to Kapurpurawan White Rock Sightseeing (45 minutes) Kapurpurawan White Rock photo stopKapurpurawan White Rock Hitched a ride back to the highway 5:30pm – Bus ride from to Laoag (1 hour) – P50 6:30pm – Arrival in Laoag Tricycle ride to Laoag Centro Check-in at Pichay Lodge (corner Primo Lazaro – Hernando St.) – P350 per room per night (fan room with double bed and private CR) Room was spacious but was very dirty and not maintained well. Sleep: Pichay LodgeDay 3 – Churches in Greater Laoag, Ilocos Norte Area 8:00am – got out of Pichay Breakfast at McDo Walk along Rizal St. 9:00am – Ride jeep to Sarrat, Ilocos Norte – P13 9:30am – Arrive in Sarrat Sarrat Church photo stopBrickwork at Sarrat Church and Convent Walk to Marcos Museum 9:50am – Marcos Museum photo-stop Ride jeep to Laoag – P13 Ride tricycle to Batac, Ilocos Norte – Paoay jeepney stop – P13 Ride jeep to Paoay, Ilocos Norte – P33 11:15am – Arrive in Paoay Paoay Church photo-stopPaoay Church 12:10nn – Lunch in La Herrencia Cafe Bagnet with KBL (Kamatis, Bagoong, Lasona) – P200 Rice – P20 per cup Iced Tea – P45 Jeep to Batac – P8 12:40nn – Arrive in Batac Batac Church photo-stop Jeep to San Nicolas – P20 1:40pm – San Nicolas Church photo-stop Jeep to Laoag – P8 2:40pm – Loaog Photo stop Laoag City Hall Ilocos Norte Provincial Capitol Laoag ChurchLaoag Church Tricycle to Bacarra jeepney terminal -P15 Jeep to Bacarra – P11 3:30pm – Arrive in Bacarra Bacarra Church photo stop Tricycle to highway – P10 Jeep to Laoag – P11 Jeep to San Nicolas / Robinsons Place Ilocos Norte – P8 Dinner at Foodcourt Pinakbet + Dinuguan + Rice + Salad – P70 Jeep to Laoag – P8 Sleep: Pichay LodgeDay 4 – Malacanang of the North and Paoay Lake of Ilocos 9:00am – Tricycle ride to plaza area- P15 Walk to Jeepney terminal / loading station near the approach of the long bridge to San Nicolas (at the McDo side) 10:00am – Jeepney ride to Malacanang of the North (30 minutes) – P20 fare Malacangang of the North tour – P20 entrance fee Walk to highway Tricycle ride to Pichay Lodge – P35 shared charter 11:50am – “check-out” at Pichay Lodge Walk to San Nicolas Jeepney terminal Ride jeep to Dawang’s restaurant – P8 Lunch at Dawang’s Igado, Pork Adobo, Lauya (Boiled Pork Ribs), Rice, Coke – P103 12:30nn – Ride bus to Vigan 3:00pm – Arrive in ViganMy trip to Ilocos Norte was just the first part of my Northern Luzon circuit tour. The whole trip lasted for 11 days. On my 7th day (4th day in Ilocos Norte), I continued my journey to Vigan in Ilocos Sur Province.I will also post my Ilocos Sur itinerary soon. Subscribe to my feed to receive blog updates.Don’t leave yet. There’s more!11 Days Northern Luzon Itinerary - Cagayan, Ilocos & Baguio…Blue Lagoon in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte and Lunch at Kapuluan…Paoay Sand Dunes of Ilocos NorteSaud Beach Homestay in Pagudpud, Ilocos NortePagudpud, Ilocos Norte Itinerary - Tricycle Tour DIY Solo…Ilocos Norte Churches - Laoag, San Nicolas, Batac & Bacarra…Comments Pinoy Travel Freak saysOctober 4, 2011 at 8:21 pmAwesome photos! I really would love to go to Bangui Windmills, hopefully I can go there before the year ends. :-) king arambulo saysOctober 24, 2011 at 1:16 pmHi! Pagudpud drivers are well organized and have their rates fixed. I’d like to recommend Mang Ador Tabangay, a very informative, helpful and punctual driver. Here is his number in case you’d want to schedule in advance! :D Marcos saysNovember 11, 2011 at 6:15 pmThanks for sharing king arambulo… in general, there are a lot of tricycle drivers offering tours in Pagudpud. king arambulo saysOctober 24, 2011 at 1:17 pmADOR TABANGAY 09487940255 Marjorie saysFebruary 1, 2012 at 6:31 pmSo happy to find your site. My friends and I are going to Pagudpud this summer and I’d been searching for travel tips. Thanks for this. Marcos saysFebruary 2, 2012 at 3:37 amMy pleasure Marjorie ^_^ Jane Macale saysMarch 11, 2012 at 12:42 amHi There! My friend and I was so happy to find your site, were having a last minute vacation trip-id hehehe in Ilocos and your site is really awesome! I spent almost a day searching for the right blog most of the blogs are like more on the commentary and expensive places to visit, and there you go information overload plus a very cheap yet look so exciting tour! Thank you so much! Looking forward to read more blogs from you! :) Thank you for this! Marcos saysApril 14, 2012 at 12:34 amCool! Glad to be of service :D dhayan saysApril 5, 2012 at 3:38 pmhi. how much did you spend all in all when you went in ilocos norte for 4 days? :) Marcos saysApril 13, 2012 at 11:15 pmMy expenses were around P1K per day. I usually spend more when I’m moving around a lot and less when I just stay put in one area. josie saysMay 14, 2012 at 7:18 pmhiramin ko lang muna tong IT mo. We’re planning to go to laoag sa katapusan ng june.. and can you recommend cheapest hotel.. tiffany hotel-malapit lang ba sya sa mga places sa IT mo? josie saysMay 14, 2012 at 7:21 pmcan you give me some tips.. mula sa laoag airport;-) Nenette saysMay 21, 2012 at 10:27 pmHi!I hope you can help. We’re about 4 families traveling to Ilocos. Our sked is a bit tight because we want to cover as much of Baguio, Ilocos Sur/Norte as much as possibe. We’re from Cagayan de Oro City.Could you please suggest an itinerary for us (with ETDs and ETAs to and from one place)? We’ll be in Laoag at 9 AM and intend to go to Pagudpud after lunch. We might spend the night in Pagudpud and leave for Cabanatuan after lunch the following day.Where can we go given the very tight sked?Please check if this sked is doable. Would appreciate it if you could arrange it so that we do not waste time or miss a place:9 AM – ETA in Laoag 9 – 2 PM – proceed to the Sinking Bell Tower, Malacanang of the North, Fort Ilocandia, Paoay Church, La Paz Sand Dunes (lunch in between) 2 PM – ETD for Pagudpud 3 PM – ETA in Pagudpud 3-6 PM – proceed to Cape Bojeador, Kapurpurawan, Bangui windmills (overnight stay in Paugpud) 7-11 AM – proceed to Blue Lagoon for short dip (where else can we go afterwards?) 11 AM – 1 PM – lunch 1 PM – depart from PagudpudThanks so much!Hope you can help… tristanmabilangan saysMay 22, 2012 at 8:07 amwoah! yes! i have been to those places and it was awesome. not because my my family originated there, but the scenery and it’s historical places make me fall in love over and over again. i went to bohol and palawan. it made me come to think na may ilalaban ang ilocos province. i recommend a week vacation for you guys to experience the beauty of the north. there are hotels offering low accomodation fees like 900 per day good for 4 to 5 person. fully airconditioned but i can’t guarantee you the perfect service though if you are looking for a place to lay your back. however, there’s a lot of activities to do there, such as sand boarding, water sports activities, snorkling and of course pasyal. hehehe! thanks for posting your blog. nice photos. roma saysNovember 16, 2012 at 9:35 amhi sir, just wondering, is it safe to travel to ilocos alone? im planning to go there soon… how many days will i need to maximize most locations? will it be too costly pag maig isa or meron ding cheaper option?salamat ng madami… Marcos saysDecember 4, 2012 at 6:10 pmI traveled there alone and nothing unfortunate happened to me. The itinerary I posted (encompassing only Ilocos Norte) lasted for four days plus another 2 days for Ilocos Sur. It’s definitely more expensive to travel alone. Minnie saysDecember 7, 2012 at 3:40 pmgreat blog site. really helpful. will be traveling to Laoag on January 30 with my hubby. Can’t wait to see the windmills. so surprised there are more places we can actually pass by while going there. thanks. Marcos saysDecember 28, 2012 at 1:18 amYeah, there are lots of interesting places to visit in the area. Safe travels! red saysDecember 20, 2012 at 5:17 pmdo you have gmw’s contact nos.? been googling it but couldn’t find one. tnx barbie saysMarch 24, 2013 at 7:42 pmThanks this is so helpful! My daughter and I are going this May. Might just DIY this, instead. Exciting. karen reyes saysApril 6, 2013 at 4:29 amhi there, do you still have any contact person that we may talk to, to help us move around ilocos. we’re going there sept of this year. thanks. David saysApril 10, 2013 at 10:01 pmMarcos – Thanks so much for sharing this information. Based on your tips, I was able to visit the region without any hastle. Your blog is more useful than Lonely Planet! I posted some pictures of my time in Pagupud here: http://www.tenacityinpursuit.com/2012/2015/2/12/between-the-rains-in-the-bacuit-archipelago-el-nido-october-10 Feel free to check them out when you have time. Thanks again! Posting of new comments is disabled temporarily.Connect with Marcos on:Detourista.comMarcosDetourist.comFacebookInstagramTwitterDetourista.comDiscover more travel guides and blogs about the Philippines and beyond by Marcos DetouristChoose your next destination: Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Pinoy Travel Freak saysOctober 4, 2011 at 8:21 pmAwesome photos! I really would love to go to Bangui Windmills, hopefully I can go there before the year ends. :-)
king arambulo saysOctober 24, 2011 at 1:16 pmHi! Pagudpud drivers are well organized and have their rates fixed. I’d like to recommend Mang Ador Tabangay, a very informative, helpful and punctual driver. Here is his number in case you’d want to schedule in advance! :D
Marcos saysNovember 11, 2011 at 6:15 pmThanks for sharing king arambulo… in general, there are a lot of tricycle drivers offering tours in Pagudpud.
Marjorie saysFebruary 1, 2012 at 6:31 pmSo happy to find your site. My friends and I are going to Pagudpud this summer and I’d been searching for travel tips. Thanks for this.
Jane Macale saysMarch 11, 2012 at 12:42 amHi There! My friend and I was so happy to find your site, were having a last minute vacation trip-id hehehe in Ilocos and your site is really awesome! I spent almost a day searching for the right blog most of the blogs are like more on the commentary and expensive places to visit, and there you go information overload plus a very cheap yet look so exciting tour! Thank you so much! Looking forward to read more blogs from you! :) Thank you for this!
dhayan saysApril 5, 2012 at 3:38 pmhi. how much did you spend all in all when you went in ilocos norte for 4 days? :)
Marcos saysApril 13, 2012 at 11:15 pmMy expenses were around P1K per day. I usually spend more when I’m moving around a lot and less when I just stay put in one area.
josie saysMay 14, 2012 at 7:18 pmhiramin ko lang muna tong IT mo. We’re planning to go to laoag sa katapusan ng june.. and can you recommend cheapest hotel.. tiffany hotel-malapit lang ba sya sa mga places sa IT mo?
Nenette saysMay 21, 2012 at 10:27 pmHi!I hope you can help. We’re about 4 families traveling to Ilocos. Our sked is a bit tight because we want to cover as much of Baguio, Ilocos Sur/Norte as much as possibe. We’re from Cagayan de Oro City.Could you please suggest an itinerary for us (with ETDs and ETAs to and from one place)? We’ll be in Laoag at 9 AM and intend to go to Pagudpud after lunch. We might spend the night in Pagudpud and leave for Cabanatuan after lunch the following day.Where can we go given the very tight sked?Please check if this sked is doable. Would appreciate it if you could arrange it so that we do not waste time or miss a place:9 AM – ETA in Laoag 9 – 2 PM – proceed to the Sinking Bell Tower, Malacanang of the North, Fort Ilocandia, Paoay Church, La Paz Sand Dunes (lunch in between) 2 PM – ETD for Pagudpud 3 PM – ETA in Pagudpud 3-6 PM – proceed to Cape Bojeador, Kapurpurawan, Bangui windmills (overnight stay in Paugpud) 7-11 AM – proceed to Blue Lagoon for short dip (where else can we go afterwards?) 11 AM – 1 PM – lunch 1 PM – depart from PagudpudThanks so much!Hope you can help…
tristanmabilangan saysMay 22, 2012 at 8:07 amwoah! yes! i have been to those places and it was awesome. not because my my family originated there, but the scenery and it’s historical places make me fall in love over and over again. i went to bohol and palawan. it made me come to think na may ilalaban ang ilocos province. i recommend a week vacation for you guys to experience the beauty of the north. there are hotels offering low accomodation fees like 900 per day good for 4 to 5 person. fully airconditioned but i can’t guarantee you the perfect service though if you are looking for a place to lay your back. however, there’s a lot of activities to do there, such as sand boarding, water sports activities, snorkling and of course pasyal. hehehe! thanks for posting your blog. nice photos.
roma saysNovember 16, 2012 at 9:35 amhi sir, just wondering, is it safe to travel to ilocos alone? im planning to go there soon… how many days will i need to maximize most locations? will it be too costly pag maig isa or meron ding cheaper option?salamat ng madami…
Marcos saysDecember 4, 2012 at 6:10 pmI traveled there alone and nothing unfortunate happened to me. The itinerary I posted (encompassing only Ilocos Norte) lasted for four days plus another 2 days for Ilocos Sur. It’s definitely more expensive to travel alone.
Minnie saysDecember 7, 2012 at 3:40 pmgreat blog site. really helpful. will be traveling to Laoag on January 30 with my hubby. Can’t wait to see the windmills. so surprised there are more places we can actually pass by while going there. thanks.
Marcos saysDecember 28, 2012 at 1:18 amYeah, there are lots of interesting places to visit in the area. Safe travels!
red saysDecember 20, 2012 at 5:17 pmdo you have gmw’s contact nos.? been googling it but couldn’t find one. tnx
barbie saysMarch 24, 2013 at 7:42 pmThanks this is so helpful! My daughter and I are going this May. Might just DIY this, instead. Exciting.
karen reyes saysApril 6, 2013 at 4:29 amhi there, do you still have any contact person that we may talk to, to help us move around ilocos. we’re going there sept of this year. thanks.
David saysApril 10, 2013 at 10:01 pmMarcos – Thanks so much for sharing this information. Based on your tips, I was able to visit the region without any hastle. Your blog is more useful than Lonely Planet! I posted some pictures of my time in Pagupud here: http://www.tenacityinpursuit.com/2012/2015/2/12/between-the-rains-in-the-bacuit-archipelago-el-nido-october-10 Feel free to check them out when you have time. Thanks again!