Explore Batanes
Batanes is the smallest province in the country and sits closer to Taiwan than to Manila. The landscape is rolling green hills, stone houses, lighthouses on cliffs, and an Atlantic feel that doesn't exist anywhere else in the Philippines. The Ivatan, the indigenous people of Batanes, have lived here for centuries, and their stone-and-cogon houses still stand and are still occupied. This is the slowest, quietest destination we offer.
Trip facts
Starting place: Basco, Batan Island Ending place: Sabtang Island Duration: 5 days, 4 nights Flights: International flights not included. Domestic flight from Manila to Basco arranged by us. Best time to go: March through June. We avoid August through October for typhoons.
About this trip
This is a five-day trip across two of the inhabited islands of Batanes, designed for travelers who want quiet, weather, and a sense of being somewhere very few people go. You spend most of the trip on Batan Island, the largest, with day trips to its viewpoints, lighthouses, and stone villages. One day is on Sabtang Island, the smaller and older one, where the Ivatan stone-house tradition is best preserved. There's almost no nightlife and no tourist infrastructure to speak of, and that's why people come.
Inclusions:
- Lodge accommodation matched to your trip
- Daily breakfast
- All private transfers, with a guide and a driver
- Boat tickets to Sabtang Island Local guide on Sabtang
- All entrance tickets and village fees
- Domestic flights between Manila and Basco
- A point of contact reachable any hour, any day, throughout your trip
Not Included:
- International flights
- Additional nights in Manila if needed for connections
- Tips for guides, drivers, and boat crew
- Food and drinks outside breakfast
- Travel insurance
Things Worth Knowing
Batanes is one of the most weather-sensitive destinations in the country. Flights from Manila are often delayed or cancelled, and we recommend building flexibility into the trip on either end. We will not be able to refund cancellations caused by weather.
The Sabtang crossing depends entirely on the sea. If conditions are too rough, the boat does not run, and we replace the day with another Batan tour.
There is no luxury infrastructure on Batanes. The inns are clean and well-run, but small. Travelers expecting full-service resorts should choose another destination.
The accommodation supply on Batanes is limited and books out months in advance during peak season. Plan early.
Cancellations within ninety days of departure are not permitted. Rates are per person, based on double occupancy, and subject to change.
Where you stay
Batanes has a small number of well-run inns and lodges in Basco, which is where almost all travelers stay. There are no luxury resorts. We work with the best of the available options.
Arrival in Basco
Pickup at Basco airport, check-in. Afternoon visit to Naidi Hills, where the lighthouse sits above town and the views run all the way to Mount Iraya, the dormant volcano that anchors the island. Sunset from the lighthouse. Dinner at one of the few restaurants in town.
North Batan
A driving and walking day around the northern half of Batan Island. Stops at Valugan Boulder Beach, the Vayang Rolling Hills, and the Tukon Church. Lunch at a small restaurant. The viewpoints here are the rolling hills and dramatic Atlantic coast people have seen photos of.
South Batan
A second driving day, this time around the southern half. Mahatao village, the lighthouse at Mahatao, the stone-walled cemetery at Imnajbu, and the Honesty Coffee Shop, an unstaffed roadside store where you pay for what you take. Lunch at Diura, a small fishing village. Afternoon at one of the south-coast viewpoints.
Sabtang Island
An early boat to Sabtang Island, the smaller and older of the two main islands. The crossing takes around thirty minutes and depends on the sea, which can be rough. Once on Sabtang, a tour of the Chavayan stone village, the Savidug village, and Morong Beach. Lunch in a Sabtang home. Boat back to Basco in the afternoon.
Departure
Transfer to Basco airport for the flight back to Manila. The flight is one of the most weather-sensitive in the country, and delays are common.
We don't sell Batanes as a fixed itinerary. This is the trip we'd build for travelers who want the slowest, quietest, most remote version of the Philippines. If you want longer on Sabtang, a more active version of the trip, or Batanes paired with Ilocos, that's the conversation we have on the call.
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