You might have heard of Atok when the Northern Blossom Flower Farm went viral. Now, a lot of tourists take the 1.5 to 2 hours trip to Atok from Baguio to see flowers in different shapes and sizes. But what if I tell you there’s more to see in Atok than just flowers?
Interested? Keep reading.
Use this Atok, Benguet travel guide to help you plan the perfect itinerary!
Update on Atok’s tourism as of February 21: The travel ban has been lifted. Tourists can enter Atok again. 🙂
How to Get to Atok, Benguet
Via Commute
If you’re coming from Manila, first ride a bus going to Baguio. You can book a bus ticket to Baguio in advance here.
From Baguio City
- Ride a bus or van that passes by the municipality of Atok in Halsema Highway such as trips going to Sagada, Bontoc, Mankayan, and Abatan. You can find these in the Dangwa terminal located behind Center Mall, Magsaysay Avenue.
- Ask the driver to drop you off at Marosan’s Restaurant in Atok. The fare is around 100+ pesos and travel time from Baguio is 1.5 to 2 hours.
- From here, you can choose to go to the Paoay Barangay Hall near Marosan’s Restaurant to register and avail of their tour packages around Atok. (Read below under “Tours” for the package information.)
Via Private Car
If you’re coming from Baguio, drive to Halsema Highway and use Waze or Google Maps.
IMPORTANT: Following the Executive Order No. 09-2020 by Mayor Raymundo Sarac on lifting the temporary suspension on tourism activities, it is asked that all tourists, visitors, and guests visiting the municipality of Atok, to pre-register first at the designated registration area at PAOAY Barangay Hall in Sayangan, Paoay, Atok, Benguet for monitoring purposes. (NO PRE-REGISTRATION, NO ENTRY).
Important Things To Know About Atok, Benguet
ATMs: There are no ATMs in Atok so be sure to bring enough cash and some extra.
Languages Spoken: Most locals speak Kankanaey, Ilocano and Ibaloi. But they’re also fluent in Tagalog and English.
Best time to visit:
Best months to visit would be December to May for the least rainfall and to avoid the typhoon season. Coldest months are November to February.
During these times, Atok experiences frost. Most of the crops and flowers get destroyed by the extremely cold temperature.
February to April would be the best time to visit Atok to see the blooming sakura trees in Haight’s Place. (Note that the trees are still small so you might only see a handful of flowers.)
Getting Around:
The Paoay Brgy Hall located behind Marosan’s Restaurant in Sayangan offers tours around Atok’s best tourist spots. Included in the package are transportation and a tour guide.
If you want to see what Atok has to offer, I’d recommend availing of one of their Circuit tours (more on this later…)
Internet Connection in Atok, Benguet: Mobile data signal for Globe in Atok is 4G so you can use that if you want to connect to the Internet.
Top Things To Do In Atok Benguet
Note: For all the tourist spots, if you decided to visit all in one day, you’ll only pay the P20 registration fee once.
Now, here’s where to go in Atok, Benguet.
Northern Blossom
- Entrance Fee: P250 (plus P20 registration fee)
- Travel Guide: Northern Blossom
Northern Blossom Flower Farm is the most famous destination in Atok, Benguet. Photos of their flowers went viral on social media back in 2018. Since then, the flower farm has been opened to the public. They are well known for their rose cabbages.
If you love flowers, this place is a must-visit!
Haight’s Place (Sakura Park)
- Maintenance Fee: P80 (plus P20 registration fee)
- Travel Guide: Haight’s Place (Sakura Park)
Back in 2016, around 36 sakura trees were planted in Paoay, Atok in the land owned by the Haight Clan. In around 5 to 10 years, the trees would be mature. Now, you can still get a glimpse of the sakura flowers when the trees bloom around February to April. However, there are only a few flowers.
While waiting for the trees to grow, Haight’s Place have planted cosmos flowers creating a field of pink/purple field of flowers! It’s a sight to see!
Lourdes Grotto
- Entrance Fee: Free
Lourdes Grotto in Atok, Benguet is a big rock formation. You can climb to the top and get a magnificent view of the surrounding mountains and vegetable farms in the municipality.
This is the best spot for sunset viewing!
Half Tunnel
- Entrance Fee: Free
When going to Atok, Benguet from Baguio, you’ll pass by a half tunnel before reaching Sayangan. It’s quite a sight so be sure to keep your eyes open.
Spanish Trail
The Spanish trail was called as such because of its construction during the Spanish period. Now, the trail has been divided into two because of a big obstruction inside the trail. You can
Mt Timbak
- Registration Fee: P20 registration fee
- Tent Rental: P100 per head
Camping Fee: P100 per head - Travel Guide: Mt Timbak
Mt Timbak is the third highest mountain in Luzon. It is most famous for its sea of clouds during sunrise. According to our guide, April is the best time to camp and hike in Mt Timbak to get a glimpse of the sea of clouds.
Highest Point
- Entrance Fee: Free
Highest Point is apparently the highest point in the Philippines’ highway system. However, in 2019, it became the 2nd highest point. The highest point is now in Mount Gui’ngaw along the Kiangan-Tinoc-Buguias road.
Tours
After visiting Northern Blossom Flower Farm, you can go to the Paoay Brgy Hall to avail of the following packages:
Circuit I
Price: P1,200 (good for 5 persons)
Places to visit:
- Sakura Park (Haight’s Place)
- 2nd Highest Point
- Lourdes Grotto
Circuit 2
Price: P1,800 (good for 5 persons)
Places to visit:
- Sakura Park (Haight’s Place)
- 2nd Highest Point
- Lourdes Grotto
- Mt Timbak
Circuit 3
Price: P3,500 (good for 5 persons)
Places to visit:
- Sakura Park (Haight’s Place)
- 2nd Highest Point
- Lourdes Grotto
- Mt Timbak
- Spanish Trail
If you want to visit Northern Blossom Flower Farm after the tour, you can ask your guide to drop you off there.
Where to Stay
Haight’s Place
- Contact: (09099253005) Catherine or (09095409059) Eddie
There are three rooms and one cabin you can book for an overnight stay. Each room can accommodate 4 to 6 persons and has its own mini kitchen and hot shower.
You can also camp. Just bring your own tents and sleeping bags.
- Good for 4pax – P3500
- Good for 6pax – P4500
- Kubo – P3500 with kitchen, toilet and bath, mattress on the floor
- Camping (if with own tent) – P100 head
- Tent Rentals – P500 plus P100/ head
Northern Blossom
- Contact: 0908 151 3368
If you want to spend the night, Northern Blossom has several transient houses and rooms that you can book.
- Good for 2 persons – P1,500
- Good for 3 persons – P1,800
- Good for 8 persons (2 rooms, and 1 toilet & bath) – P3,000
- Good for 8 to 10 persons ( 3 rooms, 1 toilet & bath, living room, and kitchen) – P3,500
- Good for 8 to 10 persons (4 rooms, 2 toilets & bath, kitchen, and living room) – P4,000
Others
You can also contact the Atok Tourist Information Center (09465147799 and 09301892757) for places to stay in Atok.
Where to Eat
I’d recommend Ricken Star. This is one of the most common van/bus stops when traveling around Halsema Highway. Their food is really tasty.
There are also several restaurants you can find in the town.
Responsible Travel Tips
When traveling to one place, make sure you practice responsible tourism. Here are some tips to do so.
1. Respect the environment
Don’t litter. Please hold onto your trash until you find a garbage can.
Related: 16 Eco-Friendly Travel Products for the Earth-Loving You
2. Avoid single-use plastic
Bring your eco bag and refuse single-use plastic.
3. Shop local
Keep the traditional crafts alive and support local artisans. Buy from them. And try not to haggle, P20 may seem small to you but it can mean a lot to them.
4. Always ask permission
Be sure to ask for permission first when taking photos or videos especially when it comes to children.
What to Pack for Atok
- Eco-friendly Reusable Water Bottle
- Thick Jacket
- T-shirts, a nice top, and a long-sleeved shirt
- Power Adapter
- Packing Cubes
- Ecobag
- Microfiber Towel
- Travel Insurance
- sneakers, hiking shoes (if you’re planning to hike) and some flats
- reusable straw and reusable bag (no to single-use plastic!)
Related Article: The Only Travel Packing List You’ll Ever Need (Trust Me)
Our Camera Gear
- Mirrorless Camera: Fujifilm XT3
- Lenses: Fujifilm Fujinon kit lens (18-55mm) | Fujinon 35mm f2 | Fujinon 50mm f2
- Drone: DJI Mavic Pro 2
- GoPro: GoPro Hero Black 7
- Power Bank: Romoss Powerbank
- Camera Backpack: Case Logic Camera and Laptop Backpack
- Monopod: Ifootage Cobra 2 a180
- Mic: Rode VideoMicro
- Gimbal: Zhiyun Weebill-S
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