Banaue Rice Terraces

Address: Nueva Vizcaya – Ifugao – Mountain Province Rd, Banaue, Ifugao

The Banaue Rice Terraces or Hagdan-hagdang Palayan ng Banawe in Filipino is the terraces that were carved into the mountains of Ifugao in the Cordillera mountain range by the ancestors of the indigenous people using minimal equipment and mostly by hand. The 2000-year-old Banaue rice terraces are listed in the “Eighth Wonder of the World” and a designated National Cultural Treasure. The terraces are located approximately 1,500 meters or 4,900 feet above sea level. The terraces irrigation system is coming from the rainforests above it.

Ifugaos up to this day still plant rice and vegetables on the terraces.  The terraces serve as tourist attractions that generate income in the hospitality industry. Sunrise Viewpoint is the most popular place to look at the rice terraces, where local Igorot tribespeople poses for photographs and sell wood carvings. 

You can also set out on foot along the pathways across the rice paddies, their banks scattered with scarlet wildflowers that contrast spectacularly with the vivid green of the rice plantings. If you want to try mountain hikes adventures, hire a guide. The walking around the terraces take hours, but the views of the terraced valleys are breathtaking. There are waterfalls and natural swimming holes where you can ease away the aches and strains of the hike.

The terraces can be visited any time of the year, but the best time for a visit is between February and March when the cleaning and planting time occurs and between June and July when the harvest occurs.