Manila is an exciting city with a lot to offer. The capital of the Philippines is one of the most densely populated cities in the world, but because its inhabitants are very friendly, the atmosphere in the city is very pleasant. From Spanish colonial architecture to modern skyscrapers, historic forts and churches, and contemporary attractions like Manila Ocean Park, there is something for everyone in this city. And although Manila has buildings from the Spanish colonial era, nothing compares to the city of Vigán. This city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site thanks to its incredibly well-preserved streets and old buildings. Horse carts passing through the cobblestone streets add to the charm of the city. Here you can enjoy fountains with light shows, delicious food that can be found in stalls, museums and mansions. Here are the best ways to get from Manila to Vigan.
Travel options from Manila to Vigan
The city of Vigan is located 400 kilometers north of Manila. Both cities are located on Luzon, the largest island in the Philippines, so there is no need to cross bodies of water or island hopping to travel from one city to another. The most popular way to travel from Manila to Vigan is by bus as there is a direct connection which is cheap and reliable. You can also take a taxi, but since there are so many kilometers between the two cities, the journey would be very expensive. Another option is to fly by plane, but it also has its disadvantages. Below are all the details.
From Manila to Vigan by bus
The bus journey from Manila to Vigan is quite long, but it is cheap and convenient, so it is the most popular way to get from Manila to Vigan. There are several bus companies serving this route and tickets for two of them can be booked through the site 12Go.asia: Farinas Trans and Aniceto bus lines.
Farinas Trans offers more services per day and has three types of buses to choose from: first class, deluxe and super deluxe. There is not much price difference between them. Tickets are about a euro more expensive in first and deluxe class, and a euro more expensive in super deluxe, so you won’t save much if you choose the cheapest. The services offered by each bus also do not differ much. All buses are modern and well equipped with bathrooms, air conditioning, Wi-Fi and TVs. The only difference is the seats. First class buses have rows of four seats, with two seats on each side of the aisle. On the contrary, deluxe and super deluxe buses only have three seats in a row, so the seats are wider and there is more space for passengers.
Farinas Trans buses from Manila to Vigan run at night. The first departure from their offices in Manila is at 8:00 PM, arriving in Vigán 8 hours and 15 minutes later, at 4:15 AM the next day. The other departures are at 20:30, 21:00, 21:30, 22:00, 23:00 and 23:30. The last bus arrives in Vigán in good time, around 7.45 in the morning. If you manage to sleep on the way, it’s worth making time for breakfast and being able to spend the whole day in the city. If you’re worried about what type of bus you’ll be taking, check the timetable on 12Go as each departure is served by a different type of bus. For example, if you wanted to travel by first class bus, you couldn’t get on the bus at 11:30 p.m., you would have to choose the 10:00 p.m. or 11:00 p.m. bus instead.
Buses from Manila to Vigan with Aniceto Bus Lines are cheaper as they use a standard express bus. These buses have air conditioning, but not many other amenities. This way you can save a few euros if you don’t mind the lack of Wi-Fi or a bigger place. Aniceto only offers two daily departures: one from Manila at 7:00 AM and the other at 9:30 PM. Traveling during the day has the advantage of enjoying the scenery, but there is more traffic on the roads and the journey is longer. If you take the 7am bus, it will take approximately 11 hours to reach Vigán. The 9.30pm bus arrives in Vigan at 6am the next day so this may be a better option. The advantage of traveling at night is the saving of accommodation.
Flights from Manila to Vigan
PAL Express (A320) flies between Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport and Laoag International Airport © Markus Schmal / Shutterstock.com
Flying from Manila to Vigan is a bit more complicated, but we wanted to include this solution in our guide so you can compare the options. Technically, there is a direct flight from Manila to Vigan with charter airline Platinum Skies. They fly from Ninoy Aquino International Airport and land at Mindoro Small Airport, also known as Vigan Airport. At the time of writing this article, we were unable to find information on available flights, so it is essential to check availability before considering this solution.
There is another option to travel by plane, which is to depart from Manila to Laoag International Airport. There are flights with Philippine Airlines (operated by PAL Express) that have daily departures from Monday to Saturday. The flight time is approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes. The problem is that Laoag is 87 kilometers north of Vigan, so you’d have to find a way to get to the city. The good thing is that there are cheap buses that serve this route and you can also go by taxi. But if we add to this the cost of the flight and transfer to Vigán, you can come to the conclusion that it is not worth spending so much on the plane.
Our recommendation is to take the bus from Manila to Vigán. There are plenty of options per day and the buses are cheap and reliable. Flying would only be a good option if you could find a direct connection from Manila to Vigan, but if you fly to Laoag you won’t save much time and pay a lot more.