Things to Do in Baguio in December
December weather, activities, events & insider tips
High Season · Book Early
December Weather in Baguio
Temperature, rainfall and humidity at a glance
74°F (23°C)
High Temp
57°F (14°C)
Low Temp
1.6 inches (40 mm)
Rainfall
70%
Humidity
Is December Right for You?
Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking
Advantages
- + December cracks open Baguio's dry amihan season. Mornings turn sharp enough for pine needles to crunch under your soles along Camp John Hay's 2 km (1.2 mile) eco-trail. The city's familiar moldy dampness lifts for the first time since July. You'll breathe air that feels laundered.
- + Manila families rocket up the zigzag for Christmas break. Session Road closes to traffic and erupts into a walking carnival of pop-up stalls. Strawberry-chocolate turon and ice-cold calamansi juice sell faster than carol lyrics. Energy spikes. Yet the gridlock that turns a 10-minute ride into an hour is still months away.
- + Strawberry season in La Trinidad peaks just before the frost. Terraces at Benguet State University farm hang heavy with fruit. December berries taste like real strawberries, not the watery March disappointments. Pick fast; the sweetness tightens with every cool dawn.
- + Hotel balconies you ignored all monsoon season swing open like private box seats. December skies rinse themselves clean, so sunset ignites the Cordillera peaks. Radio towers on Mount Santo Tomas glint 15 km (9.3 miles) away. Bring a jacket. The view is cold fire.
Considerations
- − December 23 to Jan 2 feels like lockdown in reverse. Burnham Park's lagoon path slows to a shuffle-step human jam. Taxi drivers triple normal rates. Finding one free is lottery odds. Book earlier or walk.
- − Night can plummet to 14°C (57°F). Most hotels skip central heating, so you burrow under three blankets. Condensation beads on bathroom tiles like silent rain. Bring socks you'll gift to the tile gods.
- − Christmas shoppers strip Baguio's ukay-ukay racks bare. Half-price winter coats that arrived in October are ghosts by mid-December. What's left is polyester fast-fashion tagged at Manila prices. Hunt early or head home empty-handed.
Best Activities in December
Top things to do during your visit
Strawberry Farm Walk-Ups in La Trinidad
A 15-minute jeepney ride drops you in waist-high rows where you snip your own berries. Morning fog hugs the terraces, then burns off by 9am. December fruit runs smaller yet denser in flavor. Jam ladies stir aluminum kettles at the field edge, bamboo paddles coating spoons with scarlet.
Booking Tip: No reservations. Gates open 6am-6pm. Arrive before 8am to dodge tour-bus stampedes. Wear shoes you don't mind bleeding red. Worth it.
Camp John Hay Eco-Trail Morning Hikes
At 1,500 m (4,920 ft) the trail's pine duff stays dry in December, a Baguio miracle. Resin scents the air instead of mildew. The 45-minute loop gifts a misty South China Sea overlook on clear days. Woodpeckers hammer 200-year-old Benguet pine while golf-course joggers huff past in fleece.
Booking Tip: Access is free. But guards lock the gates at 5pm. Tag on the Bell House museum for a half-day. Both are walkable from Ayala Technohub where taxis still exist. Plan ahead.
Night Market Street-Food Crawl on Harrison Road
From 9pm the street becomes a tunnel of white LEDs and charcoal smoke. December means hot chocolate-tablea poured from aluminum kettles, camote cue caramelized in pig-fat gloss, and strawberry-wine shots that taste like jam then burn like brandy. Steam coils off every grill, good for moody photos minus the tropical sweat sheen.
Booking Tip: Guides are pointless. Start at the cathedral and drift downhill. Bring small bills and a hollow leg. Portions stay snack-size, so six stalls won't rupture you. Keep moving.
BenCab Museum Rice-Terrace Art Walk
December light slants low, turning Ifugao rice terraces behind the museum into sky mirrors. Indigenous wood carvings feel warmer in the cool air. Downstairs, Cordillera coffee, arabica beans roasted dark until oil beads, waits in a basement café that opens onto a fern gully alive with dragonflies.
Booking Tip: Doors open 9am-6pm, last tickets at 5:30pm. A jeepney from city center takes 25 minutes. Drivers will linger for the price of a coffee tip. Easy.
Mines View Park Horse-Photo & Silverworks
After 10am the tour buses bolt to lunch, leaving the overlook to locals with pink-dyed ponies for novelty photos. December visibility can stretch 30 km (18.6 miles) to Itogon's abandoned copper mines. The ore tramway glints like a dropped necklace. Silver cuffs cost less here than on Session Road because rent is lower.
Booking Tip: Haggle with a smile. Open at half price and settle near 60%. Fog lifts by 9:30am, so skip the dawn dash. Sleep in.
Where to Stay in Baguio in December
Hand-picked hotels across price tiers for December travellers.
December Events & Festivals
What's happening during your visit
Early December
Panagbenga Flower Festival (Baguio)
February gets the fame. But December hosts the mass planting of 4 million begonia seedlings along Session Road and Burnham Park. Volunteers welcome; you'll earn muddy fingers and a free straw hat. It's the calm before Asia's biggest flower parade erupts.
Early to Late December
Christmas Market at SM Baguio Mountain Terrace
The only mountainside mall in the Philippines decks its open-air deck with pine-scented stalls. Benguet coffee, hand-knit Igorot beanies, and strawberry shortcake made with real Baguio berries replace the usual frozen imports. Carolers belt Ilocano Jingle Bells while guards hand out free hot tsokolate. Locals treat it like a nightly fair.
Packing Checklist
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Essential Tips
Insider knowledge and common pitfalls to avoid
Insider Knowledge
Taxis from Manila now use the new Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway extension. Ask the driver to take Pozorrubio exit then Kennon Road. You skip half the mountain traffic. You save 45 minutes even with the toll.
The secret jeepney to La Trinidad strawberries loads at the old Dangwa terminal behind the public market. It does not leave from the main Ohayami station. Fare is half what tour vans charge. You ride with farm workers who'll point out the sweetest rows.
Hotel lobbies crank up Christmas playlists starting December 1. If you need quiet, request a room on the valley side. Session Road-facing rooms get traffic noise. Lobby music bleeds through walls.
Strawberry wine tastes like alcoholic jam when bottled in November. Buy it after December 15. The sugars have fermented longer. The bite mellows into something you can gift without apology.
Avoid These Mistakes
Avoid booking Burnham Park boat rides at noon. December sun reflects off the water like a mirror. Morning or late afternoon is cooler. It photographs better.
Do not assume 'cold' means European cold. Most hotels lack heating. 14°C (57°F) indoors feels clammy. Pack sleep layers, not a parka.
Do not try to squeeze Mines View, Botanical Garden, and Strawberry Farm into one taxi loop. Traffic lights fail during Christmas rush. You'll spend more time idling than seeing sights.
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Top-rated things to do in Baguio this December
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