Things to Do in Baguio in March
March weather, activities, events & insider tips
March Weather in Baguio
Is March Right for You?
Advantages
- Panagbenga Flower Festival peaks in March - the entire city transforms into a floral showcase with the Grand Float Parade typically happening late February into early March. You'll see massive flower-covered floats, street dancing competitions, and the Session Road transforms into a pedestrian flower market. Book accommodations 2-3 months ahead as this is THE event of the year.
- Perfect hiking weather with daytime temps around 24°C (76°F) - cool enough for serious trekking without the bone-chilling cold of December-January. Mt. Ulap, Akiki Trail to Mt. Pulag, and the Timbac Caves are all accessible without needing heavy winter gear. Trails dry out from February rains, making them safer and more manageable.
- Strawberry season is in full swing - the farms in La Trinidad are literally overflowing with berries in March. You'll pay around ₱400-500 per kilo for pick-your-own versus ₱800+ in Manila markets. The strawberry taho vendors multiply along Session Road, and every bakery rolls out fresh strawberry tarts. This is when locals stock up for jam-making.
- Shoulder season pricing before Holy Week chaos - March (especially early March) hits that sweet spot where Panagbenga crowds have thinned but the Easter weekend rush hasn't started. Hotel rates drop 20-30% compared to peak festival weeks, and you can actually get a table at Good Taste without a 45-minute wait. Mid-March is genuinely the best value window.
Considerations
- Those 10 rainy days are unpredictable and can derail outdoor plans - March sits in this weird transitional period where you might get brilliant sunshine for three days straight, then sudden afternoon downpours that last 2-3 hours. The weather forecast is notoriously unreliable this month. You'll see locals carrying umbrellas even on cloudless mornings because they know better.
- UV index of 8 at 1,500 m (4,900 ft) elevation is deceptively intense - the cool air tricks you into thinking you're protected, but you'll burn faster than at sea level beaches. Tourists consistently underestimate this and end up lobster-red after a day at Mines View Park. The thin mountain air provides less UV protection than you'd expect.
- Post-Panagbenga fatigue means some attractions run on reduced schedules - after weeks of festival madness, certain museums and smaller attractions take maintenance breaks or cut their hours in mid-to-late March. The Botanical Garden gets replanted, some cafes close Mondays AND Tuesdays instead of just Mondays. The city collectively catches its breath, which is great for locals but can be frustrating if you don't plan around it.
Best Activities in March
Mt. Pulag Summit Hikes
March offers the most reliable weather window for summiting Luzon's highest peak at 2,926 m (9,600 ft). The Akiki and Ambangeg trails are fully accessible, and you'll catch the famous sea of clouds on roughly 70% of clear mornings. Temperatures at the summit hover around 2-5°C (36-41°F) at dawn, significantly warmer than the near-freezing conditions of January-February. The grasslands turn golden this time of year, and wildflowers start appearing along the trails. Most importantly, trail conditions are dry enough that you won't be slogging through mud like you would during rainy season.
La Trinidad Strawberry Farm Tours
March is peak harvest season when the berries are sweetest and most abundant. The farms along the Benguet loop - particularly in Bahong, Pico, and Puguis - let you pick your own for ₱400-500 per kilo versus buying pre-picked for ₱600-700. Beyond strawberries, you'll see lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots being harvested. The cool 24°C (76°F) days make walking between farms comfortable, and the morning light around 7-9am is spectacular for photos. Local farmers are less rushed than during December-January when they're scrambling to meet Christmas demand.
Sagada Cave Connections and Rice Terraces
The 5-6 hour journey from Baguio to Sagada is worth it in March when weather cooperates for the cave connections - spelunking through Sumaguing to Lumiang caves involves wading through underground rivers that become dangerously high during heavy rains. March typically offers the safest water levels. The hanging coffins are accessible, and the rice terraces in the Bontoc-Sagada area show early planting season activity. Temperatures in Sagada run slightly cooler than Baguio, around 20°C (68°F) during the day, perfect for the 3-4 hour cave trek that involves climbing, crawling, and swimming.
Session Road and Public Market Food Crawls
March weather is ideal for walking the 1.2 km (0.75 mile) Session Road stretch and diving into the Baguio Public Market without the December-January crowds crushing you. The market's second floor has the best Igorot cuisine - pinikpikan (pre-mortem chicken preparation, controversial but traditional), etag (smoked pork), and inuruban (fermented beans). Street food vendors multiply along Session Road in March, selling strawberry taho for ₱30-40, peanut brittle, and ube jam. The 24°C (76°F) afternoons mean you can walk for hours without freezing or sweating.
Asin Hot Springs and Atok Vegetable Terraces
The 45-minute drive to Asin Hot Springs in Tuba gets you to natural sulfur pools at 38-40°C (100-104°F) that feel incredible after morning hikes. March is perfect because the access road dries out - during rainy months you need a 4x4. Combine this with a drive through Atok's vegetable terraces where you'll see cabbage, Chinese cabbage, and potatoes being harvested. The terraces rival Banaue for visual impact but see maybe 5% of the tourists. The drive through Atok reaches 2,000 m (6,560 ft) elevation where temps drop to 18°C (64°F), so bring a light jacket.
Tam-Awan Village and BenCab Museum Art Circuit
March offers comfortable weather for the outdoor components of both venues. Tam-Awan Village recreates traditional Ifugao and Kalinga huts at 1,600 m (5,250 ft) with art workshops, wood carving demonstrations, and occasional cultural performances. The 20-minute walk between huts is pleasant in 24°C (76°F) weather. BenCab Museum, 15 minutes away, has four galleries of contemporary Philippine art plus organic gardens you can actually enjoy walking through in March versus the muddy mess they become in July-August. The museum cafe overlooks Baguio's mountain ranges - the views are clearest in March before summer haze builds.
March Events & Festivals
Panagbenga Flower Festival Grand Float Parade
The culmination of Baguio's month-long flower festival typically happens in late February into the first weekend of March. The Grand Float Parade features 30-40 massive floats covered entirely in fresh flowers - roses, sunflowers, chrysanthemums, and local blooms - rolling down Session Road. Street dancing competitions follow, with groups from across the Cordillera performing in elaborate costumes. Session Road closes to vehicles and becomes a pedestrian flower market with vendors selling potted plants, cut flowers, and seedlings at wholesale prices. The entire city smells like a garden. Get to Session Road by 6am for decent viewing spots as crowds reach 200,000+ people.
Session Road in Bloom Market Days
Throughout March, Session Road maintains extended market hours with flower vendors, plant nurseries, and garden supply stalls lining the pedestrian sections. This is when Baguio residents buy their planting stock for the year - orchids, bonsai, succulents, and vegetable seedlings at prices 40-50% below Manila rates. You'll also find the strawberry vendors at peak presence, selling fresh berries, strawberry wine, jam, and the addictive strawberry taho. The atmosphere is more local and less tourist-circus than the main festival week.