PH · Ilocos Sur · 17.57°N 120.39°E

vigan

Cobblestone Spanish-colonial streets and horse-drawn kalesa rides.

Best time
November to April is the dry season and the most comfortable. June to October is wetter, with typhoons. Holy Week and long weekends get busy.
How long
1–2 days
Getting there
Fly from KL to Manila (about 4 hours), then fly north to Laoag (about 1 hour) and drive about 1.5–2 hours south. Overnight buses from Manila take about 8–10 hours.
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PH · Ilocos Survigan17.57°N 120.39°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Cobblestone Spanish-colonial streets and horse-drawn kalesa rides.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingViganPH, Ilocos Sur
KLvigan
≈ 2,595 km from KL, as the crow flies
Archbishop's Palace (Palacio de Arzobispado) Nueva Segovia in Vigan City 1

Photo: A.C.T. Alejandre · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

A Spanish colonial town on the north-west coast of Luzon, and one of the best-preserved in Asia. Its stone-paved streets of old stone-and-timber mansions are a UNESCO World Heritage site, and you can tour them on a horse-drawn kalesa.

Makan

  1. Vigan empanadaCrisp orange shells filled with egg, longganisa and green papaya, fried at the stalls by Plaza Burgos.Map ↗
  2. Vigan longganisaSmall, garlicky local sausages, best with garlic rice and a fried egg.Map ↗
  3. BagnetIlocos-style deep-fried pork belly, crackling all over.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Calle CrisologoThe main stone-paved street of old ancestral houses, lit by lamps at night.Map ↗
  2. Kalesa rideA horse-drawn carriage tour around the heritage district and nearby sights.Map ↗
  3. Vigan CathedralA thick-walled 'Earthquake Baroque' church facing the town plazas.Map ↗
  4. Syquia MansionA grand family house where President Elpidio Quirino lived, now a museum.Map ↗
  5. Burnay potteryWatch potters make big traditional earthenware jars at the old kilns.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Ilocano food is very pork-heavy. Muslim travellers should ask before ordering.
  • Walk Calle Crisologo early in the morning or at night to avoid the heat and the crowds.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.