Tagaytay

Tagaytay picnic grove

With an altitude of 2,250 feet above sea level, Tagaytay City enjoys a cool climate all year round. This city perched on a ridge is located in the province of Cavite, some 56 kilometers south of Manila. It overlooks Manila Bay on the north, Taal Lake and Taal Volcano on the south, Laguna Bay on the east and the China Sea on the west. The city is linked to the Metropolitan Manila and the province of Batangas by the Aguinaldo Highway.

Tagaytay viewing Taal lake and volcano

Among its attractions is the Tagaytay Picnic Grove where one can get an unobstructed view of Taal Volcano, which lies within a lake. Taal Volcano, which rises 406 meters from the lake, is reputedly the world's smallest volcano.

Taal Lake itself is an immense body of water formed when the old crater collapsed and the walls of the larger volcano caved in and sank.

A visit to the Volcano Island can be arranged through the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology in Quezon City which maintains a monitoring station on the island.

Tagaytay Highlands cable car

For visiting tourists, support facilities are readily available in this idyllic city. Tagaytay is the "sister" city of Las Vegas and Nevada, U.S.A; Tainan City, Taiwan; and Bankstown City, New South Wales, Australia.


Where to stay?
Here's our list of Hotel, Inns and Apartelle's in Tagaytay. This is by no means all of them.

The Royal Taal Inn [ The recommended place to stay in Tagaytay, overlooking rooms from just Php 2,750.]
Calamba Road, Tagaytay City
on way towards Palace in the Sky
Telephone: 046 483 1066
E-mail: info@royaltaal.com
Click here for map

Club Estancia Resort
Zone II, Brgy. San Jose, Tagaytay City
Tel Nos. (046) 483-11-33 to 35 ,
Fax No. (046) 483-10-47 Tagaytay City

Hotel Royal Parc Hotel and Restaurant
Silang Crossing North
Tagaytay City
Tel Nos. (046) 483-10-32;
413-12-63 to 64

Mahogany Hotel
J.P. Rizal Avenue,
South, Tag. City
Tel. No. (046) 860-06-97
Cell No. (0918) 250-51-03
Fax No. (046) 860-04-09

Royal Parc Hotel and Restaurant
Kaybagal Silang Crossing North, Tagaytay City
Tel Nos. (046) 483-10-32; 483-12-63 to 64

Days Hotel
Silang Crossing East, Tagaytay City
Tel. Nos. (046) 483-50-50; 483-23-23

S.N. David Sonrisa
J.P. Rizal Ave., Kaybagal South
Tel. No. (046) 483-15-37

Residence Inn
Tagaytay-Batangas Highway
Neogan, Tagaytay City
Tel. No. (046) 483-13-76

Viewpoint Inn and Restaurant
Tagaytay-Batangas Highway
Neogan, Tagaytay City
Tel. No. (046) 483-13-64

Rancho Freva Lodge and Steak House
Tagaytay-Batangas Highway
Mendez Crossing West, Tag. City
Tel. Nos. (046) 483-14-99 & 860-01-41

Aroma Apartelle
Tagaytay-Calamba Road
San Jose, Tagaytay City
Tel. No. (046) 483-00-44

Country Inn
Olivares Plaza
San Jose, Tagaytay City
Tel. No. (046) 483-03-11

How to get to Tagaytay:
Driving directions to Tagaytay for those with private cars, vans or taxi cabs:

Option 1: via SLEX Sta. Rosa Exit, the most popular and easiest, is a straight drive all the way to Tagaytay Public Market (and right smack into Tagaytay Econo Inn) where you turn right going to Tagaytay city proper and Nasugbu/Balayan/Lemery Batangas or left going to People's Park in the Sky. Usual travel time from Makati CBD is 1.5 hours.

Option 2: SLEX Greenfields Exit, an alternate route to Tagaytay that pass by Pramana, Nuvali, Eton City and Paseo de Sta. Rosa, ideal to avoid traffic buildup on Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay National Road on Saturday mornings thus making it the fastest route to Tagaytay on weekends.

Option 3: SLEX Southwoods exit then Governor's Drive in Carmona going to Dasmarinas. Turn left on Maguyam Road just before the Shell Station to your left.

Option 4: Roxas Boulevard, Baclaran, Coastal Road, Bacoor, Imus, Dasmarinas via Aguinaldo Highway. Not recommended due to presence of heavy traffic made worse by SM Dasmarinas and Robinsons Palapala. At the end of Aguinaldo Highway is the Tagaytay Rotonda (roundabout) where a statue of Ninoy Aquino, a BPI with ATM, Days Inn, Max's Restaurant and 7-11 store as landmarks.

Option 5: Another route for the adventurous to Tagaytay is via Daang Hari that passes by Molino, Bacoor, Imus, Dasmarinas and Silang. It bypasses the traffic chokepoint of Bacoor rotonda but not SM Dasma and Robinsons.

Option 6: From Sto. Tomas, Batangas via StarToll in going to Lipa City, take Sambat exit and follow the national road to Talisay then go up Ligaya Drive, the zigzag road to Tagaytay (sometimes called Bitukang Manok, not for the faint of heart and newbie drivers)

Note: If you're a foreigner, you can hire vans to get there or an airport taxi. Some taxi drivers charge a fixed rate or double the meter fare plus toll fees.

How to Commute to Tagaytay:
This is a backpacking blog so backpacking Tagaytay should really mean taking public transportation :P

If you're going to Tagaytay via public transportation, request the driver to drop you off at your destination if along the way or at Tagaytay Rotonda (landmarks: Ninoy Aquino monument, BPI, Max's, 7-11) where you can ride jeepneys or tricycle to your target place.

From Manila Airport to Tagaytay City: the cheapest way is to ride the shuttle service from all terminals that pass by MRT Taft Avenue Station and ride BLTB or Crow Transit Buses to Tagaytay. Alternatively, hire a taxi to take you directly to Tagaytay (no idea on current fares) or just to the bus stations.

From Mandaluyong to Tagaytay: Ride vans (V-Hires) bound for Batangas and Tagaytay in front of Starmall at the corner of EDSA and Shaw Boulevard (walking distance from MRT Shaw Boulevard station). Fare as of posting time is PhP150.00 (this is the best option for those living in Rizal province)

From Laguna to Tagaytay: In Pagsanjan Public Market, there are vans/fx/V-Hires going to Palapala in Dasmarinas Cavite. On reaching Pala-pala transport terminal (near Robinsons Dasmarinas and SM Dasma), transfer to a bus going to Tagaytay where it's less than an hour away.

Calamba to Tagaytay: ride shuttle service at the public market beside Waltermark Calamba or at the Calamba Central Terminal. Cheaper alternative, ride a jeepney going to Balibago complex in Sta. Rosa then transfer to Tagaytay-bound jeepneys.

Balibago to Tagaytay Public Market: Regular jeepneys plying the route to/from Balibago Transport terminal in Sta. Rosa Laguna to Tagaytay Public Market route.

From Alabang: ride the van/fx at the terminal at the corner of SLEX and Alabang-Zapote Road, Filinvest Festival Mall, or still another at Starmall (formerly Metropolis Mall Alabang)

From Cubao, Quezon City: ride buses going to Nasugbu, Lemery or Calatagan at Cubao Bus Terminal in front of Ali Mall.

Shuttle service (vans, FX, V-Hires) in front of EGI Mall (Jollibee) at the corner of Taft Avenue and Sen. Gil Puyat Ave (Buendia) going to Nasugbu, Balayan and Lemery, Batangas that all pass by Tagaytay.

Shuttle service (vans, FX, V-Hires) going to Nasugbu, Balayan and Lemery at Metropoint mall basement at the corner of EDSA and Taft Avenue (accessible from LRT EDSA Station or MRT Taft Avenue station, this is also the so-called EDSA Rotonda though there's really no rotunda there). Current fare is PhP160.00 (regardless of where you're going since it's a derecho trip...information provided by Tutubi's officemate who lives in Balayan, Batangas)

Buses to Tagaytay:
Bus Fare to Tagaytay Rotonda from EDSA Rotonda (EDSA corner Taft Avenue, near LRT and MRT): PhP83.00 (as of March 2011)

JAM Transit has trips to Tagaytay, Balayan, Batangas, Lemery. Jam Transit terminal is at Taft Avenue corner Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue accessible from LRT Buendia station.

Crow Transit (Crow bus terminal at the corner Taft Ave & EDSA right below MRT Taft Avenue station and walking distance from LRT EDSA station, same terminal as Erjohn & Almark and Genesis behind Sogo Hotel and MacDonalds) has buses to Nasugbu/Calatagan/Balayan in regular schedules.

BLTB (EDSA, Malibay, Pasay City) has buses every 15 minutes to Nasugbu, Balayan or Calatagan Batangas that pass by Tagaytay

Kirby Bus to Tagaytay from Lawton

San Agustin bus with signboard "Mendez-Tagaytay" from Harrison Plaza on Vito Cruz (Pablo Ocampo) or Baclaran via Coastal Road, Aguinaldo Highway to the towns of Bacoor, Imus, Dasmarinas and Silang before reaching Tagaytay. (note this is a slow route due to lots of chokepoints in Cavite)

Saulog Bus Lines with signboard "Mendez-Tagaytay" from Harrison Plaza in Manila or Baclaran via Coastal Road, Aguinaldo Highway to the towns of Bacoor, Imus, Dasmarinas and Silang before reaching Tagaytay (note this is a slow route due to lots of chokepoints in Cavite)

Celyrosa Bus Lines, ordinary buses (i.e. non-airconditioned) in Pasay City (note this is a slow route due to lots of chokepoints in Cavite)

Getting Around Tagaytay via Jeepneys
Once you alight from your bus at Tagaytay Rotonda, you can proceed to your destination by riding jeepneys:

Jeepneys going to People's Park in the Sky (indicated on the jeepney signage or emblazoned on the sides) at Olivarez Plaza near Tagaytay Rotonda will take you to People's Park in the Sky, Picnic Grove, Tagaytay Public Market (where you can catch jeepneys going to Balibago, Sta. Rosa, striking distance from Enchanted Kingdom), Rowena's Cafe (after a jeepney ride to Balibago), Good Shepherd Convent (Bahay Pastulan pasalubong, near Mary Ridge), Tagaytay Econo Inn, Royal Taal Inn, Keni Po Rooms, Aroma Apartelle, Amora Rooms, 5R Rooms for Rent, T House, Development Academy of the Philippines, Japanese Garden, Tagaytay Gymnasium.

Jeepneys with signboards Nasugbu or Mendez will take you to Mendez Junction, Pamana Restaurant, Antonio's Restaurant, Bag of Beans, Caleruega Church (after a tricycle ride), Evercrest Hotel, RSM Lutong Bahay Restaurant, Mijo Hotel, Magallanes Square (Starbucks, Figaro, Leslie's Restaurant, Max's, Cafe Lupe, Kitaro, LZM Lutong Bahay, Magallanes Square Hotel), Josephine's Restaurant, Royale Parc Hotel and Restaurant, The Summit Ridge Hotel, Tagaytay International Convention Center, Mushroom Burger, Rancho Ferva Lodge, Taal Vista Hotel, Bali Village Hotel, The Roberts Inn, Hotel Dolores, Residence Inn (with a mini-zoo), Tagaytay City Hall, Mahogany Market, 41st Division USAFFE site (beside Metro Tagaytay College of Business and Arts in Kaybagal South), Splendido Taal Golf and Country Club, Sonya's Garden et al.

Jeepneys to Talisay, for those wanting for a boat ride in Taal Lake, are available at the corner of the highway and Ligaya drive (landmark: Tagaytay Elementary School)

Going back to Manila, you may need to ride a jeepney to People's Park in the Sky, then transfer to a jeepney going back to Olivarez Plaza where you wait for buses to take you back to Manila. Recommend buses via Sta. Rosa (SLEX), and not via Silang/Dasma/Imus/Bacoor (Aguinaldo Highway) for lesser travel time.

Tricycles can also be hired in Tagaytay (taxis are not available) but usually charge fares much more than taking public utility jeepneys (PUJ) so be forewarned.