Mt. Alapaap Climb Guide – DIY Itinerary and Expenses Included
Mt. Alapaap is a newly opened trekking site located in Brgy. San Andres in Tanay, Rizal. It is a short, easy climb with no much ascends. Mt. Alapaap trails are pretty good for beginners and day hikes. From the jump-off site, it takes roughly 4 hours to reach the vast summit which also serves as the camping site.
Our visit to Mt. Alapaap was a chill trip. We started our trek around 3PM, and since we were climbing with 3 kids (ages 3, 4, and 6), we told our guide that we prefer camping near the waterfalls (Kidzoona Campsite) and not at the summit. The reason being is because of the water source. There’s no water source at the summit while the Kidzoona Campsite is just beside the waterfalls. When you are climbing with kids, having a water supply is non-negotiable, right? We were the first group who camped at the waterfalls area, thus the name “Kidzoona Campsite”.
If you want to level-up your adventure, you can do the “Circuit Hike” – a summit climb with a side trek to the iconic Mag-asawang Bato. It requires around 6 hours of trekking. The mountain provides really awesome views of the mountain ranges of the Sierra Madre so I suggest you savor the place, the view, and the climb, and do an overnight.
QUICK DETAILS ABOUT MT. ALAPAAP
Jump off point: Bgy San Andres (East), Tanay, Rizal
14°37’47.62″ N 121°20’48.85″ E
Trail length: 5.97 km (Circuit)
Difficulty: Moderate; Minor 2/9
Trail Class: 1-3
Elevation: less than 600 MASL
HOW TO GET TO MT. ALAPAAP
By Public Transportation
| WHAT | TRAVEL TIME | RATE | |
| 1. | From Aurora Blvd. Cubao, ride a jeep bound for Cogeo Gate | 2 hours depending on the traffic | PhP25 per way |
| 2. | From Cogeo, take another jeepney ride to Brgy. Sampaloc | 1 hour depending on the traffic | PhP40 per way |
| 3. | From Brgy. Sampaloc, rent a habal-habal to get to Brgy. San Andres, the jump-off point | Roughly 30 minutes | PhP50 per way |
By Private Transportation
Using an app called Waze, you can search for “Brgy San Andres, Sta Ines Road, Tanay Rizal.”
- From Katipunan, just go by Marcos highway going to Cogeo. Along the main road, you’ll pass by Palo Alto.
- Continue diving for about 10-15 minutes until you see an arc on the left side with Barangay San Andres sign. You can ask locals if you don’t want to miss it.
- From the arc, it takes around 5 minutes to get to the jump-off point of Mt. Alapaap.
Mt. Alapaap Sample Itinerary – Day Hike
0500 ETD from Cubao to Cogeo Gate 2
0700 Jeepney to Brgy. Sampaloc
0730 Habal-habal to Bgry. San Andres
0800 ETA Brgy. San Andres, jump-off point – registration, briefing, lunch, etc.
0900 Start trek
1300 Summit – photo ops, rest
1400 Start descent
1700 Back to the jump-off. Tidy up.
1800 Travel back to Manila
2100 ETA Cubao, Metro Manila
If you plan to do the Mt Alapaap Circuit Climb Day Hike, you can leave Cubao around 1:00AM. If you plan to do an overnight camping, you can leave Metro Manila around 10AM.
MT. ALAPAAP CLIMB EXPENSES (ESTIMATE)
| ITEMS | RATE/S | NOTES |
| Cubao to Cogeo | Php25 per way | |
| Cogeo to Sampaloc | PhP40 per way | |
| Sampaloc to San Andres | PhP50 per way | |
| Registration Fee | PhP70 per person | Same rate for day hike & overnight |
| Guide Fee | PhP700 / PhP1,250 | Day hike / overnight – yeah, outrageously expensive! |
| Porter Fee | PhP300 | Per way |
CLIMB TIPS TO MT. ALAPAAP
- Mt. Alapaap offers a majestic view of the sea of clouds before the sun rises, thus the name. If you are after for that sight, make sure to camp at the summit and do the circuit climb, visiting Mag-asawang Bato the next day after break camp. Otherwise, you can camp at the Kidzoona Campsite for a “hayahay” climb and do the circuit climb – Mag-asawang Bato first before the summit – the next day.
- Some parts of the trails are covered with thick grasses; wear protective clothings for arms and legs.
- The summit is bare of trees. It is a large open space and can be really hot during summer days, bring sun protection and make sure you have enough hydration.
- Bring water; at least 2 liters, if you are camping on the summit.
- For affordable Mt. Alapaap climb packages, you may join Sole Adventours’ open group climbs.
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PROS OF CLIMBING MT ALAPAAP
- Newly opened thus the trails are pretty clean. No plastic trashes anywhere. The waterfalls is surprisingly free of any non-biodegradable debris.
- Free parking space.
- Free use of the bathrooms.
CONS OF CLIMBING MT ALAPAAP
EXPENSIVE. I told Mt. Alapaap management how outrageous their fees are, especially the guiding fee. Our group of 5 adults and 3 kids were given 2 guides, each costing PhP1,250. We paid PhP1500 per guide since they also served as our porters.
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