Together with my #travelfam (Bea, Shannon, and Wyn), we had a DIY day tour in Tanay, Rizal yesterday to visit Treasure Mountain and El Patio Razon. Sharing below some details that can help you plan your trip as well:

A. How to Go to Treasure Mountain and back

From Cubao to Treasure Mountain

1. From Cubao Farmers Plaza, you need to ride a UV van express going to Cogeo. The terminal is just beside Jollibee. Fare for the van ride is PHP 35 per person and the ride takes about 90 minutes. Just ask the driver to drop you off at Gate 2 in Cogeo.
2. From Cogeo, look for the jeepney terminal that goes to “Maysawa” which is front of 7-Eleven and Asian Institute of Computer Studies. Check out the picture below to help you find the terminal.
3. The fare from Cogeo to Maysawa is PHP 48 and the ride takes about another 90 minutes.
4. Upon arrival in Maysawa, there are tricycles which you need to ride going to Treasure Mountain. Here you have two options which is to be dropped off at Gate 1 or 2. Gate 2 is already in front of the ticket booth entrance. If you intend to go down at Gate 1, you need to walk around 20 minutes more to reach Gate 2.
5. Fare from Maysawa to Gate 1 is PHP 150 per tricycle while it costs PHP 200 per tricycle if you intend to go down at Gate 2. Please do note that only maximum 4 persons can ride each tricycle.

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From El Patio Razon to Cubao

1. Our last stop was at El Patio Razon which is near Treasure Mountain. From there, you need to ride a tricycle going to Sampaloc Jeepney Terminal. This is recommended since if you go down in Maysawa, chances are the jeepneys are full already when they pass by going back to Cogeo. Thus, it is better to ride directly from the terminal.
2. Fare from El Patio Razon to the jeepney terminal is PHP 350. We arrived there around 6:30 in the evening and luckily we were able to catch the last trip going down to Cogeo. Thus, make sure to be there by 6 in the evening or earlier to avoid missing the jeep. Fare is about 66 pesos per person.
3. From Cogeo, you can ride a jeepney going back to Cubao already for only 26 pesos.

B. Things to Do and Visit

1. Treasure Mountain

Experience the great scenery above the mountains without doing hiking at Treasure Mountain! This is by far the easiest climb I have done! It is well-recommended even for kids and strong senior citizens as it is not very hard to reach the good view of the mountain range. In early mornings, you can even get to witness sea of clouds in this area!

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2. Obstacle Course

You can choose to do the Spider’s Web obstacle course or just do the Whole Course for PHP 150 or PHP 250, respectively. This is good for adventure seekers and as a bonus you will do this with a magnificent view around you.

3. Swimming Pool

After trying out the obstacle courses, you can relax by dipping in their swimming pool. What is nice about this pool is that you get a stunning view of the mountain ranges while swimming!

4. Have lunch

There is a restaurant inside the Treasure Mountain which is very easy to find as it just a couple of steps away from the entrance gate. For around PHP 1,200, we already ordered 3 dishes and a platter of rice. Actually, two dishes are already enough for a group of four as their servings are quite bigger than usual. The food was very delicious as well! Lastly, we ordered a mango shake to refresh ourselves.

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5. El Patio Razon

A short tricycle ride from Treasure Mountain is El Patio Razon which is known for its Kawa Bath. This is a good way to end your day trip after doing a mini hike, finishing some obstacle courses, and bracing the heat. The bath was definitely relaxing and the views of the mountain was breathtaking. Just make sure to come early afternoon as there are only 6 Kawas available. Also as of writing, they are not accepting any reservations.

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C. Sample Itinerary (Day Tour)

7:00 – 7:30 AM Breakfast in Cubao Farmers Plaza

7:30 – 9:00 AM Van ride from Cubao to Cogeo

9:00 – 10:30 AM Jeepney ride from Cogeo to Maysawa

10:30 – 10:40 AM Tricycle ride from Maysawa to Gate 2 of Treasure Mountain

10:40 AM – 12:30 PM Take pictures around Treasure Mountain

12:30 – 1:30 PM Have lunch

1:30 – 3:00 PM Do the Spider’s Web or the Whole Obstacle Course

3:00 – 5:00 PM Visit El Patio Razon for Kawa Bath Experience

5:00 – 6:00 PM Tricycle ride from El Patio Razon to Sampaloc Jeepney Station

6:00 – 7:30 PM Jeepney ride from Sampaloc Jeepney Station to Cogeo

7:30 – 9:00 PM Jeepney ride from Cogeo to Cubao

D. Sample Budget

Sharing below a sample expense list for a day trip in Treasure Mountain and El Patio Razon. This is based on a group of 4 travelling together.

PHP 80 – Breakfast (estimated expense)
PHP 80 – Buy snacks, bottled water, and other drinks (estimated expense)
PHP 35 – Van from Cubao to Cogeo
PHP 48 – Jeep from Cogeo to Maysawa
PHP 50 – Tricycle to Gate 2 of Treasure Mountain (shared expense)
PHP 150 – Entrance fee
PHP 300 – Lunch (shared expense)
PHP 25 – Softdrink during lunch
PHP 250 – Whole course experience
PHP 50 – Tricycle from Treasure Mountain to El Patio Razon (shared expense)
PHP 150 – Kawa Bath (PHP 300 per kawa for one hour; shared expense)
PHP 88 – Tricycle from El Patio Razon to Sampaloc Jeepney Terminal (shared expense)
PHP 66 – Jeep from Sampaloc to Cogeo
PHP 26 – Jeep from Cogeo to Cubao
TOTAL PER PERSON PHP 1,398

This trip is well-recommended for people looking to be away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It can be done for just one day and total expense is just below PHP 1,500. With this you can get a good view of the mountains without doing hiking and even relax more by experiencing the Kawa Bath. Overall, it was a very chill trip for me.

However, no hike was needed to reach Treasure Mountain. If you are looking to do a hard-core hike, it is better to choose other locations in Rizal. Also if you want to catch the sea of clouds in this area, most visitors sleep overnight since it only shows up early in the morning. Anyway, enjoy your trip to Rizal!

Please be advised that all information written on this blog are subject to change. All rates are based on the writer’s own experience and may differ with yours.