Burnham Park Baguio: Things to Do, Boat Fee and Hours (2026)

Burnham Park is the green, flat heart of downtown Baguio: a 32.84-hectare public park with a boating lake, bike lanes, gardens and open lawns, a short walk below Session Road. It is free to enter and never closes. What costs money is what you rent inside it, and the lake, the park’s main draw, reopened in September 2026 after almost a year of rehabilitation.

What Burnham Park is

The park was designed by the American architect and city planner Daniel Burnham as part of his 1905 plan for Baguio, and the land was reserved for park use in 1925 under Proclamation No. 64. Today the City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO) runs it for the Baguio city government.

It is more a cluster of spaces than one lawn. Besides Burnham Lake, the park takes in the Melvin Jones Grandstand and its open field, used for concerts, parades and football; the Athletic Bowl; an Orchidarium on the west side; a children’s playground; the Rose Garden at the northern entrance, where Burnham’s bust stands; the Igorot Garden; and a skating rink.

Source: Wikipedia, Burnham Park (Baguio), checked 22 October 2026.

Is Burnham Park free? Entrance fee and opening hours

There is no entrance fee. The park has no perimeter gates and no ticket booth, and the grounds are open 24 hours, every day. Rentals follow their own hours: boats and bikes run roughly from 6am to 6pm, and operators may start later on foggy or rainy mornings.

Every rental is paid separately, in cash, to the concessionaire running it. Bring small bills; vendors often cannot change a ₱500 or ₱1,000 note.

Sources: lakbaypinas.com, Ultimate guide to Burnham Park Baguio 2026, visited 6 September 2026, checked 22 October 2026; jmgnest.com, Burnham Park complete visitor’s guide, checked 22 October 2026.

Boating on Burnham Lake

Burnham Lake closed on 1 October 2025 for the first phase of a rehabilitation by TIEZA, the government’s tourism infrastructure agency, and reopened to the public on 1 September 2026, Baguio’s charter day. The work focused on water quality, with new lakeside seating and modern docking platforms, and operators have to retire their old boats for newly designed ones before they can take passengers.

The boat fee is ₱250 per boat for a 30-minute ride, regardless of the boat’s size. After reports of higher prices on reopening day, the city government ordered concessionaires to keep that rate from 2 September 2026, said no increase has been authorised without City Council approval, and ordered them to issue official receipts. Ask for the receipt before you board. Riders have to wear a life vest.

Sources: Philippine Daily Inquirer, “Baguio sets Burnham Lake boat fare at P250”, September 2026; Daily Tribune, “Burnham lake reopens”, 1 September 2026; Manila Bulletin, “Iconic Burnham Lake in Baguio City is opened to public after P150-M rehab”, 1 September 2026, all checked 22 October 2026.

For how the boat fee compares with the horse rides at Wright Park, see Wright Park horseback riding price and Burnham Lake boat fee.

Bike rental

Bike rental stations sit around the park, and riding is the quickest way to see all of it. Single bikes and pedal go-karts cost about ₱40-50 an hour; family bikes with a side-car for small children about ₱100-150 an hour. These are what vendors charge, not a rate set by the city. The lanes are emptiest early in the morning and get crowded by mid-morning on weekends.

Sources: lakbaypinas.com, Ultimate guide to Burnham Park Baguio 2026, visited 6 September 2026; jmgnest.com, Burnham Park complete visitor’s guide, both checked 22 October 2026.

Things to do in Burnham Park

Not every part of the park is finished. TIEZA has named the Children’s Park and the Rose Garden as the next areas to rehabilitate, with the sidewalks and the skating rink in later phases of the same master plan, so expect work in progress there.

Sources: as above, plus Daily Tribune, “Burnham lake reopens” and Manila Bulletin, 1 September 2026 for the next phases, checked 22 October 2026.

Horseback riding: go to Wright Park

There are no horse rides in Burnham Park. They are at Wright Park, on the Mines View side of the city, a short taxi or tricycle ride away. The stable’s rates, from ₱200 for 30 minutes, are in Wright Park horseback riding price and Burnham Lake boat fee.

Source: lakbaypinas.com, Ultimate guide to Burnham Park Baguio 2026, checked 22 October 2026.

How to get to Burnham Park

The park sits in the basin at the centre of downtown Baguio, below Session Road, SM City Baguio and the Baguio Cathedral. From any of those it is a 5 to 10 minute walk, downhill on the way in.

From further out, take a jeepney or a taxi. Traditional jeepneys charge ₱14 for the first 4 kilometres and taxis start at a ₱65 flag-down; the full fare breakdown is in where to stay in Baguio. Coming up from Manila, see how to get to Baguio from Manila for the buses.

Source for the walking time: lakbaypinas.com, checked 22 October 2026.

When to go

Go early on a weekday. The rental lanes and boat docks are quiet in the first hours after 6am and fill from mid-morning, especially on weekends. Across the year, Panagbenga (February into early March), Holy Week and the December school break are the most crowded times in Baguio, and the park with them.

Tips for your visit

• Cash in small bills. Rentals and stalls are cash only.
• Get an official receipt for the boat. The city requires concessionaires to issue one; a price above ₱250 for 30 minutes is not the authorised rate.
• No smoking or drinking. A 2015 city order bans smoking and alcohol inside the park.
• No swimming. Burnham Lake averages about 3 metres deep.
• Bring a layer. Baguio mornings are cool; see where to stay in Baguio for the temperatures by season.

Sources: lakbaypinas.com; Wikipedia, Burnham Park (Baguio) for the 2015 order and the lake’s depth, both checked 22 October 2026.

Where to eat near Burnham Park

Solibao Restaurant sits inside the park grounds and serves Filipino dishes and all-day breakfast. Good Taste Restaurant, near the market district a short walk away, is the well-known budget option, with queues at lunch and dinner.

Source: lakbaypinas.com, checked 22 October 2026.

Where to stay near Burnham Park

Downtown, around Session Road and Burnham Park, is the area to pick if you want to walk to the park, the markets and most restaurants. Venus Parkview Hotel, a value-priced hotel, is directly opposite the park. See where to stay in Baguio for how downtown compares with Camp John Hay and the Mines View side, and Baguio in 3 days for how a Burnham Park morning fits into a longer stay.

Map of places to stayPlaces to stay near Burnham ParkLive prices and availability for your dates.Show places to stay on the map(affiliate link)

Before you go

A session with me is the fastest way to ask how a Baguio stop fits around a wider Northern Luzon trip.

Questions people ask

Is Burnham Park free?

Yes. The park has no gates, no ticket booth and no entrance fee. You only pay for what you rent inside it, such as a boat on Burnham Lake or a bike, and the vendors take cash.

What time does Burnham Park open?

The grounds are open 24 hours, every day. Boat and bike rentals run roughly from 6am to 6pm.

How much is the boat ride in Burnham Park?

₱250 per boat for a 30-minute ride, regardless of the boat's size. The Baguio city government ordered concessionaires to keep that rate from 2 September 2026, said no increase has been authorised, and ordered them to issue official receipts.

Is Burnham Lake open again?

Yes. The lake was closed from 1 October 2025 for rehabilitation by TIEZA and reopened to the public on 1 September 2026, with new boats, docking platforms and lakeside seating.

How much is bike rental in Burnham Park?

About ₱40-50 an hour for a single bike and ₱100-150 an hour for a family bike with a side-car. These are vendor prices, not a city-set rate.

Can you ride horses in Burnham Park?

No, horse rides are at Wright Park, a short taxi ride away. See Wright Park horseback riding price for the stable's rates.

How do I get to Burnham Park from Session Road?

Walk. The park is a 5 to 10 minute walk downhill from Session Road. From further out, jeepneys start at ₱14 for the first 4 kilometres and taxis at a ₱65 flag-down.