The Cordilleras are a cornucopia of tribal cultures, including Ifugao, Isneg, and Kalinga. The people of Banaue are Ifugao, meaning "people of the earth" in the native tongue.

Banaue residents are mostly Tuwali-speakers, related to the other people of the Ifugao region. They practice a mixture of indigenous religion, Catholicism, and other forms of Christianity.

During the harvest season, Ifugaos hold lavish thanksgiving feasts. Rice wine flows freely, betelnut is chewed in great quantity, and the whole village makes merry.