Manila gives you more options than one or two days can hold, and that is fine. You do not have to work your way through this city. Most travellers are here between two flights and see two neighbourhoods at most in that time, which is exactly enough if you pick the right two.
A few things really belong on the list: the old walled city, the food in Chinatown and a rooftop in Makati as the sun goes down. Others are in every guidebook and are a good extra if you have a spare day, because every trip across town can easily cost you an hour in traffic.
So where do your one or two days in Manila go, and what do you save for next time?
How much time Manila deserves and which neighbourhood to drop your bag in is all on our Manila page.
Intramuros by bamboo bicycle
The walled city from 1571 is the most interesting part of Manila and also the hardest to do on your own: it is big, it is hot, and without the story behind it you are just looking at nice walls. On a bamboo bicycle you ride past the churches, the gates and the squares in a few hours, and you get the stories you would never read out of the stones yourself.
Wandering around Intramuros is free, and the museums cost about €1.50. The historical bamboo bike tour through Intramuros, with a 4.8 from nearly seven hundred reviews, is the most popular way to do it. If you would rather walk and add Chinatown, the half day tour through Intramuros, Binondo and old Manila combines the two in one morning.
Go before ten. Later in the day the sun is full on the walls and your pace drops to that of the dogs lying in the shade.
Our verdict: absolutely, and do it first
Binondo Chinatown around lunchtime
Binondo is known as the oldest Chinatown in the world, and it is where Manila smells best. Chinese bakeries, dumpling stalls and Filipino carts side by side, in streets where you hardly stand out as a tourist. For a lot of backpackers this is the best hour of their whole visit.
It costs nothing to wander and it is within walking distance of Intramuros, so it tacks onto your morning without any effort. Come around lunchtime, when every cart is out. A street food tour is popular here, precisely because on your own you walk straight past the best spots.
Eat small portions at lots of different stalls rather than one big meal. That way you get more Filipino cooking into two streets than into any restaurant.
Our verdict: a must, this is the tastiest part of the city
Fort Santiago
On the Pasig river, inside the walls of Intramuros, stands the old Spanish fort that is one of the most important historical sites in the Philippines. Colonial architecture, thick walls and a surprising amount of calm in the middle of a metro area of thirteen million people. After a morning in the traffic it feels almost strange.
Entry is about €1.50 and the fort is open daily from 8.00 to 18.00. It is a few minutes from the rest of Intramuros, so reckon on an hour, not half a day.
Make sure you take in the gardens on the river side, which are the quietest and the most beautiful part. And keep your belongings out of sight: Intramuros is fine during the day, but it is the corner of town where pickpockets work.
Our verdict: an hour, and take in the gardens on the river side, because that is the best part
Street food from about five
Filipino food is consistently underrated, and Manila is the best place in the country to find that out for yourself. Less spicy than the rest of Southeast Asia, lots of sour and salty, with a Spanish and a Chinese layer on top. Adobo, sisig, lumpia and halo-halo are not on a tourist menu here, they are simply on the street.
From about five in the afternoon the carts come out and you pay from about €0.30 a skewer. Pick a stall with plenty of people coming and going, so everything is fresh and it all moves quickly. If you would like someone to explain what you are eating, book a street food tour.
And that little dish of vinegar with garlic that comes with it is not decoration. Dip into it, that is how it is meant to be eaten, and it makes all the difference.
Our verdict: thirty cents a skewer, so try everything that comes past
A rooftop bar in Makati at sunset
Makati is modern Manila: glass towers, wide avenues and, above them, the bars looking out over the skyline. The contrast with your morning in Intramuros is so big you can hardly believe it is the same city, and that is exactly what makes this stop worth it.
A drink costs from about €4, which is pricey by Filipino standards but fine for the view. The rooftops are around Poblacion and the Ayala triangle, and you go from sunset, around 18.00.
Get there well before then. The light over the city is something special for about fifteen minutes, and after that everyone is looking at their phone.
Our verdict: the best way to end your day
Poblacion at night
Poblacion is the nightlife district of Makati and the place where backpackers, expats and Filipinos all mix. Cocktail bars, live music, rooftops and restaurants from everywhere, all within walking distance of each other. You do not need to plan anything: you walk out the door and the night just happens.
A drink here costs from about €2 and it only really gets going from about ten. Because almost every hostel is in this neighbourhood, you do not have to get into a car at the end of the night.
If you do want to go further, take a Grab rather than a taxi, and do not go along with anyone who approaches you on the street about a card game or a family party. In Manila that is the classic way travellers lose money.
Our verdict: one night is plenty, and it is a good night
A day trip to Tagaytay
Sixty kilometres south of the city lies Tagaytay: higher, cooler, and looking out over the Taal volcano, which sits in the middle of a lake. It is the opposite of everything you saw on your first day: no concrete, no horns, just green and a breeze.
The bus costs from about €3 one way and gets you there in two hours. Reckon on a full day, though, because the ride there and back plus the view fills it completely. Along the ridge there is a row of local restaurants with terraces looking out at the volcano.
This is a second day activity. If you only have one day in Manila, save it for your next visit and give that day to Intramuros and Binondo.
Our verdict: great if you have a second day
Got time to spare in Manila?
One corner of the city per half day
On the map everything looks close, but in the traffic a few kilometres can easily take an hour. Pick one corner of the city and stay there all morning: Intramuros, Binondo or Makati. That way you see more than anyone trying to go three directions at once, and you have energy left for the evening.
An hour in a mall to cool down
Manila has huge shopping centres where Filipinos spend their weekends, with food courts, cinemas and air conditioning. If you need a break from the heat, that is a good hour. Then head back out to Binondo, the oldest Chinatown in the world, where the rest of your time goes furthest.
Rizal Park on the way to the bay
The park next to Intramuros is free, historic and pleasantly quiet in the morning. Walk through it on your way to the bay for the sunset and you catch the best moment of the day as well. If you are staying longer in the city, an hour on a bench here is a nice break.
Bonifacio Global City
BGC is clean, modern and pleasant, with good restaurants and street art. Stay there if you like an early night and a quiet street. If you are here for a few days, being closer to Intramuros or Makati is handier, and you will already have seen the skyline from a rooftop in Makati.
Our top five in Manila
Only got a few days? These are the five we would do no matter what:
- Intramuros by bamboo bicycle, starting before ten
- Binondo Chinatown around lunchtime, eating in small portions
- Fort Santiago on the Pasig river, where an hour is enough
- Street food from about five, at a stall with plenty of people coming and going
- A rooftop bar in Makati from sunset
Still got time after that? Poblacion is the best way to let the evening roll on, and if you have a whole second day free, Tagaytay by bus is well worth it.
So what do you really have to do in Manila?
Honestly? Nothing on this list is compulsory. For most backpackers Manila is a stopover of a day or two, and then doing one neighbourhood properly beats doing four by halves. Take Intramuros, stay until it gets dark and the street food carts come out, and treat the rest as a bonus.
If we had to pick just one thing: give Intramuros and Binondo one full day. Cycle through the old city in the morning, walk into Chinatown around midday and eat there until you cannot eat any more. That is the day you understand why this city is made of two pieces that do not fit together.
And keep the evening free for a rooftop in Makati. You look out over exactly the neighbourhood you walked around that morning, with thirteen million people in between, and for the first time Manila falls into place. The next morning you are on a plane to the islands anyway.
