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Four centuries of history are packed into the Philippine capital, from Spanish stone churches and the walls of Intramuros to the oldest Chinatown in the world and some of the finest sunsets in Asia over Manila Bay. Manila is the historic heart of a vast metropolis of more than thirteen million people, and few cities in the region layer so many eras so closely together.
The Spanish founded the walled city of Intramuros in 1571, and its churches, plazas and Fort Santiago survived as the core of colonial Manila. The city was badly damaged in the battle of 1945, but San Agustin Church, completed in the early 1600s, still stands as the oldest stone church in the country. Rizal Park honours the national hero José Rizal, executed nearby in 1896, and the National Museum complex beside it holds the country's great art and natural history collections.
Beyond the walls, Binondo's food streets, the devotion of Quiapo Church and the restored Art Deco Metropolitan Theater show the city's energy. Go early, take a calesa or bike tour of Intramuros, and end the day on the bayfront.
Intramuros is the walled city the Spanish founded in Manila in 1571, the seat of colonial power for more than three centuries. Its ramparts, gates and cobbled streets enclose churches, plazas and restored houses. Walk sections of the walls, or tour by bamboo bike or calesa early in the morning.
Fort Santiago is the stone citadel guarding the mouth of the Pasig River in Manila's Intramuros, used by Spanish, American and Japanese forces. José Rizal was held here before his execution in 1896, and brass footsteps trace his final walk. Visit the shrine museum, then the ramparts at sunset.
The Manila Metropolitan Theater near City Hall, designed by Juan Arellano and opened in 1931, is one of the finest Art Deco buildings in Asia, its facade decorated with stylised Philippine plants. Ruined after the war, it was restored and reopened; check the programme for shows or a guided tour.
Binondo, established in 1594 for Chinese merchants, is Manila's Chinatown and is often called the oldest Chinatown in the world. Ongpin Street and the lanes around it are packed with dumpling shops, tea houses, bakeries and jewellers. Come hungry, join a food walk and try hopia and fried siopao.
San Agustin Church in Intramuros, Manila, completed in the early 1600s, is the oldest stone church in the Philippines and part of the UNESCO-listed Baroque Churches. It survived earthquakes and the 1945 battle, and its trompe-l'oeil ceiling is stunning. The monastery museum next door merits an hour.
Manila Cathedral faces Plaza Roma in Intramuros and has been rebuilt several times after fires, earthquakes and war; the present Romanesque-revival basilica dates from the 1950s. Inside are stained-glass windows, bronze doors and a large pipe organ. Masses are held daily, so dress respectfully.
Quiapo Church, the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene in Manila, houses a dark wooden image of Christ carrying the cross that draws huge crowds, especially on Fridays and at the January procession. The streets outside sell candles, herbal remedies and snacks. Keep valuables secure in the crush.
San Sebastian Church in Quiapo, Manila, is a Gothic Revival basilica built almost entirely of prefabricated steel and completed in 1891, often called Asia's only all-steel church. Its green spires and painted interior, made to look like stone and marble, reward a short detour from Quiapo Church.
The National Museum of Fine Arts fills the neoclassical former Legislative Building beside Rizal Park in Manila. Its centrepiece is Juan Luna's huge Spoliarium, which won a gold medal in Madrid in 1884, and the galleries run from colonial religious art to modern masters. Allow at least two hours.
The National Museum of Natural History in Manila opened in 2018 in the former Agriculture and Commerce Building facing Rizal Park. A stylised Tree of Life rises through its central atrium, and galleries cover the islands' geology, reefs and wildlife, including the remains of the crocodile Lolong.
The National Museum of Anthropology occupies the former Finance Building beside Rizal Park in Manila and traces the peoples and cultures of the Philippines. Highlights include the Manunggul Jar, archaeological finds and textiles from many regions. It pairs well with the other national museums.
Casa Manila, opposite San Agustin Church in Intramuros, is a reconstruction of a wealthy 19th-century family home in Spanish-Filipino style, with a stone ground floor, wooden upper storey, capiz-shell windows and rooms of period antiques. A visit takes under an hour and brings old Manila alive.
Rizal Park, known as Luneta, spreads between Intramuros and Manila Bay and holds the Rizal Monument, where an honour guard watches over the remains of the national hero near the spot of his execution. Gardens, fountains and lawns fill the park; come in the late afternoon and walk on to the bay.
The Manila Baywalk along Roxas Boulevard is the classic place to watch the famous Manila Bay sunset, when the sky turns orange and pink behind ships at anchor. A stretch of the shore was covered with white sand in recent years. Arrive half an hour before sunset and watch your phone in the crowds.
Arroceros Forest Park is a small urban forest on the bank of the Pasig River near Manila City Hall and the Metropolitan Theater, often called the city's last lung. Shaded paths wind beneath tall trees that shelter birds in the middle of the capital, a cool and quiet break between sights.
Paco Park in Manila began as a Spanish-era municipal cemetery and is now a peaceful garden enclosed by circular stone walls with a small chapel inside. José Rizal was first buried here after his execution in 1896. Its lawns and old wall niches make a calm, photogenic stop away from the traffic.
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National Capital Region, Philippines
National Capital Region, Philippines
National Capital Region, Philippines
Calabarzon, Philippines
Western Visayas, Philippines
Eastern Visayas, Philippines
Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines
Calabarzon, Philippines
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