Step out of Ayala Avenue's tower canyon at Makati Avenue and you meet two monuments facing each other across the intersection: the Ninoy Aquino Monument and the Gabriela Silang Monument, with the low white tower of the old Nielson Airport standing just behind. It is a compact lesson in how this city works, where colonial-era churches, a business district and small green pockets sit within a few blocks of one another.
Makati suits travellers who want a walkable, well-ordered base in Metro Manila: museum-goers, market regulars, and anyone who prefers to spend a day moving between parks, galleries and monuments rather than sitting in traffic. This guide covers the sights and experiences the source material vouches for, with practical notes on timing and what to pair with what.
Top things to do in Makati City
1. Ayala Museum
On Dela Rosa Street, the Ayala Museum presents Philippine history from the earliest times through to the democracy struggle at EDSA, alongside paintings by Fernando Amorsolo, Juan Luna and Fernando Zobel. It is the single most substantial indoor stop in the city, and the natural anchor for a day in the central business district.
It opens Tuesday to Sunday, 9AM to 6PM, and is closed on Mondays. Guided tours are available if booked in advance for large groups, so arrange one ahead if you are travelling with a group. Adult admission is ₱425, with a ₱300 concession rate.
2. Yuchengco Museum
Inside RCBC Plaza at the corner of Ayala Avenue and Senator Gil J. Puyat Avenue, this museum houses the art collection of Secretary Alfonso T. Yuchengco and reflects his career as a businessman, diplomat, collector and patron of the arts. Its stated aim is to build public appreciation of Filipino and Filipino-Chinese visual arts and creativity.
You will find paintings by Fernando Amorsolo, Juan Luna and Carlos "Botong" Francisco here. It is open 10AM to 6PM, with admission at ₱200 for adults and ₱100 for students, PWDs and senior citizens. Pair it with the Ayala Museum if you want a full art-and-history day.
3. Greenbelt Chapel (Santo Niño de la Paz Chapel)
Set in Greenbelt Park at Ayala Center on Arnaiz Avenue, this chapel is surrounded by trees with a fish and lily pond along one side. The park setting is what makes it worth the stop, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is also found here.
Combine it with a walk through Greenbelt Park itself, which is designed as a complement to the surrounding malls and is a good place to sit and watch the crowd. The park runs 11AM to 9PM and is free.
4. Greenbelt Park
A small park built to complement the Greenbelt Malls, with an artificial duck pond and stream and the Greenbelt Chapel on site for Catholic services. It is a good place to sit, people-watch and see the more multicultural side of Metro Manila.
Entry is free and the park is open 11AM to 9PM, which makes it an easy late-morning or late-afternoon stop between shopping and eating in the surrounding malls.
5. Ayala Triangle Park
Behind the Philippine Stock Exchange, this park sits at the corner of Paseo De Roxas Avenue, Makati Avenue and Ayala Avenue, surrounded by restaurants and cafes. It is open 6AM to 10PM and free to enter.
Because the restaurants and cafes ring the green, it works well as a meal stop rather than a separate trip. Come in the morning for a quieter walk or in the evening when the surrounding places are open.
6. Philippine Stock Exchange
Housed in Tower One & Exchange Plaza at Ayala Triangle Gardens on Ayala Avenue, this is one of the two stock exchanges in the Philippines and is known for having Asia's shortest trading times, lasting only two hours. The Ninoy Aquino Monument stands nearby.
Treat it as a quick look on your way through Ayala Triangle rather than a destination in itself, and fold it into a walk that takes in the monument and the park.
7. Ninoy Aquino Monument
At 6766 Ayala Avenue in Legazpi Village, this monument was erected in honor of the late Filipino senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, husband of the late president Corazon Aquino. It is free and open 24 hours.
Its position on Ayala Avenue makes it simple to visit at any hour, including on a walk between the business district and Legazpi Village.
8. Nielson Tower Historical Marker
At the corner of Makati Avenue and Ayala Avenue, this marker recalls the Nielson Airport, built by Laurie Reuben Nielson, a businessman born in New Zealand. Built in 1937, the tower served as the control tower and passenger depot of the city's airport until 1948, and during World War II commercial flights were relocated so that Nielson could serve the U.S. Army Air Corps.
The marker sits at the same intersection as the Gabriela Silang Monument, so the two are naturally seen together. The Filipinas Heritage Library is inside the old Nielson Airport tower, which makes this corner a two-for-one stop.
9. Filipinas Heritage Library
Inside the old Nielson Airport tower at the corner of Makati Avenue and Ayala Avenue, the library holds a collection of books dating back to the Spanish period. Serious scholars of the period will get the most from it, but anyone with an interest in old books and history will find it worthwhile.
Visit it in the same stop as the Nielson Tower Historical Marker, since both occupy the same corner.
10. Nuestra Señora de Gracia Church
At 7440 Bernardino Street, this church was built by the Augustinian friars and is inspired by European Baroque. It is named Nuestra Señora de Gracia in honor of the miraculous image of the Virgin Mary that can also be found inside.
It is a quieter, more architectural stop than the business-district sights, so set aside time for it separately rather than squeezing it between two Ayala Avenue stops.
11. Legazpi Active Park
A small, well-kept park along Legaspi Street in Legazpi Village, open 6AM to 10PM and free. On Sunday mornings the Legaspi Market opens here, where you can get fresh organic foods, delicacies, sweets and other assorted souvenirs.
Time your visit for a Sunday morning if the market is the draw, and pair the park with Washington Sycip Park, which is also on Legazpi Street.
12. Salcedo Park (Jaime C. Velasquez Park)
Another small park, this one on Tordesillas Street in Salcedo Village, open 5AM to 10PM and free. On Saturday mornings the Salcedo Market opens here.
If you are in the city over a weekend, the two markets fall on different days: Salcedo on Saturday morning and Legaspi on Sunday morning. Plan your mornings around whichever fits your trip.
13. Washington Sycip Park
On Legazpi Street in Legazpi Village, open 6AM to 10PM. Compared with Legazpi Active Park, this one is far more tranquil with a lot more greenery: lovely trees, a quaint pond, plenty of spaces to sit and eat a meal, and enough room for a moderate-paced walk.
Bring food from nearby and use it as a lunch stop. It sits on the same street as Legazpi Active Park, so the two can be done in one outing.
14. Gabriela Silang Monument
At the corner of Makati Avenue and Ayala Avenue, this monument is open 24 hours. It stands at the same intersection as the Nielson Tower Historical Marker and the Filipinas Heritage Library.
Because it never closes, it is an easy addition to an evening walk through the business district when the museums and libraries have shut.
15. Sultan Kudarat Monument
At the corner of Makati Avenue and Paseo de Roxas Avenue, open 24 hours. Like the other monuments along these avenues, it can be visited at any time of day.
It fits neatly into a walk along Makati Avenue that takes in the Gabriela Silang Monument and the Nielson Tower Historical Marker.
16. Makati Museum
At 986 Dr Jose P. Rizal Avenue, this old colonial building displays local historical artifacts and photos. It is open 8AM to 5PM.
Its early opening makes it a sensible first stop of the day, before the Ayala Museum and Yuchengco Museum open later in the morning.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at the Makati Museum on Dr Jose P. Rizal Avenue when it opens at 8AM, then walk the Ayala Avenue corner sights while the streets are still calm: the Ninoy Aquino Monument, the Gabriela Silang Monument, the Nielson Tower Historical Marker and the Filipinas Heritage Library inside the old Nielson Airport tower. If your visit falls on a Saturday or Sunday morning, swap in the Salcedo Market at Salcedo Park or the Legaspi Market at Legazpi Active Park.
Afternoon: Give the middle of the day to the Ayala Museum on Dela Rosa Street, then move to the Yuchengco Museum at RCBC Plaza before it closes at 6PM. If time allows, add the Philippine Stock Exchange at Ayala Triangle Gardens and the Sultan Kudarat Monument at Makati Avenue and Paseo de Roxas Avenue.
Evening: Finish in the green. Walk Ayala Triangle Park, which stays open until 10PM and is ringed by restaurants and cafes, then cross to Greenbelt Park and the Greenbelt Chapel, open until 9PM, for the pond and the trees as the day cools.
Frequently asked questions
When are the Salcedo and Legaspi markets held?
The Salcedo Market opens on Saturday mornings at Salcedo Park (Jaime C. Velasquez Park) on Tordesillas Street, and the Legaspi Market opens on Sunday mornings at Legazpi Active Park on Legaspi Street. Both parks are free to enter.
Which museums are open on which days, and what do they cost?
The Ayala Museum on Dela Rosa Street is open Tuesday to Sunday, 9AM to 6PM, at ₱425 for adults and ₱300 concession. The Yuchengco Museum at RCBC Plaza is open 10AM to 6PM, at ₱200 for adults and ₱100 for students, PWDs and senior citizens. The Makati Museum on Dr Jose P. Rizal Avenue is open 8AM to 5PM.
Can I see the monuments at any time?
Yes. The Ninoy Aquino Monument, the Gabriela Silang Monument and the Sultan Kudarat Monument are all open 24 hours, and the Ninoy Aquino Monument is free. The Nielson Tower Historical Marker stands at the corner of Makati Avenue and Ayala Avenue, where the Gabriela Silang Monument and the Filipinas Heritage Library are also found.
Where can I sit and eat outdoors in Makati?
Washington Sycip Park on Legazpi Street has plenty of spaces to sit and eat a meal and is open 6AM to 10PM. Ayala Triangle Park, open 6AM to 10PM, is surrounded by restaurants and cafes, and Greenbelt Park, open 11AM to 9PM, is free and good for sitting and people-watching.
Pick the market morning that matches your dates, book a guided Ayala Museum tour in advance if you are coming as a group, and start laying out your day around the parks that stay open into the evening.