Stand on Roxas Boulevard as the light drops behind Manila Bay and the coconut trees along the shore turn to silhouettes. This is the version of Manila most visitors remember: a wide waterfront, a walled Spanish city behind it, and a dense, busy metropolis stretching away from the water.
Manila suits travellers who are comfortable in a big, crowded, high-energy city and who want history, museums and waterfront evenings within a compact area. Most of the main sights sit along Manila Bay or just inland from it, so a short trip can cover a lot without long journeys.
This guide covers the landmarks, museums, parks and churches worth your time, followed by a one-day plan and answers to common questions.
Top things to do in Manila
1. Intramuros
Intramuros is the remnant of the old walled Spanish settlement of Manila, at the northern end of the bay. Within its walls you will find some of the city's most interesting museums, ruins and churches, including the Manila Cathedral and San Agustin Church.
Give it at least half a day, and combine it with the museums and churches listed below, which sit inside or immediately beside the walls.
2. San Agustin Church
San Agustin Church is one of the churches inside Intramuros and is described as one of the finest churches in the city. It is among the handful of Spanish colonial churches in Manila that survived the destruction of the Battle of Manila in 1945.
Visit it as part of your walk through Intramuros rather than as a separate trip, and pair it with the San Agustin Museum.
3. Manila Cathedral
The Manila Cathedral is another of the churches within Intramuros and one of the city's most interesting historic buildings. Like San Agustin Church, it belongs to the group of Spanish colonial churches that remain in Manila.
It sits inside the walled city, so see it on the same walk as Intramuros and San Agustin Church.
4. Rizal Park
Rizal Park, more widely known as the Luneta, sits right outside the walled city. It is the venue for the national museums, bayside restaurants, an open-air theatre with free classical music concerts and international films, a planetarium, an open gym used by early morning joggers and tai chi practitioners, and a night ballroom. It also has Japanese, Chinese and Filipino gardens, an orchidarium, an aquarium and a children's museum.
It was the site of the execution of Jose Rizal, the national hero. Come early in the morning for the jogging and tai chi crowd, or in the evening for the ballroom, and combine it with the National Museum of the Philippines nearby.
5. National Museum of the Philippines
The National Museum of the Philippines on P. Burgos Avenue showcases collections from archaeology, arts, cultural properties, zoology and botany. It operates the National Museum of Fine Arts, the National Museum of Anthropology and the National Museum of Natural History, all in the vicinity of Rizal Park. Admission is free.
Because the three museums sit together near Rizal Park, plan them as one visit and allow enough time for more than one building.
6. National Museum of Fine Arts
The National Museum of Fine Arts is the repository of works by Filipino masters. Its most prized piece is Juan Luna's more than life-sized painting "Spoliarium", described as the museum's version of the "Mona Lisa".
See it as part of the National Museum group near Rizal Park, and go early if you want to spend time with the "Spoliarium" without a crowd.
7. Roxas Boulevard
Roxas Boulevard is a wide boulevard running along the shores of Manila Bay, known for its view of Manila's sunsets and its stretch of coconut trees. It offers a wide selection of hotels, restaurants and significant cultural landmarks.
Time your walk or drive for sunset, and use the boulevard as the spine of an evening that also takes in the Manila Hotel just outside Intramuros.
8. Manila Hotel
Just outside Intramuros and on the edge of Manila Bay, the Manila Hotel is a legacy of the American colonial era and the place where General Douglas MacArthur made his home before World War II.
Combine it with a walk along Roxas Boulevard and a visit to Intramuros, since all three sit close together.
9. Chinatown
Manila has one of the largest and oldest Chinatowns in the world, where you can find Chinese goods and cuisine. The Binondo Church is among the Spanish colonial churches in the city.
Come for the food, and pair the visit with the Bahay Tsinoy museum, which covers Chinese contributions to Philippine history.
10. Bahay Tsinoy
Bahay Tsinoy, the Chinese House, is one of Manila's well-known museums and covers Chinese biographies and their contributions to the history of the Philippines.
It fits naturally with a visit to Chinatown, so do the two together.
11. Casa Manila
Casa Manila is one of the five houses that make up Plaza San Luis, and it contains a museum. Plaza San Luis as a whole showcases Filipino-Hispanic architecture, alongside souvenir shops.
See it as part of your Intramuros walk, and browse the other houses of Plaza San Luis at the same time.
12. Plaza San Luis
Plaza San Luis is a commercial complex of five houses: Casa Manila, Casa Urdaneta, Casa Blanca, Los Hidalgos and El Hogar Filipino. It showcases Filipino-Hispanic architecture and has souvenir shops as well as the museum in Casa Manila.
It is inside Intramuros, so fold it into the same half-day as the cathedral and San Agustin Church.
13. Paco Park
Paco Park was built as a final resting place for Spanish families residing in Manila. After Jose Rizal's execution, his remains were sent and buried here, and a monument in the park commemorates this. It is now a public park with jogging lanes and open-air concerts, and a popular venue for weddings.
It is accessible by taxi and bus, or by a short walk from the LRT-1 United Nations Station.
14. Manila Ocean Park
Manila Ocean Park is a marine wildlife facility behind the Quirino Grandstand at Rizal Park. Its oceanarium features a 25-metre underwater acrylic tunnel.
It is mostly reached by taxi, but can be walked to if you are already in the vicinity of Rizal Park, so pair it with a Rizal Park visit.
15. Manila Metropolitan Theater
The Manila Metropolitan Theater, or MET, is an art deco building designed by the Filipino architect Juan M. de Guzman Arellano and inaugurated on December 10, 1931. It stands on Padre Burgos Avenue, near the Manila Central Post Office.
Look at it together with the Manila Central Post Office, which is close by, and note the Arroceros Forest Park behind the theater.
16. Manila Central Post Office
The Manila Central Post Office was designed by Juan Marcos de Guzman Arellano and built in neoclassical architecture in 1926. It was severely damaged in World War II and rebuilt in 1946, preserving most of its original design. It is in the Intramuros district, at the bank of the Pasig River, with its front facing the Liwasang Bonifacio plaza, now known as Plaza Lawton.
Combine it with the Manila Metropolitan Theater on Padre Burgos Avenue, and use it as a marker on your way between Intramuros and the river.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start early at Rizal Park, where the open gym draws joggers and tai chi practitioners in the morning. From there, move to the National Museum of the Philippines and the National Museum of Fine Arts, both in the vicinity of the park, and see the "Spoliarium".
Afternoon: Cross into Intramuros and spend the afternoon inside the walls. See the Manila Cathedral and San Agustin Church, then walk through Plaza San Luis and its five houses, including the museum at Casa Manila. If time allows, add the Manila Central Post Office and the Manila Metropolitan Theater on Padre Burgos Avenue.
Evening: Head to Roxas Boulevard for the sunset over Manila Bay and the stretch of coconut trees. Stop at the Manila Hotel, just outside Intramuros on the edge of the bay, then choose one of the boulevard's restaurants for dinner.
Frequently asked questions
Where are Manila's main tourist sites concentrated?
Most of them are along Manila Bay. Intramuros sits at the northern end of the bay, with Rizal Park just outside the walls and Roxas Boulevard running along the shore.
Which museums can I see in a single area?
The National Museum of the Philippines operates the National Museum of Fine Arts, the National Museum of Anthropology and the National Museum of Natural History, all in the vicinity of Rizal Park. Admission to the National Museum of the Philippines is free.
When is the best time to be on Roxas Boulevard?
The boulevard is known for its view of Manila's sunsets, so plan your walk or drive for the end of the day.
How do I reach Paco Park?
Paco Park is accessible by taxi and bus, or by a short walk from the LRT-1 United Nations Station.
Decide which half of the bay you want to start from, set aside a morning for the museums and an afternoon for the walls, and you can begin planning your Manila trip now.