Things to Do in Manila

1. Go back in time at the old city of Intramuros: Intramuros dates back to almost years in the past when it happened to be the colony’s centre and walls were constructed to keep it protected from all the foregin invasions. In those times, only the elite class residents were able to stay there.

At the present times, it is certainly an old world charm that is lined up with some of the beautiful spanish houses converted into exhibition halls, beautiful churches, parks, and museums. You will get a chance to visit the historical sites like Fort Santiago, Manila Cathedral, San Agustin Church, San Agustin Museum, and Casa Manila.

Location: Manila.
Price: Php 75.00 per head.

2. Go on a food crawl around Binondo, the world’s oldest Chinatown: Manila offers wonderful food crawls in the course of your visit at some of the affordable eateries serving hot and delicious chinese delicacies. You can relish dim sums dipped in hot sauce, roasted duck, lumpiang Shanghai (egg rolls with meat, fish, and vegetables), mami (noodle soup), and hopia (bean-filled pastry).

Once you are in the city, you can make your own food itinerary and join a Big Binondo Food Wok with Ivan Man Dy to take a legendary culinary journey of Manila. Taking part in these things to do in Manila experience, you will be able to learn more about some of the historic places as well.

Location: Manila.

3. Get a breathtaking view of the Manila Bay sunset: Watching the setting sun at the Manila Bay is one of the most sought after things to see in Manila for tourists coming over from various parts of the world.

Once the sun starts to begin its process of setting down the azure blue ocean, the tourists start to gather at the Manila bay to witness the world renowned view taking a leisurely walk along the Baywalk on Roxas Boulevard.

Location: Muralla St, Intramuros, Manila, 1002 Metro Manila.

3. Explore this urban park dedicated to Jose Rizal, the country’s national hero: Jose Rizal happens to be one of the top tourist attractions in manila that is located after a short walk from Intramuros.

This is one of the largest urban parks in Asia and is a favourite spot to relax. The park has also got some historical significance for Filipinos. The park is spread over an area of about 58 hectares and it houses the Philippine national hero, Jose Rizal.

Location: Roxas Blvd, Malate, Manila, 1000 Metro Manila.

4. See your aquatic dreams come to life at Manila Ocean Park: The Manila Ocean Park, Oceanarium happens to be a world class marine park that is a venue for school trips and romantic date spots.

This place is not just a place to stop and stare at the aquatic creatures, but you can indulge in a number of things to see in Manila at the amusement park.

Location: Quirino Grandstand, 666 Behind, Ermita, Manila, 1000 Metro Manila.

5. Go bargain hunting at Divisoria’s 168 Shopping Mall: Divisoria’s 168 Shopping Mall happens to be one of the top favorite shopping destinations for visitors. You can literally get anything and everything at this place at the most affordable prices. You can bargain at almost all the stores to get a great deal on products like shoes, clothes, party favours, souvenirs, tools and school supplies.

Location: 918 Soler St, Binondo, Manila, 1002 Metro Manila.

6. Immerse yourself in amazing art, history, and architecture at the National Museum: The national museum is an amazing place for art lovers as well as history buffs as it displays some of the priceless national treasures of the times gone by.

You will get to find some of the artworks of the renowned Filipino painter Juan Luna like Spoliarium and many more things to see in Manila. Visiting the Museum of natural history, you will also get to see some of the gorgeous architectural designs that houses the skeletal remains of Lolong.

Location: Padre Burgos Ave, Ermita, Manila, 1000 Metro Manila.

7. Spend the night at the Manila Hotel, Philippines’ oldest premiere hotel: In the course of your visit, you must make sure that you spend a night at the elegant five star hotel which has been serving the tourists since the year 1909.

This is one of the most loved Things to do in Manila, as this oldest premiere hotel has served a number of notable figures like Ernest Hemingway, Michael Jackson, John F. Kennedy, and The Beatles in the past. Staying at this place, you will be able to see brilliant views of the Manila bay and the old city of Intramuros. The hotel offers you a stay in the middle of impeccable interior decors, high ceiling, special designated champagne room, and a lavish multi cuisine restaurant that is just perfect for a romantic stay.

Location: One Rizal Park, Manila, Philippines, 0913.

1. Watch the sunset at Manila Bay: Enjoying dusk in Manila Bay could be the most loved thing to do in Manila and is a perfect way to end your day. The marvellous sight when the nightfall turns the skies, ocean and the land into gold can take your stresses away. Manila Bay is one of the finest places in the world to observe the sun go down, particularly along Roxas Boulevard.

2. Bargain shop till you drop at Tutuban Night Market: Sometimes you ought to unwind and loosen up with a great shopping spree. Tutuban Night Market, fair as the title recommends, offers a non-stop shopping experience starting at 6 pm where customers have over 330 stalls to browse in. Enjoy Tutuban Virtual Zoo and Tutuban Food Strip besides shopping.

3. Try your luck at the City of Dreams: A world-class 24/7 open casino called the City of Dreams is an ideal place to spend your free night not investing your cash but attempting your luckiness to win more. The 201,823 square feet space incorporates a 365 table diversion with an assortment of recreations like Baccarat, Poker, and Blackjack, as well as over 1,600 gaming machines.

4. Go clubbing at Black Market: Black Market may be a semi-exclusive club in Makati where you'll be able to head over for a Friday night of grooving to the city’s best DJs. They moreover have a bar and a few beautiful Instagram-worthy hangout spots and most outstandingly, Black Market has Bad Decision Wednesdays where you'll dance to the Billboard top 100 songs.

1. Take a sunset or evening cruise along the bay: Appreciate the ocean breeze and the sight of the city’s horizon whereas you cruise along Manila Bay. Appreciate scrumptious dinner of Filipino cuisine over the view of palette-sky caused by the sinking sun.

2. Watch fireworks together: Each Saturday evening, Mall of Asia’s bay side usually features firecrackers. An apparent cliché but ostensibly still enjoyable activity, watching together as the sky bursts in colours has its own brand of enchantment.

3. Go on a Manila walking tour: Walk on Intramuros’ cobbled roads and take in the colonial buildings and churches to see striking heritage structures like Intramuros’ and Escolta’s or spend a lackadaisical day exploring the National Museum of Fine Art and National Museum of Anthropology.

4. Have a spa date: Enjoy a couple’s massage and unwind together as all the stretch channels away from your body. Spa dates require not just be about massages. A few spas, like Luljetta’s Hanging Gardens and Spa in Antipolo, also have massage pools and infinity pools with breathtaking views.

- By flight: Manila happens to be connected with almost 30 countries in the world. Major international airlines like JetAirways, Singapore, AirIndia, and Thai Airways take off and land in the city. The international getaway to all the tourists coming from various parts of the world is Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

- By buses and ferries: You can also reach Manila city by buses and ferries from nearby cities. Buses and ferries mainly serve the domestic means of transport. You can easily get from one place to another conveniently as they operate in frequent intervals.

The best time to visit Manila would be from the month of January to the month of April. This is the time of the year when the climatic condition remains almost dry, which makes it easy for taking part in the outdoor activities without any inconveniences. Tourists love to head out and take part in various Things to do in Manila at this time of the year as they don't need to tackle the drizzles.

There is no need to have a visa to visit Manila if your stay is not going to exceed 59 days. However, as per the regulations, you need to have a valid return ticket to the country of origin or any other next country of destination. Most importantly, your passport should atleast have 6 months of expiry.

Manila is widely popular as a wonderful tourist destination in the world that offers the tourists with some breathtaking views of nature and loads of Things to do in Manila.

You can spend time in a lively atmosphere to enjoy with your loved ones, and visit some of the places of heritage and cultural significance. In the course of your visit, you must spend time at Manila Intramuros, Divisoria Market, Manila Ocean Park, Fort Santiago, San Agustin Church, Manila Cathedral, Binondo – Manila's Chinatown, and Ayala Museum.

Yes, Manila is definitely worth visiting with your loved ones as you will be able to enjoy a whole new way of living. This holiday destination in the world offers you all kinds of enjoyment at an affordable expense for everyone. You can visit some of the sightseeing places and attractions, take part in some adventure things to do as well as indulge in some offbeat activities.

There are no direct flights from India to Manila. If you wish to travel from India to Manila, then you would need to fly via Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, or Bangkok to reach Manila. Some of the popular flight operators to the Philippines are Etihad Airways, Turkish Airlines, SilkAir, GoAir, Cathay Pacific, AirAsia X, Emirates, and Air India.

In order to make the most of your visit to Manila, you would at least need to spend 3 - 4 days.

- On the first day of your visit, you can head out on an Intramuros tour, visit the national museum, and enjoy the pristine views of the sunset at the Mall of Asia.
- On the second day of the trip, you will be heading out to visit Taal Heritage town and also get a chance to enjoy the sunset at a restaurant in Tagaytay overlooking the views of Taal Volcano.
- On the third day of the tour, you will do the Binondo Food wok and shop at the famous Greenhills shopping Center.
- On the last day of the stay, you can visit the Mind Museum and Bonifacio Global City, get a rejuvenating massage at wellness hubs, and take a Poblacion Food crawl.

1. Chow down on local specialties: Relishing the local specialities along with your family members is just amazing. In the course of your visit, you can taste Adobo , Sinigang , Sisig, and Kare-Kare.

2. Hunt for street art: Street art culture is very much popular in Manila. You will get to see brilliant pieces of art in the streets, walkways, and buildings. On a trip with your art loving family, you can spend time visiting the public art galleries and be a part of the Art BGC Festival.

3. Go food-tripping around Binondo: Binondo is a very well known place for culture buffs and food lovers. You can find more than 100 restaurants and authentic food hotspots that offer traditional delicacies to the guests. You can enjoy upscale family style buffet chinese dining.

4. Go bargain-hunting: If you and your family members love shopping, then you have come over to one of the best places where you satisfy your shopaholic soul. You can visit weekend markets,bazaars, thrift stores and antique stores spread all over the city.

1. Ride a bamboo bicycle around Intramuros: You can book guided activities to do in Manila tour around Intramuros and visit Fort Santiago, the Baroque San Agustin Church and Manila Cathedral. Taking this tour, you will be able to learn more about the history of the place.

2. Experience top festivals, food & iconic landmarks in one space: In the course of your visit, you will be getting a chance to take part in one of the most loved activities to do in Manila i.e., walk through the replicas of some iconic landmarks that are found all over the country. You will also relish some of the regional cuisines, see some rare handwoven textiles, and take part in traditional folk dances.

3. Go liquor-tasting on craft spirits: If you are someone who loves to drink and taste a wide range of liquor, then this tasting tour activity to do in Manila is just perfect for you. You will visit Destileria Limtaxo, which happens to be the oldest and largest distillery in the Philippines.

4. Hunt for street art: You can spend time admiring the artworks on walls of the street and at various public places. This will surely impress you and entice you to capture some snaps.