Most people spend a day or, two days at the most, in Manila before moving on to the provinces or islands. Some say there isn’t much to do in this city. On the contrary, there are a couple of things one can do and see in Manila, given the notorious traffic in the city. There are interesting sights to visit, and places to eat and shop within two days; enough to let you have a feel of what the capital city can offer to a regular tourist and without losing your sanity with the crawling traffic conditions đ
Here are some recommendations on how you can spend 48 hours in Manila:
Day One:
Rizal Park
Rizal Park is an urban park situated by Manila Bay, along Roxas Boulevard. The park is one of the largest urban parks in Asia, and has historical significance in the Philippines history as it was the site where their national hero Jose Rizal was executed for spreading the flames of uprising and revolution against Spain in 1896.
A monument and a statue of Rizal were made in his honour, and his remains are also enshrined in the monument. Locals like to take a stroll in Rizal Park or have picnics on the green especially in the evenings. Some of the attractions in the park are the Chinese gardens, the fountain park, the National Museum. Many high-profile national events took place in Rizal Park, one of which was the concluding mass of the papal visit of Pope Francis in 2015 where more than 6 million people attended, making it the largest papal gathering in history.
National Art Gallery
If you love art – located on the northeastern side of Rizal Park – is the National Art Gallery. The National Art Gallery is also called the National Museum of Fine Arts and is a branch of the National Museum.
Situated in a neoclassical building which was formerly the home of the Philippine Senate and House of Representatives, the National Art Gallery houses some of Philippinesâ classical painting and sculpture collections from the 17th century to avant-garde. The artworks exhibited include the Spoliarium (the largest painting in the Philippines), paintings and sculptures illustrating the history of Philippines from the times of the Spaniard rule, the life and works of Jose Rizal, the persecution suffered during the Japanese Occupation in World War II, and impressive abstract art of present times.
Intramuros
But one must not miss exploring the oldest district of Manila – the Intramuros. Intramuros means âwithin the wallsâ in Spanish and it was the centre of government, commerce, education and religion of Manila during the Spanish colonial period.
The walled city is located at the mouth of River Pasig where Fort Santiago was built to guard the old city. And within the protective stone walls was a city of palaces, churches, monasteries, convents, schools and beautiful colonial houses. Intramuros was attacked by the Japanese during World War II and it was massively damaged during the battle to recapture the old city.
Some of the interesting sights in Intramuros are the Manila Cathedral and San Agustin Church (a baroque church and is the oldest building in Manila since the 1600s) and Casa Manila. Casa Manila is a historical house-cum-museum representing the palatial lifestyle of the gentry during the Spanish colonial period.
Sunset at Manila Bay
If youâre tired from all that walking and exploring the above mentioned sites, how about relaxing by Manila Bay and watch the sunset? Manila Bay is one of the city’s attractions and though it’s not exactly the cleanest area, Manila Bay is still a good place to just watch the time go by and if the weather is good, you may come across a beautiful sunset to end a perfect day of historical sights.
Day Two:
Food Walking Tour in Chinatown
For the foodies, Manila has no shortage of culinary delights. With more than 7,000 islands providing bountiful supplies of seafood and tropical fruits, and combined with a history shaped by Spanish, Chinese and American influence, the Filipino cuisine is based on the confluence of cultures rich in big and mouth-watering flavours.
If youâre interested to learn about the influence of history and culture on food, you can sign up for a food walking tour particularly the Big Binondo Food Wok Tour by Old Manila Walks, a 3.5 hours culinary walking tour around the streets of Chinatown in Binondo. Led by tour leaders who have an in-depth knowledge of Manila and its history and culture, you will be introduced to hole-in-the-wall restaurants in Chinatown and will get the opportunity to eat various types of Filipino-Chinese food and treats that you will be skipping lunch after the tour!
Tip: Skipping breakfast or having a light breakfast prior to the tour is a pre-requisite for this ultimate food experience!
Shopping
Perhaps you intend to stay away from urban retail commercialisation but itâs worth checking out the shopping malls in Metro Manila that dominate the urban lifestyle of Filipinos. Metro Manila is home of three of the worldâs ten largest malls in the world â SM Mall of Asia (locals call it âMOAâ), SM City North EDSA, SM Megamall â indeed, a shopperâs dream!
Tip: Do bring a light jacket or cardigan to keep you warm in the shopping malls because the air-conditioning is freezing!
However, if luxury stores and high street fashion is not your thing, Market! Market! in Bonifacio Global City might be of an interest to you. Market! Market! is a one-stop shopping haven, attracting many visitors for its Sunday market-themed retail zones (bargaining is allowed here), fruit and flowers markets, and the food court area.
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I think the reason people don’t spend much time in Manila is that that want to hurry and get to those beautiful beaches. You do make a good case for spending more time in Manila though. I would be especially interested in seeing the art museum. Thanks for sharing on #TheWeeklyPostcard
I agree, Anisa, many travellers just want to head straight to the beaches – don’t blame them đ 2 days is the maximum one should spend time in Manila, if really need to. Any more time spent in Manila can be quite frustrating due to traffic problems in the city.
WOW! I’m still reeling from the idea of 6 million people gathering in one place – even to see the Pope! That is more than the population of Denmark in its entirety! Crazy! My mother-in-law was born in Manila where her father was working there, but I don’t know much about it – thank you for sharing with #FarawayFiles, Erin
Philippines has a huge population and since it’s the only Catholic country in SE Asia, I’m not surprised to hear so many people – 6 million – to see the Pope. It sounds crazy, right? But true đ
That foodie walking tour of Chinatown would be top of my list, Kat. Sounds fascinating and yummy. Thanks for sharing this on #FarawayFiles
Chinatown is definitely and must be on top of sightseeing list for Manila. I was stuffed after that tour that I didn’t have dinner in the evening! đ
Thanks for this insight into Manila Kat. I honestly did not know too much about the city having flown directly into Cebu but I always think it’s worth visiting a country’s capital city to get the vibe of the place. Thanks for sharing on #FarawayFiles
However, Katy, I reckon 2-3 days in Manila is all right, after which it’s best to move on to the provincial areas and other islands for the real essence of Philippines đ
Great list! I’m half Filipina and have been to Manila many times since I was young, most recently to bring my son to visit my family, but yes we’re often just passing through to another province or island. And usually when we’re in Manila, we spend most of our time at the shopping malls! I remember Rizal Park and hope to visit Intramuros at some point. The food walking tour also sounds great, I’ll keep that in mind too. Thanks for sharing! #FarawayFiles
Really interesting to get an insight into Manila and what to do there. The food tour sounds great and the city seems pretty diverse. I’d like to visit the Philippines one day. Thanks for linking to #citytripping
Philippines is very diverse indeed – Filipino, Spanish and Chinese influence – makes the country very unique indeed especially in Southeast Asia.
Would love to explore Intramuros someday.
Absolutely, Intramuros is an interesting site to visit đ
Manila looks like an interesting city. I really wanna visit Philippines one day!
Haha, yes, Manila is an interesting city. Plan your trip well, and you will have fun đ
I’d only really heard of Intramuros before which sounds as fascinating as I’d thought – I love the sound of the food tours too. Some great tips and very worth that day or two before heading on. #citytripping
Thanks for the tips, I live in HK but have never spent any proper time in Manila, only through transit!
#citytripping
I would love to visit – one of my gaps in the region. Sounds great.
Thanks Wilbur đ Philippines was overlooked for many years but since the Tourism Board launched It’s More Fun In The Philippines campaign a few years ago, the country has attracted the attention of travellers, and many flock to the islands. It’s indeed worthwhile to visit the islands but do explore the sights on mainland as well. Cheers!
Hi Kat! I’ve been to Manila as a child but I have no recollection of it sadly.
Oh if you had remember and return to Manila now, you would be disappointed with the changes especially rapid urban development. Having said that, it’s a great city to visit for a short while, just to get a feel of it, and then after that it’s best to move on to the provinces and/or islands.