Manila

The capital city of the Philippines is the City of Manila. If you’re flying into the Philippines, you usually arrive in Manila. This city will be your first introduction to the Philippines. However, I wouldn’t recommend staying here for more than 2 days. You can even fly in and fly out to more amazing places below.  If you do spend a day, make sure to check out the walled city of Intramuros and experience the night life of Makati.

Manila Attractions

There are many attractions in Manila, Philippines and they all depend on what you want to experience. As the capital city, you will be able to experience the best nightlife, malls and shopping centers and food joints.

We are currently developing our FREE 2-week itinerary guide. If you would like to be the first to get it, check it out here.

The following attractions are great to check out:

  • Visit the walled City of Intramuros
  • Get to know Philippines National Hero at Rizal Park
  • Check out the National Museum
  • Indulge your appetite in Binondo
  • Check out all the shopping malls in Manila – Mall of Asia
  • Get on the local Jeepney and tricycle
  • Explore the various universities in Manila
  • Go around BGC – Bonifacio Global City for its vibe
  • Join a day trip from Manila to Corregidor or Tagaytay

Manila Accommodations

There are many high-end hotels and accommodations in Manila. The following are areas which we recommend for you to check out or find your accommodations.

Hotels in Makati

Hotels in BGC

Hotels around Manila Bay

Hotels around Manila Airports

How to Travel to Manila

Manila has international flights coming in from different parts of the world. To travel to Manila, you will have to fly in from your nearest airport and choose to fly to Ninoy Aquino International Airport – the main airport in Manila.

From the airport, we recommend to book your Grab taxi/car online or at the Grab taxi booth which you can find outside when you get out of the airport building.

GO AROUND PHILIPPINES USEFUL TIPS AND LINKS
BOOK YOUR FLIGHTS
To travel around the Philippines, there are 3 local commercial airlines. Cebu Pacific Air, AirAsia and Philippine Airlines. Smaller airlines called AirSwift (El Nido, Boracay) and Royal Air also fly to limited destinations. Book your local flights here.
For international flights, I found Kiwi and Trip.com have cheaper flight options to the Philippines.
BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATION
There are many choices of hotels, hostels, apartments and guesthouses to stay in the Philippines. Book through AGODA for the cheapest options and Booking.com. I also use Hotelscombined to see all prices from different websites to choose from.
BOOK YOUR BUS/FERRY/VAN/CAR
The Philippines can be difficult to go around because many buses, ferries and even private vehicles are offline. The best websites to book them are through Bookaway.com and 12GoAsia – they have many partners in different destinations and you can purchase tickets online.
Car rentals are also available for you to choose from here.
BOOK YOUR PACKAGE TOURS
If you don’t know where to go and just want a hassle free trip to the Philippines, you can find package trips to different destinations with Klook – I recommend them for local tours and activities or Get Your Guide.
DON’T FORGET YOUR TRAVEL INSURANCE
It is very important to be safe and ready whenever accidents happen, especially in the Philippines where some places don’t have quality hospitals and clinics. I use Safety Wings for whenever I travel in the Philippines or abroad.
Have you got any questions about traveling to the Philippines? Join our Philippines Travel Planning FB Page to get your answers.
Don’t know how to start planning your Philippines trip? You can start here.