Manila One Day Itinerary (or Less) — Ideal for a Layover or Short Stay

Planning a trip to the Philippines and have a short layover in Manila? The city doesn’t always get the best reputation, but with even just a few hours, there’s still time to explore and enjoy some of what it has to offer. In this post, I’ll share what we did during our 24-hour layover in Manila—how to get around, where to stay, and what to do. You’ll also find tips and ideas for shorter layovers, whether you have 12, 8 or less hours to spare.

First Time in the Philippines? Read our ultimate guide to prepare a trip to the Philippines with essential and useful tips: How to Plan a Trip to the Philippines: 33 Essential Travel Tips

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Table of Contents

In this guide, we’ll cover the following topics

Is Manila Worth Visiting?

First things first—is Manila worth visiting? That depends on what you’re looking for, but I think it’s good to share a few things about the city before you decide.

Manila is a big city with different neighborhoods that feel very different from each other.

Some places like Intramuros are great if you’re into history and culture. Areas like Makati and BGC (Bonifacio Global City) are more modern and better for shopping, dining, or nightlife.

But not every part of the city is easy or interesting for tourists, and safety can vary depending on where you go.

Compared to cities like Bangkok or Hanoi, Manila doesn’t have as many things to see or do for visitors. Many parts of the city aren’t very pretty, and you’ll notice a big contrast between rich and poor areas. It’s not unusual to see luxury malls right next to slums. The traffic can also be super chaotic, especially during rush hour.

That said, Manila is multicultural and full of contrasts. You’ll find a mix of influences and international food—from Filipino and Spanish to American, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, and Middle Eastern. If you’re craving something from one of these cuisines, you’ll probably find a great place to eat. This was something that I loved about the city.

So, is Manila worth it? If you have a short layover or a day before heading to your next destination, I think yes. Manila might not be the highlight of your Philippines trip, but it’s a good chance to see something new and a different side of the Philippines. Otherwise, if your time is limited, you might want to skip it and explore its beautiful islands—you can check our Philippines Three-Week Itinerary here.

How to Get Around Manila

If you’re short on time in Manila, the easiest and most convenient way to get around is by using Grab—a ride-hailing app similar to Uber. It’s affordable, reliable, and much more comfortable than navigating and trying to understand the local public transport.

That said, traffic in Manila can be extremely heavy, especially during rush hours. For example, it took us nearly two hours to get from Intramuros to BGC. To top it off, our car even got a flat tire just before arriving—what are the odds? Luckily, our driver fixed it in under five minutes.

Getting Out of the Airport to the City Center or to Your Hotel

If you’re heading straight from the airport to your hotel or out to explore, the best option is to use Grab. Pick-up points are clearly marked in most terminals, making it easy to book a ride.

Some hotels in Makati or BGC also offer airport transfers, so it’s worth checking in advance if yours does.

You can also book a private airport transfer ahead of time—your driver will meet you upon arrival, which can save time and reduce stress.

If your layover is under 4 hours, it’s better to stay at the airport. Getting in and out of the city can take longer than expected due to heavy traffic.

Manila One Day Itinerary

We’ll give you different suggestions of how you can organize your day in Manila. Then, we’ll share the itinerary we followed.

Here are our suggestions to plan your day in Manila:

• Morning: Intramuros (Fort Santiago, San Agustin Church)
• Afternoon: Rizal Park, National Museum, or BGC area, or Greenhills Shopping Mall or another mall of your choice.
• Evening: sunset and cruise at Manila Bay, or dinner in BGC or Makati.

Morning

In the morning, we suggest exploring Intramuros. I think morning is the best time to visit because it’s cooler and less crowded than in the afternoon.

Intramuros: A Must-See Cultural Site in Manila

In my opinion, Intramuros is the most culturally interesting place to visit in Manila. So, make sure to put if first in your itinerary.

If you’re interested in Philippine history and Spanish colonial architecture, I think this should definitely be part of your itinerary. It’s also one of the places in Manila that’s better prepared to welcome tourists.

Intramuros, which means “within the walls” in Spanish, is the old walled city of Manila. During the Spanish colonial period, it was the center of political, religious, and military power. Today, it’s one of the best-preserved historical areas in the Philippines.

You’ll find cobblestone streets, Spanish-style buildings, old churches, plazas, and even a fort. The area is often compared to cities in Latin America, since it has a similar mix of architecture and history.

As Portuguese, we’re quite used to this kind of architecture—it reminded us of places we’ve seen in Portugal and Spain. But it was still interesting to see how those influences are mixed with local Filipino culture.

One of the best things about Intramuros is that it’s easy to explore on foot and has no regular car traffic. You can walk, rent a bike, or take a ride on a horse carriage (called kalesa). We walked around, and it was fine—the distances between the main places are short.

You’ll probably meet some locals offering to be your guide. If you’re not interested, just say “no, thank you.” They’re not pushy. While some guides might be good, others may not give you the best experience. So, if you prefer something more reliable, it’s better to book a tour through a website like GetYourGuide or Klook.

Fort Santiago and José Rizal

One of the main places to visit in Intramuros is Fort Santiago, a Spanish fortress from the 16th century. It’s an important historical site, especially because José Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines, was kept here before he was executed in 1896.

Inside the fort, there’s a small museum about Rizal. You can see his personal things, some of his writings, and a copy of his prison cell. I found the museum really interesting.

If you’re visiting on your own, I suggest reading a little about José Rizal before you go—it helps you understand the visit better. There’s a small entrance fee, but it’s very cheap

Other Things to See in Intramuros

Aside from Fort Santiago, here are some other places worth visiting inside Intramuros:

San Agustin Church: a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the oldest stone church in the Philippines.

Manila Cathedral: the main Roman Catholic cathedral of the Philippines that was restored several times throughout the years.

Casa Manila: a recreated colonial Spanish house with period furniture and decor, offering insight into upper-class life during the Spanish era.

Baluarte de San Diego: a stone bastion and garden offering great views and photo spots.

Plaza Roma: a historical plaza in the heart of Intramuros, often used as a meeting point.

Afternoon

In the afternoon, we recommend exploring one of Manila’s many shopping malls—perfect if you want to escape the heat. Another great option is visiting Binondo (Chinatown), which is near Intramuros. It’s a good place to explore somewhere to eat and explore the area a bit more.

Greenhills Shopping Mall (option 1)

We visited Greenhills Shopping Mall mainly because it’s known as one of the best places in Manila for bargain shopping and fake branded items.

The highlight is the market-style area on the ground floor, packed with stalls selling knock-off bags, shoes, clothes, souvenirs, and more. It reminded me of MBK Mall in Bangkok. We were looking for shoes and ended up buying a pair. Honestly, they looked so close to the real thing, we couldn’t even tell the difference.

If you go, be ready to bargain—vendors expect it. Prices usually start high, especially for tourists, but the sellers here were less pushy than in other markets we’ve been to. In some cases, the price they were giving was already low, so we didn’t bargain.

The mall is huge, with a wide range of stores—most of them are brands and chains you’d find in other countries too. There are also plenty of dining options.

Binondo (Manila’s Chinatown) (option 2)

Binondo is the oldest Chinatown in the world. You can try Chinese-Filipino dishes, shop for souvenirs, or join a walking food tour. It’s close to Intramuros, so it’s a great place to go afterwards. A great option is to explore this area with a guide to show you the best places to eat. For example, this tour seems to be a great option because it combines Intramuros and Chinatown.

SM Mall of Asia (option 3)

This is one of the biggest malls in the world, SM Mall of Asia offers hundreds of stores, restaurants, a cinema, skating rink, and even seaside views.

You can also catch the sunset by the bay after your visit. Which we recommend doing next, if you’re in this area.

This is relatively close to the airport, 20 to 30 minutes by car (without traffic). So, it’s also great to visit on its own if you just have a few hours before your flight.

Other Modern Malls (option 4)

Here are other options of malls: Greenbelt, Glorietta, Uptown BGC, SM Megamall. These malls sell international brands, have cafes and restaurants. Those are good options if you like shopping.

Evening

We didn’t explore much of Manila at night, so we can’t speak for everything. But from what we saw and heard, it’s better to avoid walking alone in less touristy areas after dark. Still, here are a few options that are generally considered safe and popular for spending the evening.

• Explore and Dine at BGC Area (this is what we did)
• Sunset Dinner at Bayview in Manila Bay
• Many dinning options in Makati
• Dinner Cruise

Explore and Dine in BGC (Bonifacio Global City) (option 1)

BGC is a super modern, clean, and upscale neighborhood in Manila. It reminded us a bit of some areas in Dubai. The streets are wide and organized, and there are always security guards and police around, so it felt very safe to walk around—even at night.

It’s a nice area to go for a walk in the evening and find a good place to eat.

There are many shopping malls, international brands, and restaurants. Most well-known restaurant franchises are here. We were curious to try Texas Roadhouse, and we found it easily.

We liked visiting this area. But at the same time, it’s hard to believe how a place like this can be side by side with so much poverty in the surrounding neighborhoods.

Many Dining Options in Makati (option 2)

Makati is another good area for food. It’s busy, modern, and has a lot of restaurants to choose from—both local and international. From what we saw, there are also many rooftop restaurants with great views over the city, and also many bars.

Sunset Dinner at Bayview in Manila Bay (option 3)

Another option for your evening is to take a stroll along Manila Bay and enjoy dinner at one of the many restaurants nearby while watching the sunset. The area around Roxas Boulevard has plenty of dining spots with great views of the bay.

Dinner Cruise (option 4)

If you want to try something different, there are dinner cruises on Manila Bay and some shows with traditional Filipino music and dance. You can reserve your spot in advance on apps like Klook or GetYourGuide.

Shorter Options: What to Do with 6 to 12 Hours in Manila

If your layover is 6 to 8 hours, it’s best to pick just one option of the ones we shared previously. We recommend a guided visit to Intramuros since it’s fairly close to the airport. Just remember to allow extra time for traffic and getting back to your flight. This guided tour on a bicycle to explore Intramuros seems like a super interesting option.

With 8 to 12 hours, you can follow a simple itinerary like this:

• Morning: Explore Intramuros
• Afternoon: Visit Binondo (Chinatown) or Mall of Asia
• Evening: Relax at Manila Bay for sunset

These spots are all near the airport, so even with Manila traffic, you should have enough time to get back without stress.

Where to Stay in Manila (for Layovers or Short Visits)

If you only have one day in Manila and need to spend the night before your next flight, it’s best to stay close to the airport. There are several hotels nearby—just 5 minutes or less by car. Just make sure to double-check the terminal for your flight.

Here are some hotel suggestions close to the airport:

• Belmont Hotel Manila ($$)
• Savoy Hotel Manila ($)
• Palm tree villas ($)

Another popular option is Makati, one of the main business and tourist areas. It’s still relatively close to the airport (about 20–30 minutes by car) and offers plenty of hotels, restaurants, and nightlife. This is the area where we stayed.

Here are some hotel suggestions:

• Discovery Primea ($$$): a luxury, 5-star hotel on Ayala Avenue with spacious rooms, a rooftop pool, spa, and gym (this is so good that you’ll want to spend your layover time here just relaxing.)
• Coro Hotel ($$): hotel with great facilities, including a rooftop pool.
• Z Hostel ($): a budget option choice with private rooms and a rooftop bar—great for solo travelers.

Where to Go Next?

You probably didn’t come to the Philippines to visit Manila, so make sure you check all our other Philippines’ Guides.

We have a detailed three-week itinerary, that you can check below:

• Three Weeks in the Philippines – Our Itinerary

If you’ve just arrived at the Philippines, we suggest hopping on a flight to Cebu or Palawan, from where you can access many other beautiful sites.

We have detailed travel guides for all the islands we visited:

• How to Spend Four Days in El Nido: Travel Guide and Best Things to Do
• El Nido Island Hopping Tour A – Is it Worth It? What to Expect?
• How to Spend Two Days in Coron: Travel Guide and Best Things to Do
• Siquijor 3-Day Itinerary & Travel Guide: Best Things to Do
• Moalboal Travel Guide: Best Things to Do & 3-Day Itinerary
• Bohol 3-Day Itinerary & Travel Guide: Best Things to Do
• Apo Island Snorkeling Tour — What to Expect

We hope you’ve found our one-day Manila itinerary useful.

First Time in the Philippines? Read our ultimate guide to prepare a trip to the Philippines with essential and useful tips: How to Plan a Trip to the Philippines: 33 Essential Travel Tips

Finally, you can use our links to book your accommodation, and activities and find cheap flights. You won’t pay more for it and you’ll be supporting our work.

Thanks for reading.