Intramuros Walking Tour by Don't Skip Manila | Shore Excursion
Description
This is a half-day historical tour of Intramuros, the walled city of Manila. Our tour is in storytelling format that talks about the important events that shaped the Philippines. If you only have half-a-day to spend and wanted to hear story more than the fast-paced picture-taking city tours, this is the tour for you and your group. This is a history-and-culture-anchored tour that involves part walking, horse-back riding (when there are more than 4 tourists) and museum visits. We curated this tour to tell more than 400 years of history in less than 4 hours.
Tour Options
Itinerary
This is the premier central park of Manila dedicated to one of the Philippines' National Hero who was executed in the area in 1896.
It is a citadel first built by Spanish conquistador, Miguel López de Legazpi for the new established city of Manila in the Philippines. The defense fortress is part of the structures of the walled city of Manila referred to as Intramuros. We will visit the dungeons and river fortifications.
The Rizal Shrine is a museum dedicated to the lifework of José Rizal. The museum is located in the building where Rizal spent his final night and hid his famous poem Mi último adiós (My Last Farewell) in an oil lamp. The shrine is home to various memorabilia such as the shells he collected in Dapitan, books, manuscripts and artwork.
It is the first cathedral of Philippines and basilica located in Intramuros. It is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, a title for the Blessed Virgin Mary, the principal patroness of the country.
Intramuros is also called the Walled City, and at the time of the Spanish Colonial Period was synonymous to the City of Manila. It was the seat of government and political power when the Philippines was a component realm of the Spanish Empire. It was also the center of religion, education and economy. The standard way of life in Intramuros became the standard way of life throughout the Philippines. The Manila Galleons which sailed the Pacific for 250 years, carried goods to and from Intramuros (Manila) and Acapulco, Mexico. You will go around the walls of the city in a horse-drawn carriage ride. (The horse-carriage ride is when the total guest exceeds four.)
San Agustin Church was one of four Philippine churches constructed during the Spanish colonial period to be designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, under the collective title Baroque Churches of the Philippines.
Casa Manila is a museum in Intramuros depicting colonial lifestyle during Spanish colonization of the Philippines. Casa Manila is a copy of an 1850s San Nicolas House that was once located in Calle Jaboneros.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We pick up guest from the Entrance/Exit gate of Pier 15 South Harbor. Your tour guide will have a signage with your name printed on it.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(17)
Great tour. Very informative and well done. Some confusion about where to meet the guide. Would have helped to have a pin dropped from google maps. The port is very chaotic.
Thank you so much for the feedback! 💛 I’m really glad you found the tour informative and well done. And thank you for pointing out the meeting point confusion — that’s truly helpful. We’ll make sure to send a clear Google Maps pin moving forward, especially for busy areas like the port. We appreciate you joining us and hope to guide you again soon!
Ann was an excellent tour guide. Engaging story teller of the history of precolonial and colonial Philippines. I j JJ highly recommend spending time to learn about Intramuros.
Thank you so much for this lovely review! 💛 We're really glad the stories resonated with you. Intramuros has so much to tell, and it was a pleasure sharing it with you. Thank you for spending your time with us — and for the recommendation. Hope to see you again on another walk through history!
To visit a country and city loved by your guide is truly one of the most incredible things to experience. Our tour with Andre through the walled city is where both his knowledge and passion of the city was outstanding. To say we were surprised and astounded was an understatement and why you shouldn't skip Manila. We would absolutely recommend and also encourage you to tour with Anne as well who took us through the Fine Art Museum showing us the challenges of the Philippines through art. Don't Skip Manila with Andre and Anne should be on everyone's bucket list and we wish them great success.
We only had one day in Manila, and were almost guilty of what this couple are trying to stop, skipping Manila! We were so thrilled we didn’t and after doing this tour of the Intramuros, wish we had more time to do more of their tours. Andre was so knowledgeable and incredibly engaging. He’s a natural storyteller and shared the detail of Manila’s history in such a compelling and structured way. We (including two teenagers) absolutely loved this tour and highly recommend it.
Anne of Don’t Skip Manila is a delight. Her Intramuros walking tour was informative, fun, well-organized, and delicious. (thanks to the ice cream that Anne bought each of us!) We recommend this tour!
Very informative and honest history lesson as well as a beautiful exploration of intramural ! Very good tour guide and beautiful city.
Thank you for your kind words! We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the history and beauty of Intramuros. Our goal is to provide an informative and engaging experience, and we're glad you had a great time with our tour guide. We appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you again soon! Thank you for not skipping Manila!
Ann was very friendly and she was very good about telling us all of the history of the area and the sites we visited. There was a good variety of sites to visit and things to do.
Thank you for your kind words! We're so glad to hear that you enjoyed your tour with me and appreciated our knowledge and friendliness. It’s great to know that the variety of sites and activities made for a well-rounded experience. We hope to welcome you on another adventure soon!
We spent several hours touring Intramuros with our excellent guide Anne... walking, riding an open bus. She gave us so much interesting information about the Spanish walled city of Manila. We saw the cell where Jose Rizal was imprisoned, am elaborate mansion of a wealthy family, a couple of churches, the city streets. with many educational institutes. And were treated to local ice cream from a vendor.
Thank you for sharing your experience! We're delighted to hear that you had an excellent time exploring Intramuros with me. It sounds like the mix of walking, riding the open bus, and visiting historic sites made for an enriching and memorable tour. Seeing Rizal’s cell, the grand mansion, and the bustling city streets truly brings Manila’s history to life! And of course, no tour is complete without a sweet sorbetes treat. 🍦 We appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you back for another adventure soon!
Andrei simultaneously educated and entertained us throughout. He was easy to find at the port and got us back to the ship on time. Unlike some guides Andrei definitely seemed like a history major. He was able to answer all our random questions and as curious people we tend to stump people at some point. Assuming that the quality of the guides at Don't Skip Manila are on par with Andrei - I highly recommend this tour.
First of all Andrew our guide was amazing! Personable, funny and so accommodating. Communicated well as to meeting place. So very knowledgeable about Manila the Philippines and their history. Highly recommend his tour!
