Intramuros Walking Tour with Transportation by Don't Skip Manila
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
It is a popular waterfront promenade in Manila in the Philippines. The boulevard, which runs along the shores of Manila Bay, is well known for its sunsets and stretch of coconut trees.
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-acrriage ride is when the total guest exceeds four.)
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.
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
Our team will message the guest 12hours before the tour for the pick-up time. All guest are expected to be at the hotel main lobby at the designated time of pick-up. Manila City Hotels between 8:15 - 8:30AM Outside Manila City Hotels anytime between 7:45 - 8:30AM
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(48)
We completed the Intramuros tour this morning and what a wonderful experience. Andre was so knowledgable and funny, and made the tour incredibly interactive and interesting. I was recommended this tour by a friend and cannot recommend it enough to others too! Lots of information but not at all overwhelming and great to learn about the history of Manila. Thank you Andre!
This tour was absolutely amazing. Our guide, Steven, was incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and thorough. Even though it rained during part of our tour, he made sure we still had a fantastic experience and didn’t miss a thing. His energy and passion for the city truly made the day special. I would 100% do this tour again. A huge bonus: the tour included transportation, which made everything seamless—especially since I was staying in Makati. Not having to think about logistics allowed me to fully enjoy the experience. If you’re considering it, book it. Manila (intramuros) is worth it.
Joined a Morrocan buddy who was doing food research with me and the minutia, insights and laughs he got on the tour gave him a holistic and buildable idea to go with. Great value, amazing time!
Our guides name for this walking tour was Andre Extremely knowledgeable. Gave us all the history of Manila. How it got its name Why it is a walled city. Great sense of humour too
Highly recommended. Our guide Andrei was very knowledgeable and informative. He was very passionate about his city. The pickup was on time and he paid close attention to detail.
Andrei was a wonderful guide. He’s very knowledgeable and friendly. The transportation was comfortable and the tour was well-paced. We really enjoyed our visit to Intramuros!
This was a great interactive deep dive into the history of Manila and the Philippines. Anne our guide was very knowledgeable. Don’t miss Manila is a must…
Thank you so much for your review! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the interactive deep dive into Manila’s rich history. Anne’s passion for storytelling truly makes the experience special. We appreciate your recommendation and hope to see you again for another unforgettable adventure!
An excellent walking trip. Andrei is so passionate about the history of Manila, his enthusiasm is contagious. Manila has a very interesting and diverse history. The tour is about 3 hours with a bit of walking, remember your hat as it does get hot walking in the sun. We were collected from our hotel a 8 and dropped back about 1.30. One of the best tours we have done.
I have always wanted to see Intramuros and learn more about its history (even briefly through a tour). With this particular tour, I can now check off one of my bucket list items. My main takeaway for me is why I should be proud of my Filipino ancestors, my Filipino culture and ethnicity. I am more appreciative of Intramuros itself, its key role in Philippine history; I have more respect for the Filipinos who lived through the Spanish, American, and Japanese occupations, especially those who risked their lives for independence; I am more in awe of Dr. Jose Rizal, our national hero, who inspired (and still inspiring) many Filipinos to love the motherland. There were moments in the tour where I became emotional listening to our tour guide. I believe that it was also the knowledge and passion of our tour guide, Andrei, who made this tour a wonderful and memorable experience for me and my friends. His "music" also added to the mood of the tour. I think an Intramuros tour should be offered in schools. Well, it should even be advertised to the local barangays so people can see and hear for themselves about an important piece (and place) of history. This tour will kindle (and rekindle) one's patriotism, one's love for the Philippines. My friends and I were glad we joined this tour. Kudos to Andrei for this unforgettable experience.
It was a wonderful day discovering Manila’s history! Andre is so knowledgeable and such a nice guy. His passion for his city and his country are infectious. He even treated us all to some cheese and avocado ice cream, which was a really nice touch on a very hot and humid day. Highly recommend Don’t Skip Manila Tours!
