Private Half-Day Makati (Old Manila) with Intramuros
Description
Explore Old Manila on this private half-day tour! After pickup from your Metro Manila/Makati hotel, you and your party will visit famous highlights such as Rizal Park, St. Agustin Church, among others. This tour is perfect to see the old city's highlights while freeing up your afternoon for other activities.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Manila’s city tour starts with a visit to Rizal Park, named in honor of the country’s national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal.
After a brief picture stop, proceed to the Walled City of Intramuros to visit the remnants of Spain’s conquistadores.
Stop at Fort Santiago, an old Spanish fortress located at the mouth of Pasig River, where great moments in Philippine history occurred.
Travel through the cobbled streets to San Agustin Church, the country’s oldest stone church, and view its wide collection of ecclesiastical icons, vestments and other religious articles. Cross the street to Casa Manila, a reproduction of a 19th century house equipped with oriental and European décor, as well as Philippine antique furniture.
Then board a horse drawn carriage called ‘calesa’ and trot off to Chinatown in Binondo, crossing the Pasig River, and onto an alley that leads you to Binondo Church another historical landmark built by the Spaniards in 1596. Alight at the church’s entrance for a brief stop, and walk towards Ongpin, a street visible by its Chinese-style arches at its entrance. This narrow street leads to a network of alleys and side streets crammed with small shops, Chinese drugstores, restaurants and residential houses. Binondo’s commercial activity ranges from banks to retail and wholesale shops selling a variety of items, from Chinese curios and delicacies to textiles, jewelries and construction materials. A leisurely walk brings you to numerous gold jewelry shops at the other end of Ongpin, whereupon sits an old Spanish fountain near the entrance to Sta. Cruz Church. Stop briefly at St. Cruz Church which was built in 1608 by the Jesuit priests, then move on to Escolta, located a few blocks away. Steeped in history, it was once used as a convoy route by the British Navy from 1762 to 1764, and the shopping center of the elite during the Spanish and American regimes. Today, what is left of what was once known as the “Queen of Streets’ are two notable pre-World War II buildings, the Regina Building and the Perez-Samanillo Building. The former is of neo-Classical architecture while the latter, is of Philippine art deco architecture that was designed by Andres Luna de San Pedro, son of Juan Luna, considered the country’s greatest painter and creator of the ‘Spolarium’. Spend some time exploring the area before returning to your hotel.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Hotels located within Manila/Makati Area only
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Child rate applies only when sharing with 2 paying adults
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
Reviews(26)
If you only have a short time in Manila, a private city tour is absolutely the way to go. The company reached out a few days before my arrival to confirm my hotel pickup location and timing, which made everything feel organized and stress-free from the start. My guide, Jonas, was punctual, welcoming, and truly delightful. He was incredibly knowledgeable and shared Manila’s history in a way that was engaging and easy to follow without ever feeling overwhelming. I was initially worried that a half-day tour wouldn’t cover much, but by the end I felt like I had gained a strong foundation in both the history and the culture of the Philippines and its people. The tour was thoughtfully paced and comprehensive — honestly, I was so happily exhausted afterward that I didn’t even have the energy to continue exploring on my own! Everything about the experience was wonderful. Thank you for showing me your home — salamat po! 🇵🇭
Joan and Raul gave us a great private tour of Old Manila and Binondo. Raul was an excellent driver. The van was very clean and comfortable. Joan was a wealth of knowledge and had a great personality as well. We really felt that we learned a lot and saw a ton during our tour. Would highly recommend.
We had a very good guide. She was friendly and very well explained. Enjoyed visiting Plaza San Luis complex, Fort Santiago, Rizal Park and many churches.
My guide Joan was knowledgable, intelligent, a great communicator and very good company. She imparted the information in a conversation rather than a lecture. We covered so much in the tour but it never felt rushed - Rizal, Intramuros, churches, important buildings and architecture, fantastic Spanish merchants house, horse and carriage, Chinatown, all great.
Our guide, Jezzy, was wonderful., full of interesting facts. A great tour for a half day intro to the history of the city.
Tony gave a wonderful tour of Old Manila. His knowledge of the history of The Philippines is excellent, and we learned a lot. He was easy to understand and answered all our questions thoroughly. I highly recommend him!
Jon was a very professional and knowledgeable guide. Her English waw excellent and she brought nice demeanor and a lovely smile
Great tour to take in most of Manilas sights so you can decide what to revisit at length. Our tour guide Joan was excellent. Very knowledgeable and very interesting in her explanations, we really have a good understanding of Philippines history. JR our driver was amazing with my husband who has a disability, thank you JR
The content and pace are just right for 1/2 day tour. Our guide, Ms Joan is such good story teller. She is very professional and kind!
Very comprehensive tour of old Manila, including fortifications and monuments and then Chinatown. Joan was an excellent guide.
