Must-see attractions Manila, Philippines - Lonely Planet (2024)

Fort Santiago

Manila

Guarding the entrance to the Pasig River is Intramuros' premier tourist attraction: Fort Santiago. Within the fort grounds is an oasis of lovely manicured…

San Agustin Church

Manila

The San Agustin Church was the only building left intact after the destruction of Intramuros in WWII. Built between 1587 and 1606, it is the oldest church…

Pinto Art Museum

Manila

This fantastic museum in Antipolo, in the hills just east of Metro Manila, showcases some of the Philippines' best contemporary artists. There are six…

Chinese Cemetery

Manila

As in life, so it is in death for Manila’s wealthy Chinese citizens, who are buried with every modern convenience in the huge Chinese Cemetery. It's far…

Ayala Museum

Manila

This gleaming museum features four floors of superbly curated exhibits on Filipino culture, art and history. At the heart of the collection is a brilliant…

National Museum of Anthropology

Manila

Within a resplendent neoclassical building, this superb museum houses a vast and varied collection, including the skullcap of the Philippines’ earliest…

Manila American Cemetery

Manila

A poignant and peaceful spot, this sprawling war cemetery on a grassy, beautifully manicured plot is the resting place of 17,206 soldiers killed in battle…

Metropolitan Museum of Manila

Manila

The 'Met' is a world-class gallery tracing the evolution of Filipino art from the early 20th century to the present. Virtually all great Filipino painters…

Marikina Shoe Museum

Manila

A must for Imelda Marcos junkies is the Marikina Shoe Museum. There's the footwear of various Filipino luminaries on display here, but it's Imelda’s shoes…

Casa Manila

Manila

This beautiful reproduction of a Spanish colonial house offers a window into the opulent lifestyle of the gentry in the 19th century. Imelda Marcos had it…

Rizal Monument

Manila

Fronted by a 46m flagpole and guarded by sentries in full regalia, the Rizal Monument contains national hero José Rizal’s mortal remains and stands as a…

Bamboo Organ of Las Piñas

Manila

This famous organ, designated a national culture treasure, was built between 1816 and 1824 in the St Joseph Parish Church of Las Piñas on the southern…

Rizal Shrine

Manila

The building where José Rizal was incarcerated has been turned into a shrine-museum dedicated to his life. There's a re-creation of his cell block, the…

Rizal Park

Manila

Still widely known as 'Luneta' (its name until the 1950s), Manila’s iconic central park is spread out over some 60 hectares of open lawns, ornamental…

Cultural Center of the Philippines

Manila

The centrepiece of the CCP Complex is this bombastic building designed by noted Filipino architect Leandro Locsin. Inside attractions include the country…

Quiapo Church

Manila

Quiapo Church is a 1933 replacement of an older structure destroyed by fire. One of Manila’s best-known landmarks, Quiapo is the home of the Black…

Malacañang Palace

Manila

Perched overlooking the Pasig River, this sprawling palace complex dates to the mid-18th century, when it was built as the residence of a Spanish…

North Cemetery

Manila

If you thought Manila's Chinese Cemetery was different, you clearly haven't made it to its abutting North Cemetery. While significant for being the burial…

Ayuntamiento

Manila

Once the grandest building in all of Intramuros, the Ayuntamiento was destroyed in WWII and spent years as a parking lot before a faithful recreation of…

Metropolitan Theater

Manila

This stunning piece of art deco opened as the city’s premier opera theatre under the Americans in 1931. Today it’s in a state of utter disrepair, but…

Quezon Memorial Circle

Manila

The heart and soul of Quezon City is this vast park at the centre of a roundabout where several major avenues merge. There's all sorts of local flavour…

National Museum of Natural History

Manila

As well as being an excellent, comprehensive look at the Philippines' flora, fauna, geography and geology, Manila's latest and greatest museum is an…

Manila Cathedral

Manila

First built in 1581 (and rebuilt seven times since, most recently in 1951 following its destruction in WWII), Manila Cathedral's present edifice looks…

Karrivin Plaza

Manila

Busy Don Chino Roces Ave (Pasong Tamo) has evolved into an art district of sorts, and this hip collection of galleries, furniture shops and design labs is…

First United Building

Manila

Not only is this one of Manila's finest pieces of surviving pre-WWII art deco, but it's also the centrepiece of the Escolta St revival. Inside are…

Bahay Nakpil-Bautista

Manila

Built in 1914, this beautiful ancestral home is the former residence of Perona Nakpil, the widow of Andrés Bonifacio ( father of the Philippine Revolution…

University of the Philippines Diliman

Manila

If you have a spare half-day, make the trip out to the lovely, leafy University of the Philippines Diliman campus. It has a genuine American university…

Art In Island

Manila

This is an art museum where you become the subject. It contains scores of three-dimensional murals and paintings designed to play tricks on your camera…

Site of Rizal’s Execution

Manila

At the entrance to the site of Rizal’s execution is a black granite wall inscribed with Rizal’s ‘Mi Ultimo Adios’ (My Last Farewell). Eight tableaux of…

Yuchengco Museum

Manila

A mismatch among Makati's corporate high-rises, this fantastic art and design gallery was established by prominent businessman and former UN diplomat,…

1335Mabini

Manila

This gallery in the colonial Casa Tesoro mansion features regular changing shows of experimental art and installations in its 2nd-floor gallery…

Manila

This park and wildlife rescue centre (open 9am to 4pm Tuesday to Sunday) runs a mini-zoo where confiscated animals and injured wildlife are nursed back to…

San Agustin Museum

Manila

This museum provides access to the attached 16th-century San Agustin Church, a Unesco Heritage site. The museum itself is no slouch, offering tantalising…

Calvo Museum

Manila

In the historic, beaux-arts Calvo Building (1938), this little museum houses a treasure trove of pre-WWII photographs and memorabilia. Of particular…

National Museum of Fine Arts

Manila

This proud museum contains many of the Philippines’ signature works of art, including Juan Luna’s seminal Spoliarium, a colossal painting that provides…

Mind Museum

Manila

This excellent science museum succeeds in balancing education with fun, with plenty of cool interactive exhibits, including a planetarium, a printing…

Vargas Museum

Manila

This art museum on the leafy University of Philippines Diliman campus has a mix of changing modern and experimental art shows, and a permanent collection…

Baywalk

Manila

Splendid sunset views of Manila Bay can be had from the pedestrian Baywalk that runs along Roxas Blvd. There's plenty of local colour here as well,…

Museo ng Sining

Manila

A classy CCP gallery housing an extensive collection of contemporary and classic Filipino art.

Coconut Palace

Manila

The Coconut Palace was one of Imelda Marcos' great white elephant projects in the 1970s. It was so named because of the extensive use of coconut building…