Manila city tour & Intramuros tour

Visit Manila's important sights in this walking tour of the nation's capital with TRIPinas travel and tour.
From the Spanish colonial architecture of Intramuros (The Walled City) to its unique Chinatown or the very lively Quiapo market. Our Manila tours let you experience the splendors of the "Pearl of the orient."
You will start your Manila city tour exploring one of the most authentic district of this city : Quiapo then you will head to Santa Cruz and Chinatown, the oldest Chinatown outside China!. The package includes an Intramuros tour, the oldest district of the city and the only example of Spanish architecture in Asia ! Book your Manila tour package now!


Our Manila tour package:

Rate : Php2000/person (full day tour)

Inclusions:
  • Tour guide (English or French speaking)
  • All entrance fees
  • Pick up and drop off to your hotel in Manila (taxi for small groups or van for big groups

    • We also organize Manila tours for those coming from cruise ships (e.g. Costa Cruise, Star Cruises - Superstar Virgo, Artemis, Oceania Cruises : M.V. Nautica). Your manila tour will start from the Manila south harbor where we will pick you up and your excursion will end at the Manila port where we will drop you off. Enjoy a private Manila city tour only for your group.


    Manila & Intramuros tour highlights


    Manila offers plenty of different attractions. It's sometimes difficult to find them as the city is huge. Having a Manila tour is a good way to see a good selection of them. Just relax and let your tour guide show you the way.

    Chinatown
    Manila's chinatown is believed to be the oldest chinatown in the world (outside of China of course.) Churches, shops, restaurants, fountains, plazas, arches are all good reasons to pay a visit to this unique place. Your eyes and stomach will thank you for it.

    manila chinatown tour
    Manila tour package : Chinatown

    Fort Santigao
    Fort Santiago is the oldest fortification in Manila. The fort was built on 1571 at the site that was occupied by Raja Soliman. The fort was first a wood structure then was replaced with a stone fort built in 1592 by Dasmarinas. It was the headquarters of the British during their occupation of Manila (1762-1764) then it became the headquarters of the US army during the American time. Many people were imprisoned and killed there during the World War II and during the Japanese occupation. The restoration of the Fort started in 1951 and it's now one of the highlights of any tour to Intramuros.

    manila walking tour fort santiago
    Intramuros tour: Fort Santigao

    Intramuros walls
    Four and a half kilometers of walls surround Intramuros. Several parks and monuments, both inside and outside Intramuros, offer great views over Manila city. There are amazing ruins that are hidden which is why most tourists miss them. Our tour will make sure that these places commonly skipped by tourist buses will be showed to you - a great opportunity for photo shoots.

    manila tour package intramuros
    Manila day tour : amazing ruins

    Manila bay
    The sunset on manila bay is often described as the most beautiful on earth.. Come and check it out yourself. We usually end our Manila tours by the bay so you can enjoy the magnificent golden glow of the sunset with the Bataan peninsula as a backdrop. And what other way to end you walking tour but to sit back, relax and have a cold drink in one of the many restaurants and bars along the bay while you admire Mount Mariveles as the sun kisses the sea.

    mania bay sunset tour
    Manila tour : Manila bay

    Manila Cathedral
    Built in 1581, the original cathedral was made of wood. A fire destroyed it two years later. This was replaced but was subsequently destroyed by an earthquake in 1600. This rebuilding and reconstruction continued three more times until the World War II destroyed the fifth version of the cathedral. The sixth and present building was built on 1958. The Vatican elevated it as minor basilica in 1981. Around the Cathedral your Manila tour guide will aslo show you the former city hall (Ayuntamiento), the Palacio del Gobernor and the Plaza Roma.

    cheap manila tour
    Manila sightseeing tour : Manila cathedral

    Quiapo Church and Market
    Also know as the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, Quiapo church is one of the most important Catholic church in Manila city. Located inside the churhc is the statue of the Black Nazarene which is venerated by many people in the Philippines, especially on January 9th when millions of devotees gather and march the streets of Manila city. The first church was built in 1586 by the Franciscans. Our Manila city tour will show you the church as well as the market around. The heart of Manila is there! Great shopping deals as well.

    best manila tour
    Manila City tour package : Quiapo market

    Rizal Park
    While visiting Manila, it's nice to spend some time wandering one of the most beautiful park of Manila city. Also called Luneta, this park showcases some of the great Filipino heroes with their busts and monuments scattered all over the place. It's also a good place to meet the friendly Manilenos.

    rizal park tour
    Exploring Manila : Rizal park

    San Agustin Church
    San Agustin church is the oldest church in the Philippines. It was built in 1571 but the actual structure was finished in 1607 by the Augustinians. It's probably the oldest building still standing in the country. San Agustin is a Unesco World Heritage site. Our Manila tour package will also give you the opportunity to visit this amazing church as well as the amazing museum built in the adjacent monastery.

    manila guided tour San Augustin church
    Your Manila tour guide will take you inside this amazing church
    manila city tour rates
    San Agustin church is a world heritage


    Casa Manila
    Casa Manila is part of the Plaza San Luis Complex. It's a colonial lifestyle museum that shows you how Ilustrados (or rich Filipinos) lived during the time of the Spanish. From the living room to the bedrooms, the kitchen or even the bathroom, old furnitures and objects have a story to tell!

    casa manila
    Intramuros tour package : Casa Manila


    Baluarte San Diego
    Visit the oldest stone fort of Manila designed by a Jesuit priest, Antonio Sedeno in 1586. This place has also one of the best view over Manila's skyline.
    manila city tour rates

    Intramuros colonial houses

    Having an Intramuros tour is the perfect opportunity to see some amazing colonial houses. Scattered all around the Spanish district these old houses have each their own style.

    visiting intramuros manila
    intramuros sighseeing tour
    intramuros walking tour
    intramuros tour rates

    Manila History

    The first communities to settle in Manila area were some Tagalog tribes. They chose the banks of Pasig river to establish their colony and they named it : Maynilad. "May" means " there is" and "Nilad" is a mangrove plant. The city became a trade center where Filipinos exchanged their goods with Chinese, Japanese or Malay merchants.
    40 years after Magellan landed in the Philippines, a conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi defeated the ruler of Maynilad, Rajah Soliman and eventually founded the city of Manila. On June 24, 1571 the city is declared as the capital of the Spanish colony of the Philippines and King Felipe II honored Manila with the title "Insigne y siempre leal ciudad" (Distinguished and ever loyal city.) 
    The Spanish built Intramuros, a walled city where they lived and worked. Inside a 4.5 kilometer-long wall, one can found ancestral houses, palaces, administrations, hospitals, schools and 12 churches with San Augustin church being the first one to be built. Manila is protected by Fort Santiago at the mouth of Pasig river. The harbor is located further south in Cavite where the galleons transported goods to Acapulco, Mexico. While the Spanish and the Meztizos lived in Intramuros, the Chinese and the Filipinos lived around the Intramuros walls, especially on the north bank of the river in some districts like Quiapo, Sta. Cruz, Binondo, and Tondo.
    Manila is attacked several times by pirates or even by the British in 1762 who occupied the city for almost 2 years. Manila expanded during the American time (1898-1946). 
    The Japanese conquered Manila in January 1942 but they were driven away by the Filipino and American troops on February 1945 during the battle of Manila. The battle heavily damaged the city and around 150000 people died during the month long siege. 
    In 1948, the nation's capital was transferred to Quezon City while the business center was relocated to Makati.  In 1975, Manila, Quezon City, Makati and 14 other towns were unified as Metro Manila.
    The city continues to expand. The Greater Manila or Mega Manila today belongs to the top 5 most populated conglomeration in the word and is an amazing town to visit with TRIPinas travel and tour.

    Old map of Manila (Spanish Time)
    manila historic map


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