The Philippines · WALKING TOURS IN MANILA
Good walking tours in Manila fill up weeks ahead; the great ones go first. Below: the 13 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Manila street food and drinks walking tour in Binondo with 6-10 tastings, halo-halo, and jeepney or tricycle rides in a small group.
“It was terrific. Lovely friendly knowledgeable guide. Lots of food tastings and good general information about the area etc. We learned a lot. Thanks”
Walk Quiapo and Binondo for street food tastings, ride local transport, then cycle Intramuros on a traditional bamboo bike for 6 hours.
“Our main guide was Jen and her assistant was Stefanie. Jen was an awesome guide as she was thorough, patient, knowledgeable and helpful. She had endless energy and information! This tour was an amazing way to get to know some parts of Metro Manila. We covered so much, used local transportation and enjoyed great variety on this experience. We got to ride the Pasig ferry and learn how much it costs as well as riding in a jeepney and understanding the cost, how to pay and how to communicate with the driver. We also got to spend time riding bamboo bikes around Intramuras. We tasted many fruits and foods! Wow!…”
Walk Intramuros with a local guide, visit Fort Santiago, Manila Cathedral, Casa Manila, and San Agustin, plus a short bike ride.
“Tess is such a great guide. She not only explains the history, but also shares her personal feelings and her own family stories as a local Filipino. You can really tell how passionate she is when she tells the stories behind each place. Although some parts of the history are painful, it’s a meaningful and eye-opening learning experience. We all hope the world will always be at peace.”
Small-group Intramuros tour with A/C pickup, Fort Santiago, Rizal Shrine, Manila Cathedral, Casa Manila, and optional horse-drawn carriage ride.
“Andrei is an enthusiastic and engaged guide. Highly recommended. Be prepared for high heat and humidity in June thought.”
A 2.5-hour guided walk through Intramuros with Jane, stopping at Casa Manila, Manila Cathedral, San Agustin Church, and Fort Santiago.
“I liked the relaxed pace and having good conversation with a local. It was a great start to my visit to the Philippines.”
A 3-hour Intramuros walking tour with Fort Santiago, Rizal, Manila Cathedral, San Agustin, and Casa Manila, guided in English by Russell Leyco.
“The tour was very detailed and precise. The information was enlightening and heartfelt from Russell, a local passionate for history. If you are looking for the bits of history that aren’t in the books, this is your tour.”
A 2-hour Binondo Chinatown walk with a small group guide, tuk-tuk rides, and Chinese-Filipino street food stops in Manila’s oldest lanes.
“I appreciated the tour guide’s consideration for elders and pacing according to their needs. The choice in foods offered by the guide was top notch. Also, being able to discuss pop culture and contemporary topics over coffee and cake in Binondo was a wonderful way to conclude the tour! #bookher #hiremari”
Solo-friendly one-on-one Manila walk with a pro mobile photo session. See Intramuros, Rizal Park, museums, parks and Pasig River.
“Edison was a great guide. It was pleasure to spend the day with him. He is knowledgeable about the history of the city, nice and flexible about the tour. In addition, I have got a lot of good photos which were done during the tour. Fully recommended!”
Walk Old Manila in 3 to 3.5 hours, guided in English from Fort Santiago and Rizal Shrine to WWII memorials, San Agustin, and Casa Manila.
“Operator knew nothing about the booking. What more can I say?”
Walk Intramuros with a professional guide, touring San Agustin, Casa Manila, WWII memorials, the Cathedral, and Fort Santiago for $55.
“Well he seemed to be surprised it was the Parade of Mary and so things were kind of upside down. Very knowledgeable though!”
Story-led half-day Intramuros walk with Rizal Park, Fort Santiago, Rizal Shrine, Cathedral and Casa Manila, plus carriage ride, pickup, tickets, water.
“This excursion was wonderful, we really enjoyed it. Transportation from the ship port to all of the activities was very good. We learned a lot about Manila and the Philippines history. The excursion was well planned out and very enjoyable. Read more”
Walk Intramuros by night with DOT-accredited guides. Fort Santiago, wartime stops, and Casa Manila, for about $23 for 2 hours.
“La guida Cedhie non solo è molto competente, ma riesce a spiegare la difficile storia di Manila in modo semplice. Ha usato varie foto d'epoca per rendere alcuni aspetti più tangibili. Consiglio vivamente il tour serale per la bella atmosfera.”
2-hour Makati street food walking tour with Filipino tastings, dinner and drinks, Halo-Halo dessert, and a rooftop bar view.
“We throughly enjoyed our tour with Jeric. He encouraged us to try bites out of our comfort zone and explained many of the street foods of Manila…. Some of the foods surprised us but we passed on the balut!! It was a fun night which ended with a great view of Manila from the 35th floor of a hotel. Jeric also took many photos to remind us of our tastings. Highly recommend tour!”
Pick the island first. The kind of day sorts itself out after that.
