Manila Old and New City Tour with Intramuros and Makati

Intramuros, the walled city of old Manila

Intramuros was founded by the Spanish in 1571 on the south bank of the Pasig River, where it meets Manila Bay. Surrounded by stone walls about 4.5 km long, with bastions, moats and gates, it was the political and religious heart of the colony for more than three centuries. Inside stood the governor's palace, churches, convents, schools and the houses of the leading families, many with carved wooden balconies.

The district suffered heavy damage in 1945, but its walls, gates and main landmarks have been restored, and an Intramuros tour remains the best introduction to Manila's history. Your guide shows you Manila Cathedral on Plaza de Roma, rebuilt in the 1950s, and the baroque stone church completed in 1607, the oldest in the country and part of a UNESCO World Heritage listing. Cobbled streets, horse-drawn calesas and shady plazas make it the most atmospheric corner of the capital.

Fort Santiago, the citadel on the Pasig River

Fort Santiago stands at the northwestern tip of Intramuros, guarding the mouth of the Pasig River. The first wooden fort of 1571 was replaced in the 1590s by a stone citadel, which served in turn the Spanish, American and Japanese administrations, and was badly damaged in 1945. Today it is a landscaped historic park with thick ramparts, a carved main gate, old storerooms and dungeons, and wide views over the river and the port.

Your entrance fee is included, and the guide explains how the fort controlled trade on the river and how it became a place of memory for the nation. Fort Santiago opening hours run daily from morning into the evening, but on this tour you do not need to plan anything: the van drops you at the gate and picks you up after the visit. Allow about 45 minutes to an hour to see the gate, the ramparts and the river views.

Old Manila around the bay

Between Intramuros and the southern districts, the route follows the old heart of the capital along Manila Bay. Here you see the green lawns of Rizal Park, the large public park laid out just outside the walls, as well as early twentieth-century government buildings in neoclassical style, the bayfront promenade and the old port areas where Manila's trade has passed for centuries.

From the van your guide points out how the city grew from the walled town to the districts of Ermita, Malate and Pasay along the shore, and how the bay became famous for its sunsets. Traffic in Manila can be heavy, so the exact route depends on the time of day, but the guide uses each stretch of road to tell the story of the city. This part of the tour is a relaxed sightseeing drive rather than a long stop.

Manila American Cemetery and Memorial

On a gentle hill in Taguig, near BGC, lies the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, the largest cemetery of its kind outside the United States for those who fell in the Second World War. Long rows of white marble headstones curve across immaculate lawns shaded by tropical trees, around a central memorial with a chapel and two semicircular halls decorated with large mosaic maps of the Pacific campaigns and walls bearing the names of the missing.

It is one of the most peaceful places in Metro Manila and a moving stop for travellers interested in history. The cemetery is usually open daily from 9:00 to 17:00, and entry is free of charge as part of its memorial role. Visitors are asked to dress and behave respectfully. Your guide explains the battles that took place in the Philippines and gives you time to walk around the colonnades and gardens.

Makati, the modern face of Manila

The tour ends in Makati, the main financial district of the Philippines. Once mostly open land on the edge of the city, it grew from the 1950s onward into a planned business district of glass towers, head offices, embassies and residential high-rises, linked by covered pedestrian walkways and dotted with landscaped parks. It is also where many visitors stay, which makes it a natural end to the day.

Driving between the towers, your guide points out the main avenues, the green gardens hidden between the malls and the newer neighbourhoods that have spread toward BGC. Many travellers ask about things to do in Makati: after the tour you can explore its parks, shopping centres and international restaurants on your own, including halal options in some of the larger malls. The contrast with Intramuros, only a short drive away, sums up Manila perfectly.