Manila in 5 days: Intramuros, Makati and Tagaytay
Manila · Philippines · 5 days
Best time to visit Manila
December to FebruaryBest from December to February: dry, and the coolest the city gets at 24–31 °C. March to May is dry but hot, with April and May highs of 34 °C. June to October is the rainy season and the typhoon months; July to September are the wettest. Traffic is heavy all year; plan one district per day.
Travelling from the Gulf: The Gulf winter break fits Manila’s dry, cooler months, but many Filipinos working in the Gulf fly home for Christmas, so December flights from Gulf cities such as Riyadh and Jeddah sell out early and cost the most. Holy Week (the week before Easter) closes much of the city. The summer break is typhoon season. Halal eateries cluster in Quiapo and around Greenhills, and mall food halls label halal stalls.
Flights, stay and entry for Manila
Flight and entry details below are for travellers starting from Saudi Arabia.
Flights
About 9 hours 30 minutes nonstop from Riyadh (Saudia, Riyadh Air, Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines), about 10 hours 45 minutes from Jeddah on Saudia. Manila is 5 hours ahead of Saudi Arabia.
Search RUH → MNL flightsFlights from Riyadh to ManilaWhere to stay
Makati (Greenbelt, Legazpi Village) or BGC for safe streets, restaurants and the easiest Grab rides; Ermita and Malate are closer to Intramuros but need more care at night.
Find a stay in ManilaStay connected
A travel eSIM gives you mobile data when you land, so maps and ride apps work without waiting for a SIM card or Wi-Fi.
eSIM and travel extrasEntry rules
Saudi passports enter visa-free for 30 days with a passport valid for six months and an onward ticket. Indian passports get 14 days visa-free for tourism (30 days with a valid US, Schengen, UK, Japan, Australia, Canada or Singapore visa) with a hotel booking and return ticket. Pakistani and Egyptian passports need a visa from the Philippine embassy in Riyadh or consulate in Jeddah. Everyone registers on eTravel, free, within 72 hours before arrival and again before departure.
eTravel: official arrival registration Philippines visa and entry rulesWhat 5 days in Manila cost
| Style | Per person per day (SAR) | Per person per day (USD) | Whole trip (SAR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | 120–210 | 32–56 | 600–1,050 |
| Mid-range | 320–560 | 85–149 | 1,600–2,800 |
| Luxury | 800–1,400 | 213–373 | 4,000–7,000 |
Per person per day: hotel (shared double), meals, Grab rides and the LRT, museum tickets. The Tagaytay day by private car (about PHP 4,000–6,000 for the car) and Manila Ocean Park (about PHP 1,200) are the biggest extras. About PHP 16.7 to the riyal in October 2026. Flights are not included. Rough estimate at October 2026 prices; USD 1 = SAR 3.75.
Day 1: Intramuros, the walled city
- Morning
Fort Santiago
The Spanish citadel at the river mouth where José Rizal spent his last night; his cell and footsteps are marked in brass. Open from 8 am on weekdays and 6 am at weekends, last entry 8 pm; PHP 75. Go first, before the heat, and walk the walls.
- Afternoon
San Agustin Church and Casa Manila
San Agustin is the oldest stone church in the Philippines (1607) and UNESCO-listed; the monastery museum costs PHP 200 and closes for lunch 12–1 pm. Across the street, Casa Manila is a rebuilt 19th-century merchant’s house, PHP 75, closed Mondays. Manila Cathedral, two blocks north, is free outside Mass.
- Evening
Manila Baywalk
Walk or take a short Grab from Intramuros to Roxas Boulevard for the sunset over Manila Bay, which the city is proud of for good reason. Eat in Makati afterwards rather than around Ermita; a Grab from here to Makati is PHP 200–350 and 30–60 minutes depending on traffic.
Day 2: Rizal Park, the National Museum and Binondo
- Morning
Rizal Park
The 60-hectare park south of Intramuros, with the Rizal Monument, the gardens and the Kilometre Zero marker. Free and open daily; it is pleasant until about 10 am, after which the sun makes the museums the better place to be.
- Afternoon
National Museum of Fine Arts and Anthropology
Three museums on the park’s edge, all free and open every day 9 am to 6 pm, including Mondays. Start with Fine Arts for Juan Luna’s Spoliarium, the largest painting in the country, then Anthropology next door for the San Diego shipwreck treasure. Bags are checked at the door; no large luggage.
- Evening
Binondo, the old Chinatown
The world’s oldest Chinatown (1594), 10 minutes north by Grab. Eat your way along Ongpin Street: dumplings, kikiam, hopia and fresh lumpia for PHP 60–160 a plate at the old-style eateries, or the new Ongpin food court. Busy and safe in the evening while the shops are open.
Day 3: Makati and BGC
- Morning
Ayala Museum
The best private museum in the city, in Makati’s Greenbelt complex: the Diorama Experience of Philippine history in 60 scenes, and the pre-colonial gold collection upstairs. Open Tuesday to Sunday 11 am to 7 pm, closed Mondays; about PHP 650 for full access, less during October museum month.
- Afternoon
Greenbelt and Ayala Triangle
Greenbelt’s five malls wrap around a garden with a chapel in the middle; it is the easiest lunch in Manila, from food courts to proper restaurants. Walk through the Ayala Triangle Gardens park afterwards; the business district around it is the safest part of the city to be on foot.
- Evening
Bonifacio High Street, BGC
The newest district, a 15–30 minute Grab from Makati: a long pedestrian strip of restaurants, street art and the Mind Museum. Everything stays open to 10 pm or later and the pavements are wide, which is rare in Manila. The Filipino chain restaurants here are a good first taste of adobo and sinigang.
Day 4: Tagaytay and the Taal volcano
- Morning
Drive south to Tagaytay
Leave by 7 am. Tagaytay is about 60 km south on a ridge 600 m up, so it is several degrees cooler. A hired car with driver for the day costs about PHP 4,000–6,000 and takes 1.5 to 2.5 hours; the bus from PITX terminal is PHP 80–90 and slower. Sunday traffic back into Manila is the worst of the week.
- Afternoon
Taal volcano viewpoints
Taal is a volcano inside a lake inside a bigger volcano, and the view from the ridge is the reason to come. Picnic Grove and the People’s Park in the Sky are the public viewpoints with small entry fees; the restaurants along the ridge road serve bulalo (beef shank soup), the local dish, with the same view.
- Evening
Back to Manila
Leave Tagaytay by 4 pm to be back in Makati around 6–7 pm. The volcano island itself has been closed to visitors since the 2020 eruption, so the boat trips across the lake you may read about no longer run; do not book one.
Day 5: Manila Bay and the Mall of Asia
- Morning
Manila Ocean Park
The oceanarium behind the Quirino Grandstand, open 10 am to 6 pm with last entry at 5:15 pm; a bundle ticket is about PHP 1,200 online. Good with children; adults travelling without them can skip it and start at the mall instead.
- Afternoon
SM Mall of Asia
One of the largest malls in Asia, on reclaimed land by the bay: an ice rink, an IMAX, and the full range of Filipino and international shops for last gifts. Most of it is open 10 am to 10 pm. The airport is 15–30 minutes from here, which is why this is the last day.
- Evening
MOA Seaside sunset
The boardwalk behind the mall faces west, so the sunset is as good as at the Baywalk with more places to sit and eat. Flights to Saudi Arabia mostly leave in the evening or after midnight; allow three hours at NAIA, as queues at the terminals vary a lot.
Getting around Manila
Grab is the standard app and the safest option; the airport has marked Grab pickup zones, and a ride to Makati is about PHP 300–500 and 30–90 minutes depending on the hour. LRT-1 (PHP 20–55) links Intramuros, Rizal Park and Ermita; MRT-3 runs along EDSA to Makati, with fares currently half price. A Beep card (PHP 30) works on both. Globe and Smart sell tourist SIMs at the airport (Globe: 30 GB for PHP 750). Avoid metered street taxis and never change money on the street.
Manila questions
Do Indian passport holders need a visa for the Philippines?
Not for a short holiday. Since June 2025 Indian nationals get 14 days visa-free for tourism with a passport valid six months, a hotel booking, proof of funds and a return ticket. It is 30 days if you also hold a valid US, Schengen, UK, Japan, Australia, Canada or Singapore visa. The stay cannot be extended.
What is eTravel and do I really need it?
Yes. eTravel is the Philippine government’s free arrival and departure form at etravel.gov.ph. Fill it in within 72 hours before each flight and save the QR code; airlines and immigration ask for it. Only use the official site; copies charge fees for the same thing.
Is Manila safe for tourists?
Makati, BGC and the malls are safe at any hour; Intramuros and Binondo are fine by day and early evening. Take more care in Ermita and Malate at night and skip Tondo. The common problems are taxi meter tricks and pickpockets, both avoided by using Grab and keeping your phone out of sight on the street.
Is there a departure tax or terminal fee?
The airport terminal fee (PHP 950 for international flights) is included in your ticket. The separate Philippine travel tax of PHP 1,620 applies to Filipino citizens and long-term residents, not to foreign tourists staying under a year; Filipino workers with an OEC are exempt from it.