Manila is the capital of the Philippines and the core of Metro Manila, a region of more than 13 million on the western coast of Luzon facing Manila Bay. The Spanish founded the city in 1571 and the walled Intramuros was the capital of Spanish rule in Asia for three hundred years, followed by half a century of American administration and the war that left the city in ruins in 1945. Today Manila is a city where East and West interlock, with Spanish churches, American style boulevards and the heaviest traffic in Asia. Makati and Bonifacio Global City are its modern face of towers and restaurants, the markets of Binondo and Quiapo its old one, and a Turkish passport enters visa free for 30 days.
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See flights to Manila →When to visit Manila
December to February is the easiest period, dry and relatively cool with days of 28C to 31C. March to May is dry but oppressively hot, with 34C to 36C usual in April and May, and the city empties in Holy Week. June to November is the rainy season; typhoons come mostly between August and October, streets can flood and flights are delayed. On the third Sunday of January the Black Nazarene procession in Quiapo draws millions.
Things to do in Manila
Intramuros and Fort Santiago
The old city walled by the Spanish at the end of the 16th century was largely destroyed in the Battle of Manila in 1945, but the walls, the gates and a few buildings have been restored. Fort Santiago at the northern end holds the cell where the national hero Jose Rizal was held before his execution in 1896 and a memorial museum; the ramparts overlook the Pasig River. Casa Manila recreates the life of a 19th century mansion. Pedal tricycles and horse carriages tour inside the walls.
San Agustin Church
Completed in 1607, the stone church is the oldest surviving church in the Philippines, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993 and the only religious building in Intramuros left standing in 1945. The paintings on the vaulted ceiling, which look like relief through their play of shadow, are the work of Italian masters. The adjoining Augustinian monastery is now a museum of religious art with a courtyard and library to visit. It can close for weddings at weekends, so the morning is the safe time.
Rizal Park
The 58 hectare park stretching south of Intramuros towards the bay, formerly Luneta, is the national park of the Philippines. The monument and tomb of Jose Rizal, on the spot where he was shot in 1896, stand under permanent guard, and independence was proclaimed here in 1946. Chinese and Japanese gardens, an open air auditorium and morning tai chi groups make up the daily life of the park. The Manila Bay waterfront at its western end is the best known sunset spot in the city.
National Museum of Fine Arts
The former Legislative Building on the eastern edge of Rizal Park, with its neoclassical facade of 1926, has been the national art museum since 2000 and entry is free. The hall at the entrance holds Spoliarium, the four metre high painting by Juan Luna that won a medal in Madrid in 1884 and is the best known picture in the country. The other galleries run from 19th century portraits to modern Filipino art. The Anthropology and Natural History museums opposite belong to the same complex.
Binondo Chinatown
Binondo, founded in 1594 on the north bank of the Pasig River, is regarded as the oldest Chinatown in the world. Jewellers, herbalists and century old restaurants line Ongpin Street, and Binondo Church has stood on the same site since 1596. A food walk is the best way to see the quarter, with hopia pastries, lumpia rolls and dim sum, and at Chinese New Year the streets fill with dragon dances. It is reached on foot from Intramuros across the Jones Bridge.
Taal Volcano
Seen from the Tagaytay ridge 60 kilometres south of Manila, Taal is a small but active volcano rising on an island inside a lake and carrying a second lake in its crater; access to the island has been closed since the 2020 eruption, and the view is taken from the terraces on the ridge. Tagaytay at 600 metres is a few degrees cooler than the city, and its roadside restaurants are known for bulalo beef soup. It is two hours by car from Manila and the most common day trip from the city.
Flights from Turkey to Manila
Direct flights to Manila from Turkey leave Istanbul Airport on Turkish Airlines; the route runs year round with four to seven flights a week, departing after midnight, and takes about 11 hours 15 minutes with an evening arrival. The return is about 12 hours 40 minutes and lands in Istanbul in the morning. Ninoy Aquino International Airport is 7 kilometres from Makati and about 10 from Intramuros, but in Manila traffic the drive can stretch from 40 minutes to an hour and a half; the Grab app and airport taxis run on fixed tariffs.
Manila FAQ
How many days do you need in Manila?
Two days for Intramuros, San Agustin, Rizal Park and the museums, a day for Binondo and Makati and a day for Tagaytay fill four days. For most travellers Manila is a gateway: a domestic flight to Palawan, Cebu or Boracay stretches a Philippines holiday to ten days.
How far is the airport from the city centre?
Ninoy Aquino International Airport is about 7 kilometres from Makati and about 10 from Intramuros and Rizal Park. Short as the distance is, traffic makes the drive anything from 40 minutes to an hour and a half, worst in the morning and evening peaks. A free shuttle links the terminals.
Do you need a visa for the Philippines?
A Turkish passport enters the Philippines visa free for tourism for up to 30 days. The passport must be valid for at least six months and a return or onward ticket is requested; the online eTravel form is completed before arrival and its code shown at passport control. Longer stays can be extended inside the country.
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