01Culture · DAY 1 IDEA
Manila
Kuang Kong
Buddhist temple open to the public and is worth visiting as it shows the roots of the Chinese-Filipino, you can burn incense sticks and utter your prayers. There is also these red wooden half moons you can use to have your fortunes told. Couch your questions in such a way that they're answerable by "YES" or "NO". Swirl a pair of these wooden half disks over your incense sticks so they catch the smoke and then throw them to the floor. Identical faces means "NO" while opposing figures means "YES".
Allow about 90 minutes · planning estimate
02Culture · DAY 1 IDEA
Manila
Binondo Church
built in 1596, it is one of the oldest places of Christian Worship. The Church is home to the Our Lady of China and in-front of the church, Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz lies; it is named after a Filipino-Chinese saint, St. Lorenzo Ruiz. Next to the side entrance is the Santo Cristo de Longos, an image of the Crucified Christ, known to be found by one deaf and mute Chinese in an old well in the barrio of Longos, the image now is displayed in a niche with a glass cover.
Allow about 90 minutes · planning estimate
03Neighborhoods · DAY 1 IDEA
General Luna (Calle Real del Palacio) cor. Andres Soriano (Aduana)
Plaza de Roma
Bounded by the Manila Cathedral to the southeast, the Palacio del Gobernador to the southwest and the Ayuntamiento to the northeast, this small plot of land is Intramuros' very own plaza mayor (main square). At the centre of the plaza stands a monument to King Carlos IV of Spain, cast in 1808 and erected in 1824 by a colonial government grateful for his having dispatched a shipment of smallpox vaccine to the Philippines.
Allow about 60 minutes · planning estimate
04Culture · DAY 2 IDEA
P. Burgos Ave
National Museum of the Philippines
Built and opened in the 1900s, the museum showcases significant collections from archaeology, arts, cultural properties, zoology, botany and many more. The National Museum of the Philippines is a government institution in the Philippines and serves as an educational, scientific and cultural institution in preserving the various permanent national collections featuring the ethnographic, anthropological, archaeological and visual artistry of the Philippines. Since 1998, the National Museum has been the regulatory and enforcement agency of the National Government in the restoring and safeguarding of important cultural properties, sites and reservations throughout the Philippines.
Allow about 90 minutes · planning estimate
05Outdoors · DAY 2 IDEA
Regional outing · confirm exact location and transfers
Rizal Park
Right outside the walled city is Rizal Park more widely known as the Luneta. The Luneta is the venue for the national museums, bayside restaurants, an open-air theater featuring free classical music concerts and acclaimed international films, a planetarium, an open gym for early morning jogging and tai chi enthusiasts, or a night ballroom. It offers Japanese, Chinese, Filipino gardens, an orchidarium, an aquarium, and a children's museum. It is a popular meeting spot for family picnics and lovers' trysts, and was the site of the execution of Jose Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines, and the inaugural grandstand for the incoming President.
Allow about 60 minutes · planning estimate
Reference material retrieved 2026-10-19. Suggested days and time allowances are editorial starting points. Check the linked visitor information for opening hours, access, and reservations.
