Manila Old and New: Sightseeing Tour Including Intramuros and Fort Santiago

Choose from a morning or afternoon tour that starts with pickup from your Manila hotel, then travel with your experienced guide into the heart of the Philippine’s financial center: Makati.

Relax in air-conditioned comfort as your driver cruises down Ayala Boulevard. After a short stop at Nielson Tower, where the Filipinas Heritage Library collection is kept, continue past an exclusive residential enclave named Forbes Park and nicknamed ‘Millionaire's Row,’ en route to the American Cemetery and Memorial. The cemetery dates to World War II and holds the largest number of US soldiers killed in WWII of any cemetery in the world, in addition to soldiers from the Philippines and other Allied nations.

Next, drive along pretty Roxas Boulevard to Old Manila, passing through Luneta (aka Rizal Park) to arrive in the old walled city of Intramuros, the oldest district in Manila, built in the late 1500s when the Spanish Empire took power here. Visit the UNESCO World Heritage-listed San Agustin Church, one of the country’s oldest churches, then walk on cobblestone paths get a closer look at the old walls, church ruins and other remains from the Spanish colonial era.

Your final stop takes in Fort Santiago, one of Manila's most important historical sites. Built by the Spanish in the late 1500s, the fort fell under the rule of successive colonial powers throughout the centuries. It is also the site of a notorious prison where Philippine national hero Dr Jose Rizal wrote his famous poem ‘My Last Farewell’ and was executed by the Spanish in 1896.

Your tour ends after four hours with drop-off at your hotel.