Manila: City Tour with Food Tasting and Guide

Discover the heart of Manila on a guided tour with a local guide. Explore historic neighborhoods, taste Filipino flavors, and meet locals whose lives are woven into the city’s narrative.
Begin your tour in Quiapo, a district where spirituality and street life collide. Visit the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, a pilgrimage site that draws millions of devout Catholics. But Quiapo is also a kaleidoscope of faiths — just a few blocks away lies the Muslim quarter, where mosques and halal eateries thrive in peaceful coexistence with churches and folk healers.

Wander through hidden alleys where you’ll find herbalists, fortune tellers, and vendors selling amulets known as anting-anting — symbols of Filipino mysticism and belief. Learn how folk Catholicism and pre-colonial animism live on today, side by side.

Next, step into Intramuros, the Spanish-era walled city founded in 1571. This is the heart of colonial Manila — where cobbled streets lead to churches, plazas, and ruins that whisper stories of the past.

Visit the majestic San Agustin Church, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and walk the ramparts of Fort Santiago, where national hero Dr. José Rizal was imprisoned before his execution. Along the way, hear the untold stories of resistance, revolution, and cultural survival that textbooks often leave out.

No city tour is complete without food — and Manila is a treasure trove of culinary gems. Depending on the time of day, enjoy either a hearty lunch or merienda (Filipino-style snacks) at a heritage restaurant or local eatery.

Try Filipino-Spanish dishes like callos and kare-kare, or street food favorites like turon (banana fritters) and sago’t gulaman (a sweet local drink). Explore food as history — how trade, colonization, and culture shaped what’s on the Filipino table today.

Make a quick stop at Escolta Street, once the Fifth Avenue of Manila, now a thriving community of creatives, vintage shops, and small museums. Nearby, Binondo — the world’s oldest Chinatown — blends Chinese, Spanish, and Filipino influences in its food, temples, and hidden alleys.

Whether it’s a 200-year-old Chinese pharmacy or a modern mural painted on a colonial wall, this part of the tour is all about the evolution of identity and how the old Manila is being reclaimed by a new generation.

Time and weather permitting, end the day with a quick stop by the Manila Baywalk — where locals gather to jog, play music, or just enjoy the view. Alternatively, visit a curated souvenir stop where you can find locally made crafts, books, or Filipino-designed pieces that support artisans.

To guarantee availability book as soon as possible. Early booking is worth consideration especially if you planning the trip during high season like public holidays or weekends.

This excursion you can cancel with no cost up to 24 hours before the start of the trip. If you cancel it after 24 hours or not show up on the excursion you will still be charged the full price of the activity. Being late on pick-up or departure will be considered as not showing up.