Manila itinerary for first-timers

Founded by the Spanish in 1571, the walled city of Intramuros was the heart of colonial Manila. Start on Plaza Roma in front of Manila Cathedral, walk to Fort Santiago at the mouth of the Pasig River, where national hero José Rizal was held before his execution, then head south to San Agustin Church, the oldest stone church in the country and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Finish on the old walls and bastions.

• Plaza Roma
• Manila Cathedral
• Fort Santiago
• Casa Manila
• San Agustin Church
• Baluarte de San Diego

Go early, before the midday heat; the walls and the fort have little shade.

Just outside the walls, Rizal Park (also called Luneta) is Manila's great open space. The Kilometer Zero marker stands by the Rizal Monument, which honours José Rizal, and nearby is the site where he was executed in 1896. Wander through the Chinese Garden, then cross to the northern side of the park, where the National Museums of Natural History and of Anthropology face each other.

• Kilometer Zero
• Rizal Monument
• Rizal's execution site
• Chinese Garden
• National Museum of Natural History
• National Museum of Anthropology

The museums are a cool, air-conditioned break from the afternoon heat.

Manila Bay is famous for its sunsets, and the promenade along Roxas Boulevard is where the city comes to watch them. Walk along the strip of pale sand at Dolomite Beach, then follow the bay south to Rajah Sulayman Park, on the edge of the Malate neighbourhood.

• Dolomite Beach
• Manila Bay promenade
• Rajah Sulayman Park
• Sunset over the bay

Arrive a little before sunset; the colours over the bay are often best just after the sun goes down.

Founded in 1594, Binondo is said to be the oldest Chinatown in the world. Cross the Pasig River on Jones Bridge, follow Quintin Paredes Street to Binondo Church on Plaza Calderon, then lose yourself on Ongpin Street, the district's busy main street, lined with bakeries, dumpling stalls and Chinese-Filipino shops.

• Jones Bridge
• Quintin Paredes Street
• Binondo Church
• Plaza Calderon
• Ongpin Street

Come hungry and graze: Binondo is best explored as a food walk, a few small bites at a time.

Ongpin Street continues east into Santa Cruz and ends at Plaza Santa Cruz. From there, Carriedo Street leads into Quiapo, one of the busiest and most crowded corners of Manila, around Quiapo Church and its market streets full of street food, fruit and everyday goods.

• Ongpin Street in Santa Cruz
• Plaza Santa Cruz
• Carriedo Street
• Quiapo Market
• Quiapo Church

The streets are very crowded: carry little, keep your phone and bag in front of you.

Escolta Street was once Manila's grand commercial street, and some of its early 20th-century buildings still stand. From Plaza Yuchengco, walk back to Jones Bridge and down to the Pasig River Esplanade, a riverside promenade with views towards Intramuros.

• Escolta Street
• Plaza Yuchengco
• Jones Bridge
• Pasig River Esplanade

Makati is the financial heart of the Philippines. Ayala Triangle Gardens, a green park framed by Ayala Avenue, Makati Avenue and Paseo de Roxas, sits among its towers and is the nicest place to start a walk through the business district.

• Ayala Triangle Gardens
• Ayala Avenue
• Paseo de Roxas skyscrapers

On Saturday mornings the Salcedo Saturday Market, a popular weekend food market, takes place in a park in nearby Salcedo Village.

South of the gardens, Ayala Center is a cluster of linked malls and walkways: Greenbelt, built around landscaped gardens, Glorietta and SM Makati. It is where Makati shops, eats and escapes the afternoon heat, and the covered walkways connect it to the rest of the business district.

• Greenbelt gardens
• Glorietta
• SM Makati
• Elevated walkways

Built on a former military base, Bonifacio Global City in Taguig is the newest business district of Metro Manila, with wide sidewalks, public art and open-air shopping streets. Walk Bonifacio High Street, Forbes Town, Uptown Bonifacio and 5th Avenue as the towers light up after dark.

• Bonifacio High Street
• Forbes Town
• Uptown Bonifacio
• Market! Market!
• 5th Avenue

BGC is one of the most walkable parts of Metro Manila, and pleasant in the cooler evening.