Manila Cathedral

Manila Cathedral tickets: which one to buy

Manila Cathedral stands on Plaza Roma inside Intramuros, the old walled Spanish city, and entry is free. Intramuros is best explored on foot, by bicycle, or by the horse-drawn carriages called kalesas, and the cathedral is a natural starting point, a few minutes from Fort Santiago and the church of San Agustin, which is older and holds a museum. Walking tours of Intramuros cover all three along with the city walls and restored colonial houses, and some guides dress in period costume.

Bamboo bicycle tours are popular. The cathedral is busy with weddings, especially at weekends, and visiting may be restricted during ceremonies. Modest dress is required. Traffic in Manila is severe, so plan to spend a morning or afternoon in Intramuros rather than a short stop. Kalesa drivers wait near the plaza and charge by the hour, so agree the price and the route before setting off.

Visiting Manila Cathedral: what to see

The first church on this site was built in 1581, and the cathedral has been destroyed and rebuilt many times since, by fire, typhoons, earthquakes and war. The eighth building was levelled during the battle of Manila in 1945, and the present cathedral was rebuilt between 1954 and 1958 to a design by Fernando Ocampo, in a Romanesque Revival style that recalls the earlier church. The facade of cream-coloured stone carries statues of saints by Italian sculptors. Inside, the cathedral is spacious and bright, with stained glass windows, a large dome and mosaics.

Its organ, built in the Netherlands, has around four thousand five hundred pipes and is one of the largest in Asia. The crypt holds the tombs of archbishops of Manila. The cathedral was given the status of a minor basilica, and popes have celebrated mass here, including Pope Francis in 2015. The bronze main doors are decorated with reliefs showing the history of the cathedral and its rebuildings, and the facade statues represent famous saints connected with the Philippines.

Manila Cathedral opening hours and the best time to go

Manila is hot and humid all year, and the dry season from December to May is the most comfortable time for walking around Intramuros; the rainy season brings typhoons from July to October. Early morning and late afternoon are the best times to walk the walls and streets. Weekends are busy with weddings and local visitors, weekdays quieter.

Christmas is a major season in the Philippines, with night masses called Simbang Gabi in the nine days before Christmas, and the cathedral is full. Holy Week brings processions. Allow about half an hour for the cathedral, and several hours for Intramuros, ending with sunset from the walls or at Manila Bay. Weekday masses are held at lunchtime for office workers and visitors, and the cathedral stays open to walk-ins outside those times.