Manila itinerary — 2 days

The National Museum of Fine Arts occupies the former Legislative Building of 1926 beside Rizal Park in Manila. Its centrepiece is Juan Luna's Spoliarium of 1884, a giant canvas of a fallen gladiator that took a medal at the Madrid Exposition. Galleries hold golden landscapes by Fernando Amorsolo, murals by Carlos 'Botong' Francisco and works by the Philippines' national artists. Admission is free, as at all national museums of the country.

The premier historical urban park of the Philippines, spanning 58 hectares in central Manila, also known as Luneta. Dedicated to national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, who was executed on this ground in 1896, the park features his bronze-and-granite monument guarded 24/7 by ceremonial sentries. Visitors enjoy serene Japanese and Chinese ornamental gardens, broad paved promenades, and an evening musical dancing fountain.

Manila Cathedral inside the walled citadel of Intramuros is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception. The present building is the eighth on the site: since 1581 its predecessors fell to fires, earthquakes and war, and the current church took shape in 1958. A stone facade with saints and a rose window fronts bronze relief doors, stained glass and marble altars. Popes John Paul II and Francis both celebrated Mass here.

Constructed in 1571 by Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi at the mouth of the Pasig River, this stone citadel formed the defensive heart of Intramuros. Fort Santiago preserves sobering chapters of Philippine history, serving as a fortress, colonial prison, and the final confinement site of national hero Dr. José Rizal before his execution. Visitors can explore mossy ramparts, subterranean dungeons, and the Rizal Shrine.