Luzon Top Attractions

Top 17 things to see and do in Luzon

• 1 Intramuros

  8.7 /10

  The walled city of Intramuros is the oldest district in Manila as it was built in 1571. It served as the center for the Spanish colony's rule and was then once called and believed to be Manila itself. The Spanish cultural influence is evident in every corner of this walled city. The architecture is screaming its Spanish influence as the roads and buildings are of the finest style and design.

  Intramuros, located along Pasig River's southern bank, refers to the inner part of the walls of Manila, Philippines ...

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• 2 University of Santo Thomas

  7.3 /10

  If you want to leisurely explore Manila and have enough time to walk around architectural structures that date back to the Spanish colonial period, visit Intramuros and Fort Santiago. Another site to visit is the University of Santo Tomas, which is located along Manila's university belt in the area of Espaňa in Sampaloc. Finding this university is quite easy as it is located along with one of Manila's national highways.History of the University of Santo TomasThe University of Sto. Tomas is one of the world's biggest Catholic universities in terms of its huge student population ...

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• 3 Paco Park

  7.3 /10

  Paco Park had hosted numerous musical events and wedding receptions since its restoration. You can consider holding your wedding or musical event here as the area provides a romantically and culturally artistic backdrop for your special occasion. Before Paco Park became popular as a venue for weddings and musical events, the park had been part of Manila's turbulent history.

  The Paco Park's area of 4,114.80 square meters had witnessed several historical high and low points of the Philippines ...

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• 4 Casa Manila

  7.2 /10

  A visit to the Philippines capital city is not complete if you do not revisit Manila's rich cultural history. The city's past is primarily dominated by the Spanish colonial era's remnants, which can be quickly toured without any problems. You have to visit Manila's Intramuros, where you can leisurely walk around numerous ruins, churches, schools, and mansions such as the Casa Manila.

  The structures within Intramuros, including the Casa Manila, date back to the Spanish colonial times, with few sites faithfully restored to their former glory and other building sites just lay in ruins ...

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• 5 San Agustin Church

  7.2 /10

  The San Agustin Church is one of the old buildings located inside the walls of Intramuros in Manila. It was founded by the Augustinians and was constructed between the years 1587 and 1604.HistoryThe building has survived wars, including the Manila-liberating war between the Americans and Japanese that destroyed the walls of Intramuros and almost every structure inside it. It has also survived natural forces like major earthquakes that turn even the tallest buildings into rubble ...

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• 6 Coconut Palace

  7.2 /10

  If you are looking for an idyllic place to hold your debut or wedding reception, you can consider the Coconut Palace in Manila. Its location provides wide-open, beautifully landscaped grounds that face the magnificent Manila Bay. Located within the wide complex of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), the Coconut Palace also provides open parking spaces for your guests.

  The Coconut Palace is a prime example of one of the Philippines' opulent structures. Designed in the traditional Filipino salakot (a signature Filipino hat shape) by Francisco Manosa, the palace primarily showcases the versatility, different uses, and export potential of the coconut tree ...

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• 7 Taal Lake and Volcano

  7.2 /10

  The Taal Volcano is located in Batangas, which is in the Luzon islands of the Philippines. The Taal Lake is a small lake inside a caldera formed by four large volcano eruptions earlier, 100,000 to 500,000 years ago. Eruptions that succeeded in forming the caldera have resulted in the formation of another island within the caldera that consists of 47 overlapping craters and cones. This island within Taal Lake is called Volcano Island. This island then contains another lake, the Crater Lake, and the said lake contains another volcanic island called the Vulcan point ...

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• 8 Mayon Volcano

  7 /10

  Mayon is an active volcano in the Philippines, on the island of Luzon, in the province of Albay. It is located a few kilometers to the south is the town of Legazpi. Mayon is a stratovolcano. It's an almost perfect cone, which makes it comparable to Mount Fuji, and is composed of pyroclastic lavas. It is geologically located at the boundary of the Eurasian and Philippine plates, a subduction zone.

  It is the most active volcano in the country, with about 50 eruptions in the last four centuries ...

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• 9 Sagada Hanging Coffins

  7 /10

  Hanging caskets are a tradition in Sagada, Philippines, of hanging caskets on high rocks.

  The practice originated more than 2000 years ago from the local indigenous people. This practice is due to various factors: the ancients felt that their bodies were closer to heaven, they were afraid that dogs or headhunting tribes would dig up their bodies, the dead could continue to see the sky and feel the wind, the dead could have a benevolent eye on their loved ones, and they did not encroach on the growing space ...

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• 10 Batad Rice Terraces

  7 /10

  The Banaue Rice Fields are 2,000-year-old rice fields built on the Ifugao Mountains by the ancestors of the Batad ethnic group in the Philippines. They are often called 'the eighth wonder of the world'. The Batad Rice Terraces in Banaue are considered to be the most spectacular ones.

  It is believed that the terraces were built with few tools, mostly by hand, using skills passed down from generation to generation. They are located at about 1,500 m above sea level and cover 10,360 km2. They are supplied with water by the tropical forest growing higher up in the mountains ...

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• 11 Corregidor Island

  7 /10

  Corregidor is an island of Manila Bay in the Philippines. It is part of the municipality of Cavite.

  Located 48 kilometers west of Manila, the island has a peculiar shape reminiscent of a tadpole with a tail spreading out towards the east. With its surface area of 9 km², it is strategically located as it divides the entrance to Manila Bay into two parts to the north and south. Caballo Island is located a little further south from the eastern end of the island ...

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• 12 Pagsanjan Falls

  7 /10

  The Pagsanjan Falls (or Magdapio in Filipino) is one of the Philippines' most famous waterfalls. It is one of the main tourist attractions of the Laguna region.  They are located at about 97 km (2-hour drive) southeast of Manila, on Luzon's island.

  The falls are accessible through a river trip by canoe. It originates from the municipality of Pagsanjan, a town that is established in the early Spanish era and is situated at the confluence of two rivers, the Balanac and the Bumbungan ...

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• 13 Manila Cathedral

  7 /10

  The Manila Cathedral is a prominent Catholic basilica located within the historic Intramuros district in Manila. The full name of this holy site is actually 'Minor Basilica and Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception' in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Philippines' sacred patroness.

  The cathedral serves as both the Basilica of the Philippine Government and the archbishop's highest seat in the country. It has been destroyed seven times since its first foundation in 1571 ...

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• 14 Donsole Whale Sharks

  7 /10

  The butandings (Filipino name for whale sharks) regularly circulate in this area at the time of the year when plankton proliferates. They are nicknamed 'gentle giants' because, despite their immense size (average of 9-10 meters, can go up to 18 meters), they are the most gentle sharks in the world.

  In Donsol, you can actually swim and do some snorkeling among the whale sharks. However, visual encounters can often be brief as they are timid animals. 

  Donsol is a migratory passage for whale sharks ...

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• 15 Rizal Park

  7 /10

  Rizal Park is a park located in the heart of Manila, the capital of the Philippines, at the northern end of Roxas Boulevard, near the Intramuros district. It overlooks Manila Bay.

  The history of the park begins in the early 1800s, during the period of Spanish colonization. While Manila's social and commercial activities were confined to Intramuros, a small area just south of the compound was cleared to prevent surprise attacks by Filipino nationalists. The park was named Bagumbayan ('new city') but since it was shaped like a small moon, it was also named Luneta ...

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• 16 Quiapo Church

  7 /10

  The Basilica of the Black Nazarene, also known as Quiapo Church, is a Catholic religious building in the Quiapo district of Manila, Philippines. Built by the Franciscans in the early 17th century as the first church in the new district of Quiapo, it was rebuilt several times.

  The presence of a statue of the Black Christ carrying his cross, considered miraculous, attracts many pilgrimage crowds. Pope John Paul II granted it the title of minor basilica in 1988. Pilgrims visit in such numbers that the church is open 24 hours a day ...

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• 17 National Museum of the Philippines

  6.3 /10

  If you want to explore the Philippines' rich cultural heritage, go to the Philippines' National Museum. You can spend one whole day walking around the museum's various rooms exhibiting paintings, sculptures, and other artifacts dating back to the pre-Hispanic settlement. The museum is conveniently located near the Manila City Hall within the area of Rizal Park. So, finding the building of the National Museum of the Philippines is quite simple, and a visit to it ensures that you learn and appreciate the country's heritage at your leisure ...

  Read more about the National Museum of the Philippines

* Regular pre-pandemic touristic activity level.

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