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Back to Makati

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Voykit pocket guide · Philippines

Makati

Base in Makati for 2–3 nights: stay in Legazpi or Salcedo Village, walk the Ayala Center malls and museums, and use MRT-3 at Ayala for the rest of Metro Manila.

Makati is Metro Manila's financial core and its most walkable district: Ayala Center's malls, the Ayala Museum, Greenbelt Park and two weekend markets sit inside a compact grid of overpasses and underpasses. It is a base, not a sightseeing city — most travellers sleep here and day-trip into Manila, Taguig and Pasay. Two nights covers the district; three if you want a full Manila day without moving hotels.

Alona BeachAndaAngelesBaclayonBacolodBacolorBanaueBatadBostonCavite CityCoronDipologDonsolGeneral SantosMakati500 kmdots: other places in this guide
Sketch, not to navigate by: shapes follow this guide’s areas and places, not official boundaries. North is up.
Country
Philippines
Best months
Dec–May (dry season)
Avoid
Jun–Nov (rain and typhoon season), Holy Week crowds
Stay
2–3 nights

Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.

Essentials

Currency
PHP
Money
Philippine pesos (₱) in small notes for jeepneys, market stalls, tips and taxis; malls and hotels take cards.
Daily spend
Budget ₱1,500–2,500 excl. bed · Mid ₱2,500–5,000 excl. bed · High ₱5,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
SIM and data
Globe and Smart sell SIMs at airports; SIM registration with passport is required by law.
Emergency
National emergency 911 · Makati rescue and emergency (02) 8870-1000
Plugs
Types A, B, C · 220 V · 60 Hz · US flat pins common; check your devices for 220 V.
Tipping
Restaurants: 10% if no service charge.; Grab / taxi: Round up.; Boat crew: ₱100–200 per tour.; Massage: ₱50–100.
Water
Not drinkable from the tap; refill stations cheap.
Toilets
Called 'CR' (comfort room); bring tissue; many lack toilet seats.

What things cost

ItemPrice
Coffee at a mall café₱120–200
Fast-food meal (Jollibee, Mang Inasal)₱120–250
Mid-range restaurant main₱350–700
Beer: draught in a Poblacion bar / can at a convenience store₱120–250 / ₱60–100
Taxi across the CBD₱100–150
Museum entry (Ayala Museum / Yuchengco Museum)₱425 / ₱200

Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.

Get in

By air

MNL · Ninoy Aquino International
Taxi to Makati CBD ₱200–300, 20–60 min depending on traffic; no rail link.

Typical fares

NAIA → Makati CBD, taxi
₱200–300, 20–60 min
BGC Bus Ayala → BGC
about ₱15–30, 20–40 min
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card

Get around

Walk the CBD: sidewalks, pedestrian underpasses and overpasses link Ayala Center, Ayala Triangle and Legazpi Village. MRT-3 runs along EDSA with Guadalupe, Buendia, Ayala and Magallanes stations (₱13–16 per ride). One Ayala at EDSA corner Ayala Ave is the city-bus hub, with the EDSA Carousel and BGC Bus. Taxis are plentiful around the malls: ₱40 flag-down, ₱100–150 across town. Jeepneys cover Chino Roces, Kalayaan and J.P. Rizal for short hops. Driving is not advised: strict enforcement, one-ways and all-day number coding.

See and do

Known for

  • Ayala Center malls (Glorietta, Greenbelt, SM Makati)
  • Ayala Museum and Yuchengco Museum
  • Ayala Triangle Gardens
  • Salcedo and Legazpi weekend markets
  • Philippine Stock Exchange

Day trips

WhereHowTime
Manila (Intramuros and Rizal Park)Taxi or ride-hailing via Gil Puyat Ave and Roxas Blvd; LRT-1 from EDSA station as an alternative30–60 min
Taguig (BGC)BGC Bus from Ayala MRT station, or taxi via EDSA and McKinley Rd20–40 min
Pasay (MOA and the bay)Taxi via EDSA, or MRT-3 to Taft Ave then a short ride30–50 min
Quezon CityMRT-3 north to Quezon Ave or North Ave, then jeepney or taxi45–75 min
San JuanTaxi via EDSA and Ortigas Ave30–50 min
ParañaqueTaxi via SLEX or EDSA; EDSA Carousel southbound from One Ayala30–60 min

Sleep

Legazpi Village
Quiet streets, Legazpi Active Park and Washington Sycip Park, walk to Greenbelt and Ayala Ave; best for first-timers.
Salcedo Village
Between Ayala Ave and Gil Puyat Ave; Salcedo Park and Saturday market on the doorstep, 10 min walk to Ayala Center.
Ayala Center / Glorietta
Malls, MRT-3 Ayala station and One Ayala bus hub directly above; noisiest but the most connected.
Poblacion
West of the CBD: bars, hostels and cheaper rooms, 15–20 min walk or short taxi to Ayala Center.
Rockwell Center
Power Plant Mall and riverside apartments; quieter and pricier, 15 min by taxi to the CBD.

Phrase card

EnglishSay or show
Thank youSalamatsa-LA-mat
Good morningMagandang umagama-gan-DANG u-MA-ga
How much is it?Magkano?mag-KA-no
Please use the meterPaki-meter popa-ki MI-ter po
Where is the toilet?Nasaan ang CR?na-SA-an ang si-ar
I don't understandHindi ko maintindihanhin-DI ko ma-in-tin-di-HAN

Etiquette, safety and scams

Etiquette

  • Greeting: Smile, handshake; 'po' to elders; avoid: Loud confrontation
  • Beckoning: Palm down, wave; avoid: Palm up (used for animals)
  • Invitations: Accept food offered or decline politely; avoid: Refusing bluntly
  • Time: Expect 'Filipino time' socially; avoid: Lateness for flights and boats
  • Churches: Covered clothes; avoid: Loud tours during Mass

Scams and watch-outs

  • Do not drive: Makati enforces traffic rules hard, with clamping and towing, and the metro-wide number-coding scheme runs all day here.
  • Rush hour on EDSA and Gil Puyat Ave can double any taxi or bus time; build in slack for airport runs.
  • Use metered taxis or ride-hailing apps and agree the fare before you get in; unmetered cabs near malls ask for more.
  • Keep bags zipped in crowded malls, markets and MRT stations; phone-snatching is the common street crime.
  • Jun–Nov is typhoon season: check forecasts before booking domestic flights out of Manila.

Makati's CBD is one of the safer parts of Metro Manila by day and evening; the real risks are traffic, heat and bag-snatching in crowds. Avoid unlit side streets in Poblacion late at night and keep valuables out of sight on EDSA.

One and two days

No timed day plan for Makati yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.

  • Ayala Center malls (Glorietta, Greenbelt, SM Makati)
  • Ayala Museum and Yuchengco Museum
  • Ayala Triangle Gardens
  • Salcedo and Legazpi weekend markets
  • Philippine Stock Exchange

Sources

Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.

Pocket card

Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.

Makati

Dito po, sa address na ito

To this address, please

My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)

Most embassies are in Manila (Ermita and Makati); the US embassy is on Roxas Blvd, Manila — check your own country's listing before you travel.

Metered taxis and ride-hailing both work; agree the fare or insist on the meter before setting off.

Voykit · checked 2026-09

Printed from Voykit (/makati). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.