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Voykit pocket guide · Philippines
Quezon City
Lungsod Quezon
Give Quezon City 1–2 nights only if you want food, malls and nightlife; it is a base, not a sight list — most travellers sleep in Makati or Manila instead.
Quezon City is Metro Manila's largest city by population and the country's former capital (1946–1972). It has no single centre: Cubao, North EDSA, Eastwood and the Tomas Morato/Scout area are separate commercial hubs, 20–60 minutes apart in traffic. It is the best value base in the metro for food and nightlife, but the sights are thin and the sprawl is real. Use it for 1–2 nights, or as a transport base at Cubao.
- Country
- Philippines
- Local name
- Lungsod Quezon
- Best months
- Dec–May (dry season)
- Avoid
- Jun–Oct (wet season, typhoons), Holy Week
- Stay
- 1–2 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 ₱1,500–2,800 excl. bed · Mid ₱2,800–5,500 excl. bed · High ₱5,500+ 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 · Quezon City Police District 117 · Bureau of Fire Protection (QC) (02) 8426-0219
- 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
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee at a mall café | ₱120–220 |
| Filipino rice meal (carinderia) | ₱80–180 |
| Restaurant main in Tomas Morato | ₱300–700 |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can at a convenience store | ₱120–250 / ₱60–120 |
| Grab across Quezon City | ₱250–500 |
| MRT-3 or LRT-2 single ride | ₱15–35 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ₱400–800 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- MNL · Ninoy Aquino International Airport
- In Pasay/Parañaque, south of the metro; taxi or Grab to Quezon City is 45–90 min depending on traffic. UBE Express point-to-point buses run to Cubao.
Typical fares
- MNL airport → Cubao, Grab
- ₱500–900, 45–90 min (check)
- MRT-3 Cubao → Ayala
- about ₱30, 25–35 min (check)
- EDSA Carousel bus, one ride
- ₱15–45 depending on distance (check)
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
No single centre: plan by hub, not by distance. LRT-2 and MRT-3 cover Cubao, North EDSA and Katipunan; the EDSA Carousel bus runs a dedicated lane on EDSA. QCityBus is a free city-run bus network from Quezon Memorial Circle. Jeepneys serve UP Diliman (the 'UP Ikot' loop) and residential lanes; tricycles cover side streets. Grab and metered taxis are the practical default for cross-city trips. Driving yourself is not recommended.
See and do
Known for
- Quezon Memorial Circle
- Araneta City and the Big Dome (Cubao)
- Tomas Morato and Timog nightlife
- Maginhawa Street food district
- La Mesa Watershed
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Manila (Intramuros and Rizal Park) | LRT-2 to Recto, then walk or short taxi; or Grab | 45–90 min |
| Makati (Ayala and Greenbelt) | MRT-3 from Cubao or North EDSA to Ayala | 45–75 min |
| San Juan (Greenhills) | Grab or taxi from Cubao, about 20–40 min | 30–50 min |
| Taguig (BGC) | Bus 18 BGC–North EDSA, or Grab | 1–1.5 h |
| Pasay (MOA and PITX) | EDSA Carousel bus or MRT-3 plus LRT-1 | 1–1.5 h |
| Baguio | Provincial bus from Cubao (Araneta City Bus Port) | 5–7 h |
Sleep
- Cubao
- Araneta City malls, LRT-2 and MRT-3 interchange, provincial bus terminal. Best for transport and one-night stops.
- Triangle and Scout Areas
- Tomas Morato and Timog: restaurants, bars, clubs. Best for nightlife; walkable at night within the belt.
- Diliman and Katipunan
- UP and Ateneo campuses, Maginhawa Street food. Student area, cheaper food, quieter nights.
- North EDSA
- Trinoma and SM North EDSA malls, MRT-3 and EDSA Carousel. Mall-first stays.
- Eastwood (Southeast)
- Mixed-use, upmarket, walkable pocket; far from the rest of QC.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Paumanhin popa-oo-man-heen po |
| Thank you | Salamat posa-lah-mat po |
| How much is it? | Magkano po?mag-kah-no po |
| Where is the toilet? | Nasaan po ang banyo?na-sa-an po ang ban-yo |
| Please use the meter | Paki-on po ang metropa-kee-on po ang met-ro |
| I don't want that, thank you | Ayaw ko po, salamata-yaw ko po, sa-lah-mat |
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
- Traffic on EDSA and Commonwealth Avenue is heavy most of the day; allow 45–90 min for cross-city trips.
- Snatching, pickpocketing and robbery are common in crowded areas — keep phones and bags close.
- 'Budol-budol' and 'dugo-dugo' scams target locals more than foreigners; never hand over valuables or leave with a stranger who claims to know you.
- Street harassment (cat-calling) is reported; women should travel in groups at night.
- Avoid Commonwealth and Payatas slum areas and parts of the Scout Area after dark.
- Metered taxis may refuse crowded destinations at rush hour; Grab avoids the argument.
Quezon City is a working metropolis, not a resort: petty crime, snatching and street harassment are real, and some barangays (Commonwealth, Payatas, parts of the Scout Area) are best avoided after dark. Use Grab at night, keep bags zipped, and stay in the commercial hubs.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Quezon City yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Quezon Memorial Circle
- Araneta City and the Big Dome (Cubao)
- Tomas Morato and Timog nightlife
- Maginhawa Street food district
- La Mesa Watershed
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Quezon City government: quezoncity.gov.ph/
- Department of Tourism — Philippines: philippines.travel/
- Ninoy Aquino International Airport: www.miaa.gov.ph/
- Wikivoyage: Quezon City, revision 5333661 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5333661
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Quezon CityLungsod Quezon
Sa address na ito po
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- National emergency911
- Quezon City Police District117
- Bureau of Fire Protection (QC)(02) 8426-0219
Most embassies are in Makati and Manila, not Quezon City; check your embassy's site for the current address.
Keep the hotel's address and phone number written down — drivers may not know street names in residential barangays.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/quezon-city). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.