Metro Manila · Philippines
Makati travel guide
Makati is a city in Metro Manila, Philippines, home to about 310,000 people.
- Nearest airport
- MNL5 km · Ninoy Aquino International Airport
- Currency
- PHPPhilippine peso
- Time zone
- Asia/Manila
- Language
- English, Filipino, Taglish
About
About Makati
Makati, officially the City of Makati (Filipino: Lungsod ng Makati), is a highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. It is the country's leading center for finance, commerce, business, and diplomacy, and is home to numerous foreign embassies and diplomatic missions.
The area of Makati City was first dismissed as worthless swampland by the Spanish conquistador Juan Miguel de Legazpi in 1571. In 1670 it was established as a visita of Sta. Ana de Sapa under the Franciscans. The friars established one of their earliest churches in the Philippines, the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul, in Makati, drawing pilgrims from all over the country. At the opening of the 20th century, the Americans established Fort McKinley in Makati. In the 1930s, the first airport, Nielson Airport, opened in what is now the Ayala Triangle.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Makati
See
- Greenbelt Chapel
- Nuestra Señora de Gracia Church
- Philippine Stock Exchange
- Ninoy Aquino Monument
- Nielson Tower Historical Marker
- Gabriela Silang Monument
- Sultan Kudarat Monument
- Ayala Museum
- Yuchengco Museum
- Filipinas Heritage Library
- Makati Museum
- Greenbelt Park
Do
- Manila Polo Club
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Makati
Makati has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. May is the warmest month, with average highs of 32 °C; October is the wettest, with about 357 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Makati: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL), about 5.3 km from the city centre in a straight line; Subic Bay International Airport / Naval Air Station Cubi Point (SFS, 85 km) and Clark International Airport / Clark Air Base (CRK, 86 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
The MRT Line 3 (MRT-3) elevated train has four stations along EDSA. These are the Guadalupe, Buendia, Ayala and Magallanes stations. Getting off at the Ayala Station will set you in the middle of the Ayala Center, a complex of shopping malls and restaurants. MRT-3 is a quick and inexpensive way to get into the city.
Getting around
You can easily walk around the Central Business District by way of the sidewalks or the pedestrian underpasses. Some areas in the Central Business District are connected with overpasses where pedestrians can walk above the streets. Taxis are also abundant, especially around the malls.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
MNL · Ninoy Aquino International Airport
SFS · Subic Bay International Airport / Naval Air Station Cubi Point
CRK · Clark International Airport / Clark Air Base
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Makati
Drink
The epicenter of Makati's famous nightlife is Greenbelt where some of the city's best restaurants, cafes, bars and karaoke joints cluster around a park in the middle of the main business district. Meanwhile, there are a series of bars stretched out along Makati Avenue, northeast of Ayala Triangle, including the infamous P Burgos Street red district area. The Poblacion area is next to (or arguably a part of) the Red Light District, and is possibly the best place for bar hopping in the Metro. The historically low rent (by Makati standards) of the area has led to several trendy bars and restaurants popping up, ranging from cheap beer gardens to some of the best bars in the country.
Stay safe
Makati is generally peaceful. Perhaps the more peaceful place than Makati is the Bonifacio Global City (Fort Bonifacio) area of Taguig. Choosing between Manila and Makati? Makati is much better security-wise. Be mindful of people coming from outside of Makati though. They tend to be tagged as 'less civilized' by Makati residents because most offenses in the city are made by them. Be wary of strangers and take extra precautions when being approached. Avoid crowded places, as well as sketchy locations. Metro Manila police are generally foreigner-friendly. As usual, the recommended approach is to be on high alert at all times, as incidents may take place anywhere.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Makati: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Makati?
Makati has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. May is the warmest month, with average highs of 32 °C; October is the wettest, with about 357 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Makati?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL), about 5.3 km from the city centre in a straight line; Subic Bay International Airport / Naval Air Station Cubi Point (SFS, 85 km) and Clark International Airport / Clark Air Base (CRK, 86 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Makati?
Philippine peso (PHP).
Nearby
Destinations near Makati
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.