Fort Santiago tickets and hours

What is the entrance fee for Fort Santiago in 2026?

A low-cost ticket, one of the lowest in Manila for a historic site. There is one regular rate for Filipinos and foreign visitors, and a reduced rate for students, seniors and visitors with disabilities who show a valid ID.

There is no separate price for foreign visitors. Everyone pays the same regular rate, unless you qualify for the reduced one. For the reduced rate, bring the ID that proves it: a school or university ID, a senior citizen ID or a PWD ID. If you travel with children, ask at the booth which rate applies to them.

The ticket is valid for the day you visit. Keep it with you until you leave, because staff may ask to see it at the Rizal Shrine or the dungeons.

Where do you buy the ticket, and can you book online?

At the ticket booth by the entrance on Plaza Moriones, in cash, GCash or Maya. You can also reserve online through the Intramuros Administration, but it is never needed: tickets do not sell out.

The entrance is at the corner of Santa Clara Street and General Luna Street, at the northern tip of Intramuros. The booth comes first, then the moat and the main gate. Paying takes a minute or two. Small notes help if you pay in cash.

The online option is the IA reservation page. It suits groups and school visits that want a fixed time. If you book the reduced rate online, bring the matching ID on the day. Other websites also sell the ticket, but you gain nothing over the booth.

What does one Fort Santiago ticket cover?

The whole fort: the grounds and gardens, Plaza de Armas, the Rizal Shrine museum, the dungeons, the bastion over the river, the ruins and the Intramuros Visitors Center with its short film.

• The Rizal Shrine: Museo ni Rizal, run by the NHCP, is included in your Fort Santiago ticket. It is closed on Mondays.
• The dungeons: included too, for visitors aged 13 and over, in small groups, in silence. Opening times for the dungeons can vary, so ask at the entrance.
• The Visitors Center: the info desk, the models of old Intramuros and the short film shown in its theatre are part of the visit. It also has a cafe and restrooms.
• The grounds: the moat, the main gate, Plaza de Armas, the barracks ruins, the White Cross memorial, the Rajah Sulayman Theater ruins, the Almacenes Reales and the Baluarte de Santa Barbara.
• A guide: not included. DOT-accredited guides can be hired at a booth inside the fort if you want one on the spot.

What are the opening hours, and is Fort Santiago still open?

Yes, it is open every day in 2026. It opens at 8 am on weekdays and 6 am at weekends, and stays open into the evening. The Rizal Shrine museum inside keeps shorter hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 9 am to 4 pm, closed on Mondays.

The Intramuros Administration lists closing at 10 pm with last entry from 8 pm, and another of its pages gives shorter hours, so check before a late visit. The official times are on the IA hours page, and holiday schedules are posted there and on the IA Facebook page.

Two things change a visit. On a Monday the fort is open but the Rizal Shrine is not, so come another day if Rizal is why you are going. On days of typhoon signals, check the IA page before you go, because tourist sites in Intramuros can close for the day.

Fort Santiago as the light goes, then Manila Cathedral and San Agustin lit up, with old photos of the fort on a tablet. Meet at the ticket booth in the late afternoon; admission fees included. Rated 4.9 from 30 reviews.

★ 4.9 (30) · 2 hours · Full refund up to 24 h ahead

Explore the Night in Old Manila walk →

What is the entrance fee for Intramuros?

There is none. Intramuros is a walled district of public streets, and you need no ticket to walk the streets and walls. Only some sites inside charge: Fort Santiago, the museums and the Baluarte de San Diego garden.

Manila Cathedral is open to everyone, no ticket needed. San Agustin Church is a working church; its museum, run by the Augustinians, has its own ticket and costs more than Fort Santiago. Casa Manila and the Baluarte de San Diego each have a separate ticket from the Intramuros Administration. The table sums it up. A route that joins them on foot is in the Intramuros tours guide.

Which tours include the Fort Santiago ticket?

The walking tour, the night walk, the full bamboo bike tour, the sunset bike tour and the Old and New city tour include your entry. Two popular tours do not go inside the fort at all, so check the includes list for "Fort Santiago" before you book.

The Viva Old Manila walking tour (4.9 from 197 reviews) spends about an hour inside the fort with the admission fees included. A Night in Old Manila (4.9 from 30 reviews) does the same in the late afternoon. The bamboo bike tour (4.8 from 683 reviews) includes entrance fees on the full three-hour route; the two-hour express skips Fort Santiago. The sunset bike tour and the Old and New city tour with hotel pickup also include entry.

The Fort Santiago Guided Tour is one hour inside the fort only, with one review so far (5.0); its listing does not say the ticket is included, so check whether the ticket is included before you book. The Intramuros, Chinatown and Old Manila tour and the Half-Day Heritage Tour do not go inside Fort Santiago. Every tour gives a full refund if you cancel up to 24 hours ahead. They are compared on the homepage.

When is the best time to use your ticket?

Early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Weekends open at 6 am, and the late afternoon brings softer light over the river. Midday is the hottest time, and there is little shade away from Plaza de Armas.

Allow 2 to 3 hours for a full visit. If you want the Rizal Shrine, come between 9 am and 4 pm on any day except Monday. A good plan: arrive at 8 or 9 am, see the Rizal Shrine while it is cool, then the dungeons and the bastion. For the months with the best weather and a sample half day in Intramuros, see is Fort Santiago worth visiting.

Bring water, a hat and an umbrella for sun or rain. There is no strict dress code at the fort, but cover your shoulders and knees if you go on to the churches.

Should you pay at the gate or book a guided tour?

Paying at the gate is simple and enough for a visit on your own. A tour costs more but adds the stories, a route that joins the fort to the rest of Intramuros, and the entry fees handled for you.

On your own, you buy the ticket, follow the signs and watch the short film at the Visitors Center. You can also hire a DOT-accredited guide at the booth inside the fort. A booked tour adds a guide who tells the stories of Rajah Sulayman, the wartime dungeons and Rizal's last days, then walks you on to the cathedral and San Agustin. Some guides show old photos of how the ruins looked before 1945.

Three hours with a DOT-accredited guide: an hour inside Fort Santiago, the dungeons and the Baluarte de Santa Barbara, then the cathedral, Memorare Manila 1945 and San Agustin. Admission fees and water included. Rated 4.9 from 197 reviews.

★ 4.9 (197) · 3 hours · Full refund up to 24 h ahead

Explore the Viva Old Manila walking tour →

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