Free walking tours in Manila

Must for Manila

Xyza, our tour guide was full of energy and very passionate about the history. She was patient with our questions and incredibly knowledgeable.. she got us to experience the clothing of the time, the fruits in the fruit market and gave us recommendations on where to eat out. Her restaurant recommendation was fantastic. Really enjoyed the tour. Probably one of the best free tours that I’ve experienced

Xyza was very knowledgeable and open. We discussed culture, history and food! She is so knowledgeable and we learned so much. Finally, a tour that puts not just the influence of the Chinese but the Spanish and Americans in context. Do yourself a favor, don’t hesitate—a really safe. enjoyable way to enjoy Chinatown. 5 stars all around.

Xyza is a very charming, knowledgable,,patient and helpful guide who is also fluent in English. i'm sure I speak on behalf of all those attendees that we were, indeed, very fortunate having Xyza as our guide!!

This was such a great walking tour! We highly recommend Xyza. She is very knowledgeable and engaging. Plus she gave a lot of food tips for us to go on our own after the tour! Thank you Xyza!

I had a wonderful time on Xyza’s walking tour! She’s warm, knowledgeable, and makes the experience both fun and insightful. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to truly explore the city.

"Manila's Best: A Guided Tour of History, Tradition and Culture" with Xyza was fantastic. Shw took us on a jurney through the history of The Philippines, and how it impacted in today's society and culture. Walking around the museum with her guidance is a great experince o better understand this fantastic country and its lovely people! Thanks Xyza

" I Thought This Was a Bad Idea.." I'll be honest -- I wasn't expecting much, a boring history lecture while standing among crowd in hot humid, who knows a suprise rain. I was hungry, dehydrated a little irritated from last night drinks... Until she spoked me from behind "R U here for the walking tour ? Until she showed up." Xyza.. didn't just lead a tour -- she led a full- blown adventure through annals of culture, history timelines of oldest Chinatown like a Ninja armed with fun, facts, food stops, safety and care for us all and smile sharp enough to slice a hopia in half. I no time, I had no recollection of my grumpiness, nor the heat. Her storytelling? On point. She somehow made Chinese-spainard- USA- Filipino history feel like a juicy telenovela - complete with betrayal, intrigue, and siopao. One minute we were engrossed in centuries-old trade and treachery, the very next minute sampling mouth watering dumplings made me question every choice that led me to not be born in Binondo. She knew every alley, nook and cranny, possibly every stray cat in the area. Despite juggling a group of curious, sweaty tourists (esp. me) she never once lost her cool nor the sense of humour. She even laughed at our terrible attempts at pronouncing 'tikoy' That's grace. By the end, it felt like we were in only few minutes ago, yet weren't just full of history and food - we were full-on fans. A heads-up about booking this tour and you're on the fence? Let me be clear: Get off the fence and into some comfy shoes. Xyza.. will not only show you, make you feel it, taste it, relish it and probably crave it again tomorrow. Came for the history, stayed for the guide. Would follow her into any alley or province again - preferably one with dumplings or Ramen..

Xyza did an amazing job summarizing the history of the Philippines and Manila in very concise yet comprehensive ways, we were really impressed. Xyza also introduced us to some delicious food around Chinatown. We are starting our journey in Manila and the Philippines much better prepared because of this tour. Thank you, Xyza!

Amazing tour, Xyza was very nice and knowledgeable, we were all very happy with her

Xyza was exceptional. We were late because of the traffic but Xyza greeted us with a smile and kickstarted the tour. She is a thorough professional, knowledgable and answered our questions about Manila's past very enthusiastically. She also encouraged us to click pictures for memories and for that I am thankful. After the Chinatown Museum Tour, we went to the local market and had a few fruits that are local to Philippines. She recommended lovely places to eat to Chinatown and also some great pubs to visit after sunset. I wish she did more variety of walks in Manila, Then I would have booked for the entirety of my trip. Thank you, Xyza, for a memorable afternoon.

Xyza gave a very insightful and engaging tour of the museum, with clear and precise explanations about both pre-colonial and post-colonial Philippine history. Her deep knowledge really stood out. Although the group was smaller than expected due to last-minute cancellations—one without notice—she still did an excellent job. A kind reminder to those who cancel last minute: a free tour deserves commitment as well from guests, and not only from the guide.

We did have amazing time with Xyza. Despite rainy weather we did visit several interesting places in the Chinese area, tour and history part of Manila were engaging for all including kids. Recommend with families

Definitely recommend if you want to learn more about the history of the Philippines and the culture. Xyza was very knowledgeable, guided us through the area and introduced us to many delicacies of the Philippines.

I joined the tour presented by Xyza and soon got to know that I made a perfect choice in Manila. As I was the only 1 guest on the tour, She considerably gave me a lot of information about the history of Phillipines, which was far better than anything else on the guidebook or internet. I really liked the way she gave the presentation about how Manila has started in the past and been formed into what it is today because within that 2 hours I could get a perspectives and some insighst about Phillipino cultures. Again I'd really appreciate your attendance even though I was the only one guest. Arigato!!

I had done walking tours in other cities and so knew that this should be good and our guide Xyza was great. Communicated well before the tour and was punctual. She was a great enthusiastic storyteller telling us about Philippines rich history and made it very interesting to hear and was open to all our questions.

Xyza is a bright and enthusiastic to a guide with an incredible knowledge to share with her clients. Her personality bring true life to this Tour. She is remarkable!

Xyza was unwell unfortunately, but she did message as soon as she could. She messaged me with some recommendations even though we couldn't do the tour. I would still do it with her if time allowed!

Nice tour that gives you a sense of Filipino history thru the Mueseum.

The tour had some interesting moments and covered a lot of history, but overall, I felt it could have been more fun and interactive. We ended up spending too much time in a single museum, which made the experience feel a bit slow. I was hoping to hear more about the beauty of Manila and get some local tips, but those were mostly missing. It seemed like the guide was still new and didn’t always know much about Manila’s history or geography, which made some explanations feel uncertain. There were also some logistical issues: the meeting point map was pointing in the wrong direction, and there wasn’t much help for people trying to find the group. Also, the guide decided to give a 20-minute grace period for late arrivals, even though most of us had arrived 10 minutes early, which wasn’t very considerate. Overall, I appreciate the effort, but I think the tour could be improved with more engaging storytelling, better organization, and a stronger focus on what makes Manila special.

Great walking tour. Loved the history in the museum (and the air conditioning). Enjoyed walking through the market too. Great guide!

Thanks Xyza for having that professional guided tour, which provided few blended historical views plus local cuisine recommendations. Btw, I bought that famous Spanish Brandy “Fundador Solera” as introduced in that museum.

Xyza was amazing!! The info she shared was so accurate and clear, and we had fun witu her!

She was very prepared and super nice!

Really good tour! Xyza is very prepared and delivers information in a clear way and in a perfect english! Just be mindful that you will be most of the time in the museum (good as you will be in a fresh place and not in the heat)