Makati for business travellers: the CBD by day, Poblacion after hours.
A Makati guide for business travellers: hotels, coworking and client dining in the CBD, plus Poblacion bars and restaurants, with sources cited.
Park
A 2-hectare landscaped public garden at the centre of the Makati CBD, opened in 2009 on land that was once Nielson Field, Manila's pre-war airport; the old control tower still stands in the park. Free to walk through, and at Christmas it is known for its light-and-sound display.
Park
City-run linear park on the south bank of the Pasig River in Poblacion's heritage district, on the site of the old Casa Hacienda. It faces the Museo ng Makati, the 1918 former town hall, and San Pedro Macati Church is about 300 m south, so it makes a natural start or end for a Poblacion heritage walk.
Religious site
Hilltop church whose Augustinian community dates to 1601; in 1603 its patroness became Our Lady of Guadalupe, honouring the Virgin venerated in Extremadura, Spain. The stone sanctuary and monastery were finished in 1630. Damaged by the 1880 earthquake and gutted by fire after its occupation in 1898-1899, it was rebuilt in the early 1970s and is a popular wedding church.
Religious site
Makati's mother church: the Jesuits completed the first church in 1620, and it was rebuilt in 1849 after its destruction during the British occupation of 1762. Baroque single nave with an original carved reredos. It enshrines the Virgen de la Rosa, brought from Mexico by galleon in 1718. Declared an Important Cultural Property in 2023.
Market
Weekly Saturday market in Jaime C. Velasquez (Salcedo) Park and its adjoining car park in Salcedo Village, formed in 2005 by expat residents and patterned after European village markets. Stalls sell regional Filipino and international food, local desserts, organic produce, plants and housewares, with an outdoor communal dining area. No entry fee; you pay stall by stall.
Park
Privately owned public park in Legazpi Village near Greenbelt, opened in 2006 and named after accountant and banker Washington SyCip. Shaded by native trees, with gazebos and sculptures by Impy Pilapil. No smoking and no pets. It sits beside Legazpi Active Park.
· Saints Peter and Paul Parish Church (San Pedro Macati)
From NAIA you can reach Makati by coupon taxi (fixed LTFRB rate), yellow or regular metered taxi, or Grab. As of 8 Oct 2026, UBE Express airport buses have no Makati route. Every NAIA taxi comes with a dispatch slip. Keep it, because it has the numbers to call if something goes wrong.
Four MRT-3 stations are in Makati (Guadalupe, Buendia, Ayala and Magallanes). In the business district, covered walkways, underpasses and a 1.1 km elevated walkway link Ayala Center, Legazpi and Salcedo villages. For anything else, use a metered taxi or a ride-hailing app.
The Makati Central Business District is in Makati City, which has four MRT-3 stations on EDSA, including Ayala. Bonifacio Global City (BGC) is a separate district in Taguig City, built on the former Fort Bonifacio. The BGC Bus links the two from its terminal at EDSA Ayala.
Makati's two Spanish-era churches are about 1.3 km apart in a straight line. Guadalupe Church (Nuestra Señora de Gracia) was founded by the Augustinians in 1601. Sts. Peter and Paul in Poblacion was built by the Jesuits in 1620 and is now a National Museum Important Cultural Property.
You may bring up to ₱50,000 in pesos without BSP permission. Foreign currency is unlimited, but you must declare anything over US$10,000. To get a Philippine SIM, register it with your passport. A tourist SIM is valid for 30 days. In an emergency, dial 911. The tourism hotline is 151-TOUR.