Parks in Metro Manila: Where to Walk, Run and Picnic, With Hours and Fees

Rizal Park (Luneta), Ermita

The big one. The National Parks Development Committee (NPDC), which runs it, calls it the final resting place of Jose Rizal, "where one can witness the changing of the guards." It is also a string of smaller gardens: the Chinese Garden, with its lagoon, pagodas and green-tiled gazebos, the Japanese Garden, with stone lanterns, a lagoon and Japanese-style bridges, plus the Musical Dancing Fountain, the Flower Clock and the Open-Air Auditorium.

Come in the morning for the lawns before the heat, or in the evening when families fill the plazas. NPDC also runs events here. Its site says: "Catch our free concerts, cultural performances, talks, history walks, and more." For dates, its events calendar points to the NPDC Facebook page, facebook.com/NPDC.PH.

• Hours: Monday to Sunday, public holidays included, 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM
• Entrance: NPDC does not list an entrance fee for the park
• Where: Ermita, Manila

Paco Park, Manila

A small park around the Saint Pancratius Chapel, a short ride from Rizal Park. NPDC says Rizal was secretly buried here after his execution on 30 December 1896. In 2015 the National Museum named it a National Cultural Treasure. It is about 10,000 square meters, small enough for a slow half hour.

Paco Park was long known for Paco Park Presents, a Friday afternoon concert series that began in 1980. NPDC's page describes it as a tradition, but we could not find a current schedule, so do not plan a trip around it.

• Hours: Monday to Sunday, public holidays included, 6:00 AM to 6:30 PM
• Entrance: NPDC does not list an entrance fee
• Where: Belen, Paco, Manila

Baluarte de San Diego, Intramuros

The Intramuros Administration lists the Baluarte de San Diego as open Monday to Sunday, 8 AM to 5 PM, last entry 4 PM. Its hours page does not print a fee for the Baluarte.

If you are pairing it with Fort Santiago, that one is open 8 AM to 10 PM on weekdays and 6 AM to 10 PM on weekends, and costs ₱75, or ₱50 for students, senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWD). Our Intramuros guide has the rest of the walled city.

Manila Baywalk Dolomite Beach

The 500-meter dolomite beach along Roxas Boulevard is for walking and photos, not swimming. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) opened it for "strolling and picture-taking from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.," closed on Thursdays for cleaning and maintenance. SMNI News reported the same hours in January 2026, and that the water was still not within the swimmable standard. RMN reported in August 2026 that the guards close it for a while during heavy rain.

Come in the late afternoon for the bay, and remember it closes at 6 PM.

• Hours: daily 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM, closed Thursdays
• Where: Roxas Boulevard, Manila

Quezon Memorial Circle, Quezon City

The 25-hectare circle in front of Quezon City Hall holds the shrine and museum of President Manuel L. Quezon, and around it a lot of open ground. The city lists the Peace Bell, the Circle of Fun, a children's playground and the Quezon Heritage House among the things to see. It is the easiest big park to reach in QC, and the city page says entry is free.

• Hours: Monday to Sunday, 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM
• Entrance: free
• Where: in front of Quezon City Hall, Diliman, Quezon City

Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center, Quezon City

Also on Elliptical Road, this is the greener of the two. Quezon City calls it the "Nature Park in the City's Heart," an oasis where many kinds of plants and animals can be found. Good for a slow walk with kids.

• Hours: Monday to Sunday, 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM
• Entrance: adults ₱30, students ₱15, free for senior citizens and children 7 and below
• Where: Quezon Avenue corner Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City

La Mesa Ecopark, Quezon City

The La Mesa Ecopark covers 33 hectares of the La Mesa Watershed in Greater Lagro, Quezon City. The Quezon City page lists nature walks, rappelling, wall climbing, bird watching and archery tag, with advance reservations for activities at manilawaterfoundation.org.

The fee changed this year. GMA News reported that from 1 August 2026, entry for visitors who are not Quezon City residents went up to ₱50, from ₱20. The city's own page still shows ₱20, so bring ₱50. Quezon City residents get in free with a QCitizen ID, and GMA reported the park also asks them to like its Facebook page or follow it on Instagram. GMA added that the new Phase 2, with a picnic area, a lagoon, an amphitheater and ponds, is now open to the public.

• Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM (no Monday hours)
• Entrance: ₱50 for non-residents (GMA News), free for QC residents with a QCitizen ID
• Where: La Mesa Watershed, Greater Lagro, Quezon City

UP Diliman Academic Oval, Quezon City

The loop around the University of the Philippines campus is, in the city's words, "a popular track used by bikers, joggers and walkers," lined with half-century-old acacias. The city lists it as open "any time," with free entry.

Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati

Ayala Triangle Gardens is over 20,000 square meters of lawn and more than a hundred trees in the middle of the Makati business district. Ayala Land names jogging, yoga, walking your pets and picnics as what people come for, and it hosts the Festival of Lights at Christmas.

• Hours: 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM
• Dogs: allowed, leashed, and you clean up after them
• Do not bring: alcohol or glass containers, which the park rules ban

BGC: Burgos Circle, Track 30th and Terra 28th

Bonifacio Global City has small parks rather than one big one. All three below are open 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM daily, according to BGC's own directory, and all take leashed dogs if you clean up after them.

• Burgos Circle Park: a circular lawn ringed by restaurants and cafes, good for an evening sit with takeaway coffee
• Track 30th: the fitness park, with jogging paths, yoga lawns, meditation gardens and outdoor art
• Terra Park, 28th Street: a pocket park for a break from the city bustle

Read the rules before you plan a group picnic. BGC requires a permit for parties or picnics of more than 10 people, and bans cooking utensils and on-site cooking. For more places to bring a dog, see Dog-Friendly BGC and Makati.

Questions people ask

Is Rizal Park free? NPDC does not list an entrance fee for Rizal Park or Paco Park, and it says its own concerts, talks and history walks are free. The fee you will meet nearby is Fort Santiago's, ₱75.

What time does the Quezon Memorial Circle open? 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM, Monday to Sunday, and the city says entry is free.

How much is the La Mesa Ecopark entrance fee? ₱50 for visitors who are not Quezon City residents since 1 August 2026, GMA News reported. QC residents with a QCitizen ID get in free. The park is closed on Mondays.

Where can we have a picnic in Metro Manila? Ayala Triangle Gardens lists picnics as a use (no alcohol, no glass). La Mesa Ecopark's new Phase 2 has a picnic area, GMA News reported. In BGC parks a group of more than 10 needs a permit, and no cooking.

Can you swim at Dolomite Beach? No. It is open for strolling and photos, 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM, closed Thursdays, and SMNI reported in January 2026 that the water was still not within the swimmable standard.

Which parks allow dogs? Ayala Triangle Gardens and the BGC parks take leashed dogs, and you must clean up after them. We did not find a posted pet rule for the Manila and Quezon City parks, so ask at the gate.

For more free days out, see Free Things to Do in Manila.