# Manila on a Layover: What to Do With 6, 12 or 24 Hours From NAIA

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Published: 2026-10-17

*How to use a Manila layover well: which NAIA terminal you are in, the easy option across from Terminal 3, a half day in Intramuros and the free National Museum, and a full day that reaches Makati and BGC.*

With six hours or less in Manila, stay close to the airport: Newport World Resorts sits across the road from NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport) Terminal 3 and you can walk there over a bridge. With 12 hours, go into old Manila for Fort Santiago in Intramuros and the free National Museum of Fine Arts in Rizal Park. With a full 24 hours, add an afternoon and evening in Makati or BGC (Bonifacio Global City). Whatever the plan, check your terminal first and allow far more time for the ride back than the map suggests, because in Manila traffic sets the schedule, not distance.

Updated October 2026.

## First, know your terminal

NAIA's terminals are separate buildings, and moving between them means going by road, so your terminal decides everything else.

According to the airport operator, New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC), Terminal 3 handles most full-service foreign airlines, including Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Japan Airlines and KLM, along with Cebu Pacific. Terminal 1 handles carriers such as Korean Air, EVA Air, Malaysia Airlines, China Airlines and the international flights of AirAsia. Philippine Airlines appears under both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, and Terminal 2 also takes PAL Express and AirAsia's domestic flights. Airlines do change terminals: AirAsia's international flights moved from Terminal 3 to Terminal 1 on 29 March 2026, so confirm with your airline before you fly.

**NNIC inter-terminal shuttle** is the free way to change terminals if you have a connecting flight. Show your plane ticket at the pickup point. NNIC describes it as a free, 24/7 service that leaves every hour from all terminals.
Terminal 1: arrival curbside. Terminal 2: arrival curbside, Bay 19. Terminal 3: pickup for terminal transfer at the arrival level. Free.

If you plan to leave the airport, you will clear immigration on the way out and security again on the way back in, so the usable part of a six hour layover is much shorter than six hours. The government's eTravel registration is at etravel.gov.ph, and the site says it is free.

On luggage: we could not confirm a bag storage service, with its rates and hours, from the airport operator's own pages. If you are booking a day room, the hotel is the simpler place to leave a bag.

## Getting out of the airport

**Grab** is the easiest option for most visitors. NNIC opened a centralised hub for ride-hailing pickups at Terminal 3 in December 2024, and its transport page says Grab's "Airport to Anywhere" cars have prices disclosed upfront that stay fixed no matter how long the trip takes. Follow the pickup directions in the app.
Book in the Grab app. Grab taxis are also available, at the metered fare plus a booking fee.

**Airport taxis** come in three kinds, each with its own booth at the arrival curbside. Coupon taxis charge a fixed rate by destination, set by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB). Yellow airport taxis are metered: since 28 September 2026 the flag-down is ₱115 for the first 500 metres, up from ₱75, with ₱4 for every 300 metres after, according to the LTFRB rates reported by the Philippine News Agency. Regular metered taxis cost less, and their rates were also being adjusted at the end of September 2026, so go by the fare matrix posted in the car. NNIC's own transport page still shows the older rates. Whichever you take, NAIA staff hand you a dispatch slip: keep it, do not give it to the driver, and use the numbers on it if anything goes wrong.
Booths at the arrival curbside of Terminals 1, 2 and 3.

How long will it take? Bonifacio Global City's own visitor guide puts BGC about 20 to 30 minutes from NAIA by car, traffic permitting. That is a good day, not a promise. For Intramuros and Manila Bay, which sit north of the airport along Roxas Boulevard, plan on similar uncertainty and give yourself a generous buffer either way.

## With 6 hours: stay next to Terminal 3

**Newport World Resorts** is the obvious move on a short layover. It sits directly across from Terminal 3, and its Holiday Inn Express says the walk from the terminal is about 10 minutes over the Runway Manila bridge. Newport also runs a 24/7 Runway Manila shuttle for arriving and departing Terminal 3 passengers. The complex has seven hotels, including Marriott, Hilton, Sheraton, Hotel Okura and Holiday Inn Express, so you can book a room for a shower and a proper sleep, then eat somewhere that is not a food court. If a show is on, the [**Newport Performing Arts Theater**](https://whatsonmnl.com/venue/newport-performing-arts-theater) is in the same complex.
Newport Boulevard, Newport City, Pasay. Tip: if you land at Terminal 1 or 2, factor in the road transfer to Terminal 3 first.

## With 12 hours: Intramuros and the National Museum

Twelve hours lets you see the part of Manila most visitors come for, the old walled city and the national collections beside it. Go early in the day, before the heat and the afternoon traffic.

**Fort Santiago** is the old fort inside Intramuros, the walled city beside the Pasig River. Walk the ramparts and the gardens, and visit the Museo ni Rizal inside, a museum on the national hero José Rizal.
Santa Clara Street, Intramuros. ₱75 regular, ₱50 for students, senior citizens and PWDs (persons with disabilities). Monday to Friday 8am to 10pm, last entry 8pm; Saturday and Sunday 6am to 10pm, last entry 8:30pm. Museo ni Rizal: Tuesday to Sunday, 9am to 4pm, closed Monday.

**San Agustin Museum** is a short walk away inside the walls. It closes for an hour at lunch, so time your visit around it.
General Luna Street, Intramuros. Open daily, 8am to 12 noon and 1pm to 5pm.

[**National Museum of Fine Arts**](https://whatsonmnl.com/place/national-museum-of-fine-arts) is the best free hour in the city. The former Legislative Building holds 29 galleries of Filipino painting and sculpture, from 19th century masters to National Artists, and the National Museum of Anthropology and the National Museum of Natural History stand next to it around Rizal Park.
Padre Burgos Avenue, Rizal Park, Ermita, Manila. Free. Open Monday to Sunday, 9am to 6pm, except select religious holidays.

For more choice, see our guide to [museums in Manila](https://whatsonmnl.com/blog/museums-in-manila) and our list of [free things to do in Manila](https://whatsonmnl.com/blog/free-things-to-do-in-manila).

## With 24 hours: add Makati or BGC

A full day means you can sleep in the city, which changes everything. Base yourself in Makati or BGC, see one museum in the afternoon, then eat and drink well.

[**Ayala Museum**](https://whatsonmnl.com/place/ayala-museum) in Makati is the place for Philippine history and art in one building, spread over several floors. Tickets are sold in timed slots online, and you can buy a single floor or the whole museum.
Makati Avenue corner De La Rosa Street, Greenbelt Park, Makati. All floors: ₱850 for foreign visitors, ₱500 local rate, ₱350 discounted with valid ID.

[**Metropolitan Museum of Manila (The M)**](https://whatsonmnl.com/place/metropolitan-museum-of-manila-the-m) shows contemporary art in BGC, a short walk from Bonifacio High Street. The museum is closed from 20 October to 7 November 2026 while it prepares two major exhibitions, so check before you go.
MK Tan Centre, 30th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. Tuesday to Friday 11am to 6pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am to 6pm, entry cut-off 5:30pm. General admission ₱300 at the museum's current special rate (₱550 standard); children 4 and under free.

After dark, Poblacion in Makati has the best concentration of bars in Metro Manila, all within a few streets of each other. Our guide to the [best bars in Poblacion](https://whatsonmnl.com/blog/best-bars-in-poblacion) sorts them by the kind of night you want.

## What not to try in rush hour

Do not plan to cross the city on a weekday morning or early evening with a flight to catch. A ride that takes half an hour at midday can take far longer at peak times, and there is nothing you can do about it once you are on the road.

Trains will not save you on a layover. NNIC lists an Airport Loop bus from Terminal 3 (arrival curbside across Bay 10) to the Pasay City MRT station for ₱40, but it then puts you on MRT-3 along EDSA with your bags at rush hour, which is not where you want to be with a deadline. MRT-3's published timetable also has the last trains leaving Taft Avenue just after 10pm, so late arrivals need a car anyway.

The safest rule: decide when you need to be back at the terminal, then leave much earlier than feels necessary.

## Questions people ask

**Can I leave NAIA on a layover?**
Only if your passport lets you enter the Philippines and you have time to clear immigration out and security back in. Check the entry rules for your nationality before you travel.

**How do I get between NAIA terminals?**
Use the free NNIC inter-terminal shuttle, which runs 24/7 for passengers with connecting flights and leaves every hour. Show your ticket at the pickup point.

**What is closest to NAIA Terminal 3?**
Newport World Resorts, across the road and about a 10 minute walk over the Runway Manila bridge, with hotels, restaurants and a theatre.

**How much is a taxi from NAIA?**
Yellow airport taxis start at ₱115 for the first 500 metres since 28 September 2026, plus ₱4 for every 300 metres. Regular metered taxis cost less, and coupon taxis charge a fixed rate by destination. Keep your dispatch slip.

**How long does it take from NAIA to BGC?**
About 20 to 30 minutes by car in light traffic, according to BGC's visitor guide. Allow much more at rush hour.

**Is the National Museum free?**
Yes. The National Museum of Fine Arts, Anthropology and Natural History in Rizal Park are free and open every day from 9am to 6pm, except on select religious holidays.