This is a definite must. Fort Santiago is the top historical attraction in the Intramuros, and for those readers who will spare some time to read the history of the Philippines, then the tour of the Fort Santiago and the Rizal shrine housed inside, would become most rewarding.

Fort Santiago has been a fortress, a torture chamber, a prison , a dungeon , a site of military atrocities, and yet today, walking around the site, there are no negative vibes about the place. There is just a relaxing, cool feeling, and it is nice to be away from the Manila fuss and noise. Don't miss the Rizal Shrine of the Filipino national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, with a lot of his personal belongings and furniture.

Besides the regular admission fee, you'll be hit with a request for a large donation of PHP500 after being asked to sign the guestbook as you hear the story of one of the prisoners. Don't feel obligated. It looks like they hit every foreign visitor with that request. We each donated PHP500, so this visit ended up costing us PHP1080.

Admission: Adults PHP40; Children and students PHP15
Open daily from 8am to 6pm.
Phone: +63 2 527 1572