san juan metro manila tourist attractions

Top Things to Do in San Juan, Philippines

Things to do in san juan, tours near san juan.

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Top attractions in san juan.

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• Greenhills Shopping Center
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Top Things to Do in San Juan, Philippines - San Juan Must-See Attractions

Things to do in san juan, tours near san juan.

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Top attractions in san juan.

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• Greenhills Shopping Center
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• Virra Mall (V Mall)
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THE 10 BEST Things to Do in San Juan

Things to do in san juan, tours near san juan.

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Escape to Enchanting Hidden Valley Springs! with Transfers***

Top attractions in san juan.

Other Top Attractions around San Juan

What travellers are saying

• Greenhills Shopping Center
• Santolan Town Plaza
• Virra Mall (V Mall)
• Museo ng Katipunan

San Juan (Metro Manila)

• 1 Understand
• 3 Get around
• 5.1 San Juan Historical Bike Trail

San Juan is a small city in Metro Manila , surrounded by Manila , Mandaluyong and Quezon City .

Understand [ edit ]

It used to be a large municipality, this little city is sandwiched between the cities of Mandaluyong, Manila and Quezon City. It has a population of about 120,000 as of 2015, and a total land area of 6 km 2 (2.3 sq mi).

San Juan is a young city, only chartered in 2007. It used to be the town of San Juan del Monte , after its patron John the Baptist, and for its hilly terrain, and is the site of one major battle of the Philippine Revolution , the Battle of San Juan del Monte (more known locally as the Battle of Pinaglabanan ).

Get in [ edit ]

By bus [ edit ].

The city proper is served by the Quiapo– Angono city bus route between Park N' Ride in Manila and SM City Taytay. The route plies San Juan's main roads, N. Domingo Street and Ortigas Avenue.

If coming from southern Metro Manila, take a bus plying EDSA and get down at the interchange with Ortigas, near EDSA Shrine and Robinsons Galleria. There, you can transfer to a bus or jeepney towards the city proper.

By LRT [ edit ]

Get around [ edit ].

The city is small enough to be explored by cycling, and neighborhood districts are walkable. It is also possible to get around by tricycle or jeepney.

Jeepneys serve Little Baguio from Greenhills and Agora Market (via Romualdez in Mandaluyong).

See [ edit ]

• 14.5979 121.03683 6 Sansó Museum ( Fundacion Sansó ), 32 V. Cruz Street , [email protected] . A small, private museum focusing on the artistic legacy of Juvenal Sansó. ( updated Aug 2022 )
• 14.6027 121.051 7 Music Museum , Service Road ( Greenhills Shopping Center ), ☏ +63287216726 . Performing arts theater. ( updated Sep 2023 )

Do [ edit ]

San juan historical bike trail [ edit ].

The city promotes a cycling itinerary it calls as " historical bike trail" , to showcase some of the city's cultural heritage sites.

• 14.60468 121.03051 2 Pinaglabanan Shrine .  
• 14.60419 121.03172 3 Museo ng Katipunan .  
• 14.60419 121.03172 4 El Deposito Museum ( NHCP Museo El Deposito ), #29 Pinaglabanan Street ( Pinaglabanan Memorial Shrine ), ☏ +63 9982470042 . 9AM–4PM .  
• 14.60414 121.03162 5 El Deposito Underground Reservoir . ( updated Aug 2022 )
• 14.60313 121.02992 6 Pinaglabanan Church .  
• 14.59548 121.0318 8 Iglesia ni Cristo , #154 F. Manalo Street . Place of worship.  
• 14.59838 121.03071 9 Santuario del Santo Cristo Church , #183 F. Blumentritt , ☏ +63287245466 . 7–11:30AM, 2:30–6PM .  
• 14.60115 121.04898 10 Greenhills Loop , Greenhills Shopping Center .  
• 14.60387 121.04887 11 Club Filipino , Eisenhower Street, Greenhills , ☏ +6302722-2001 .  

Buy [ edit ]

• 14.60526 121.02333 2 San Juan City Agora Market , N. Domingo Street, Pedro Cruz . 7AM-7PM . The largest public market in the city, with a mixed-use commercial/retail area on the ground level, and the market below. At the street level, there is a supermarket, fast food restaurants and a drug store. ( updated Mar 2020 )
• 14.6043 121.03398 3 Santolan Town Plaza , Santolan Road, Little Baguio , ☏ +63 2 8898 1702 , [email protected] . 8AM-610PM . Santolan Town Plaza, is a small, upscale mall in San Juan with a supermarket, cinemas, office spaces, and several dining and service establishments. ( updated Aug 2022 )
• 14.603 121.0516 4 Fully Booked , 2/F Promenade Greenhills Shopping Center, Ortigas Avenue , ☏ +63 28721 4757 . 10AM-8PM . The best bookshop in the Philippines. ( updated Sep 2023 )
• 14.60416 121.03492 5 Fully Booked Santolan Town Plaza , #276 Col. Bonny Serrano Avenue ( located in Santolan Town Plaza ), ☏ +63 277291310 . 10AM-10PM . ( updated Sep 2023 )

Eat [ edit ]

• 14.59782 121.03802 1 Little Baguio . A gastronomic enclave of restaurants and homey, food establishments tucked around the intersecting streets of Wilson, P. Guevarra, J. Abad Santos and V. Cruz in San Juan, and named after the territorial barangay of Little Baguio. The establishments in this area serve a variety of cuisines, and ambiance may range from formal, sit-down restaurants, to hole-in-the-wall food specialists, to casual, local street food vendors. ( updated Jan 2024 )
• 14.60317 121.0387 2 Recess Food Alley , 19-B General Vicente Lim Street . noon-9PM . A neighborhood "food court" with concessionaires offering local and foreign comfort food, especially for the budget conscious. Originally, the main market were students from nearby schools, but since 2020, has evolved as a venue for affordable "food trips.". ( updated Jan 2024 )
• 14.60233 121.03427 3 Bugis Singapore Street Food - San Juan , 285 P. Guevarra Street , ☏ +63 2 88719316 . 9:30AM-10PM . ( updated Jan 2024 )
• 14.60291 121.03652 4 Eat Fresh Hong Kong Famous Street Food , 92-93 Jose Abad Santos, corner Gen. Segundo Street , ☏ +63 2 82965724 . 10:30AM-10PM . ( updated Jan 2024 )
• 14.60366 121.03599 5 Cocina de Relleno , 319-B, Alvir Street , ☏ +63 9053369984 . M-Sa 9AM-5PM . ( updated Jan 2024 )
• 14.60071 121.03793 6 Mann Hann , 628 Jose A Santos Street , ☏ +63 2 87232918 . 10AM-10PM . Chinese restaurant ( updated Jan 2024 )
• 14.60072 121.03597 7 Oyasumi Ramen , Unit 3, 308 P. Guevarra Street , ☏ +63 2 82750309 . 11AM-10PM . Ramen house ( updated Sep 2023 )
• 14.59959 121.03806 8 Tra Vinh , 691 Jose Abad Santos Street , ☏ +63 9606808041 . 11AM-8PM . A Vietnamese restaurant. ( updated Jan 2024 )
• 14.60699 121.03383 9 China Mommy , 200 M. Paterno Street , ☏ +63 9175148540 . 8AM-6PM . Chinese takeaway. ( updated Jan 2024 )
• 14.60541 121.03217 10 Brothers Burger , Filoil EcoOil Centre, Colonel Bonny Serrano Avenue , ☏ +63 2 85151921 . 10AM-10PM . ( updated Jan 2024 )
• 14.60454 121.03349 11 Hanamaruken Ramen , Col. Bonny Serrano Ave ( in Santolan Town Plaza ), ☏ +63 2 8714 2977 . 10AM-10PM . ( updated Jan 2024 )
• 14.5935 121.0339 12 Chef Laudico Guevarra's , 387 P. Guevarra corner Argonne Streets , ☏ +63 9173112222 . 11AM-2PM, 5-10PM . ( updated Jan 2024 )
• 14.5972 121.0366 13 Flossom Kitchen + Cafe , 187 N. Averilla Street , ☏ +63 2 8356 6900 . 8AM-10PM . ( updated Jan 2024 )
• 14.5975 121.0405 14 Yuujin , Wilson Corporate Center, Wilson Street , ☏ +63 917 168 1414 . 11AM-3PM, 6-9PM . Japanese restaurant ( updated Sep 2023 )
• 14.5972 121.0414 15 Century Seafood Restaurant , Wilson Street corner Don Miguel street , ☏ +63 2 85706670 . 10AM-10PM . ( updated Jan 2024 )
• 14.5966 121.03924 16 Chocolat Deep Dark Chocolate Cakes San Juan , 205 P Burgos corner A. Mabini Street , ☏ +63 287260330 . 9:30AM–10:30PM . Cake shop. ( updated Jan 2024 )
• 14.59348 121.03617 17 Dampa sa Greenhills , P. Guevarra Street , ☏ +63 9171493306 . 10AM-10PM . ( updated Jan 2024 )
• 14.5967 121.03725 18 Lágrima San Juan , Wilson Street , ☏ +63 9369177372 . noon-10PM . Mexican fusion restaurant. ( updated Jan 2024 )
• 14.601364 121.048361 19 Crosta , O-Square Building 2, Greenhills Shopping Center , ☏ +63 917 105 3141 . noon-10PM . Pizza restaurant. ( updated Jan 2024 )

Drink [ edit ]

• 14.60359 121.02558 1 Arko Karaoke Hub , #214 F. Blumentritt Street , ☏ +63 9173279322 . 5PM–4AM . ( updated Sep 2023 )
• 14.59975 121.03297 2 Shotblock Coffee , #193 F. Manalo Street Extension , ☏ +63 9772734147 . 2–10PM . ( updated Sep 2023 )
• 14.60673 121.03423 3 YiFang Taiwan Fruit Tea , Unit C, #17 M. Paterno Street , ☏ +63 9276687000 . 11AM–11PM . A bubble tea store. ( updated Sep 2023 )
• 14.60432 121.0347 4 Barcino Wine Resto Bar Santolan , Pavillon, Santolan Town Plaza, #276 Col. Bonny Serrano Avenue . 11AM–2AM . ( updated Sep 2023 )
• 14.5972 121.0406 5 McLaren's Pub , 2nd Flr, #220 Wilson Street ( located in 220 Taps n' Tiles Inc. ). 5PM–2AM . ( updated Sep 2023 )
• 14.5973 121.0412 6 Dirty Daddy , Wilson Street corner, Don Miguel street . 10AM–3AM . ( updated Sep 2023 )

Sleep [ edit ]

• 14.60216 121.02603 1 The Leaf House , 1500, 45 A Rita , ☏ +63 966 329 1118 . Like staying in a big house. ₱1348 . ( updated Dec 2020 )
• 14.60572 121.05556 2 Summit Hotel Greenhills , 13 Annapolis ( part of Annapolis Wilshire Plaza ), ☏ +63 2 8898 5200 . Hotel tower with a luxury feel that has an indoor pool and restaurant. Breakfast served. ( updated Dec 2020 )
• 14.60376 121.05096 3 Greenhills Elan Hotel Modern , 49 Annapolis , ☏ +63 2 7744 7979 . Pretty cheeky place with concierge and a restaurant and pool. ₱1637 . ( updated Dec 2020 )
• 14.60247 121.02594 4 RedDoorz Plus @ A Rita Street San Juan , #45 A Rita Street , ☏ +63 282498745 . Check-in: 2PM , check-out: 11AM . ( updated Sep 2023 )
• 14.6045 121.0527 5 One Beverly Place , #35 Annapolis Street , ☏ +63 287239304 . For long term stays. ( updated Sep 2023 )
• 14.60109 121.03412 6 OYO 794 Regatta Residences , Silvana Townhomes, #28 B. Padilla Street , ☏ +63 285488234 . Check-in: 2PM . ( updated Sep 2023 )

Cope [ edit ]

Go next [ edit ].

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Blog - San Juan City: My Discoveries of the Genuine Metro Manila Life

Metro Manila is not (only) Manila

After writing several posts about Manila , the capital of the Philippines, I decided to take you around  to a lesser  known area of this giant metropolis of about 13 million people. We first need a clarification for those who are not yet too familiar with the Philippines:  you say one thing if you say “Metro Manila”, the big metropolis, made of 17 municipalities; another thing is talking about “Manila”, which is the capital and is only one of those 17 municipalities. These two general notions of Manila are often interchanged.

Photo - Here I am in San Juan City with a very Filipino hat!​

Today I’ll take you around San Juan, the smallest municipality of Metro Manila and – for land size – the smallest city of the Philippines! To be precise, its complete  and official name is “San Juan del Monte”.

What to Expect When You Visit San Juan

Just to be clear: this is not the place where I would recommend  you to “absolutely” go spend  your days in (Metro) Manila during your Philippine  holiday for all the “must-sees”  famous spots. Yet, I could suggest it as one of the several places where you could go around to glimpse the “everyday life” of the locals.

San Juan is mostly a residential area (if we exclude the big commercial area and malls of Greenhills), peculiarly with some neighborhoods made of rich households alternated with low income families’ houses  with a simpler lifestyles. In any case, I’d not worry much as a foreigner strolling around , at least by day time. Though several parts of San Juan look like they need some sort of infrastructure improvement (and that’s why you’ll see many on-going construction project sites around) the general environment is pleasantly decent and I find it a pleasant place for my week-end strolls. Last but not least, the locals are very friendly to foreigners.

Photos - Some scenes of San Juan, with the famous Filipino "Jeepneys"​

Pinaglabanan and Its History

The most historically and socially relevant place of San Juan undoubtedly is the Pinaglabanan Shrine. Pinaglabanan literally means “place of the battle” in the local Tagalog language. That’s because it’s the site where one of the legendary battles of the “Katipunan” occurred. The Katipunan was the Filipino revolution society who were against the Spanish colonizers during the late 1800’s.

During the battle, the revolutionaries tried to occupy the Spaniards’ gunpowder warehouse (which was located exactly where the public elementary school is now, right in front of San Juan City Hall). In many other parts of Manila, many insurrections against the Spanish were appeased by the colonizers and a lot of “Katipuneros” were killed during the battles or executed after then.

Photos - San Juan City Hall, the Elementary School and a statue dedicated to the "Katipunan" ​

Today: San Juan Park and Its Life

Surrounding the Pinaglabanan Shrine,  you can now find a public park which is an important social space for the local community . Especially during week-ends you can find people jogging or strolling, sellers roving around with their ice cream carts as well as roaming   taho vendors (a typical Filipino street dessert that could be described as a soy panna cotta with a caramel topping). It’s also easy to find big groups of boys and girls rehearsing dances and choreographies , something much loved by Filipinos in general. The park is spacious enough to host rehearsals without the need of renting a space.

Photos - A central view on the Park, which is also a free wi-fi spot; A not-so-easy coreography; Aice-cream seller ("sorbetero") with his cart

You can also easily encounter badminton players (we are in Asia!) but also – though more rarely – of sipa, a sport known also as “Sepak Takraw” in South-East Asian Countries like Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. It’s quite a scenic sport that looks like tennis-football…or maybe more like a volleyball played with feet! It’s a matter of perspective. It’s usually played with a rattan ball or anyway with balls that don’t bounce. At high levels it can become an extremely acrobatic game. This is the only open public  place in the Philippines where I chanced to see sipa players.

There were even times in San Juan Park when I also was able to see athletes train for fencing !

Photos/Video: Players of "Sipa" (watch the video!) and fencing trainees at the Park of San Juan

Still talking about sports, just few meters from the Park you find the Filoil Flying V Centre, a quite modern sport arena where, mostly during week-ends, you can watch national basketball and volleyball matches , often broadcasted on national TV. Still in this area you will find the local police station, the fire station and also the local prison.

Some public vegetable patch gardens used to be located on one side of the park, they were quite nice and rich of local crop species where you could see local groups taking care of them. Though, now, as of writing (September 2019) the park is going through some restyling and those gardens were demolished.  I’m not sure  if definitively or just temporarily. Personally, I surely hope to see them back!

The main part of the park is dominated by an interesting sculpture called “Spirit of Pinaglabanan” . The sculptured statue is permanently surrounded by iron barriers, probably to avoid vandalism or that people sit on the stairs.

Photo - The "Spirit of Pinaglabanan"

The Museum of the Katipunan

Facing the above-mentioned monument, on the right side of the park, you will find a building made using the typical ancient Filipino style, with the peculiar window shutters decorated by squared “capiz” shells. It’s the Museum of the Katipunan, inaugurated in 2013 to celebrate the 150th birthday of the Filipino nationalist hero Andres Bonifacio , the commander of the revolution. The museum is small but interesting and modern . Several artifacts of the revolution were preserved and you can learn about them through interactive explanations.

You could curiously notice that the revolutionary group was a masonic group and that is why Freemasonry in the Phlippines is synonym of revolutionary heroism against the colonial government. In fact, the word Katipunan somewhat means “association of people”. Also the initiation rituals of the Katipuneros represented in the museum and several symbols on the exposed artifacts clearly recalled the iconography of Masonry.

Photos - An original amulet of the Katipuneros; a reproduction of an initiation rite; original knives from the battle of San Juan

The entrance is free of charge, and comes with a free museum guide service (good and efficient, available also in English!). You can also watch some videos with the story of the revolution to familiarize with it before visiting the museum.

Lastly, the museum has good air-conditioning , good for  cooling down during a hot tropical day spent going around the city.

Photo - The Museo Ng Katipunan from outside

The New “El Deposito” Museum and the Unusual Story of the Aqueduct

Just right beside the Museum of the Katipunan, you will find this brand new museum, inaugurated in 2019 with the name “Museo El Deposito”. It is a unique place of its kind that will let you witness the history of the Carriedo aqueduct, which supplied water to Manila during the 19th century. You will find several historical samples, like an original hydrant for one. I found also the samples of the old-style water purification systems interesting, as well as the ancient gears utilzed to distribute water around the city and the maps with the projects of the water supply system plans, some being quite forefront for those times.

Photos - A masterplan of the old water system of Manila; The entrance of the Museo El Deposito; An ancient traditional water purification system

The museum is very modern and I really liked it. It is also equipped with 3D eye-glasses to witness scenes from the past and to re-live episodes of the battle of San Juan Del Monte of 1896.

I was told that by 2020, it will be possible to enter through the old water reservoir , walking in an underground tunnel, having a very different perspective of the city.

Also here, the entrance is free!

Photo - 3D experience at Museo El Deposito

I was curious and wanted to follow a bit of this San Juan’s “waterish” past going around the streets of the neighbourhood of Barangay Isabelita to search for a bridge that was part of the aqueduct shown in the museum’s maps. The guide of museum explained that this is still standing. Searching going around and around,  I finally found it. Though now it is fully surrounded by the cement structures of the city, it looks quite different from the 150 year old photos where it looked like it was immersed in some local countryside landscape. Here’s a photo below.

Photos - A nice residential road to stroll around; The bridge that was part of the ancient aqueduct

Last but not Least: Strolls Around the Local Streets and Barangays

Beyond historical places, as I said earlier, San Juan is also a residential city, tranquil and generally clean even,  though it depends on which street you’re walking in.

For sure, the most comfortable place to have a stroll is the Greenhills Shopping Mall. It has a bazaar area, called  “Tiangge”, which has nice souvenirs and it’s mostly famous for good bargainings to purchase pearls. Another modern stop can be the Santolan Town Plaza , a mini commercial compound near the park of San Juan, where you’ll find bars, restaurants, specialty shops and a cinema.

Photos - A nice house in Barangay Isabelita; The entrance of Barangay Corazon De Jesus; A small park and playground called "Mini Park"

Though, I’m not a big fan of shopping malls and if I had to give a tip to get the reality of the city, I’d start walking from San Juan City Hall (where you also find the park and the museum described above) and I’d start to explore the small neighbourhoods called “Barangay” in the local Tagalog language. Barangay Corazon De Jesus, for example, is always very active with small vegetable shops, children playing in the streets and a true classic: the street basketball court, a very important place for the Filipino social life!

Photos - Interesting things around the streets: Domestic roosters, decorated vases and a smart recycling basketball-style facility

Walking more around here, you’ll reach Domingo Street where sometimes I stop by an ice-cream shop I like, a treat with good value for money. In this area, you’ll also find the local church of Saint John the Baptist , a very busy place on week-ends. This is anyway a quite modern building: if you are interested in architecture and archeology, a nice stop is the well-preserved Dominican Sanctuary of Santo Cristo in Blumentritt Street, built back in the 17th Century which shows evident traces of the unique “earthquake baroque” Filipino style.

Photos - The modern Saint John the Baptist Church and the 17th Century Baroque Sanctuary of Santo Cristo

Another Barangay that is pleasant for a walk is the already-mentioned Barangay Isabelita, with some nice residential neighborhoods and little parks or corners where the locals interact.

In the near Barangay Pedro Cruz I unexpectedly also encountered a “cockpit center” . Yes it’s what you think: a place for fight competitions among roosters (and for making bets!). The structure is quite modern and looked crowded from the outside. I did not enter because animal fights and betting are not really my thing. Anyway, consider that this activity is perfectly legal in the country, plus it’s a popular and spread tradition in the Philippines as well as in many parts of South East Asia. And if you want to get to know some of the “real” Philippines, this is part of it too.

Photos - The cockpit center in Barangay Pedro Cruz; Cats in Barangay Corazon De Jesus; A Lechon (the delicious Filipino roasted pig) shop​

Going around seeing  the typical jeepneys, retail establishments, mini-shops, convenience stores, old houses and modern buildings, I learned to like to walk around San Juan. It has many contrasts and you will acknowledge the peculiar mix of tradition and modernity . If you have some time to go around Metro Manila, spend some of it in San Juan and enjoy some genuine life within the huge metropolitan area!

Enjoy San Juan!

Photos above - An ancentral Filipino House and a modern building; The "wet market" of Agora; Mini Park in Barangay Isabelita

Photos below - A greenish photo of San Juan Park during the rainy season and a brownish photo during the "dry season", when the red "fire trees" bloom.

(written on September 2019)

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Friday, May 10, 2019

A walk through san juan city heritage and history from past to present.

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San Juan Landmarks: Bringing the City's Past Back to Life

San juan is one of the many places abound with great landmarks that marked the anal of our philippine history. these attractions denote the city’s unbeatable contributions and the roled it played in history..

San Juan is one of the many places abound with great landmarks that marked the anal of our Philippine history. These attractions denote the city’s unbeatable contributions and the roled it played in history.

To get you nurtured about the historical place, let me tour you to some of its proudest attractions that entice and give much pleasure to every tourist.

1.    Monuments of Andres Bonifacio & Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo – Pinaglabanan Street History remained silent in the town of San Juan until August 30, 1896 when Spanish-Filipino war erupted and became the most inspiring battle in our history, the battle of San Juan Del Monte.

Two monumental statues of the prime heroes of the Battle of San Juan del Monte standing adjacent the Pinaglabanan Shrine in recognition to their significant contribution in the struggle that transpired within the locality as well as to immortalize their desire for freedom.

2.    Spirit of 1896 Monument Constructed in 1920 through the contribution of the local government, the monument immortalizes the courage and patriotism of the Katipuneros who sparked the Revolution against Spain in 1896.

3.    Pinaglabanan Shrine The shrine is a historical site where Andres Bonifacio headed the first battle of the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish Regime on August 30, 1896. The underground is known as El Deposito used to be the water reservoir serving the entire Greater Manila area.

4.    Club Filipino An exclusive club of historical value because it was here where President Corazon C. Aquino was sworn in as President of the Republic of the Philippines by the late Chief Justice Claudio Teehankee after the famous EDSA Revolution in 1986.

Getting Around

From International Airports and Port Area, take a cab and tell the driver to bring you to San Juan. LRT and MRT Train will also lead you to the city by means of Ortigas and Santolan stations at MRT, and J. Ruiz, V. Mapa and Gilmore Stations at LRT. Buses plying the Cainta-Quiapo route pass through the streets of San Juan.

Accommodations in San Juan

• Greenhills Elan Hotel - 6th Floor #49 Annapolis St. Greenhills, San Juan, San Juan, Manila, Philippines • The Orange Place Hotel San Juan - 312 Santolan Rd. corner J. Abad Santos, San Juan, Manila, Philippines 1500 • Benson Apartelle - 631 Pinaglabanan Street, San Juan City, San Juan, Manila, Philippines • Greenhills Elan Hotel - 6th Floor #49 Annapolis St. Greenhills, San Juan, San Juan, Manila, Philippines • Holiday Inn Manila Galleria - One Asian Development Bank Avenue, Ortigas Center, Ortigas-Pasig, Manila, Philippines 1655 • Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria Hotel - Ortigas Ave. Corner Asian Dev Quezon City Philippines, Ortigas-Pasig, Manila, Philippines 1100 • ACL Suites - 72, 13th Avenue, Cubao, Quezon City, Quezon City, Manila, Philippines • The Orange Place Hotel San Juan - 312 Santolan Rd. corner J. Abad Santos, San Juan, Manila, Philippines 1500 • Oakwood Premier Joy Nostalg Center Manila - 17 ADB Avenue Ortigas Center, Ortigas-Pasig, Manila, Philippines 1600 • Fernandina 88 Suites Hotel - 222 P. Tuazon Boulevard, Araneta Shopping Center, Quezon City, Manila, Philippines 1109

• http://www.visitmyphilippines.com/index.php?title=SanJuan&Page=1&pid=2575

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San Juan - 4 Attractions You Must Visit

Contents in This Page

About san juan, types of attractions in san juan.

• Activities and tours in the region

List of Attractions in San Juan

San Juan, officially the City of San Juan is a 1st class highly urbanized city located in the heart of Metropolitan Manila, Philippines. The city is known historically for the site of the first battle of the Katipunan.

1 Monuments

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Activities Around

Museo Ng Katipunan

The Museo ng Katipunan provides an educational approach to understand the Katipunan, its primary movers, and their actions. Apart from Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, and other renowned revolutionaries, the Museum honors the valiant efforts of the Katipuneros who fought for the independence of the Philippines through a Memorial Wall. This museum paves light on the history of the Philippines which was situated within the grounds of the Pinaglabanan shrine.

Pinaglabanan Memorial Shrine

Located in San Juan, Metro Manila, along Santolan Road, Pinaglabanan Shrine is one of the historical landmarks we usually tend to overlook. this monument bears significance to the armed struggle of our forefathers for the independence from foreign control. The name in Tagalog means “fought over”.

San Felipe Neri Parish Church

It is the oldest Catholic Church in Mandaluyong City. The Parish is under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Manila. It was one of the oldest churches in this area and is also one of the most visiting places in Mandaluyong.

The Immaculate Conception Cathedral of Cubao

A huge Roman Catholic cathedral which was located in the heart of Manila. It is the episcopal seat of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Cubao. The church and the surroundings are really interesting by its architecture and by its historical importance.

Map of attractions in San Juan

For more information about San Juan , visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Juan,_Metro_Manila

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Discover the Heritage, Nature & Food of San Juan, Batangas

Most people traveling to San Juan, Batangas – just a three-hour drive south of Metro Manila – simply head straight to Laiya Beach , one of the most popular weekend beach destinations from the Philippine capital. The famed coastline is dotted by beach resorts and, just 10 km away, Solmera Coast complements the town’s seaside attractions with a beachfront condotel development by DMCI Homes Leisure Residences at Barangays Calubcub II and Subukin. The sprawling property is a great spot to swim, bike, kayak or simply watch the sunrise from your own private villa.

The easternmost town of the province, however, has far more to offer than just sun, sand and sea. Rich history, nature escapes, and food adventures also await to be discovered by travelers, making San Juan a complete destination!

Heritage Walks

A chronological tour of San Juan’s colonial past should begin not at the town center but at Pinagbayanan, a coastal barangay seven kilometers east of the poblacion where the Lumang Bayan (old town) once stood. In 1843, San Juan was separated from Rosario, the town it was part of as a barrio since 1698. Due to devastating floods, the town center eventually transferred to its present-day location in 1890. 

Archaeological excavations between 2008 to 2012 revealed the remains of the old church, two stone houses, and smaller stone structures believed to be a limestone kiln and koloong (water well). Now located on private property and surrounded by a coconut plantation, the Pinagbayanan Church Ruins , constructed in 1855, can be visited with permission from the lot owners who live next door in a contemporary villa inspired by bahay-na-bato architecture. Not far away from the ruins stands the well-preserved Bautista House , a wooden bahay kubo (stilt house) with capiz shell windows built in 1924, decades after the poblacion transferred.

The poblacion of San Juan centers on the San Juan Nepomuceno Church . The Baroque-style main church structure was inaugurated in 1894, with the belfry added later on in the 1930s. It was built in honor of the town’s namesake St. John Nepomucene, a 14th-century Bohemian preacher who was martyred by drowning. Due to his manner of death, he is considered by devotees to be a protector from floods and drowning.

Aside from the town church, several heritage houses still stand, mostly erected in the early 20th century. Visits to all the ancestral houses in San Juan, however, must be arranged in advance. The Benito Marasigan (BM) Ruins & Museum , a two-storey mansion originally built in 1929-1930, by one of the prominent families of San Juan was destroyed by fire in 2009 and rehabilitated into a single-storey museum in 2015. 

Located a short walk away from the church, Casa Louella is another pre-war mansion built by the Treviño-Magtibay family in the early 20th century, and acquired by Custodio Marasigan Ona (nephew of Benito Marasigan) and his wife in 1994. It is presently named after their only daughter. 

Another private heritage site worth visiting is Casa Soledad , built by Santos Lopez and Maria Mercado (a relative of National Hero Jose Rizal). They had four children, Miguel, Arsenio, Soledad and Leonor. Soledad, who the house is presently named after, is the maternal grandmother of the fourth-generation Lopez-Tioseco siblings who manage the household. Among the impressive antiques in the home are a life-sized foto-oleo (a photograph enhanced with oil paint) of Leonor Lopez and precolonial pottery from Calubcub Segundo, an important archaeological site. 

Lastly, there’s the Aguedo Mercado Mansion, built in 1936. The impressive dwelling is now branded as WhiteHouse San Juan by the current owners, Neil and Joy Marundan who acquired the Neoclassical-Art Deco ancestral house in 2021. It now functions as an events place, and is also open for house tours on an appointment basis.

Mangrove Adventure

San Juan is also blessed with natural wonders, aside from its popular beaches. Mangrove boat tours are one of the lesser-known ecotourism activities one can have arranged. Motorized outrigger boats at Barangay Poctol take visitors along a small mangrove river, which empties out to Tayabas Bay, before the boat detours back inland via Malaking Ilog River , a major watercourse separating the provinces of Batangas and Quezon.

Along the way, one can observe the slow-paced life of coastal communities. Fishermen paddle close to the riverbanks on bangkas (small outrigger canoes), carrying bamboo fish traps or casting a line to catch some fish. The riverine tour also provides a wonderful opportunity for birdwatching . Among the wild wetland birds one can see in the area are purple herons, collared kingfishers, and black-winged stilts.

Culinary Discoveries

Batangas is known for its thriving food culture, and San Juan is no exception. The town is known for its kapeng barako (liberica coffee), tablea (chocolate tablets) and panutsa (peanut brittle candy), to name a few. All of which are available at the San Juan Pasalubong Center , an essential shopping stopover for buying local delicacies and handicrafts.

Coconut farming is also a major industry in the town, supplying coconut-based products like coco sugar and lambanog, a potent liquor distilled from fermented coconut sap. At Vincel Coco Products in Barangay Tipaz, one can watch how coconut sap is collected from cut flower stalks by farmers who traverse a network of elevated bamboo poles that link the coconut trees together. The coconut sap is cooked in a wok to transform into coco sugar, a healthier alternative to cane sugar.

Coconut sap can also be fermented for a few days and distilled into a strong vodka-like liquor called lambanog, the drink of choice for festival rural celebrations. Jimmy’s Lambanog is one of the top producers of the liquor, processing around 800 liters every production day at their factory in Barangay Lipahan.

Good food is just around the corner in San Juan, satisfying every taste and budget! Exuding the town’s old-world charm are Old San Juan and Cafeño , built within or adjacent to heritage houses. The former is known for their traditional Filipino dishes like kare-kare (oxtail stew), while the latter is known for their signature bacon slab with kesong puti (carabao cheese) salad. 

A well-known restaurant chain in the region, Ben’s Halo-Halo not only serves the “creamiest halo-halo in Laguna” but also mouthwatering baby back ribs that hit the spot. Aside from the classic halo-halo, they also serve unique versions with ingredients not typically found in desserts like labuyo chilis and salted egg! On the other hand, for generous seafood platters and Batangas’ famed bulalo (beef marrow soup), check out Four Corners Seafood & Sizzling House . 

And lastly, while low-key in ambiance, the family-run eatery Lomihan sa Pulangbato , on the other hand, serves topnotch lomi  (a thick noodle soup that originated in Lipa City, Batangas) in big bowls meant for sharing that’s as comforting a warm hug. Among the restaurants we tried in town, this was my favorite find and highly recommend you try it on your next visit to San Juan.

Location Map

For tour bookings and tourism inquiries, contact the Municipal Tourism Office of San Juan .

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