When is it cheapest to visit Manila?

Manila is cheapest to visit in May, June, July, August, and September.

Peak season is January, February, November, and December, when rooms cost the most.

Manila seasons and room prices

Manila is dry from December to May, coolest from December to February and very hot from March to May. June to November is the wet and typhoon season, when flights can be cancelled at short notice. The Philippine Christmas season runs long, and rooms are dearest from mid December into early January. In Holy Week before Easter the city empties and shops close, so city hotels get cheaper while resorts outside town sell out. Business travel dominates Makati and Bonifacio Global City, where weekday nights often cost more than weekends. July to September is the cheap stretch if you can live with the rain.

Manila local costs and payment

The currency is the Philippine peso. Hotels, malls and chain restaurants take cards without fuss, but jeepneys, tricycles, street stalls and small tips are cash, so change a modest amount at a mall counter. Grab works well in Manila, and a linked card takes cash out of your rides entirely. Hotels often add VAT and a service charge to the room rate, and sites differ in when they show it, so compare totals including tax. Decline any offer to be billed in your home currency and pay in pesos or dollars.