Manila/Quiapo

Ask a local about a place that approximately corresponds to Manila's downtown and they will point you out Quiapo. This district alongside nearby Santa Cruz and Binondo are the places nearly corresponding to a downtown for Manila.

Quiapo in this guide differs from the administrative district, which excludes the area's core, centered on Plaza Miranda, Quiapo Church, and Carriedo Street. For the traveller, Quiapo includes all the area bound by Recto Avenue to the north, Rizal Avenue to the west, Estero de San Miguel to the east and southeast, and Pasig River to the south.

Average travellers are easily distracted by the tourist draws once alighting from the LRT-1. Quiapo is more than the scattered bargain markets and Quiapo Church. Eastern Quiapo, the original town, which hugs the boundaries of the University Belt, is the true spirit of the district, with the other draws outside the touristic core west of Quezon Avenue. The real Quiapo is a bit rough, with seedy residential streets, so a trip there is an adventure.

The culture and people of Quiapo are diverse, and the district is a chaotic crossover of East and West. Seeing the people and surroundings will make you feel shocked; a visit to Quiapo may remind you of things on the bazaars of Old Delhi. Around Plaza Miranda and Carriedo are bustling crowds, deafening loudspeakers, and mangled overhead power cables. Crossing Quezon Boulevard leads you to the largest Filipino Muslim community outside Mindanao and the outskirts of the University Belt.

• 🌍 Plaza Miranda, Quezon Boulevard. Open 24 hours. Look around Plaza Miranda which is just outside Quiapo Church, Pedestrian square dating to 1961, with granite tiles & neo-Gothic features around a central obelisk.
  here they sell amulets believed to give you powers and protection from dark forces. Free. 
• 🌍 Golden Dome Mosque (Masjid Al-Dahab (Manila Golden Mosque and Cultural Center)), Globo de Oro Street. Open 24 hours. Quiapo is home to a large Muslim Community, this mosque was built in the 1970s in order of Imelda Marcos for the visit of former Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi, although his visit was cancelled. It is the biggest mosque in Metro Manila and serves the large Muslim community of Quiapo. 
• 🌍 Ocampo Pagoda, Gonzalo Puyat Street (Bilibid Viejo). The Ocampo Pagoda is an example of "Where East meets West" architecture, the pagoda is mixed of European and Oriental architecture and looks like as if a temple in good old China has been invaded by the English and made into a castle. The history is that Don Jose Ocampo wanted and ordered to beautify his garden. 
• 🌍 Bahay Nakpil-Bautista, A. Bautista Street. 9AM-5PM. Built by Arcadio Arellano in 1914 when Philippine architecture was influenced by Art Nouveau in building houses and buildings, historically it was the home of Dr. Ariston Bautista and his wife Doña Petrona Nakpil along with her brother; Julio Nakpil with his wife, Gregoria De Jesus who was also the widow of Andres Bonifacio; a Filipino leader during the Spanish colonial era. During the World War II it was the home of the Black Nazarene which today is in Quiapo Church. 
• 🌍 Boix House (Behind Bahay Nakpil), A. Bautista Street. Built during the 1890s of Neo-Renaissance ornamentation. Temporarily closed as of August 2023. 
• 🌍 Paterno Mansion (Old Paterno Mansion), Hidalgo Street. Mansion of the Paterno family, of neo-classic details. 
• Padilla House
• Don Jose Sulpicios Orpilla Mansion
• 🌍 San Sebastian Church (Basílica Menor de San Sebastián), Pasaje del Carmen Street, ☏ +63 2 8734 8908. Built in 1891, this striking Gothic church has steel vaulting, stained-glass windows & 2 towers. (updated Nov 2017)
• 🌍 Quiapo Church (Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene), Plaza Miranda, ☏ +63287334434. Catholic church containing a revered 17th-century statue of Jesus called the Black Nazarene. Free. (updated Aug 2023)

Have a Manila city tour: it's easy to get lost in Quiapo, having a local guide can save time and it's a good opportunity to learn things

• 🌍 Victory Lacson Underpass, Quezon Boulevard (underneath the intersection of Quezon Boulevard, Hidalgo and Arlegui streets, and Plaza Miranda). 8AM-7PM. An underground air-conditioned mall that was renovated in 2014 to be well lit and safe. There are over a hundred small shops, small eateries and kiosks. There are also multiple ATMs. (updated Nov 2017)
• Amulets: Believed to give you powers and protection against dark energy. They're usually sold at a reasonable price, often around ₱20 and above.
• Herbal medicine: Alternative medicine can be found in Plaza Miranda however they aren't approved by the Department of Health (DOH) and most of them might be scams and fakes.
• Statues: Statues either ceramic or wood are best buys as souvenirs, they're sold from ₱100 and above. They often are Santo Niños (Infant Jesus) and saints (santos, statues of holy people such as Virgin Mary and Jesus).
• Textiles
• Army surplus: Items such as uniforms, bags, camping equipment, knives etc. are found in the Big Army Surplus Market. However you might find it hard to pass through customs as it is questionable for purchasing army surplus and sometimes Filipino authorities say that many shops operate illegally without the permission of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police.
• Flowers and candles: Flowers and candles are sold outside the church, in Plaza Miranda. Candles have significant meanings depending on color; see the signs by the vendors. Sampaguita (jasmine), used to be the national flower of the Philippines, but replaced by the now-endangered waling-waling as the former is not native to the country, are often sold outside the church at a very cheap price; they represents purity of the soul and body and often are hanged around a image's neck as a gift etc.
• Cameras and camera accessories: Hidalgo street offers cheap prices for cameras as well as camera accessories such as tripods, DVDs, CDs, bags, camera lenses etc.
• Prescription eyewear: Paterno Street has a good collection of optician shops producing prescription glasses at a quarter of the price in the West, so, you may consider a side trip here for a new pair of glasses.
• 🌍 SM Clearance Outlet, C. Palanca Jr. Street, ☏ +63 2 8733 8416. 10AM–8PM. Veteran retailer with a large inventory of clothes, shoes & accessories at a discounted prices. (updated Aug 2023)
• 🌍 Quinta Market & Fish Port, Carlos Palanca Street. 4AM–9PM. Indoor market opened in 1851, with scores of stalls selling fish, local produce & household goods. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Pinoy Sikat Handicrafts, 215-A Quezon Boulevard, ☏ +63 2 3488 3044. 8:30AM–6PM. nice place to buy Philippine handicraft, You can get a lot of beautiful pinoy made items on a very cheap price here. (updated Sep 2023)

• 🌍 Globe Lumpia House, 740 Gonzalo Puyat St, ☏ +63 917 556 3669. Daily 9AM-6PM. Opened in 1956, this long-time Quiapo institution is known for its lumpia, with freshly-made vegetable lumpiang sariwa being the house specialty. ₱40. (updated Nov 2022)
• 🌍 Pastora Special Palabok, Carlos Palanca St. cor. Quezon Blvd (inside Quinta Market), ☏ +63 915 521 6885. Daily 10AM-6PM. People from all over Manila flock to this humble stall inside the city's old central market to get their fix of pancit palabok, which on a number of occasions has been deemed Manila's best. (updated Nov 2022)
• 🌍 Excelente Chinese Cooked Ham, Carlos Palanca Sr. Street, ☏ +63 2 8733 6355. 8AM-6PM. (updated Aug 2023)
• 🌍 Jolli Dada’s Eatery The Original Palabok Pancit & Halo Halo, C. Palanca Street (under the Quezon Bridge). A food trip in Quiapo wouldn’t be complete without a visit here. We went on a Saturday afternoon and had to wait in line for about 10-15 minutes. There are limited seats so you have to be patient. (updated Aug 2023)
• 🌍 Amis Restaurant, Carriedo Street, ☏ +63 2 873 32770. 9AM-6PM. One of the Hidden gems in Manila. Very affordable meals and drinks. (updated Aug 2023)
• 🌍 Rosas Pancitan, R. Hidalgo Street. 10AM-9PM. Definitely, a must-try food place in Quiapo! Rosas Pancitan is best known for their sotanghon soup, although they also offer rice cakes and other treats. (updated Aug 2023)
• 🌍 Kim Chong Tin Hopia Factory, Carlos Palanca Street corner Chica Street. 7AM–9PM. This is an old-fashioned pugon baked hopia since 1927. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Palabok d'e Tisoy, Ducos Street (located in under the Quezon Bridge, besides Quinta Market). 9AM-9PM. Try their special palabok with squid, lechon kawali and boiled egg toppings. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Globe Lumpia House, #740 Gonzalo Puyat Street (in Globe Electronics Building (formerly Globe Theater)), ☏ +63 917 556 3669. 9AM–6PM. This 65-year-old lumpia house in Quiapo is a favorite spot among Black Nazarene devotees. (updated Sep 2023)

• 🌍 8Hostel, Isabelle de Hidalgo Condominium 811, Carcer, Hidalgo St (end of alley near the 711), ☏ +63 9954 727 918, eighthostel@gmail.com. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: noon. Relatively cheap microrooms in Quiapo. Reception is only open from 7AM to 9PM and after hours checkin is difficult. Dorm beds and 1-2 person private rooms available. (updated Nov 2017)
• 🌍 Citystate Hotel-Quiapo Branch, 475 Quezon Boulevard. Check-in: noon, check-out: noon. (updated Aug 2023)
• 🌍 RedDoorz near Quiapo Church Manila, 512 Quezon Blvd, ☏ +63 2 824 98745. Check-in: 2PM. (updated Aug 2023)
• 🌍 Citystate Hotel-Palanca Street Branch, #100 Carlos Palanca Street (infront of SM Clearance Outlet), ☏ +63 975 157 0170. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: noon. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Hotel 99 Quiapo Manila, 361 Bautista Street corner FR Hidalgo Street (across Quiapo Church), ☏ +63 2 8714 9734, sales@hotel99.com.ph. ₱₱. (updated Sep 2023)

Quiapo is notorious for pickpockets, beggars, and other nuisances, while you may find elsewhere in the city, can be the most prevalent here. Pickpockets are a constant threat; watch out for wandering hands likely reaching your valuable cellphone or wallet. Put money and important papers on a money belt or use the front pockets instead. Beggars are many enough in this bustling district to irritate you, and more disturbing are street children soliciting money. Adding further to traveller hassles are the numerous peddlers selling fake items, most notably pirated DVDs and counterfeit clothing, while prices are temptingly dirty cheap (for example, ₱10 per DVD), can land you on customs issues on your return journey home. Just walk away if they try to accost pedestrians around you.

Tondo, and the busy Divisoria market is just within minutes reach, by electric trike.