By: Rovie Erlandez |

Valentine’s Day is beyond reach, and to be honest, there are a lot of ways to celebrate it. While some prefers the indoors and to binge-watch with their loved ones, there are people who still enjoys going out on an actual date.

If you live in Manila and you are quite running out of date ideas, we listed down a few spots and activities in the city where you can take your bae this coming weekend!

Museum date

Whether you have an appreciation for arts and history or none, you can never go wrong with a museum date.

Aside from it being a budget-friendly activity, the idea of spending an ample time with your loved one, while learning more about our culture and history sounds fun and romantic.

The National Museum of Fine Arts, National Museum of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History and National Planetarium are situated not far from each other, you can roam around these museums in a day.

Each of them caters to a wide collection of artifacts, sculptures, paintings, and educational displays. More so, entrance fees are FREE, so you can save a lot! They are open Tuesdays to Sundays, 10AM-5PM.

Want more FREE museum access? Here’s another one in Escolta! The First United Building Community Museum is opening its doors for free for the month of February. Located at the second floor of the First United Building, it features the life of Sy Lian Tieng.

Aside from his personal belongings and family portraits, there are also traces of the old Escolta through photos and magazine clips, and other vintage mundane stuff like telephones, clock card machine, and typewriter.

Before leaving the building, make sure to drop by the HUB: Make Lab, located at the ground floor! A space for craftsmen and artists to sell their own merchandise. Each stall offers unique finds from stickers, shirts, accessories, journal necessities and other vintage stuff.

Stroll in a Park

Are you the type of couple who enjoys the sunlight and outdoor strolling?

Luneta may sound cliché, but the current weather is really cooperating so maybe it’s the perfect time to drop by! It’s the most accessible date spot for people who lives in the heart of the city.

If you enjoy a more serene and close-to-nature vibe, do not forget that Chinese Garden can also be found on this landmark. With a lot of areas available for sitting, you can easily find a spot and just talk about everything under the sun.

Coffee date

Hate the crowd? How about a place with relaxing ambiance accompanied with sleek interior design and good food?

The 1919 Grand Café is located in the corner of Juan Luna and Escolta.  This café is hard to miss out, since they retained the original façade of the old HSBC building erected in 1922.

The interior has been restored and turned into a more modernized approach, and it has been a place to bring your family, friends and loved one.

Their food is affordable and their menu ranges from pizza, pasta, salad, sandwiches, steak, ribs, cake slices and COFFEE. Savor your quality time and conversation over a cup of coffee! The instrumental background music will keep you relaxed and it adds to the romantic vibe of the place, especially this Valentine’s Day.

They currently have a Valentine’s promo and there’s an area where you can take your photos!

Intramuros Tour

Another ideal date spot in Manila is Intramuros. Whether it’s your first time or not, the Walled City will always have something new to offer. Aside from the famous landmarks you can find like the Baluarte de San Diego, San Agustin Church and Museum and Manila Cathedral, there are also various souvenir shops.

Fort Santiago is a heritage landmark and is open from 8AM to 11PM. For Php 75 entrance fee (Php 50 for students, PWD and senior citizen) you can have access to the whole place including the Jose Rizal Museum and the recently opened Dungeons.

Educate yourself with the life and works of our national hero through this museum. The good thing is, they also have displays meant for blind people, and a room for audio and visual presentation.

Another new attraction in Fort Santiago is the Dungeons. It was built in 1599 as a storage facility for arms and gunpowder but was later on turned into a prison complex under the Japanese occupation. After World War II, the US Army discovered 600 decomposing bodies, and they were buried in a nearby site, hence the establishment of the White Cross outside the dungeon.

The Dungeon is open to the public, 2PM to 10PM, daily.

Food Crawl

If eating is second nature to your relationship, then a food crawl is a must do!

Binondo is known for a lot of old and new food establishments, and there is a wide variety of food you can choose from. Try out these restaurants/food stores from our list!

Ying Ying Tea House is located in Yuchengco St. Binondo. Their dim sums are a must-try and it’s a cozy place to enjoy your food.

Another famous restaurant you should try is the Delicious Restaurant. Be sure to try their pansit and kikiam! Visit them at F. Torres St. Sta. Cruz.

For snacks, try the famous egg tart from Lord Stow’s Bakery. Best when it’s hot! And never leave Binondo without having a taste of their siopao!

Whether it’s your first Valentine’s together, or it’s just another date to add on your list, it’s important to meet halfway and to make sure the both of you are having a good time!