How To Get From Manila Airport To Makati (Fastest & Cheapest!)
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Manila Airport is situated 6km from Makati however, due to the traffic it can often take in excess of 30 minutes to travel between the two locations.
Makati is one of the most popular areas for tourists to stay during a trip to Manila. Due to the central location to major attractions including museums, bars, restaurants, and malls, the area has accommodation for all needs and budgets.
Manila Airport is made up of four terminals, and while the pickup location for each of these transportation methods will vary slightly depending on the terminal. The method itself remains the same.
The best way to get from Manila Airport to Makati is with a Grab taxi as it’s both private and direct. Our most recent journey from the airport to our hostel in Makati cost 423PHP one-way and took around 30 minutes.
There are some other taxi alternatives to consider depending on whether or not you’re on a budget or if you don’t already have the Grab mobile application installed.
| Transport | Duration | Cost | Book |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taxi | 40 min | 423PHP | Book Online |
| Private Transfers | 40 min | 100PHP | Book Online |
Taxi
Grab
Grab is Asia’s take on Uber and operates in the majority of major cities in Asia and Manila is no different.
To take a Grab taxi from Manila Airport to Makati you can book using the mobile application available on IOS or Android or head to the pickup location and get one of the staff to book the service for you.
As we don’t have data coverage in the Philippines we opted to get one of the staff at the Grab pick-up location to book a taxi for us.
The Grab pick-up location at Manila Airport is located outside the airport just across from Bay 4 in the centre island of the traffic.
As well as the Grab sign marking this as the official location to pick up your taxi you’ll find the much larger Grab booth. It was here we were able to book our taxi with one of the staff members.
Taxi information including the licence plate registration and the pre-agreed fare is put onto a small slip of paper for your reference. You pay the Grab taxi driver once the trip is complete.
In our case, travelling from Manila to Makati cost 423 PHP.
We arrived at Manila Airport at 11 pm in the evening and waited 9 minutes for our Grab taxi. The total journey time from Manila Airport to our hotel Lub D, Makati was a little over 30 minutes.
Yellow Taxi
Yellow Taxis serve only the airport, while they are more expensive than white taxis (around 100 PHP more) they are heavily regulated and serve the airport 24/7.
If you’re not travelling from Manila Airport to Makati using Grab then Yellow taxi’s are you’re next safest option. These Yellow taxis are available outside arrivals.
The starting fare for a yellow taxi is 70 PHP unlike the white coupon taxies below (which are less safe, and more prone to tourist scams) which have a starting fare of 40 PHP.
The entire journey from Manila Airport to Makati with a yellow taxi is likely to be around 50 PHP more when compared to a white taxi below – the extra cost is most definitely worth it!
Metered taxis are more expensive than the white coupon taxis below. However, they are the only metered taxi company allowed in the airport.
Pro Tip: Some yellow cab drivers have been known to try and not turn on their meter for unknowing tourists.
Should a yellow taxi refuse to turn on the meter, get out and get another yellow taxi instead.
However, due to their safety and popularity with tourists, the wait time is often around 30 minutes to 1 hour – not ideal after stepping off an 18-hour flight from Europe.
White Taxi
White taxis are also known as coupon taxis and serve both the airport and Manila as a whole.
With no meter, the set price is arranged in advance of the travel, however, being a tourist you’re highly likely to be charged significantly more.
The white coupon taxis also come with no official receipt and are generally known as more unsafe compared to the highly regulated yellow taxis.
I would urge you to avoid them at all costs, and either get a taxi from the options above or a bus or private transfer as listed below.
Private Transfer
Take the hassle out of waiting around at the airport by booking a private transfer in advance.
Private transfers in the Philippines are incredibly affordable, and ideal for those who are able to spend a little more for the convenience of quickly and easily travelling from Manila Airport to Makati.
The driver will meet you in the arrivals hall, with a sign addressed with the name provided. From there they will take you to the car, and drive you directly to the pre-specified location.
Private transfers are also a great option for large families, groups or those travelling with a lot of luggage as you can often select a particular vehicle size that can accommodate up to twelve people.
Getting a SIM card is also a good option inorder to use Grab app. We have two famous mobile carriers, Globe and Smart. One is better than the other in some places around the country but most tourists use Globe.
Thank you for all the details on traveling in the Philippines. I especially appreciate the info on the taxis!
Thanks Maggie, glad we could help. I know when planning this trip ourselves we found the lack of documentation surrounding the cost of transport (and transport in general) to be frustrating. So, glad that us trying to fill the void has helped.