Things to Do in BGC (Bonifacio Global City): A Guide to Taguig's Modern Hub
Bonifacio Global City — BGC — is the part of Metro Manila that works the way visitors expect a city to work. It is built on the former Fort Bonifacio military base, it is planned on a grid, and it is the one district in the metro where walking is genuinely the best way to get around. Wide pavements, pedestrian crossings that cars respect, street trees, and public art on the corners.
For a first-time visitor, or for anyone who wants an evening without negotiating traffic, it is the easiest recommendation in the city.
What to actually do
- Bonifacio High Street — the central pedestrian spine, a long open-air strip of shops and restaurants with a park running down the middle. This is where most visits start.
- The Mind Museum — the country's best science museum, genuinely well made and not just for children.
- Street art and public sculpture — BGC has an unusually serious public art programme. Murals and installations are scattered across the district, and finding them is a decent way to structure a walk.
- Venice Grand Canal Mall — a canal-and-gondola mall, unashamedly artificial and popular for exactly that reason.
- Manila American Cemetery — the largest American military cemetery outside the United States, with more than 17,000 graves from the Pacific theatre. Quiet, immaculate, and genuinely moving. Free to enter.
- Terra 28th and Track 30th — open green spaces used for markets, food fairs, and outdoor events.
Eating and drinking
BGC has the highest density of good restaurants in Metro Manila, spanning every price point. Bonifacio High Street and the surrounding blocks cover casual dining; Uptown and the streets around it hold most of the higher-end places; and the area around Forbes Town is where the bars are.
For a visitor, the practical advantage is not any single restaurant — it is that if a place is full, three alternatives are within a two-minute walk.
Events
BGC's open spaces host a steady programme of markets, food festivals, outdoor screenings, and concerts, particularly at the BGC amphitheatre and open venues. Check events in Taguig for what is on.
Getting there and around
| From | How |
|---|---|
| Makati (Ayala) | BGC Bus from the Ayala terminal, 15–25 min |
| MRT-3 Ayala | Then BGC Bus or a short ride |
| NAIA | 20–40 min by car, depending on terminal and traffic |
| Ortigas | 25–45 min by car via C-5 |
Once you are there, walk. The district is roughly 240 hectares and the core is comfortably crossable on foot. The free BGC Bus loops the district if you need it, and ride-hailing is plentiful.
Practical notes
- It is expensive by Metro Manila standards. Restaurant and drink prices sit well above the city average.
- Parking is paid and fills up on weekend evenings.
- It is very safe, well lit, and heavily patrolled — one of the few parts of the metro comfortable to walk late.
- It can feel sterile. BGC is planned, clean, and corporate; if you are looking for the older, messier texture of Manila, this is not where to find it. Intramuros, Quiapo, or Poblacion are.
- Weekends are busy, particularly High Street on Saturday evening.
Who it suits
BGC is the right choice if you want a straightforward evening out, a first date, a meal with visiting family, or somewhere to walk after dark without thinking about it. It is the wrong choice if you came to the Philippines for the historic or the chaotic — that is a different part of the city, and worth seeking out separately.
FAQ
What is BGC? Bonifacio Global City, a planned business and residential district in Taguig built on the former Fort Bonifacio.
Is BGC walkable? Yes — it is the most walkable district in Metro Manila by a wide margin.
How do I get to BGC from Makati? The BGC Bus from the Ayala terminal, 15 to 25 minutes.
Is it expensive? Yes, relative to the rest of Metro Manila.
Is it safe at night? Very — well lit, patrolled, and busy into the evening.
What is worth seeing besides restaurants? The Mind Museum, the Manila American Cemetery, and the public art across the district.
Is there anything historic there? The Manila American Cemetery. Otherwise BGC is new — for historic Manila, go to Intramuros.
Last verified: August 2026. Restaurant, transport, and event details change — confirm before travelling.
BGC also hosts a steady run of conventions and expos — see the guide to Philippine conventions and comic cons.
See events in Taguig or browse more guides.