Manila’s Best Shopping Malls

Metro Manila is home to some of the largest and most impressive shopping centres in the Philippines, offering everything from international brands and Filipino products to restaurants, cinemas and entertainment.

Exterior of SM Mall of Asia in Pasay, with its large blue SM logo, palm trees and traffic along the road

Shopping malls play a much bigger role in everyday life in Metro Manila than simply providing somewhere to shop.

With the city’s tropical heat, heavy rain and busy streets, malls function as air-conditioned social centres where people meet friends, eat, watch films, attend events and spend entire afternoons.

For visitors, they can also be convenient places to combine shopping, food and entertainment in one stop.

SM Mall of Asia

SM Mall of Asia, commonly called MOA, is one of Metro Manila’s best-known shopping destinations.

Located in Pasay beside Manila Bay, the enormous complex contains hundreds of shops together with restaurants, cinemas and entertainment attractions.

Its waterfront location is one of its biggest advantages for visitors. You can spend part of the afternoon shopping and then head towards Manila Bay as evening approaches.

MOA is particularly suitable if you want a large-scale Manila mall experience with almost everything in one place.

Greenbelt

For a very different shopping experience, head to Greenbelt in Makati.

Greenbelt combines indoor shopping with landscaped outdoor areas, restaurants and cafés. Its central Makati location makes it easy to combine with other malls and attractions around the Ayala Center.

You’ll find international brands and more upscale shopping here, but the surroundings are part of the attraction.

If you’d rather stroll between shops and restaurants than spend the entire time inside one enormous building, Greenbelt is one of the more pleasant choices.

Open-air pedestrian plaza at Greenbelt in Makati, with landscaped gardens, palm trees and surrounding buildings

Glorietta

Immediately nearby, Glorietta provides another large concentration of shops, restaurants and entertainment.

Because Greenbelt and Glorietta are both part of the wider Ayala Center area, you can easily explore both during the same visit.

This makes Makati one of the strongest choices for visitors who want plenty of shopping without travelling between distant parts of Metro Manila.

SM Megamall

SM Megamall in Mandaluyong is another of Metro Manila’s giant shopping centres.

Its huge selection of stores covers fashion, electronics, home products, beauty, food and numerous other categories.

There are also extensive dining and entertainment options.

Megamall is a good choice when the priority is simply having an enormous range of shops available in one location.

Bonifacio High Street

Bonifacio High Street in BGC feels quite different from a conventional enclosed shopping mall.

Shops, restaurants and cafés line a pedestrian-oriented outdoor development surrounded by the modern towers of Bonifacio Global City.

It works particularly well in the late afternoon and evening, when you can combine shopping with dinner and a walk through BGC.

For visitors who prefer an open-air urban environment to a traditional mall, this may be one of the most enjoyable choices.

Bonifacio High Street in BGC at night, with illuminated shops, pedestrians, trees and the shopping district sign

Uptown Mall

Also in BGC, Uptown Mall offers a more conventional indoor shopping experience.

It contains international and local brands, restaurants, entertainment and other services in a modern setting.

Combining Uptown Mall with other parts of BGC can easily fill an afternoon or evening.

Robinsons Place Manila

If you are staying in central Manila rather than Makati, Pasay or BGC, Robinsons Place Manila can be particularly convenient.

Located in Ermita, it is close to many hotels and within relatively easy reach of Rizal Park, Manila Bay and Intramuros.

It offers a broad mixture of shops, restaurants and everyday services without requiring a special trip to one of Metro Manila’s newer business districts.

Which Manila Mall Should You Visit?

Choose according to what else you want to do that day.

For a huge mall beside Manila Bay, choose SM Mall of Asia.

For upscale shopping, restaurants and pleasant surroundings, try Greenbelt and the Ayala Center in Makati.

For maximum choice under one roof, SM Megamall is difficult to beat.

For shopping combined with a modern outdoor city atmosphere, choose Bonifacio High Street and BGC.

And if you’re staying around Ermita or central Manila, Robinsons Place Manila is one of the most convenient options.

Shopping for Filipino Products

While international brands dominate many of Metro Manila’s malls, look beyond the familiar names.

Department stores, speciality shops and smaller retailers can be good places to find Filipino clothing, food products, crafts and gifts.

If you’re specifically looking for bargains, markets or a more local shopping experience, Manila also offers plenty beyond its modern malls.

Make Shopping Part of Your Day

You don’t necessarily need to dedicate an entire day to a shopping mall.

Combine Mall of Asia with Manila Bay, Greenbelt with an evening in Makati, or Bonifacio High Street with dinner and a walk through BGC.

That way, shopping becomes part of exploring Metro Manila rather than simply a break from it.

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