What to Do in Pasig (19 Things)

The city of Pasig in the Philippines can be found along Metro Manila’s eastern border.

Although most luxury and business tourists often stay in the areas of Pasay and Manila to be close to the airport while backpackers stay in Makati City for its exciting nightlife, it is highly recommended to stay in Pasig if you are on a trip with your family or you wish to indulge in the perfect combination of the comforts of the city and active pursuits filled with adventure.

Charming in every sense of the word, Pasig is one of the business centers of Metro Manila but still remains as a hub where you can have quaint city experiences such as family picnics, weekend markets, dining, museum tours, and exploration.

At the very heart of Pasig, you will find modern urban conveniences such as towering offices, condominiums, and shopping malls.

Indeed, this is the perfect place that easily unifies culture and comfort.

Whether you will be staying in the area during the weekends or you are planning a longer vacation, there are many unique and fun activities to try and things to do in Pasig.

Read this short guide for the ultimate Pasig City adventure.

1. Discover the Legend of Donya Geronima’s Cave  

Pasig River boasts of three celebrated landmarks. Among these is the cave of Donya Jeronima or Geronima.

This legend has been included in the story of “El Filibusterismo,” the popular fictional work of Jose Rizal himself, the national hero of the country.

According to the legend, a young student has promised marriage to a maiden only to break that vow.

Believing in the promises made to her, the maiden wasted all her years waiting for the promise to be fulfilled.

Time passed her by and the maiden lost her youth only to learn that the man she has been waiting for became the Archbishop of Manila.

The woman then disguised as a man and after revealing herself, she asked the most prominent figure of the church to fulfill his promise.

However, this is no longer possible so the priest just built a cave for her, which is now located in Barangay Pineda. She spent the rest of her life here.

Some say that the maiden just throws the plates to the river and these will then come back to her shiny and sparkling clean.

Whether this story is true or just pure legend, there is no denying that the cave is something worthy to visit.

2. Travel Back in Time at Bahay na Tisa

A popular sanctuary under the ownership of Tech family since the 1850s, Bahay na Tisa or also called the Freedom House is a long-standing structure that witnessed the evolution of the country’s political landscape and all the physical changes around it.

But even after many years have passed, the area still remained just the same at least as far as its structural elements are concerned.

Large adobe blocks on the walls of the ground floor serve as support to the heavy load of the hardwood floorings of the second floor of Bahay na Tisa.

Originally, the roof of the house was made of Tisa, thus the name, until it was destroyed during the Second World War.

Today, it stands high and tall with its shade of the corrugated asbestos roof. Its original windows made of capiz shells still remain.

In the 1980s, the house was used by the two factions in the political real during the times of Martial Law, serving as the location for their general meetings.

With the unique, stunning and rustic character and the antique appearance right in the middle of tzbustling streets of the city, Bahay na Tisa is a hard to miss sight that will captivate your eyes and evoke memories of the distant past.

3. Learn about Pasig in a Nutshell at the Museums

They say that you will never be able to appreciate the beauty of a place until you learn its history.

Archaeological endeavors play a critical role to achieve a preserved culture that is starting to fade away little by little.

The good news is that Pasig City also serves as the home to several museums where both local and foreign tourists can take a trip down memory lane.

Whether you are a proud resident of the city or you are just visiting for a few days, your list of activities will never be complete if you don’t include a tour of its different museums.

If you want to get a good timeline of the city’s history, the old Concepcion Mansion that has now become Pasig City Museum should be your first stop.

Architect Felizardo M. Dimanlig, a native of Pasig and a former mayor, built the mansion in 1973 to honor his wife, Victoria.

The architecture of the mansion was Neo-Castillian inspired style with ornate revivalist fashion or style of the pre-war era, terra cotta roof, and 15th century wooden flooring that originally came from Pasig Cathedral.

During the Second World War, the Japanese used the mansion as a destination center.

The veranda of the mansion was also the place where the flag of the United States was raised as a symbol of the freedom of Pasig from the Japanese forces.

The mansion truly serves as a home and witness of Pasig’s historical timeline that now houses the collections of items that correspond to every period of the city’s development throughout history.

This is a very intriguing place to explore with its marble floors that lead upstairs to the Azotea that gives you a glimpse of Pasig Cathedral right across it.

Pasig Cathedral also has its own museum where you will be able to see the Blessed Virgin Mary’s old carved image.

If you are curious to know how the ilustrados looked like, you can see their old photos and paintings at the Lopez Museum located in Ortigas at the Benpress Building.

The Lopez Museum functions as a library and a gallery at the same time.

If modern art pieces made by emerging and young talents are what you hope to see, you will find them all at the Cevio Art House along San Isidro Street.

4. Satisfy Your Adventurous Streak at RAVE

Rainforest Adventure Experience or simply RAVE is a proof that you don’t need to leave the metropolitan area just to get close to nature.

It is very seldom to see a rainforest right in the middle of a city but Pasig got one.

It has a land area of 20 acres or 8 hectares and is a great combo of a national park and recreational area.

With its Olympic-sized swimming pool, jogging oval, tennis court, children’s playground, fitness center, and even a mini-zoo, there is no denying that RAVE is a real heaven on earth that every nature and fitness enthusiast should check out.

The property underwent an expansion in 1996 after acquiring the additional 5.2 acres or 2.1 hectares of land where they added the skating rink, obstacle course, and zip line.

The full-sized amphitheater, butterfly pavilion and botanical garden are just the kind of sights that you won’t expect to see when you are in the midst of an urban jungle.

5. Have Some Fun at the Zoo and Ranch

Aside from RAVE, Pasig also got a zoo and a ranch, another big surprise if you have been so used to cities with nothing but buildings and skyscrapers.

The Ark Avilon Zoo is a must-visit, especially for families with kids as this is the best place where you can introduce them to those animals that they only see in cartoons or read about in books.

Despite being notably small, unlike other zoos, this place is enough for a fun introduction and an exciting educational bonding during the weekend.

A close distance to the zoo is the Fun Ranch, a mini theme park made for children that have child-friendly rides safe for the little ones.

6. Marvel at Mutya ng Pasig Public Market

Probably the biggest public market in the country, Mutya ng Pasig Public Market is a sight to behold, spanning with its three stories with a floor area of 2009,227 square feet or 19, 475 square meters that serves as a home to around 2,447 fixed stalls and approximately 2,967 stalls used as flea market or tiangge during the weekends.

Its imposing structure is the reason why this has become one of the most popular landmarks of the city, which is perfectly complemented by the parking area with four stories and a terminal for the tricycles.

The unique geographical arrangement is an excellent alternative to malls that are tend to be very congested.

 7. Celebrate Pasig Festivals and Events with the Whole Family

The city of Pasig is also popular for their different festivities all year round such as the Araw ng Pasig, the Itik-Itik Festival, the Bambino Festival, Kalog Kalog Festival, Bayanihan and Paskotitap.

All of these celebrations have special meanings for the Pasiguenos and you can join them during your stay to get a dose of fun.

8. Indulge in Utmost Relaxation at Ace Water Spa

The all-weather indoor facility of Ace Water Spa is something you won’t be able to resist. Its Olympic-sized pools are perfect for laps while the hydrotherapy pools are equipped with aquatic jets that can massage specific parts of your body for the ultimate relaxing experience like no other.

You can just sit and chill by the pool, enjoy lazy floats or soak in those hot herbal pools to soothe your aching muscles and free your body from toxins.

There are also cold water pools where you can submerge to stimulate the flow of blood in your skin and all muscles beneath it.

9. Have a Quick Escape at the Escape Room

As one of the first ever real life escape room games in the entire country, Breakout Philippines is where you can play as a team with your family or friends and solve puzzles so you can escape from the locked rooms within 45 minutes.

10. Go Biking at the Bike Playground

Located in Circulo Verde, the Bike Playground has a outdoor trail of 1 kilometer and an outdoor track for children.

The trail has been well-designed featuring several jumps, ramps, and twists to give you that much-needed trail biking fix.

The internationally designed pump track is the main highlight of the Bike Playground.

Technically, the place is not really in the area of Pasig but it is close to the city that makes it easily accessible.

11. Work Those Muscles at Climb Central Manila

In Greenfield District you will find Climb Central Manila, the country’s biggest indoor wall climbing gym with more than 45 climbing lanes that can accommodate up to 100 climbers.

This facility is completely air-conditioned complete with lockers as well as well-maintained shower rooms so you can freshen up once you finished scaling those walls.

Climb Central Manila is truly a fun indoor destination for both advanced climbers and beginners. You can also choose from the kid-friendly routes.

Don’t worry if you are all by yourself because you can still try out some walls as they feature an auto-belay system.

12. Unleash the Kid in You at the Trampoline Park

The Trampoline Park is located beside Climb Central Manila.

If you are already done with climbing or it’s not your cup of tea, you can just feel like a little child all over again as you enjoy a fun workout with bouncing, jumping, and hopping on the trampolines at the Zero Gravity Zone of Trampoline Park.

If you think that only kids would love this, you might want to think again once you see all those teens and adults having loads of fun in the place.

When you are exhausted at the trampolines, you can also try the gravity dodgeball and foam pool.

13. Explore Pasig’s Food Parks

Food parks can now be found anywhere you go including Pasig.

If you are on a trip with your friends, Pasig got its very own selection of trendy food parks perfect for barkadas such as Madison Commons and Gastropark in Kapitolyo and The Yard Underground in Oranbo.

For families and children, Industrie Food Loft is more ideal with its air-conditioned food hall at the rooftop adorned with interiors that would look perfect on the ‘Gram.

This particular food park can be found in J. Vargas corner Ruby Road in Ortigas.

14. Scour the Kapitolyo for the Ultimate Food Trip

Foodies will surely get their fill at the Kapitolyo.

Upscale restaurants can be found at the nearby Capitol Commons while more affordable options are available at East Capitol Drive and United Street and Brixton, ranging from comfort food to desserts and international specialties.

Locavore Kapitolyo is a must-try restaurant as they give exciting twists to classic Filipino dishes.

Other excellent choices include Silantro Fil-Mex Cantina, Bistro United, Café Juanita, and CAB Café.

15. Grab Some Drinks at BeerHouse Kapitolyo

In case you don’t know it yet, Pasig also has its very own local microbrewery.

The small brewery of Kapitolyo Brewing Company can be found in Brgy. Kapitolyo.

They serve outstanding craft beers made using the finest ingredients, hops, and malt imported from different parts of the world.

Local specialty spices are used to give their beers a unique local character and taste.

16. Find the Best Local Products at Tiendesitas

Tiendesitas should always be part of your Pasig itinerary for a good reason.

The place showcases the best of the best products in the country that range from furniture to food, novelty items, and personal care.

Over 450 traders occupy the area coming from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao to offer the specialties of their hometowns.

17. Shop and Mall-Hop All You Want

Pasig is surrounded with malls of all types of sizes so you can be sure that you will never run out options if shopping is your favorite sport.

Some of them include SM Megamall, Rustan’s, Shangri-La Plaza, Estancia Mall, Capitol Commons, Robinson’s Galleria, and The Podium.

18. Be Captivated by the Tektite Towers

The Tektite Towers is a 34-story twin tower established for the Unified Philippine Stock Exchange in 1993 that marked the beginning of the rise of similarly spectacular structures in the city’s central business district.

The uppermost levels will give you a scenic view of Ortigas Center yet if you find this idea literally too lofty for you, you can just enjoy sipping your coffee at the lobby among the business types.

19. Go on Your Much-Needed “Staycation”

If the prospect of exploring the whole city is enough to make you feel tired, you can always choose to have a staycation instead. Most hotels in the city are modern and clean that will give you value for your money.

Complete with all the amenities and facilities you will ever need and ask for, you might not even think about leaving the hotel at all.

The next time you find yourself in the streets of Pasig, don’t miss out on doing and trying these things for the ultimate experience of everything that this vibrant city has to offer!