Bambike Ecotours Intramuros

Tourist attraction · South Port District

Bambike Ecotours Intramuros

Tourist attraction · South Port District

Bambike HQ, Plaza San Luis Complex. Real St, corner M General Luna St, Intramuros, Manila, 1002 Metro Manila, Philippines

Highlights

Explore the rich history of Intramuros on a fun, eco-friendly Bambike tour that promises great guides, comfy bikes, and a sweet ice cream finale.

Bambike HQ, Plaza San Luis Complex. Real St, corner M General Luna St, Intramuros, Manila, 1002 Metro Manila, Philippines Get directions

bambike.com

@bambikeecotours

@afar

"Bambiking in Intramuros Hop on a lightweight bicycle and learn about the history of the Philippines on a guided bike tour around Manila's old walled city of Intramuros. The bikes are handmade in the Philippines from bamboo, a natural vibration dampener, and fibers from the abaca plant (similar to a banana); Bambike Revolution Cycles won a Manila FAME Katha Award for Eco-Design in 2015. This is a unique alternative to a walking or bus tour, and takes you inside a walled city that is not normally accessible to bigger groups. Intramuros almost doesn’t feel like Manila: The Spanish influence is evident in the architecture, which includes some of the oldest baroque churches in the Philippines. Fort Santiago still houses underground dungeons as well as a tiny underground chapel, hidden at the end of a tunnel. At the Rizal Shrine you will learn about the life of José Rizal, the country's national hero who played an instrumental role in the Philippine rebellion against Spanish colonial rule, and follow in the footsteps he made as he took his last walk in the fort from his cell to his execution."

The Best Things to Do in the Philippines

View Postcard for Bambike Ecotours Intramuros, Manila

@afar

The Best Things to Do in the Philippines

View Postcard for Bambike Ecotours Intramuros, Manila

Elisa Joana Lim (Lisa)

Google

Super enjoyed the bambike night tour with our guide Paolo. He was kind enough to wait for us despite being 30minutes late for the tour. He's the best! What makes this tour different and worth it is the fact that it's way more fun and interactive compared to when you're just passively following a tour guide. It's definitely a more elevated way to go around Intramuros. Great for both foreigners and locals! 👍👍

Mya Griesbaum

Google

I was only in PH for a few days, and this tour was definitely a highlight of my trip! The 2-3 hour Bambike Intramuros tour packed a lot in, and everyone was super nice! My guide, Paolo, gave a wonderful overview of the Intramuros history and was able to answer all of my questions! Would definitely recommend if you have a short trip and want to have an educational experience on the go! *Plus, there's free ice cream at the end (non-dairy options available) :)

Agnes Felipe

Google

This was a great tour company for introducing us to historic sites in Intramuros area. Our tour guide Paulo was extremely knowledgeable & showed enthusiasm in the history of the area and very helpful taking stops to take pictures as well as making sure our group was safe at all times, especially with the bikes, cars & the road…overall a great experience and worth the time if ever you are visiting the Manila area. Thanks Bambike:)

Jeannette

Google

Great tour guide, but leaving an informational review for other foreign tourists: This bike tour involves actively biking on roads next to cars and motorcycles. If you've been in Manila for a bit, you probably can already see why that might be intimidating as drivers are not afraid to get very close to others, to cross lanes in order to cut others off or get ahead, and the large number of motorcycles on the road that weave between everyone. So definitely do not do this tour unless you're confident biking amongst cars on the road. There is indeed a bike guide that stays at the back and helps block cars so you can pass, but can't guarantee they will be that good - our guide actually crashed into some bricks at one point and was almost as bad at biking in a straight line as I was (and I learned a week ago!) They also lost us/forgot about us one crosswalk away from the end, but luckily our friends popped back out to find us. I'm still giving 5 stars though because that was a trainee and the lead guide (Paolo) was honestly great and gave detailed history at each stop, complete with visual references too. Ample time to wander around at each stop, Paolo was great at volunteering to help take pictures, and of course good ice cream at the end. Watch out for mosquitos, they provide citronella spray but I was still bitten twice. And yeah, don't do this tour if you're liable to get a panic attack like me from trying to start pedaling again in the middle of a busy road after every time we stop. Also can't imagine letting a kid ride by themselves even if they were experienced - there's just too many cars/motorbikes on the road willing to cross right in front of you.

Xuan Ng

Google

Good experience cycling around this historic part of town. The guys at Bambike were very friendly and accommodating. Jd was a very good guide as well. His partner also make sure we are safe and well hydrated during our ride.Ice cream at the end of the ride was divine. Highly recommended !!!

L Tantay

Google

JayD was a wonderful guide. He was very knowledgeable and gave a lot info about each site. I’m glad that we did this instead of the walking tour. We saw so many sites, it was safe, and very comfortable. We did the 9 am tour and that worked out well since it was very hot later in the day.

Joseph Cosme (JP)

Google

Bambike Ecotours Intramuros was easy to book online ahead of time. Upon arrival, we were greeted at their small store front in a historical, cobble stone street in Intramuros. Check-in was quick and painless. The staff was very kind and accommodating. Our tour guide was Jay-D. We highly recommend getting him as your tour guide, although I'm sure you can't go wrong with anyone on their team. Jay-D was professional, enthusiastic, kind, and informative. We were in a large group (13 people) and he did a great job directing and educating us. We rode our bikes through the city and even though the traffic is chaotic, we always felt safe throughout the entire tour. They did a great job curating the tour and held our interest in each stop. Thank you Jay-D and Bambike Ecotours. Nice work!

Gilbert Dizon

Google

It was so fun!! I loved biking and checking out all the places around intramuros. Our guide taught us some stuff around the tour and the flashcards were realy helpful too! Our tour guide Paolo was so nice and really helped us around the place.

Dina P.

Yelp

This is conveniently located next to the saint augustin church. Renting a bike was easy and my bike was easy to use. You fill out their waiver online and then leave them an ID. They took my Alaska drivers license and held on to it the duration of my rental. It's 100 Pecos an hour. What a deal! They take 100 Pecos as a deposit and even charge by half hour increments. It was very hot the day I rented the bike and was so glad there is a breeze while riding vs walking in the heat. Service is great and best value.

V. V.

Yelp

The tour was amazing! So informative and the guide was available to answer additional cultural questions when I had them. We got to go into the newly-reopened dungeon, which was both fascinating and totally freaky. The bikes were beautiful and clean. And every cop and traffic person in Intramuros seemed to know the tour guide and let us through before all the cars. 100% would recommend as a must-do in Manila. My favorite thing I've done here in the 2 weeks I've been.

LilBit A.

Yelp

What a great way to discover history, see some ruins and learn about Old Manila. We've been living in Philippines as expats for almost a year now. We've been around Intramuros before with official business. With this tour though, it brought it to a different light! We got to go in alleyways, nooks and crannies, behind walls and above walls that we never knew existed! Russell was our guide. He was funny but not corny. Very knowledgeable but not arrogant. Russell and the staff were all warm and friendly. I have 2 concerns: 1.The only problem I had was they did not ask who in the group was a bit scared of being on a bike. I was. Especially in this Manila traffic!!! 2. One of my friends had her 4yr old daughter with her and they did not have accommodations for children! The child did not want to go after testing out her "seat" on the bike with her Mom. "Seat", meaning her daughter would have to hang on for dear life with her feet dangling and no seat belts. It looked totally unsafe and uncomfortable. My freind had to stay with her daughter, forfeited the tour. They were able to join later as Bambike had a tricycle type that they were able to use for them. It turned out to be a happy trip for all of us, afterall!

Justine E.

Yelp

Bike tours are becoming more and more popular all over Asia, and what's great about Bambike Ecotours is not only that you'll be riding a bike (!) but what you'll be riding already is a representation of Filipino craftsmanship -- the Bambike. Made with local Bamboo, this bike has a story to tell. And, Bambike Ecotours also offers a better way to experience Intramuros if you're not up for walking under the tropical heat, or if you personally refuse to ride horsedrawn carriages for ethical reasons. Horsedrawn carriage rides, or 'calesas' are popular here in Intramuros, and not only are they expensive, but they're very, very cruel. These horses toil all day, hauling heavy carriages and tourists under the heat of the sun, while enduring physical pain inflicted by 'kutseros', and they do it all just for the promise of food. It's very heartbreaking, and if you have any compassion for the horses, put your money elsewhere, walk around Intramuros, or join this bike tour that offers you more interactivity, lowers your carbon footprint, and its exercise for your body, too! Getting on a bike instead is REALLY not a bad idea at all. Although the eco bike tours are quite pricey at Php 1,200/person, you do get a tour guide and an in-depth learning about the history of Intramuros inclusive of entrance fees and bottled water, all in 2.5 hours. However, if you would just like to ride a Bambike, you can do so at Php 300/hour, too! They also have bikes for kids, by the way!

Nonito C.

Yelp

Okay, judge me all you want, but sometimes I patronize a business just because the proprietor is cute. I admit that sometimes, even if the business is mediocre, I would go back as long as I can shamelessly ogle at the owner. Well, if the business is really excellent, then it's a great combination. I can say this about Bambike. The shop, display room and tour headquarters in Intramuros is run by Bryan McClelland, Eco Tourguide and Founder of this awesome startup that creates study bikes from local bamboo. It's a great concept - sustainable bamboo cultivation meets great industrial design, multiplied by an innovative business model and made even more unique by its attempt at mainstreaming ecotourism and responsible consumption among Filipinos. The Bambike Tours, for instance, help people get acquainted with Intramuros, a historical site, and Bryan's tour covers most of the important spots that you don't only participate actively in the tour, but it's also a great way of promoting the biking culture in Manila, where people (ehem ehem) lazily catch trikes or pedi cabs to avoid walking that last mile (then again, in this heat, who can blame our compatriots, eh?) Anyway, more than just a great business run by a cute face, I love that Bambikes is doing something creative while providing a livelihood to local craftsmen. I am saving up for a Bambike so that I can also cruise in style in the city. Good job, Bryan!

Brittany C.

Yelp

Guys this is a must do! The guides are very knowledgeable and friendly. The bikes are sturdy, comfortable, and made of bamboo (you get to see a video of how they're made). This is a great way to learn about Manila history while having an awesome time.

Geoff R.

Yelp

This tour is a great way to get to know the history of Manila and the Philippines. We went on 5 stops with the last one finishing at the top of a hotel watching the sunset (sunset tour). Great place to meet new people, fellow travellers and see the amazing city.

Reena G.

Yelp

My sister has been wanting to go on the Bambike tour ever since she read about it a few years ago. One day, she just called and told me that she bought coupons not just for herself, but also for me. I had mixed thoughts as I have seen most of Intramuros from working in the area and going on several field trips and walking tours, but I was also enthusiastic in trying out a bike made of bamboo. We were welcomed and briefed, mostly about the company background, the social responsibility aspect of the business and riding safety, of course. The six of us then went with our guide, following him around until it started to drizzle. Surprisingly, our guide was armed with raincoats for all of us. Indeed, nothing can stop adventurous souls from exploring more. In all fairness, I did see the walled city form a different perspective. We walked on top of the walls, biked along streets unfamiliar to occasional tourists like me, and added to our rusty knowledge of our history. As for the bikes, well, I liked it so much that I'm seriously considering converting my own to have a bamboo frame.

Benjamin C.

Yelp

Intramuros is an interesting place to walk around in, but something has to be said about touring it by bike. If you're up tonit and have some spare cash to spend, why not take a Bambike economy tour? For P1200/person, you will get to ride one of Bambike's signature bamboo bicycles. These bikes are incredibly tough and a joy to use. A guide will then take you all over Intramuros to see the main attractions, and then some. It's a wonderful experience, and definitely a conversation-starter. Seriously, how many people do you know have ridden a bike made of bamboo? If you want to get one of these eco-friendly breasts for yourself, Bambike is selling fully assembled bikes, as well as single gear and multi gear frames.

Gabrielle A.

Yelp

This is a pretty awesome company. I'm a big fan. First off, the bikes are made by communities in Gawad Kalinga projects. Then the bikes are made from a sustainable material - bamboo. It's a good solution to tours in Intramuros because I'm not a fan of the un-animal-friendly calesas. Plus you'll get a little work out too! The tour guides here are all super friendly and accommodating and there are loads of different bikes for you to chose from. They've got BIG bikes with huge wheels, which are surprisingly easy (and fun!) to ride. What's great is that you can even purchase a bike if you so please. They run on the pricey side, but what's cool is that you can customize them to any size and color!

Jeffrey P.

Yelp

There are a lot of tours available for those who want to see the famed walled city of Intramuros but Bambikes offer something distinct, a bike tour of this historical site. And not just your ordinary bike, bikes made of bamboo! Talk about indigenous mode of transport. Being able to ride bamboo bikes is a great experience already. Add to that the chance to re-live history via a tour of Intramuros and you have something really memorable. Just like other tours, you get to visit the beautiful churches of Intramuros. Of course, a tour of Intramuros is not complete without a visit to Fort Santiago. The tour guides are funny yet informative. They also have a huge supply of patience for all of your questions. The 2 and a half hour tour is the one I recommend since it gives you enough time to properly explore the places you will visit. It's frustrating when tour guides always rush everyone because there are still a lot of places that needs to be covered. BTW if you enjoyed riding the bambikes then you're in luck because you can purchase these bikes made by the Gawad Kalinga community. And no, you won't get splinters from them.

Mia L.

Yelp

The rustic streets and historical walls of Intramuros in Manila have always been known by many as a must-see cultural site in the country. The expanse covered by this walled city may be too tiring to explore by foot, and so Bambike Ecotours provide an eco-friendly solution to tour the area- ride a bamboo-framed bicycle with a vibrant tour guide. As weird as it may seem, touring Intramuros on a Bambike can make one feel closer to the Filipino vibe, as the use of local bamboo on it makes it seem very nationalistic. It is also an efficient way to tour the place because the tour guides are accommodating and truly knowledgeable about the history and other trivias about the different sites inside. They're also fluent in English, making it easier for them to interact with foreign patrons. Inside the shop, various Bambikes of different types, as well as bamboo bowties, baskets, and accessories, are on display and are for sale.