All Saints' Day in the Philippines: Undas and Your Trip

If you land in Manila around 1 November, the short answer is this: Undas is worth experiencing, and the cemeteries are welcoming to respectful visitors, but the real risk to your trip is transport in the days before and after, not the day itself. Banks and government offices are shut on 1 November, and many smaller shops close or keep short hours. The roads around the big cemeteries jam badly, and flights, buses and ferries out of Manila fill up as millions of people head to their home provinces.

Plan it this way. Book flights and ferries well ahead for anything between roughly 30 October and 3 November. Keep your own movements on 1 November local and unhurried. If you want to see a cemetery, go as a quiet observer, not as a photographer. Below is what Undas actually is, how to behave, and how to build a sensible few days around it. If you are French or German, think of it as the Philippine Toussaint or Allerheiligen, though with far more food, music and noise than either.

What Undas is

Undas is the Filipino name for the Catholic observances of All Saints' Day on 1 November and All Souls' Day on 2 November. It is also called Todos los Santos, from the Spanish colonial era. The Philippines is a majority Catholic country, and this is one of the most important family dates of the year, comparable in weight to Christmas for many households. Whether 2 November is also a day off varies by year and by government proclamation, so check the current calendar before you fix plans.

The idea is simple: you go to where your dead are buried and spend time with them, and with the living relatives who have travelled to be there. Many people come from Manila back to the town or island where their parents and grandparents are buried, which is why the whole country seems to be on the move.

What happens at the cemetery

In the days before, families clean tombs, repaint them, and tidy the plots. On the day, they arrive with flowers (chrysanthemums are everywhere), candles, folding chairs, mats and a lot of food. Some families stay from morning until after dark. You will see picnics on and beside the tombs, children running between the rows, card games, guitars, vendors selling candles, drinks and snacks, and priests blessing graves. At night the candlelight across a large cemetery is genuinely moving.

It is not solemn in the way a European visitor might expect. Mourning and celebration sit side by side, and laughter is part of remembering. Do not mistake that for a lack of respect, and do not respond to it with a camera pointed at someone's grandmother's grave.

The biggest Manila cemeteries, such as Manila North Cemetery and Manila South Cemetery, are crowded, hot and loud. Next to the North Cemetery sits the Manila Chinese Cemetery, known for family mausoleums as large as small houses, a reminder of the Chinese-Filipino community you meet in Binondo. Authorities often set rules for the day, such as limits on alcohol, loudspeakers or sharp objects, and bag checks at the gates are common. Expect queues, and do not bring anything you would not want inspected.

How to watch without intruding

This is a private family moment held in a public place. A few rules will keep you on the right side of it:

• Ask before photographing people. Wide shots of candles and flowers from the paths are usually fine; close-ups of mourners, children at a grave or a family eating at a tomb are not, unless they invite you.
• Walk on the paths, never on the tombs. Many are crowded close together, and families sit on their own. Step around, say excuse me, and keep moving.
• Leave the drone and the tripod at the hotel. Nobody wants a content shoot beside their parents' grave.
• Dress modestly. Covered shoulders and knees, closed or sturdy shoes, a hat. It is hot and there is little shade.
• If a family invites you to share food, accept a small portion. Hospitality is real, and refusing everything can seem cold. Do not expect or ask for it.
• Keep your voice down and your phone away near services, blessings and prayers.
• Do not go to be moved. Go to be a quiet guest. If it feels intrusive, leave.

Be honest with yourself about the practicalities too. Mobile signal can struggle, ride-hailing cars are hard to find near the gates, and the heat plus crowds can wear you out within an hour. Go in the morning or late afternoon, carry water, and walk the last stretch rather than sitting in a jam.

The calendar that matters for your trip

The date itself is manageable. The days around it are not. This is how the period tends to unfold, though exact days shift with the calendar and any government announcement of extra days off.

What is shut, and what is not

Do not expect a total shutdown. Large malls generally stay open, as do many restaurants and hotels, but banks, government offices and many small independent shops and market stalls close or run short hours. Places near cemeteries become a different kind of busy, full of vendors. Change money and withdraw cash the day before, and check opening hours for any museum or church you want to visit on 1 November.

Flights, ferries and roads

If you are heading to the islands, this is the part that bites. Domestic flights fill early. Ferries and fast boats can sell out, and sea conditions at this time of year are not guaranteed, so a delayed or cancelled sailing on top of full capacity can strand you. Our guide to island tours in October and November covers the weather side, and getting around the Philippines explains how flights, ferries and vans fit together. The practical advice is blunt: book early, avoid tight connections, and do not put a long transfer on the same day as an international flight home.

If you want beaches, the shift in the wind makes November a good month for places like Boracay. See Boracay in November for how that looks. Just do not try to get there on 31 October without a ticket already in hand.

Seeing Manila in context while the city is quiet

1 November is, oddly, a good day to be in central Manila. Traffic that normally swallows hours thins out away from the cemeteries, and the historic core is easier to cross. It is also the best way to understand why Undas matters: Manila's history is layered, and the rituals of remembrance run through all of it.

The Old Manila Half-Day Tour: Tondo, Binondo and Intramuros is a three-hour walk and ride through three very different sides of the city. You meet your guide at Tutuban Center, walk into the Tondo market lanes, then travel by jeepney and tuk-tuk to Binondo. There you walk along Ongpin Street, see Binondo Church and pass under the Filipino-Chinese Friendship Arch. Binondo was founded in 1594 and is often called the oldest Chinatown in the world. The tour ends in Intramuros at Fort Santiago and Manila Cathedral. It runs as a shared small-group tour of up to 15 guests, so expect company, not a private outing. Hotel pickup is not included, you meet at Tutuban, and you should expect plenty of walking in the city heat.

If you would rather go deeper into the walled city and be collected from your hotel, home or an NAIA terminal anywhere in Metro Manila, look at the Intramuros and Historic Manila tour with hotel pickup. Despite the word in its title, its booking format is listed as a small-group shared tour of up to 15 guests, so check the booking page for what that means for your date. It lasts four hours: Fort Santiago (entrance included), Plaza de Roma and Manila Cathedral, San Agustin Church, the oldest stone church in the Philippines and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, then Casa Manila and the Baluarte de San Diego bastion. Entrance fees at San Agustin, Casa Manila and the bastion are paid on the day. Meals and tips are not included.

One caution that applies to both: around Undas, churches have services and some sites may adjust hours. Check availability for your date when you book rather than assuming everything runs as usual. For more ideas, things to do in Manila covers the wider city.

How to plan around Undas

• Decide where you will be on 31 October and 1 November first, then build everything else around it.
• Book domestic flights and ferries early for any day between about 30 October and 3 November, and avoid the return rush on 2 and 3 November if you can.
• Leave buffer before international flights. A 4 hour drive can become much longer on holiday weekends.
• Stock up the day before: cash, water, any pharmacy items.
• Pack for heat and rain. Our Philippines packing list helps, and a light rain layer is sensible in this season.
• Stay flexible. If you are building a longer trip, two weeks in the Philippines shows how to sequence cities and islands without cramming in the holiday week.

Safety on Undas is no different from any crowded Philippine event: watch your phone and wallet in dense crowds, keep bags zipped, and stay with your group. For the wider picture, see is the Philippines safe for tourists.

FAQ: Undas and travelling in the Philippines

Is 1 November a public holiday in the Philippines?

Yes, All Saints' Day on 1 November is a national holiday, and banks and government offices close. Whether 2 November is also a day off, or whether extra days are added, depends on the year and on government announcements, so check shortly before you travel.

Can tourists visit cemeteries on Undas?

Yes, and visitors are generally welcome if they are respectful. Go as a quiet observer, ask before photographing anyone, avoid walking on tombs, dress modestly and expect crowds, heat and security checks at the gates.

Are shops and restaurants closed on 1 November?

Not all of them. Large malls and many restaurants and hotels usually stay open, but banks, government offices and many smaller shops close or shorten their hours. Withdraw cash and buy essentials the day before.

When is the worst time to travel around Undas?

The days just before 1 November, when people leave Manila, and the day or two after, when everyone returns. Flights, buses and ferries are fullest then, so book early and avoid tight connections.

Should I still book city tours in Manila around 1 November?

It can be a good time for them, since central Manila is often quieter, but confirm availability and site opening hours for your date when you book. Both Helios Manila tours listed above are small-group shared tours of up to 15 guests.