At a glance
- Inside BGC
- WalkWide, shaded sidewalks; a few minutes between areas
- BGC Bus
- About ₱13–15Beep card or tap a Mastercard
- Short Grab ride
- About ₱180–300Much more in rain and rush hour
- Airport (NAIA)
- 20–60+ minVia NAIAX and Skyway
The one rule: avoid leaving BGC between 7–10 AM and 5–9 PM if you can. In 2025, 10 km took about 35 minutes in the morning rush and 43 in the evening, citywide. Fridays, paydays (the 15th and 30th) and rainy evenings are worse.
Walking and cycling
BGC was planned for walking: wide sidewalks, trees, marked crossings and protected lanes for bikes and scooters on streets such as McKinley Parkway, 11th Avenue, 8th Avenue and 30th, 34th and 28th Streets. Most expats walk to work, school runs and dinner, and take a car only to leave BGC.
- Cross at the crossings. Jaywalking is fined in Metro Manila.
- Midday heat is real. Walk early or after 4 PM, or go through the malls; High Street, Uptown and Market! Market! are good shortcuts with air-con.
- Watch for turning cars at crossings even on a green light. Drivers don't always stop.
For a walk or a run, try the Greenway. This path follows the BGC side of the Manila Golf Club course, and it is one of the prettiest walks in the city. Bikes and scooters are not allowed, but strollers are welcome. When the weather is nice it fills with people out walking and running.
Sources: Federal Land: walkable BGC · AutoIndustriya: bike lanes
BGC Bus
Clean, air-conditioned buses run by BGC's developer. Two hubs: EDSA Ayala (McKinley Exchange, next to Ayala MRT, for Makati) and Market! Market! (the east side of BGC).
| Route | Goes | When |
|---|---|---|
| East Express | EDSA Ayala – Market! Market! | Mon–Fri, 6 AM–10 PM |
| North | EDSA Ayala – Uptown – The Globe Tower | Daily, 6 AM–9 PM |
| Central | Market! Market! – University Parkway | Mon–Fri, 5 AM–10 PM |
| West | EDSA Ayala – Fort Victoria | Mon–Fri, 5 AM–10 PM |
| Weekend | EDSA Ayala – Market! Market! – Fort Victoria | Sat–Sun, 5 AM–10 PM |
| Night | EDSA Ayala – Fort Victoria | 10 PM–5 AM |
- Paying: about ₱13–15 a ride. Tap a beep card or any Mastercard (credit, debit or prepaid). No card? Buy a one-trip beep QR ticket at the terminal booth, or in the GCash or Maya app.
- Arca South Express has been suspended since 1 April 2026.
Check before you rely on it. This is the January 2025 timetable, the latest we could confirm. Routes change; BGC posts updates on its Facebook page.
Sources: BGC Bus (from BGC's Jan 2025 schedule) · Sakay.ph · Mastercard tap-to-pay · Arca South suspension
Grab and other apps
Most expats use Grab for everything outside walking distance. Street taxis exist but can be hard to find in BGC.
| App | What it is | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Grab | Private cars (GrabCar) and electric taxis | The default; also food and groceries |
| inDrive | Cars; often 10–20% cheaper than Grab | A backup when Grab surges |
| Green GSM | Metered electric taxis | Cheaper than GrabCar on longer trips |
| Angkas, JoyRide, Move It | Motorcycle taxis (you ride pillion) | Beating traffic alone, with a small bag |
- Surge pricing is capped at 2× by the regulator, but in rain or the evening rush you may wait a long time for any car at all. Book early.
- For a sense of price: a 10 km trip in 2026 cost about ₱150–170 by motorcycle taxi, ₱300–370 by Green GSM and about ₱560 by GrabCar.
- Motorcycle taxis still run under a government pilot programme. The rider brings a helmet for you.
Sources: Ride-hailing apps 2026 · LTFRB surge cap · Motorcycle taxi pilot
To the airport (NAIA)
Take a Grab or taxi via the NAIA Expressway and Skyway; the driver will know it. There is no direct airport bus from BGC.
- Off-peak
- 20–30 min
- Rush hour
- 45–60+ min7–10 AM and 5–9 PM
- Grab fare
- About ₱350–600Before surge; tolls may be added
- Check your terminal with your airline. Many airlines moved terminals on 29 March 2026; for example, AirAsia's international flights now leave from Terminal 1. A free 24-hour shuttle links the terminals if you need it.
- Terminal fee: ₱950 for international departures since September 2025. It is normally already included in your ticket.
- Leave at least 3 hours before an international flight if you are travelling at rush hour.
Sources: Wego: Manila airport transfers · PortCalls: terminal changes · Malaya: terminal fees
To Makati, Ortigas and Alabang
- Makati (Ayala): the BGC Bus to EDSA Ayala is often as quick as a car at rush hour, and far cheaper. By Grab, take McKinley Road or Kalayaan Avenue.
- Ortigas: the BGC–Ortigas Link Bridge (2021) cut the trip a lot; the government's estimate is 12 minutes when roads are clear.
- Alabang: south on C-5 and the South Luzon Expressway, or the Skyway.
No one publishes reliable door-to-door times for these trips, and they swing wildly with the hour. Check Waze or Google Maps just before you leave.
Source: DPWH: BGC–Ortigas Link Bridge
Trains and the ferry
- MRT-3 (along EDSA): ride the BGC Bus to EDSA Ayala, next to Ayala station. From Guadalupe station, a jeepney runs to Market! Market! for about ₱14. Expect packed trains at rush hour.
- Metro Manila Subway: work on the BGC and Kalayaan stations started in February 2026. The full line is planned for about 2032, so don't plan around it yet.
- Pasig River Ferry: free, run by the MMDA, from Guadalupe station (closest to BGC) toward Manila. Monday to Saturday, about 7 AM–4:30 PM. Trips stop in bad weather, which happens often in the rainy season.
Sources: Sakay.ph: Guadalupe jeepney · BCDA: subway stations · Top Gear: ferry guide · Tribune: 2026 suspensions
Driving
- Your foreign licence is valid for 90 days after you arrive. After that, convert it at the LTO: book on portal.lto.gov.ph and bring your licence (with an English translation if needed), passport or ACR I-Card and a medical certificate from an LTO-accredited clinic. No test if your licence is valid. Budget about ₱800 in fees plus ₱500–600 for the medical. Not every LTO office does conversions; East Avenue in Quezon City does.
- Number coding: on weekdays, 7–10 AM and 5–8 PM, cars can't use major roads on one weekday set by the last digit of the plate. It applies on C-5 and EDSA, but not on BGC's own streets.
- Parking is plentiful in mall and building car parks, paid by the hour. Rates are posted at each entrance.
- Many families hire a driver instead of driving in Manila traffic themselves.
Sources: Top Gear: converting a foreign licence (Oct 2025) · Moneymax: number coding
Cards and apps to set up
- Beep card: works on the BGC Bus, MRT and LRT, and many point-to-point buses. Buy one at any MRT or LRT station and top it up there, or buy beep QR tickets in the GCash or Maya app.
- Grab: link a card before you need it. The app also does food and grocery delivery.
- Waze or Google Maps: check live traffic before you leave, not after.
- Sakay.ph: step-by-step directions by bus, jeepney and train, with fares.
Source: Moneymax: beep card