Fort Bonifacio is one of the places that prepare extravagant decors and host many exhilarating events for Christmas celebration. That is why many people, both residents and tourists, would want to spend their Christmas here in the city. But the big question is, do you know how to get the most out of the hippest and happening place in the Metro?

In this┬áTheFortCity.com‘s┬á┬áChristmas Guide 2017, you’ll find:

• Holiday Mall Schedule:┬áwhen you need to do your last minute shopping, you should know which malls are open.
• Mass Schedule:┬áfor Christians, there are several places you can go to.
• Events: a dedicated page to find all the events in the Fort happening this holiday. For all events happening in the Fort year round, you can of course visit our main events page.
• Activities:┬áfor adults, and for kids. Don’t let them be disappointed. Find the holiday operating hours of facilities that you may want to bring your kids to in advance.
• Medical Facilities:┬áwe do not want anything untoward to happen, but we need to be prepared. Some medical facilities may be closed during the holiday. Find out which ones will still be open.

DID YOU KNOW?

Pet-friendly BGC for your Furry Friends Bonifacio Global City is one of the most pet-friendly cities here in the metro. There are a lot of parks where you can take your cats and dogs for a walk. Also, most malls and a few restaurants allow your beloved pets inside their premises.

Vacation in the Fort

For starters, here are three important pointers that you may want to take note when planning a holiday vacation in the Fort:

1. Book your lodging

If you are not a resident here in Fort Bonifacio, it is imperative that you book a place to stay early. There are a lot of great 4 to 5-star hotels in the city. There are also apartments in condo buildings that cater to short-term stays.

For the high-end hotels, to give an idea of the rates, as of December 14, 2017, for check-in on Dec 24, the rate for one room (2 persons to stay) at Shangri-La at the Fort is about P14,000 per night, breakfast included. Seda Hotel’s rate is P9,300 without breakfast. Ascott BGC asks for P9,500, also without breakfast. These are rates directly from the hotels’ sites, so you may get higher or lower rates if you book through agents.

For condo stays such as those offered by Airbnb, you can book a room to stay for as little as P2,000, but the supply of good places in Bonifacio Global City for check-in on Dec 24 is running out quickly. You may need to look at places in McKinley Hill, which is about 25 minutes from BGC by walking. There, you can visit the Venice Grand Canal everyday, which is a decent albeit small replicate of the Venice canal.

We highly discourage driving in and out of the city especially in the weeks running up to Christmas because of the bad traffic. Trust us, you do not want to spend hours stuck in traffic during vacation. Luckily, Fort Bonifacio, especially Bonifacio Global City, is very pedestrian and bicycle friendly. Not only does it have wide sidewalks, the authorities also deploy a lot of traffic enforcers so that drivers are less likely to bully pedestrians at crossings. It also means that for most places that you stay in Bonifacio Global City, you can reach a lot of places of interest on foot.

2. Plan your itinerary

Before you visit the city, it is wise to prepare a list of places you want to visit, specifically┬áwhere would you like to eat! Things to do? There are also a lot of┬áChristmas activities┬áhappening in the Fort that are both fun and family-friendly. These include nightly Sound and Light show at Bonifacio High Street and a stage performance of “A Christmas Carol” at the BHS amphitheater near Central Square.

For first time visitors to the Fort, there are a few unique places to visit year round. Check out the holiday hours of these places in our guide.

3. Be updated

It is important to get yourself connected to informative sites such as TheFortCity.com, the most comprehensive and up-to-date website about Fort Bonifacio, which includes Bonifacio Global City and McKinley Hill places such as Venice Grand Canal Mall. This way, you won’t miss out on the latest happenings in the city. For timely updates, you can also subscribe to our e-newsletter or grab the latest copy of the Boni-Bulletin in Print.

DID YOU KNOW?

Inclusivity through Mobility There are ramps on all sidewalks and entrances to most buildings, making BGC the most wheelchair friendly city in the Philippines. As a result, you can find a variety of mobility gadgets in use on the streets of BGC, such as kick-scooters, electric scooters, skateboards, roller-skates and other unique wheelies. 

Christmas Mall Schedules

What’s the best way to spend quality time with the family while trying to tick off the Christmas wishlist of your relatives? Strolling through the malls of course! You do not have to go to every mall just to know their holiday schedule, because┬áTheFortCity.com┬áhas compiled them all in┬áhere.

Anticipated Mass in BGC

Attending the Anticipated Mass or more popularly known as “simbang gabi” is a big part of the Filipino Christmas tradition. We wake up as early as 3 AM in the morning to attend the first mass at 4 AM and feast on a piping hot puto bumbong┬áor bibingka before going back home to start the day.┬á

In BGC, this tradition is also observed and followed by many establishments here. To know where is the nearest place of worship click here.