Undas 2026 in Manila: Cemetery Hours and Road Closures

Manila North Cemetery is open to Undas visitors from October 29 to November 2, 2026, from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Manila South Cemetery keeps a shorter window, October 31 to November 2, from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. At both, cars, motorcycles and every other kind of vehicle stay outside the gates from October 29 until regular operations come back on November 3.

That covers the basics. The rest of the picture is closed streets, a long list of items guards will take off you at the entrance, and very large crowds. On November 1 last year, Manila North alone counted more than a million visitors. This year All Saints' Day falls on a Sunday and All Souls' Day on a Monday, and both are special non-working days, so the long weekend will push a lot of families toward the same gates at the same hours.

This guide sticks to what you need on the day: opening hours and deadlines, the road closures around the North Cemetery, getting there by train, what to leave at home, and when to go if you would rather not spend the afternoon shuffling shoulder to shoulder.

Cemetery Hours and Deadlines

Manila North Cemetery, in Santa Cruz, is the biggest and busiest public cemetery in the city. Gates open daily from Thursday, October 29, through Monday, November 2, from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Families who still need to clean, fix or repaint a tomb have until Tuesday, October 27. Burials stop after Wednesday, October 28.

Manila South Cemetery stands inside Makati but is run by the City of Manila. It opens for Undas on Saturday, October 31, and stays open through November 2, from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Its cleaning and painting cutoff came a day earlier, on October 26, and burials are accepted until October 28.

The La Loma and Manila Chinese cemeteries, both near the North Cemetery, fill up over the same weekend, and police are assigned to all four. If your family's plot is in one of those two, call its office for its own hours before you leave the house.

Roads Closed Around Manila North Cemetery

The Manila Police District is closing roads near the North Cemetery from October 30 to November 3. The stretches affected are on Blumentritt Road, Dimasalang Street, Maceda Street and Aurora Boulevard, which carry most of the foot traffic toward the gates. There is no single fixed schedule for the barricades, and police move them as the crowd swells or thins through the day.

What this means on the ground: a taxi or ride-hailing car will drop you several blocks short. Expect to walk the last part, and pick a meeting point for your ride a few streets away from the gate, since cars cannot stop near the entrance. The MPD's official Facebook page posts route changes, so check it the morning you go. Driving in from outside the city? Look at the MMDA's advisory as well, because any holiday lifting of number coding is usually announced only a few days ahead.

Taking the Train Instead

LRT-1 is the least stressful way into the cemetery district. Its Rizal Avenue stations in Santa Cruz, including Blumentritt and Abad Santos, put you within walking distance of the North Cemetery area, with jeepneys and tricycles lined up outside. On weekends and holidays, stations open at 5 a.m., the last train leaves Dr. Santos at 9:30 p.m., and the last one from Fernando Poe Jr. leaves at 9:45 p.m. November 1 and 2 should run on that holiday timetable, though the operator can adjust hours at short notice, so check its page before planning a late trip home.

If you mean to stay until the North Cemetery closes at 8 p.m., give yourself a cushion. Walking back to the station against the crowd is slower than walking in, and the last trains on a holiday night are packed.

What You Cannot Bring Inside

Guards check bags at the entrances, and anything on the banned list will be confiscated or will get you sent back out. Between the two cemeteries, the list covers:

• firearms, knives and other sharp objects
• alcoholic drinks
• pets
• guitars, speakers and loud sound systems
• flammable liquids such as rubbing alcohol and paint thinner, which catches out families planning a last-minute touch-up
• cards and other gambling items
• cigarettes, since smoking is banned at Manila South

Pack these instead: drinking water, an umbrella that works for both sun and rain, a small towel, a charged power bank, and small bills for candles, flowers and food from the vendors outside. If you bring small children, put an ID tag on each one with your phone number. The MPD has asked parents to do exactly that so lost kids can be returned fast.

When to Go

The worst crush comes on November 1, from late morning into the afternoon, when families arrive after Mass and settle in until dark. If you can, visit the North Cemetery on October 29 or 30, before the long weekend starts. On any of the open days, getting there close to the 5 a.m. opening means cooler air, shorter lines at the gate and an easier search for your family's plot.

Weather is the other wild card. Typhoon season is not finished by early November, and a sudden downpour can turn the narrow paths between tombs into mud. Check the PAGASA forecast the night before, and wear shoes you do not mind getting dirty.

Coming Into Manila for the Long Weekend

Plenty of families travel home for Undas, so airports, ports and bus terminals get crowded in the days before November 1. Buy tickets early and arrive at the terminal with time to spare. If you end up with a free half day after the visit, there is plenty close by. A Binondo food crawl is a short ride south of the cemetery district, and our guide to Manila in 24 hours covers Intramuros if you want a slow afternoon among old stone walls. Honoring relatives buried in the Visayas this year? Read Undas 2026 in Cebu and Negros for the dates and rules there.

The visit itself rarely takes long. Getting in and out is the hard part, and it gets much easier if you skip the car, carry less, go early and keep an eye on the youngest in the group.