A Delightful Day Trip to Macau from Hong Kong
Is a day trip to Macau worthwhile? Should Macau be included in a Hong Kong itinerary?
On a recent solo trip to Hong Kong, I spent a delightful day exploring Macau visiting historic sites, eating Portuguese custard tarts and sampling the local Bak Kwa (dried meat). The historic city centre is aesthetically and culturally unique and a charming place to visit with UNESCO World Heritage status.
I loved visiting Macau and recommend including a Macau day trip when you next visit Hong Kong. It’s easy to get there on the ferry from Hong Kong Island.
As well as historic sites, Macau is known for its casinos, but this 1 day Macau itinerary focuses on exploring the historic Macau Peninsula, an intoxicating mix of Chinese and Portuguese culture.
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About Macau
Like Hong Kong, Macau is a lucrative port town with a colonial history. Macau was first settled by the Portuguese in 1557 and the colony was handed back to China in 1999 and is now a special administrative region of China.
Hong Kong was settled by the British much later in 1841 and although has historical attractions and there are a lot of similarities between the two, Macau is quite different to Hong Kong.
It’s definitely worth taking a day trip to Macau from Hong Kong to explore the quaint Old Town. The historic centre of Macau is a delightful blend of East and West with narrow cobblestone laneways, tiled pathways, decorative town squares and European heritage buildings that sit next to Chinese gardens, shops, houses and temples.
Where is Macau
The Macau Peninsula is located on the Chinese mainland in Guandong Province across the Pearl River Delta from Hong Kong.
A Macau one day trip is a great addition to a itinerary for Hong Kong and it’s easier to get there than you might think, just an hour away from Hong Kong Island by ferry.
Getting There
Catching the Ferry from Hong Kong
Catching the ferry is the easiest way to get there on a day trip from Hong Kong to Macau. Two ferry companies travel to different ports in Macau.
If you’re visiting the Macau Old Town the Macau Turbojet ferry to Macau Outer Harbour is the best ferry to catch. The turbojet ferry leaves every hour on the hour.
I caught the Macau Turbojet ferry from the terminal in Sheung Wang on Hong Kong Island and had a comfortable trip. My one-way ticket cost HK$175 and the trip took an hour from Hong Kong Island.
The Cotai Waterjet ferry also departs regularly from Sheung Wan for the Macau Taipa Ferry Terminal near Taipa Village. If you plan to visit Taipa Village or the Cotai casino strip, this is the best ferry to catch.
Bus
It’s also possible to travel by bus to Macau on the new Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge. The Macau Golden Bus leaves from the Hong Kong Port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.
The Macau Golden Bus is cheaper than the ferry (HK$65) and the trip takes around 45 minutes to the bus terminal at the Zhuhai-Macau Bridge. From there it’s another half hour to the Macau Old Town by bus.
How to get around Macau
Macau is easily walkable but if you don’t want to walk, taxis are inexpensive and there are buses and trains.
On my Macau tourist spots itinerary, I explored on foot and enjoyed strolling through the laneways and tiled pathways throughout the Old Town.
When I arrived in Macau I took a taxi from the Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal into town. The fare was around MOP$50 ( I paid in HK$ cash) and the trip took around 10 minutes.
You can also catch the local No. 3 bus to Senado Square in the Old Town but you need $6 cash for the fare and drivers do not give change.
What to Take on a Day Trip to Macau
For a day trip to Macau you’ll need to take the following:
- Passport
- HK$ cash and a credit card
- Bottled Water – don’t drink the tap water in Macau
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Sunhat, sunscreen & sunglasses
- Camera
- Google Maps app for navigation
Money for a Macau Day Trip
Take Hong Kong dollars in cash and a credit card for your Macau day trip.
Macau has its own currency, the Macanese Pataca (MOP) but Hong Kong dollars are widely accepted in Macau. The HK$ has a similar value to the Pataca and they are usually interchangeable.
I used Hong Kong dollars to pay for a taxi and food in Macau and was given my change in Patacas, the local currency.
But I needed my credit card at the Macau Museum where HK$ were not accepted.
TIP: Make sure you use or exchange your Patacas before leaving Macau or they may become a souvenir. MOP$ are hard to change outside the country.
Macau Day Trip Map
My 1 Day Macau Itinerary
This Macau tourist spots itinerary begins at Guia Hill in the Macau Old Town. From the Macau Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal, take a Taxi to Guia Hill Cable Car Station.
TIP: Take the cable car to the top of Guia Hill and follow the signs to the Fortress and Lighthouse. The cable car costs MOP$2 one way $3 return.
Guia Fortress
The Guia Fortress sits at the top of Guia Hill and has a Chapel and a Lighthouse with sweeping views across Macau. There’s a battlement at the top of the hill with tunnels underneath the Fortress that are open for visitors to explore.
Guia Hill is a large, green park area that’s very popular with locals for exercising and socialising. I got a bit lost here but at the base of the hill, there’s a pretty Flora Garden and turtle pond.
I called in at the Legend Café, a local eatery near the cable car station at the bottom of Guia Hill. It’s a good place to stop for refreshments or a cup of Chinese tea before continuing with this Macau itinerary.
Kun Lam Chinese Temple & Garden
My next stop was the ancient Kun Lam Temple on Avenida do Coronel Mesquita about a 10-minute walk from the Legend Cafe and the Guia Hill Cable Car. The Kun Lam Temple dates back to the 13th century, well before the Portuguese settled Macau and the impressive Chinese temple is one of Macau’s most important religious sites.
The Buddhist temple is dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy and has several worship halls and a peaceful Chinese Garden at the back of the temple.
Lou Lim Ioc Garden
Heading back into the St Lazarus district, I stopped to enjoy the Jardim de Lou Lim Ioc, a lovely landscaped Chinese garden built in 1906 by a local merchant. Tall walls surround the Suzhou-style garden with its beautiful circular Chinese entrance. Inside there’s a large water feature, a lily pond, pagodas and lots of places to sit and enjoy the harmonious space.
The garden is popular with residents and some local people were practising their musical instruments and singing Chinese Opera when I was there.
Tap Seac Square
Nearby Tap Seac Square is an attractive public space in the St Lazarus Quarter decorated with black and white tiles, a fountain and a colourful garden, Tap Seac Square is surrounded by historic Portuguese buildings.
St Lazarus Church
The historic St Lazarus Church was built in 1570 to serve the local lepers. One of the oldest churches in Macau, St Lazarus is surrounded by historic buildings and cobblestone laneways.
St Michael the Archangel Chapel & Cemetery
The St Michael’s Chapel and Cemetery on Avenida West is a peaceful place to visit. Dating back to 1854, the cemetery and Chapel were built to serve the Catholic Portuguese Community of Macau.
The walled Cemetery is beautifully landscaped and contains some lovely tombs with Angelic sculptures, beautiful inscriptions and other religious offerings for the dead. I also saw some graves with Chinese inscriptions amongst the many Catholic Portuguese graves in the cemetery.
The chapel was open when I was there and I was able to look inside.
Ruins of St Paul’s
Next, I found myself at the centre of the Old Town at the popular Ruins of St Paul’s, in the Santo Antonio district, a highlight of a Macau day trip.
Originally known as the Church of Mater Dei, the UNESCO World Heritage site was a religious complex built in 1662 that includes the Portuguese Church of St Paul and St Paul’s College.
A beautifully decorated stone facade sitting at the top of a wide set of stairs is all that’s left of St Paul’s, once one of the biggest Roman Catholic Churches in Asia. Sadly, St. Paul’s was destroyed in a fire in 1835.
To see the holy relics and religious artworks inside the complex, walk down the stairs to visit the crypt.
Na Tcha Temple
To the left of St Paul’s is the Na Tcha Temple, a small Chinese shrine built in 1888.
Mount Fortress
To the right of the Ruins of St Paul is a park and a pathway that leads to Fortress Mount, a UNESCO World Heritage site at the top of Mount Hill and one of the most popular tourist spots in Macau. The Fortress Mount is a battlement and military barracks that dates back to 1617.
The Fortress protected Macau from Pirates and kept the Dutch from invading in 1622. Canons are strategically located around the walls of the Fortress and there are stunning views across Macau. The Mount Fortress is a popular place for local people to relax and exercise.
It’s also the site of the Macau Museum.
TIP: There’s an escalator to the top of Mount Fortress. Keep left when you enter the park from St Paul’s and head towards the museum. Take the escalators inside the Macau Museum building to the top of the Fortress.
Macau Museum
The Macau Museum is located at Mount Fortress next to the Ruins of St Paul and has several floors of historical exhibits illustrating the multicultural way of life in Macau. I enjoyed browsing the exhibits for an hour or so. It’s also worth calling in at the museum shop to look for gifts and souvenirs.
The museum entry fee is MOP$15 and HK$ are NOT accepted. I used my credit card here.
R. de Sao Paulo
The R. do Sao Paulo is a cobblestoned laneway in front of the ruins of St Pauls lined with shops selling food and other items. The vendors offer passers-by samples of Bak Kwa, the dried meat they’re selling. It’s also the best place to buy some delicious Portuguese custard tarts for afternoon tea.
St Anthony’s Church
St Anthony’s Church is the next place to visit in the Santo Antonio area of Macau’s Old Town. A UNESCO World Heritage-listed Jesuit church on the Rua de Santo Antonio St Anthony’s is also known as the Church of Flowers (Fa Vong Tong) and is one of Macau’s oldest churches.
Dating back to 1560 St Anthony’s has been reconstructed several times over the centuries.
The church was open when I visited and has a tranquil and very pretty pale yellow interior.
Camoes Garden & Square
Just across the road from St Anthony’s Church is the charming Camoes Garden, one of Macau’s oldest and largest gardens. In the 16th century, the garden belonged to the home of the Portuguese poet Luis de Camoe and, in the 17th century, Camoe’s house became the headquarters of the British East India Company.
Today, the mansion houses a public library and the garden is a public green space with a grotto, sculpture and fountain. The Camoes Garden is a lovely place to relax in Macau and is popular with residents. I enjoyed watching a group of local people doing Tai Chi with swords in a corner of Camoes Garden.
The Chaa cafe is nearby and it’s a good place to stop for a coffee or a meal, take a break and rest your legs.
Temple of Hong Chan Kuan
Not far from the Chaa cafe on the R. de Cinco de Outubro is the Chinese Temple of Hong Chan Kuan.
This Chinese temple was built in 1860 and is dedicated to Hung Seng, the monkey king, the Buddha and the God of medicine, Hua Tuo.
Inside the large worship hall is an altar with incense burning. Large red incense coils hang from the ceiling.
St Domingo Church
A short walk from the Chaa Cafe is a lovely historic church dedicated to Saint Dominic. The yellow cathedral is an example of 16th-century European architecture from the Baroque period and can be found on the Largo de Sao Domingos near Senado Square.
The pretty yellow Roman Catholic church is a mix of Eastern and Western culture with Chinese roof tiles and teak doors.
TIP: I can recommend Lantau Island & The Big Buddha, Lamma Island or Cheung Chau as wonderful day trips from Hong Kong.
Senado Square
Not far from St Domingo Church at the centre of Macau’s UNESCO World Heritage Old Town is Senado Square, a huge open area decorated with light and dark tiles in a wave design. There’s a fountain and decorative gardens inside the square surrounded by several impressive historical buildings:
- The Macau Post office, a 3-story neoclassical building dating back to 1929
- The Santa Casa de Misericordia (The House of Holy Mercy) is a large white building that’s a branch of the Portuguese charity that helps those in need.
- The Leal Senado (Loyal Senate) building, was built in 1784 as the seat of the Portuguese government.
R. da Felicidade
Across the road from Senado Square, tucked away in a backstreet behind the Av. de Almeida Rebeiro, the Rua da Felicidade is a laneway in the former red-light district of the Old Town. The area has a colourful history of Opium dens and pleasure houses and is now full of colourful shops and restaurants.
I came across the historic Fat Sui Lao restaurant, on the Rua da Felicidade. Dating back to 1903 this restaurant has pretty exterior decorations with colourful flower boxes and serves upmarket sit-down meals.
Where to Eat on a Macau Day Trip
On a Macau 1 day itinerary, there are some great places to eat.
I can recommend Chaa, a small café in a laneway, Mei Lei Court, a short walk from the Ruins of St Pauls. I enjoyed eating here and ordered a crispy waffle with smoked salmon, avocado, fetta, and lemon. It’s a good place to go for coffee, but it doesn’t open until 11:00 a.m.
I also enjoyed a Chinese meal at Wong Chi Kai on Largo do Senado de Macau. This restaurant serves local dumplings, noodles and rice at a reasonable price. I had dumplings in soup and lemon tea.
I stopped for a meal at the Legend Café at the base of Guia Hill near the cable car station and ordered sweet and sour pork and cold green apple tea.
The historic Fat Sui Lao restaurant on the Rua do Felicidade is tucked away in a laneway near Senado Square. This popular restaurant has a beautifully decorated shopfront and serves Macanese, Western and Portuguese dishes.
More things to do in Macau
A day trip to Macau is enough time to see most of the UNESCO World Heritage Old Town but there were some places that I didn’t see on my 1 day Macau itinerary.
If you have the time, here are some more Macau tourist spots to add to this one day Macau itinerary.
- A-Ma Temple
- Mong Ha Fort
- Historic Taipa Village
- Cotai casino strip
When you’ve had enough exploring Macau head back to the Outer Harbour ferry terminal. From Av. de Almeida Rebeiro on Senado Square Catch hail a taxi or catch local bus no. 3 to ferry.
TIP: If you catch the local bus you’ll need to have the MOP$6 for the fare. Change is not given on the bus.
Where to Stay in Macau
If you’re thinking of extending your Macau itinerary and staying overnight in Macau, here are some accommodation suggestions:
Mid-Range: The Caravel Hotel has a good location just a short walk from St. Paul’s, Mount Fortress and Senado Square, the top attractions in Macau’s Old Town. I enjoyed staying here and loved the pretty floral china cups and saucers and the friendly service.
The Holiday Inn Express Macau City Centre also has a good location for this one day Macau itinerary on the Peninsula near the historic area of Macau.
Luxury: Sofitel Macau at Ponte 16 is a five-star hotel with a fabulous central location.
The Venetian Macau is a luxury casino resort hotel located on the Cotai Casino strip
The Londoner Hotel is also in Cotai and gets exceptional reviews from those who can afford the price tag.
How Long to Stay in Macau
With a 1 day Macau itinerary, you can explore the historic centre of Macau, a charming mixture of colonial Portuguese and Chinese architecture and culture. With 2 or more days you can explore further afield and visit Taipa Village and the Cotai Casinos as well.
I loved wandering the laneways, eating Portuguese custard tarts, visiting historic forts, Catholic Churches, and Chinese Temples and walking on the tiled sidewalks, worn down by centuries of footsteps.
But Macau is also famous as a glitzy gambling destination, known as the “Las Vegas of the East”, with opulent luxury hotels and casinos such as The Venetian, The Parisian and the Casino Grand.
With 2 or 3 days you’ll have time to include all the sites on your Macau itinerary.
When to Visit Macau
Macau and Hong Kong are year-round destinations but the best time for a day trip to Macau is from mid-October to December when the weather is warm, sunny and dry. It’s autumn and temperatures are cooler and there’s less humidity.
January to March is winter. The weather is cooler and it can also be a good time to visit. March to May tends to be wet and humid and June to August is hot and humid.
The first week of October is the Chinese National Holiday week and a day trip from Hong Kong to Macau is best avoided. Macau can be crowded with visitors in early October.
I was in Macau in the second week of October and the tourist area around the ruins of St Paul’s and the Mount Fortress was full of visitors. Hotels were more expensive but the weather was warm, sunny and pleasant.
Final Thoughts – A Macau Day Trip from Hong Kong
On a day trip to Macau, you can enjoy the charming character of the Old Town, discover the city’s rich colonial history and sample Portuguese custard tarts, Chinese noodles and Bak Kwa.
I loved exploring the cobblestone laneways and discovering the elegant European architecture, historic Forts, Chinese shops, restaurants and beautiful Chinese gardens. Macau might be famous for its casinos but there’s plenty to do if you’re not a gambler.
I was travelling alone in Hong Kong and Macau and didn’t make it to the casinos or to Taipa Village. My 1 day itinerary in Macau focuses on exploring the heritage sites of the Old Town, but if you start the day early you could spend the morning in the Old Town, the afternoon in Taipa Village and the evening at The Venetian Hotel and Casino. I hear the lobby is quite spectacular.
Rather than shorten my Macau day trip itinerary, I suggest staying for a few days to see all the sights at a slower pace. I enjoyed visiting Macau and I think you will too.
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