Macau is an autonomous region, located on the south coast of China, across the Pearl River Delta from Hong Kong. It is a city and not a country. The city has its own money, passports, flag, and legal system, which are completely separate from China. Macau was owned by the Portuguese, until 1999, when it was then handed over to the Chinese. It was one of Portugal’s last surviving colonies. Macau reflects a mix of cultural influences. Its giant casinos and malls on the Cotai Strip, which joins the islands of Taipa and Coloane, have earned it the nickname, “Las Vegas of Asia.” Macau can also be spelled as Macao too.

My partner and I visited Macau, as part of our 7-day trip to Hong Kong. We caught the ferry across the Pearl River Delta and visited Macau, just for the day. A day trip I would recommend doing if you are in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Macau Ferry

There is currently 2 ferry companies, operating this ferry service, between Hong Kong and Macau. There is a ferry company called, Cotai Water Jet. They operate up to 32 times a day. The other ferry company is called, TurboJet, and they run up to 3 times per day. On both, the crossings only take around 1 hour, making it perfect for a day trip.

The TurboJet service runs up to 3 times per day with a duration of 1 hour.

The boat to Macau from Hong Kong goes from the Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal, located near the IFC Towers in the Shun Tak Centre, on Hong Kong Island. The closest subway station is Sheung Wan Station.

The boat from Macau back to Hong Kong goes from the Macau Outer Harbour (MOH) Ferry terminal, which is located on the Macau Peninsula.

If you want a particular time for your ferry crossing, I recommend booking in advance. Crossings during rush hour can get full quite quickly. Plus, you don’t want to get stranded in Macau at the end of the day, if you can’t get on that last boat back to Hong Kong.

Transport

There are 3 main ways to get around Macau: by foot, bus, or taxi. We did a mixture of walking and taxis. If you are planning on using a local bus, you need to make sure you have some of their local currency in change. All bus routes charge a standard fare of MOP$6. You just drop the money in the box, and upon entry, no change is given. Or if you have a Macau Pass, you can pay with that. It will give you a discount of MOP$3 or MOP$4 per bus trip.

Top Things To See and Do

Here are our highlights of what to see and do in Macau and the order we visited them:

Guia Lighthouse

The Guia Lighthouse was the first colonial-style lighthouse, on the Chinese coast. It is a 19th-century structure, which towers 15 metres high and stands on the highest point of the eponymous hill, providing fantastic views of the Macau skyline. You cannot enter the lighthouse itself, however, there is a nearby museum, which narrates the history of the structure. It also features a small chapel, next door. The lighthouse once served an integral role in navigation and also warned the city’s residents, of incoming typhoons.

The climb up to the lighthouse can be tiring in the heat. To save your energy, you can always catch Cable Guia up the hill, an 80-second gondola ride.

Cable Guia

Cable Guia is a gondola, which takes you up and down Guia Hill, on the Macau peninsula. Opening in 1997, the ride takes only a short 80 seconds, making it the shortest gondola in the world. If you don’t fancy the walk up to Guia Lighthouse, then Cable Guia is your answer.

A ticket for a round trip on the gondola will cost up to 3MOP, which is about 30 pence.

Ruins of St.Pauls

The Ruins of Saint Paul’s are the ruins of a 17th-century Catholic religious complex. The original structure was made of wood. Sadly, it got burnt down in a fire, during a typhoon in 1835. Leaving only the beautiful, granite façade and a grand staircase of 68 stone steps, leading up to it. Today, it is one of Macau’s most visited landmarks.

Snoopy Shop

If you are a big Snoopy fan, like me, you will be excited to know, there is a Snoopy store located at the bottom of St.Paul’s ruins. A shop filled with peanuts merchandise, giant Snoopy’s, and the gang.

Senado Square

Senado Square is a beautiful, tiled square, located not too far from St.Paul’s ruins. It had the Portuguese feel and look to it, reminding you clearly of Portuguese history. The square is listed as part of the Historic Center of Macau UNESCO World Heritage.

Macao Giant Panda Pavilion

Macao Giant Panda Pavilion was one of my favourite places in Macau. I love the giant panda. I could sit all day watching them. Not only did they have giant pandas, but they also had red pandas, gorillas, flamingos, monkeys, and many more animals. You could easily spend half a day there.

To visit, it cost 10 MOP for anyone over the age of 12 years. This is equivalent to £1.

To get there, we caught a taxi. The Pavilion is located in the Coloane Village. There are also buses that you can catch to it, which may work out a lot cheaper than a taxi ride.

To read more about Macao Giant Panda Pavilion, check out their website: Macao Giant Panda Pavilion.

The Cotai Strip

The Cotai Strip is a mini Las Vegas. It is the only place in China, where gambling is legal. If you have visited Las Vegas, you will recognise a lot of the hotels. Even if you are not into gambling, like ourselves, it is still worth a visit. The best time to visit is later in the day. As the sun goes down, the lights get turned on. The Cotai Strip becomes one lively strip, just like Las Vegas.

If you enjoy a good egg tart, then had into The Venetian to try one. The famous one to try is Lord Stow’s, located in the Grand Canal Shops. They use the Portuguese traditional recipe, reminding you, the country was once owned by them. But don’t get lost, The Venetian is the 2nd largest casino in the world. It took us ages to find the exit! You can also take a romantic Gondola ride, feeling like you have traveled to Venice.

If you have a bit more free time on your hands than we did, you could try and get tickets for The House of Dancing Water show. It has fantastic reviews. You may need to book tickets in advance, as I have read, they do sell out.

Each night, look out for the light show on the Eiffel Tower replica. It runs from 6.15 pm till midnight. You can even head up the Eiffel Tower at a cost, if you are wanting to see the Cotai Strip, at a different angle. Unfortunately, we did not get a chance to see this.