Travel Guide For Macau
Macau Travel guide 2022
If you revel in gambling, then Macau wishes no advent. It’s the gambling capital of the arena, home to mega casinos and accommodations producing billions of dollars in playing sales annually.
But even if you aren’t into playing, you shouldn’t allow that stop you from journeying Macau because there’s plenty to peer and do right here, even for non-gamblers. Macau has an old international European sense left by means of centuries of Portuguese impact. From its lovely architecture to its delicious food, you’ll discover touches of Iberian affect in an effort to depart you guessing if you’re still in Asia. Remarkable thinking about not too a long way from old Macau are the glitzy accommodations and casinos which have earned the peninsula its nickname, “The Las Vegas of Asia”.
Whether you’re into playing or lifestyle, there's lots to enjoy in Macau which you can without difficulty do on a day ride from Hong Kong. I desire this manual will let you plan your ride.
MACAU AT A GLANCE
Like Hong Kong, Macau is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China. It’s formally a part of China, even though it’s allowed to function as an unbiased usa with the best degree of autonomy. It has its personal foreign money, financial system, immigration and criminal system, and it gets little to no interference from both the Central Government or the Communist Party of China.
Because of its multitude of mega inns and casinos, Macau has been called the “Las Vegas of Asia”, although perhaps it’s greater becoming to call Las Vegas the “Macau of the West”. For years, Macau has handed Las Vegas in gross gambling sales, generating USD 33 billion in 2017 as opposed to just USD 7.09 billion for Las Vegas. Clearly, Macau is the playing capital of the arena, producing more gambling sales than everywhere else on earth.
But notwithstanding its recognition, there’s more to Macau than its casinos. A Portuguese trading publish considering that 1557, it became a colony in 1887 and remained underneath Portuguese control till 1999 when it turned into again to China. Those 442 years of Portuguese influence are nonetheless glaring today, from its meals, to its structure, to its Portuguese street names. Take a walk around Senado Square and also you’ll sense such as you’re in Europe and not Asia with all its pastel-coloured homes and cobblestone streets. This juxtaposition of vintage and new, East and West, is what makes Macau such an exciting destination.
BEST TIME TO VISIT MACAU
Macau shares a similar climate and height travel seasons as Hong Kong, that is handy due to the fact this guide assumes you’ll be journeying each locations at the identical journey. Like Hong Kong, the great time to visit Macau is inside the Fall, from across the end of September until November, observed through Spring (March to early May).
MAR-MAY: Spring is a superb time to visit Macau. Like Autumn, the climate is favorable though it does get rainier with occasional thunderstorms round this time, specially toward the give up of May.
JUN-AUG: Summer is the most up to date, wettest, and maximum humid time of the yr so avoid those months if you may.
SEPT-NOV: As described, Fall is the perfect time to visit Macau. The climate is moderate and it seldom rains. On our last ride, we went in mid-September and the climate became exquisite, although I suppose October or November would have been even better.
DEC-FEB: Although the climate is right, this is the busiest time of the yr in Macau, especially in December and across the Lunar New Year. Expect the peninsula to be packed.
Climate: Annual Monthly Weather in Macau
Check out excursion-climate.Com for more on the weather in Macau. For your comfort, I’ve created the average temperature and annual rainfall graphs under. Suggested months to visit are indicated in orange.
Average Temperature
Annual Rainfall in Macau
Annual Rainfall
Annual Rainfall in Macau
MACAU FROM HONG KONG BY GUIDED TOUR
This manual information how you can go to Macau from Hong Kong to your very own, which is straightforward enough to do, however if you’d like to head on a guided tour, then you can arrange for one through Klook. They offer this all-in Macau Sightseeing Day Tour which starts offevolved in Hong Kong and includes ferry transfers and lunch at a four-star resort. It may be really worth looking into if you’d rather not arrange for everything yourself and you’d like the benefit of a excursion guide. Follow the link for more records and to e book the Macau Sightseeing Day Tour from Hong Kong on Klook.
TRAVELING TO MACAU
The excellent way to get to Macau from Hong Kong is by means of fast ferry. It takes approximately an hour each manner with ferry journeys being made around the clock from both Kowloon and Hong Kong ferry terminals.
We offered our tickets on the ferry terminal but you should buy them in advance thru Bookaway. You can click on at the link or use the widget under.
WHERE TO EXCHANGE CURRENCY
The unit of forex in Macau is the Macanese Pataca (MOP). However, Hong Kong Dollars (HKD) are standard anywhere in Macau so there’s no want to convert your forex to MOP. You don’t need to be caught with any leftover MOP when you move lower back to Hong Kong besides. Conveniently, the change price is almost 1:1. This guide assumes you’ll be coming from Hong Kong and have already got HKD. If you don’t, then a incredible vicinity to alternate your foreign money to HKD in Hong Kong is at Chungking Mansions in Tsim Sha Tsui.
THINGS TO DO IN MACAU
1. Walk from Senado Square to the Ruins of St. Paul
Senado Square and the Ruins of St. Paul are the coronary heart of antique Macau and its most iconic points of interest. They’re part of the Historic Centre of Macau that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
There are many shops and restaurants in the vicinity so aside from admiring the architecture, you could easily spend some hours buying and sampling all the scrumptious Macanese sweets. For more pics and facts, check out my post on Senado Square and the Ruins of St. Paul.
The Day-Tripper's Travel Guide to Macau
Approximate time needed: About 2-3 hours
2. Explore Taipa
Taipa is a fascinating village positioned south of the Macau Peninsula. There you’ll discover Cunha Street (Rua do Cunha) and its many Chinese shops and eating places.
There’s an wonderful Portuguese eating place just off Rua do Cunha called A Petisqueira. This is a amazing region to strive Portuguese meals favorites like bacalhau and fried clams. About a 5-minute walk from here's a complicated of 5 colonial houses called the Taipa Houses-Museum. On show there are various artefacts and reveals from the Portuguese technology.
The Day-Tripper's Travel Guide to Macau
Approximate time wanted: About 1-2 hours
3. Enjoy Coloane’s Old World Charm
Coloane is the southernmost part of Macau. It was its own island but it’s now bodily connected to Taipa via reclaimed land which became Cotai.
Away from the big casinos of Cotai and the peninsula, it’s a far quieter part of Macau and domestic to a few adorable Portuguese houses and church buildings. Coloane is likewise where you’ll discover the very first department of Lord Stow’s Bakery, makers of what many believe to be Macau’s excellent Portuguese egg tarts.
The Day-Tripper's Travel Guide to Macau
Approximate time wished: About 1 hour
4. Ride a Gondola at the Venetian
Riding a gondola in Venice is probably on most humans’s bucket lists. If you haven’t discovered your way to Venice, then the following great thing could be to ride a gondola at the Venetian.
Named after that iconic metropolis in Italy, the Venetian is one of the maximum famous on line casino hotels in Macau. It’s turn out to be famous for its community of canals within the hotel providing gondola rides powered through your personal making a song gondolier.
I recognize, it isn’t pretty the real issue, but it’s the next satisfactory element till you're making that trip to Italy. Gondola ride tickets are available on the Venetian, however you can save at the price if you buy them earlier through Klook or KKday.
The Day-Tripper's Travel Guide to Macau
5. Get an Adrenaline Rush from the Top of Macau Tower
Towering 338 meters (1,109 feet) above the ground, Macau Tower is one of the most recognizable landmarks at the peninsula. Its 360° observation deck gives the satisfactory perspectives of Macau, even allowing you to peer all the manner to Hong Kong! You can purchase tickets at the gate however you may get a reduction in case you buy them in advance via Klook or KKday.
If panoramic views aren’t enough for you, then you could get your adrenaline pumping with Macau Tower’s thrill-looking for sights like Skywalk X, Skyjump, the Tower Climb, or the Tower Bungy Jump. You can arrange for these activities at the tower however you can get a reduction if you e book them earlier thru Klook or KKday.
The Day-Tripper's Travel Guide to Macau
6. Catch a Show
Being the Las Vegas of Asia, you could assume to capture some quite spectacular indicates in Macau. One of the maximum famous is The House of Dancing Water on the City of Dreams. We haven’t visible it but, but it’s stated to be one of the international’s biggest and most awesome pool-based performances.
You can book tickets from The House of Dancing Water internet site however you may get a reduction of you purchase them earlier through Klook or Kkday. You can follow this link as nicely to check for discounts to different shows in Macau.
The Day-Tripper's Travel Guide to Macau
7. Go Gambling
Macau is taken into consideration the Las Vegas of Asia such a lot of travelers come right here to do one aspect — gamble. There are casinos everywhere in Macau and they’re each bit as spectacular (or ostentatious, depending on how you have a look at it) as those in Sin City.
The Day-Tripper's Travel Guide to Macau
Approximate time needed: Until your cash runs out
WHERE TO EAT
1. A Petisqueira (Taipa)
As described, this location serves extremely good Portuguese food. Everything we had from begin to end changed into delicious. In truth, we desired to attempt greater eating places in Macau but A Petisqueira changed into so precise we wound up eating too much!
If you propose on taking an afternoon experience to Macau and following this guide, then I propose having lunch here. It’s a touch luxurious however worth it. Reservations are a must. Check out our post on A Petisqueira for greater photographs and statistics.
A Petisqueira, Taipa, Macau
What We Paid: HKD 763.40 (among three humans) along with a carafe of white sangria
2. Lord Stow’s Bakery (Coloane)
There are branches during the peninsula but the very first department of Lord Stow’s Bakery is in Coloane. If you’re a fan in their egg truffles, then a forestall here is a have to. I caught the first ferry out of Kowloon at 7AM to present myself time to explore Coloane and feature the sort of egg cakes for breakfast. Delicious!
The Day-Tripper's Travel Guide to Macau
Silky clean custard with a buttery, flaky crust. Lord Stow’s egg cakes are devilishly correct!
The Day-Tripper's Travel Guide to Macau
What We Paid: MOP 10 in line with egg tart
3. Tai Lei Loi Kei (Macau & Taipa)
As crammed as we had been from lunch at A Petisqueira, we couldn’t depart Macau without attempting their famous pork chop bun. As its call suggests, it’s essentially a pork chop sandwiched in a bun.
Tai Lei Loi Kei is understood for having some of the excellent beef chop buns in Macau. It became scrumptious – so succulent and juicy! We noticed two Tai Lei Loi Kei branches whilst we had been there, one simply off Cunha Street in Taipa and every other on the primary side street to the left of the Ruins of St. Paul.
As you may see under, it’s a hefty sandwich so that you can cut up one if you’re nonetheless reeling from a huge lunch like we had been.
The Day-Tripper's Travel Guide to Macau
What We Paid: MOP 38 in step with red meat chop bun
four. Hotel Buffets (Macau & Taipa)
Macau, like Las Vegas, is synonymous with 3 matters – casinos, suggests, and buffets. We’ve already covered the first two so here’s the 0.33.
Indulging in at the least one inn buffet seems the norm in a city like this, so comply with the link to check for bargain vouchers to a number of the most magnificent buffets in Macau on Klook or KKday.
The Day-Tripper's Travel Guide to Macau
POINTS OF INTEREST IN MACAU
To assist you get your bearings, I’ve created this map so that you get a better experience of wherein everything is. Most of the places endorsed in this manual are pinned on this map.
HOW TO GET AROUND MACAU
If you’re interested by touring Macau peninsula, Taipa, and Cotai, then you can get round effortlessly using the free go back and forth buses. They travel passengers (and ability gamblers) between the ferry terminal and the huge on line casino inns in Macau peninsula and Cotai. Cunha Street in Taipa is about a fifteen-20 minute walk from the Galaxy Macau Hotel.
But if you want to head all the way all the way down to Coloane, the you’ll want to take a public bus or taxi. Taxis are metered in Macau so that you don’t need to fear approximately being overcharged. They’re now not that high priced both so it can be really worth it in case you’re travelling with other human beings. As defined above, the taxi from Cotai Strip to Coloane was MOP 37, and MOP forty nine from Coloane to Cunha Street. Not bad if you break up it between 2 or 3 humans. But of route, going with the aid of bus is the cheapest option.
Public bus structures constantly make me more worried than subways due to the fact the chances of having lost are higher. But thanks to Android), I don’t should be so nervous anymore. I first used it on a experience to Taiwan and I discovered it so distinctly useful and smooth to apply. It tells you precisely a way to get from one location to the following the use of any city’s public transportation device. Give it a strive if you plan on getting around Macau by means of bus.
SAMPLE 1-DAY ITINERARY
This guide crams the fine of Macau into someday so time is of the essence. If you intend on touring all the locations cited in this manual, then it’s quality to accomplish that in a sure order so that you don’t waste too much time in transit. Here’s a advised itinerary.
7-8AM – TurboJet ferry from Kowloon to Macau Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal
8:30AM – Arrive at Cotai Strip through free go back and forth bus. I suggest catching a shuttle to any of the massive accommodations at the strip like Sands Cotai Central, The Venetian, Parisian Macao, or Studio City Macau. If you’d like to go to Coloane thru taxi, then you could trap one from any of the lodge lobbies. It’ll fee around MOP 37 from right here to Coloane. If you’d instead move via bus, then make your way to the bus forestall pictured under. It’s subsequent to the Sheraton Grand Macao Hotel and in the front of the Parisian Macao Eiffel Tower. Buses 15, 21, 21A 25, 26 and 26A will take you to Coloane. The fare ought to be MOP three.20 or 3.60 relying at the direction. Be positive to have the exact fare (HKD is excellent) because the motive force can’t give you any exchange. You can talk over with the Macau public transportation internet site for extra data.
The Day-Tripper's Travel Guide to Macau
9-10AM – Arrive in Coloane (Vila de Colane-2). You’ll understand you’re there while the bus reaches this roundabout. Get off right here and discover Coloane. Lord Stow’s Bakery is placed close to the roundabout so you can start there. Visit the Chapel of St. Francis Xavier.
The Day-Tripper's Travel Guide to Macau
10:30AM-12NN – Arrive at Cunha Street. To get there, take Bus 15 from Coloane to Rua do Cunha. The fare have to be the equal. If you’re no longer certain in which to get off, just inform the driver you’re going to Cunha Street. If you opt to pass with the aid of taxi, the fare could be round MOP 49. Explore Cunha Street and the Taipa Houses Museum.
12:15PM-1:45PM – Have lunch at A Petisqueira.
2-2:30PM – Ride a gondola at the Venetian.
2:forty five-three:45PM – Take Bus 21 to Macau Tower. (Click here for a photo of the bus stop) Enjoy the view from the remark deck.
Four-6PM – Take a taxi to Senado Square. Explore the square and the Ruins of St. Paul. Go window purchasing and taste as many Macanese delicacies as you can. Visit Mount Fortress and Macau Museum. Eat a red meat chop bun at Tai Lei Loi Kei close to the Ruins of St. Paul. Take a bunch of selfies. You’re within the heart of vintage Macau so have amusing!
6-7:30PM – Have dinner at one of the lodge buffets.
Eight-nine:30PM – Ride a loose hotel trip to City of Dreams to look at The House of Dancing Water.
Nine:30PM-onwards – Do some more exploring or go casino hopping. Place a bet in case you’re feeling fortunate. Get a drink someplace to at the same time as away the time. Take the ferry again to Hong Kong whilst you’ve gambled away all your money.
BUDGET / SUMMARY OF EXPENSES
We went to Macau mainly to devour so the brunt of our spending went to ferry tickets and meals. A Petisqueira turned into a little steeply-priced (but definitely really worth it) so I wound up spending around HKD 800 for the day, including cab rides.
But in case you don’t want to spend too much on food and are satisfied the use of the free shuttles and public buses, then a price range of round HKD 500 for the entire day should be sufficient. This takes into consideration just the naked minimal of roundtrip ferry tickets, meals, and pocket wifi apartment. If you intend on travelling any attractions, looking any shows, ingesting at higher eating places, doing any shopping or gambling (specifically playing!), then feel free to regulate. But I don’t suppose you may do it for extensively much less than HKD 500 due to the fact over 1/2 of in order to go to roundtrip ferry tickets.
TRANSPORTATION
Roundtrip rapid ferry tickets with day/night sailing will fee you HKD 350 on Klook. You won’t be spending a whole lot greater than that for transportation in case you plan on getting round the use of just the loose shuttles and public buses.
MEALS
If you don’t plan on dining at fancy restaurants or resort buffets, then a food finances of round HKD one hundred for the complete day must be right. Get your fill from all of the snack samples they’ll be handing out at Senado Square.
POCKET WIFI RENTAL
If you’re renting a pocket wifi device, then you’ll be spending around HKD 28 for the day’s condominium.
TOTAL
This comes out to a beginning price range of round HKD 478 for the complete day. Feel free to adjust based in your personal journey habits.
TRAVEL TIPS
1. Plan your Trip with Sygic Travel
This is the app I use to create all our itineraries. It allows me to plot points of interest on a map, together with our hotel, so I can see precisely how a long way we want to journey between points. It permits me to create an green itinerary with the aid of grouping attractions collectively in step with day based totally on region. Check out my full publish at the free Sygic Travel app for extra facts.
DOWNLOAD: iOS / Android
You can also down load a replica of our 7-day Hong Kong / Macau consume-inerary in editable Word format from our EAT-ineraries web page.
2. Rent a Pocket Wifi Device
It is going with out saying that a consistent wifi connection is a must in recent times, mainly whilst you’re away on a experience. You’ll need it to navigate, convert currencies, take a look at emails, and submit on social media. It makes a ride less worrying and extra enjoyable so we by no means move everywhere now without renting a pocket wifi tool first.
You can stay related thru a pocket wifi device or sim card. Personally, we decide upon the previous however as long as you can get a dependable connection to the internet, then either is high-quality. You can hire a pocket wifi device or purchase a sim card for Macau via Klook. If you’re in Asia, then you will be able to pick out it up out of your united states of beginning. You also can lease a 4G pocket wifi tool via KKday that’s top for use in both Hong Kong and Macau.
Three. Bring your Passport
You’ll need your passport to tour to and from Macau so don’t forget about to deliver it! It’s just like any international airport wherein you have to present your passport to go through customs and immigration.
4. Go all through the Week
If you can, visit Macau for the duration of the week. We had no preference but to go on a Sunday and it changed into crazy crowded, especially in Senado Square and the Ruins of St. Paul. It’s because many mainlanders live in Macau over the weekend to gamble. We nevertheless had a terrific time but thinner crowds would have made for a more high-quality experience.
5. Buy Advanced Ferry Tickets
Many people take day journeys to Macau so tickets sell out rapid, in particular on weekends, so it’s quality to buy a go back ticket from Hong Kong. Don’t wait till evening in Macau to get one because possibilities are they’ll be bought out of financial system tickets.
You ought to specify which ferry you’d like to take back, so a return ferry departing at round nine-10PM have to be suitable. I caught the 7AM ferry from Hong Kong and that gave me enough time to do the entirety in this guide.
Ferries do run across the clock so if you need to stay longer to observe a show or go gambling, then you may seize a night ferry lower back. As advised, you can purchase ferry tickets earlier thru Bookaway.
6. Invest in an iVenture Card
I didn’t recognize about this till after our journey, but in case you’ll be visiting each Hong Kong and Macau as this manual assumes, then you may need to spend money on an iVenture Card. Available in three- or five-day passes, it’s essentially a prepaid enchantment pass that saves you on the overall fee of lots of Hong Kong and Macau’s top traveler attractions just like the Peak Tram, Ngong Ping 360, Sky100, and Macau Tower, just to name a few. You should buy it from the iVenture Card website, however you can shop on the fee in case you get it thru Klook. Follow the hyperlink for more statistics on participating points of interest and to buy the iVenture Card thru Klook.
7. Get Discount Tickets
You can get cut price vouchers from many web sites, bur for locations in Asia, the best for me are Klook and KKday. They offer offers in lots of towns round the world, which includes Macau. They provide reductions to indicates, excursions, ferry tickets, pocket wifi apartment, even buffets. Check their websites for a whole listing of Macau offers on Klook and KKday.
8. Get Travel Insurance
Though we do get journey coverage more regularly now, we don’t get it before each experience. It depends loads on what we’ll be doing. If we’re just going to Hong Kong to devour avenue food for several days, then we probable gained’t get it. But if we travel to Nepal to move mountains in the Himalayas, then we’ll really invest in an coverage policy.
We get coverage from World Nomads or SafetyWing. They’re both reliable tour health insurance companies used by many virtual nomads. Check out my article on why we buy travel insurance for an outline of the two. You can observe the links to get a free quote from World Nomads or SafetyWing.