Visit Macao as a day trip from Hong Kong and see both the huge modern casinos and the historical center with Portuguese influence.
Macao is a city of contrasts: historical buildings versus big modern casinos. It is also a contrast of poor versus rich as you can clearly see from the state of some buildings. In the northern part of Macao you find the historical center, the buildings the Portuguese left behind. Around the shopping center and tourist hot spots, you see huge skyscrapers next to small houses and flats with tiny apartments. Scooters rule the streets. Chinese signs are on the shops that sell food and drinks.
In the southern part, you find the big casinos, basically one big town where you could live forever. If you like gambling that is. If not, then you can see all there is to see in one day. No need to stay overnight.
About Macao
Macao (also spelled Macau) is officially called the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, meaning it has its own government and economic systems separate from Mainland China. So Macao is not a country but a non-sovereign city with a high degree of autonomy
How to visit Macao as a day trip from Hong Kong
Macao has a big airport that services many people a day. Coming from Hong Kong it is easier to take the ferry or the bus. The distance between Hong Kong and Macao is 66 kilometers. By ferry, it only takes about an hour to travel from Hong Kong to Macao. Since late 2018 it is also possible to take the bus across the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, which takes about two hours.
By ferry
There are several routes to choose from: you can take the ferry from China Ferry Terminal, Kowloon, Hong Kong Island, Tuen Mun, or the Hong Kong Airport Terminal. Some will drop you off at the Macao Outer Harbor (ideal for exploring the historical north first) or the Macao Taipa Ferry Terminal (the casinos in the south).
For a China Ferry Terminal departure, head to the second floor of the China Hong Kong City Mall. From here you can take the ferry to Macao. You can buy your ticket in person at the Turbojet or Cotai Water Jet ticket counters (to play it safe, get your tickets a day before your intended departure), or buy your tickets in advance online via Klook.
Beware that if you use the Klook promotion, you can’t change your departure times on the day itself. It might be more practical to buy your tickets at the counter so you keep the flexibility of an earlier return.
By bus
Head to the HZMB Hong Kong Port. After you pass Immigration and Customs (bring your passport!) you can buy your ticket for the shuttle bus to Macao. A ticket costs 65-70 HK Dollars. After the bus ride, you have to go through Immigration and Customs again at the Macao side. There are over 300 departures each day, so there is no need to worry about timing your trip right.
Alternatively, you can buy a ticket for a shared bus with a pick-up in Kowloon or somewhere else in Hong Kong.
Join a tour
While it is very easy to travel to Macao on your own, some of you might prefer to go on an organized tour. The pro side of joining a tour is that the tour guide will show you all the must-see sights and you don’t have to navigate the city yourself. The downside, of course, is that you can’t spend as much time as you like at the places you like best.
How much time should you spend in Macao?
One day is enough to see the most interesting sights in Macao. The only reason to spend more days in Macao is if you like gambling and want to spend more time in the casinos. If not, then you can easily see both the historical buildings in the north and the casinos in the south if you go on a one day trip from Hong Kong.
When reserving your ferry ticket, you buy your return ticket at the same time. To play it safe you can choose the latest return time so that you won’t have to hurry back to the ferry port. If you want to return earlier, you can just switch your ticket for an earlier one at the port assuming that the ferry isn’t fully booked.
What I did? I arrived in Macao around 10 AM and even though I had a return ticket for 9 PM, I took the 5 PM return ferry because I had seen all there was to see.
What should you bring to Macao?
Your passport: you’re leaving and re-entering Hong Kong, so you have to go through Customs twice. It’s very fast, but do make sure you arrive at the port on time.
Wifi: when renting pocket wifi for Hong Kong, you can pick one that works in Hong Kong, Macao, and Shenzhen. Ideal if you want to visit these three cities on one trip!
Everything else you can buy when you need it. You can even pay with Hong Kong dollars in Macao.
How to see Macao in one day?
The north
If you arrive at Macao’s Outer Harbor you will explore the historic northern part of Macao first. From the harbor, you can catch one of the free shuttle buses to the casinos.
The Grand Lisboa
I recommend getting on the bus to Grand Lisboa, one of the biggest casinos in the northern part of Macao. It’s a grand golden building that you simply must-see on a trip to Macao.
Location: Av. de Lisboa, Macao
Senado Square
From here you walk northwest to Senado Square: one of the most iconic sights in Macao that you will often see in ads. Here you will see the square with small tiles, a fountain, and colorful buildings with shops.
Location: Senado Square, Macao
St. Dominic’s Church
Nearby is St. Dominic’s Church, a church in Baroque style painted in a bright yellow color that you will often see in Macao.
Location: Largo de São Domingos, Macao
Egg tarts and Fruit tea
By now all the bakeries selling egg tarts will become hard to ignore. You must try one, right? They go very well with a fruit tea or fruit juice drink that the non-bakery shops sell. Just now you’ve tried two of the must-try Macao specialties.
Ruins of St. Paul’s Cathedral
Only the facade of the building is still standing, but that doesn’t matter. You can easily imagine the grandeur of the former Cathedral. Take some selfies on the stairs and walk up to see the building from the back.
Location: 5GXR+38 Macao
Fortaleza do Monte
From this 17th century fort, you have an even better view of the Ruins of St. Paul’s and, more importantly, of the rest of Macao as well. Modern buildings are right next to smaller apartment buildings. A canon is pointing at the Grand Lisboa. Follow the fort walls for a 360 degrees view of the city and enjoy the well-maintained greenery on the walk up and down.
Location: 5GWR+RV Macao
Leave the fort on the southeast side in the direction of Cathedral Square to see many more beautiful historical buildings on your walk to Macao Tower. From Cathedral Square, you cross Senado Square and walk in the general direction of Mandarin’s House.
Macao Tower
From the foot of Macao Tower, you have a great view of the skyline of Macao. If you feel active, you can take a skywalk up high!
Location: 5GHQ+X4 Macao
When you’ve seen all there is on the northern side of Macao, take the bus from Macao Tower to the Galaxy casino on the southern side. You can pay for the bus ride by dropping the appropriate amount of coins in a box when you get on.
The south
The world of the rich? That’s what it looks like anyway. Inside the buildings, you find huge casinos, the fanciest hotels, and restaurants. You could live there basically.
Galaxy
A huge ‘golden’ building with casinos, high-end hotels and many restaurants in the southern part of Macao. You can wander inside for ages… there are even roadsigns inside to help you navigate.
Location: s/n, Estrada da Baia de Nossa Senhora da Esperanca, Macao
The Venetian
The Venetian is most famous for its indoor copy of the city of Venice. You can even take a Gondola ride on the water. Elsewhere in the building, you can see a ceiling resembling the Sistine Chapel.
Try your luck in the big casino inside, or just walk around amazed at the size of it all.
Location: s/n Estrada da Baia de Nossa Senhora da Esperanca, Macao
Back to the ferry terminal
From the Venetian, you can catch a shuttle bus back to the Macao Outer Harbor and from there the ferry back to Hong Kong.
