A former Portuguese colony, a special region and the Las Vegas of Asia, Macau captivates you with its mix of old and new, of forts and houses built by the Portuguese and the madness of lights and opulence of the Cotai Strip. Although Macau is considered to be either a special administrative region or another country (depending on who you ask), I’m of the opinion that at least one day of your vacation on Cantonese soil should be set aside for a trip to Macau. Why? Because Macau is probably one of the most interesting places on the mainland. Our plan was to stay only one day in Macau, but we stayed another day because we loved this little piece of land so much that it’s still one of our favorite destinations we visited last year.
A Short Travel Guide for a Trip to Macau (from Hong Kong)
As I said, Macau is one of the most interesting destinations in Asia. Macau was originally founded by the fishermen and farmers of the region, who called this piece of land “Ou Mun” – the gateway to trade. For centuries, Macau was one of the region’s most important ports, part of the Silk Road, and the place where the Portuguese arrived in 1550 and legalised gambling a few hundred years later. Today, Macau is a special administrative region with its own currency and border controls, and is known worldwide as the “Las Vegas of Asia”.
How do you get to Macau from Hong Kong?
The ferryboat from Hong Kong – TurboJet operates about 20 flights a day between Hong Kong and Macau. The trip takes about 1 hour and costs 175 HKD.
There is also the bus option or even flying directly to Macau instead of HK. Helicopter is another expensive option but I think a bit more spectacular. For a 15 minute flight you can expect to pay around 5000HKD.
Entry requirements to Macau
You don’t need a visa to enter Macau, but you do need a passport. When you leave HK, you will need to present your passport along with the form you filled in on arrival. Similarly, when you return to HK, you will need to fill in another form.
Public transportation in Macau
If you’re staying in a hotel on the Cotai Strip, it’s good to know that there is a completely free shuttle service. These buses, labeled with the names of the hotels on the Cotai Strip (The Venetian, The Parisian, etc), run standard routes between the ferry terminal/airport and the hotels.
If you use local buses, a trip costs 6 MOP/HKD and you can pay the driver directly. The important thing is to have the exact amount.
Official currency in Macau
💸 The official currency in Macau is pataca (MOP), but everywhere else you can pay in HK dollars, with an exchange rate of 1:1. It’s not unusual to pay in both currencies or just HKD. But it is impossible to pay with MOP in Hong Kong.
Accommodation in Macau
We really wanted to sleep one night on the Cotai Strip and that’s why we chose Sheraton at the Londoner. It was the most affordable hotel in the area and the one that also offers a super cool view of The Parisian or The Londoner (depending on where you get your room). The hotel is linked to The Londoner, and if you really don’t feel like sitting in the sun and sweating, you can spend a whole day in just the three hotels (Londoner, Parisian and Venetian), as they are all linked to each other. I mention that they are not just hotels, but huge shopping malls and even exhibitions. The lobbies are beautifully decorated, there are food court areas (the coolest is at The Venetian) and many other exhibitions.
For the second night we chose a hotel on the other side, closer to the old town. We stayed at the Harbourview Hotel Macau, next to The Sands.
Best tourist attractions in Macau
- Cotai Strip – the nicer and more manicured version of the famous Las Vegas. Here you can take a gondola ride at The Venetian, visit the Harry Potter exhibit at The Londoner or stroll past the Eiffel Tower at The Parisian. There are other hotels that are said to be fantastic and have all kinds of shows and exhibitions, but we didn’t have time to visit them. Last but not least, you can try your luck in the casinos.
- Old Macau or The Portuguese Macau – on the streets of old Macau, the atmosphere is totally different. I recommend starting your walk in Senado Square and following the signs to Ruinas de Sao Paulo.
- Guia Fortress – another Portuguese legacy. It was built on Guia Hill in the 17th century and played an important role in defense. To reach the fortress more easily, you can take the cable car. A return trip costs 3 MOP.
- Casino Grand Lisboa is Macau’s most representative monument. You can admire it both from Ruinas de Sao Paulo and Guia Hill. And if you want to take some cool pictures, put the following coordinates on your GPS: 22.192013, 113.54232357.
- Fishermen’s Wharf is also in old Macau, but it’s a relatively new construction. Here you’ll find Amsterdam-like houses (best seen from the ferry), but also a Colosseum-like repilca. We caught a street food festival with food specific to Mainland China.
A Short Travel Guide for a Trip to Macau (from Hong Kong)
Things you should know before visiting Macau:
- Internet: we used an e-sim from Airalo. We prefer this option because it saves us a lot of hassle and because we can connect to the internet as soon as we arrive at our destination. For 1 GB of internet you have to take 4,5 USD out of your pocket. I also have a code for you if you’ve never used Airalo before. Use the code “GEORGI0872” when you sign up and get 3 USD credit.
- If you don’t have the GetYourGuide app yet, we invite you to download it (via this link) and use the code “borntotravelro10” for 10% off your first purchase.