A compact former Portuguese city of mosaic squares, baroque churches and Chinese temples, with quiet island villages and Cotai's casino resorts.
A compact former Portuguese city of mosaic squares, baroque churches and Chinese temples, with quiet island villages and Cotai's casino resorts.
The mosaic-paved main square of the old town, lined with pastel neo-classical buildings and free to walk at any hour. Come early in the day, before the tour groups.
The stone facade of the Church of Mater Dei, built 1602–1640 and destroyed by fire in 1835, at the top of a long flight of steps. Open 9:00–18:00; the Museum of Sacred Art and Crypt behind it closes at 14:00 on Tuesdays.
A fortress built with the Jesuits in 1617–1626 next to the Ruins, once the city's main defense. The grounds are open 7:00–19:00; the Macao Museum inside is closed on Mondays.
A 17th-century fort on Guia Hill with a frescoed chapel and the 1865 Guia Lighthouse. Ride the small cable car up from Flora Garden (8:00–18:00, closed Mondays, MOP3 return); the fortress is open 9:00–18:00 and the chapel 10:00–17:00, with no photos inside.
A temple complex at Barra that predates the city, with halls and pavilions for several deities in one compound. Open 7:00–18:00; the LRT's Barra station is close by.
Rua do Cunha, a pedestrian lane of almond-cookie and snack shops, leads to the Taipa Houses, five green 1921 residences turned into a free museum (10:00–19:00, closed Mondays). The Cotai casino resorts are just to the south.
A quiet village on Coloane, in the far south of Macau, built around the small 1928 Chapel of St. Francis Xavier, open 9:30–17:30. A slower place to end a day than the old town.
Flaky pastry filled with egg custard and baked until the top blisters, the best-known dessert in Macau's bakeries and cafés.
A fried pork chop in a crisp-crusted bun, Macau's take on the Portuguese bifana and a standard café snack.
Minced beef or pork fried with onion and diced potato, seasoned with soy sauce, and served on rice, often under a fried egg.
A chilled dessert of whipped cream layered with fine biscuit crumbs, eaten with a spoon.
Macau sits on the west side of the Pearl River estuary, about an hour by ferry from Hong Kong and across a land border from Zhuhai. Its old town, the Historic Centre of Macao, has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2005: mosaic-paved squares, baroque church fronts, forts and Chinese temples, all within walking distance of each other. To the south, Taipa Village and Coloane Village are quieter, and the big casino resorts of Cotai lie between them.
It suits travelers already in Hong Kong or Guangdong who want a day or two somewhere different, and anyone curious about Macanese food, which mixes Portuguese and Cantonese cooking. Macau has its own entry rules and its own currency, so plan it as a separate stop. It fits best alongside Hong Kong, Guangzhou or Zhuhai rather than the four main cities.
Start early at Senado Square and walk uphill through the lanes to the Ruins of St. Paul’s before the crowds build, then step next door to Mount Fortress. Take a bus or taxi to Flora Garden and ride the cable car up to Guia Fortress for the view over the city. In the afternoon, head south to A-Ma Temple at Barra; from Barra station the LRT crosses to Taipa.
Give a second day to the islands. Walk Rua do Cunha in Taipa Village, see the Taipa Houses, then go on to Coloane Village for a slower afternoon. Fit in an egg tart, a pork chop bun and a Macanese meal of minchi along the way.
From Hong Kong, take the ferry from Sheung Wan or the shuttle bus over the bridge. From Zhuhai, cross on foot at Gongbei or Hengqin. If you are going on to the mainland afterwards, read our visa-free entry guide first, because crossing back is a new entry. Macau takes cards as well as Alipay and WeChat Pay; our payments guide explains how to set those up for the mainland.
Checked on 29 October 2026. Opening times and ticket rules change; confirm on the official site before you go.
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