Macau makes a implausible day journey from Hong Kong as a result of it’s compact and simple to achieve. Simply an hour by ferry or two hours by bus from Hong Kong, you’ll be able to step into a very totally different world. You may discover Macau’s two sides: the historic Portuguese colonial facet and its hyper-modern glitzy facet, even in a single day.
On this article, we’ll share with you our Macau day journey itinerary.
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MACAU DAY TRIP ITINERARY
To maximise the restricted time we’ll be spending in Macau, let’s begin early. Get up at 6:45 AM and provides your self loads of time to prepare. Don’t overlook to carry your passport as a result of we’ll be crossing borders at this time!
China Hong Kong Metropolis Terminal
By 8:00 AM, take the MTR from Central Station to Tsim Sha Tsui Station. The fare is HK$ 10.6.
From right here, open your Google Maps and use it to get to the China Hong Kong Metropolis Terminal, the place you’ll be able to catch the bus to Macau. You’ll be strolling for round 10 minutes.
For this itinerary, e book this bus switch particularly. There are various Hong Kong-Macau bus choices on Klook, however it’s good to e book this one particularly as a result of it has the stops and timings that match our itinerary.
For pickup location, select CHINA HONG KONG CITY, and for drop off, select GALAXY MACAU. The Venetian is OK, too, however Galaxy is nearer to our first cease.
TIP! For those who’re reserving this on Klook, use our promo code THEPOORTRAVELERKLOOK for 3-5% OFF should you’re a brand new person.
On our journey, although, we really booked the one from Prince Edward as a result of it entailed a shorter stroll. However now that I’m their web page, for some purpose, the earliest departure time accessible on Klook is 11:50 AM, which is just too late. However from China Hong Kong Metropolis Terminal, there are earlier choices.
For those who actually wish to depart from Prince Edward, I feel you can even e book on the provider’s official web site.
On the finish of the day, select the pickup level that’s extra accessible from the lodge you’re staying in.
TIP! For those who don’t have a lodge but, e book with Agoda to get an enormous low cost! As much as P5900 or USD 100 off. Simply go to www.thepoortraveler.internet/agoda to redeem the low cost coupon, or should you favor utilizing the Agoda cellular app, simply faucet on the DEALS web page and enter our promo code AGODATPT, all caps. Then search and choose a lodge, and upon try, enter AGODATPT once more within the coupon subject to use the low cost. This provides you with as much as 10% OFF capped at USD 100 (P5900 primarily based on present alternate price).
Be sure you arrive on the pickup location on time! Board the proper bus and off you go.
By the best way, we additionally created an in depth article on easy methods to get to Macau from Hong Kong, which you’ll be able to learn right here: HONG KONG to MACAU by Bus & Ferry
HZMB Port
On the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB) Port, you’ll get off the bus, undergo Immigration on foot as you exit Hong Kong, and discover the identical bus on the opposite facet. So hearken to the directions, bear in mind your bus quantity, and at all times concentrate!
There are many indicators on the port. However when you make it previous Immigration, the indicators it is best to search for are marked CROSS BOUNDARY COACH. To not be confused with Shuttle Buses. A workers member will verify your ticket to be sure to’re boarding the proper bus.
Then, strap in. You’ll be crossing the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge, one of many longest sea bridges on the planet. It ought to take over an hour from right here. You’ll even be clearing immigration on the Macau facet.
Alight at Galaxy Macao, then stroll for 12-Quarter-hour to our first cease.
Taipa Meals Avenue
We start our Macau journey with a meals journey right here at Taipa Meals Avenue! Formally often known as Rua do Cunha, it’s one among Macau’s most beloved foodie alleys, tucked into the historic coronary heart of Taipa Village. This slim pedestrian lane has been drawing locals and guests alike for many years!
To be trustworthy with you, these will not be the most affordable choices in Macau. You’ll discover extra reasonably priced variations of these things in different components of Macau. However what makes Taipa Meals Avenue nice is that you simply’ll discover a few of the most iconic eats in only one space, with its mixture of Portuguese-influenced classics and native Macanese flavors. You may pattern snacks and specialties from stall after stall, all inside just a few blocks.
Café Vong Kei
While you arrive, the very first thing that can steal your consideration is the large milk tea bottle on the facet of the constructing housing Café Vong Kei. So let’s begin our culinary crawl right here. This colourful café has change into a serious landmark right here. Open for the reason that mid-Twentieth century, it’s finest identified for its iced espresso and milk tea (MOP 26). Each drinks are balanced and daring: the espresso is easy and refreshing, whereas the milk tea has that basic silky sweetness that pairs completely with a stroll down the road.
However wait, don’t drink it but. We’ll be utilizing it to scrub down the strong objects we’re going to stuff our faces with — like pork chop bun (MOP 48)! Café Vong Kei’s pork chop is so huge it seems to be prefer it’s about to leap out of the bread. It’s juicy and peppery, complemented by the crispy pastry.
Our preliminary intention was to purchase one from Café Vong Kei and one other at Sei Kee Café not too distant. However after ending one, we have been already so full that we skipped the latter. In order that’s the lesson right here. For those who’re doing a meals crawl, simply order one and share! Go away room for the opposite stops.
Sei Kee Café
I’d nonetheless urge you to strive Sei Kee Café. It is without doubt one of the oldest neighborhood cafés in Macau, relationship again to the Sixties. It’s additionally earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation for its high quality and worth. Too dangerous we weren’t capable of strive it. Its pork chop bun prices MOP 50.
Lao Day Beef Offal
Just some steps away, the scent of slow-cooked beef fills the air at Lao Day Beef Offal. This spot has risen to fame extra not too long ago, incomes recognition on native foodie lists and drawing lengthy queues for its richly seasoned beef offal (about MOP 58). Tender, hearty, and deeply savory, every bowl provides a style of Macau’s street-food tradition that’s unpretentious, daring, and deeply satisfying.
Lord Stow’s Bakery
No go to to Taipa Meals Avenue is full with out hitting Lord Stow’s Bakery, the birthplace of Macau’s legendary egg tart. Based by Andrew Stow in Coloane in 1989, this bakery’s tarts are crisp on the skin with a creamy, caramelized custard middle — an ideal mix of Portuguese baking custom and native aptitude, and a signature Macau must-try at round MOP 11 per piece.
Mochi Macau
To complete on one thing candy and chewy, swing by Mochi Macau (usually acknowledged domestically as Cheung Chau Ping Kei) for freshly made mochi (about MOP 18). Whereas fruit-filled variations are widespread, the pink bean mochi is extensively thought-about the perfect right here, and we agree. It’s barely candy, delightfully chewy, and an ideal candy notice after savory snacks.
And that wraps up our lunch. Now, let’s head over to Macau’s historic core. And to try this, we have to catch Bus 33 and alight at Almeida Ribeiro/OCBC cease. By the best way, buses right here in Macau gather a flat price of MOP 6.
We’re now within the Macau peninsula and it’s right here that you simply’ll discover the Previous Macau. And at its middle lies Senado Sq..
Senado Sq.
Senado Sq. is the beating coronary heart of Macau’s historic middle and a UNESCO World Heritage web site. This large, open plaza is surrounded by colourful pastel colonial buildings and European-style pavement patterns that make it really feel like a small slice of Portugal in the midst of Asia. It’s a pedestrian-friendly hub the place locals and vacationers mingle.
The sq. is residence to a number of historic landmarks, together with the Holy Home of Mercy, St. Dominic’s Church, and the Leal Senado Constructing. Throughout festivals, Senado Sq. comes alive with decorations, road performances, and vibrant markets, giving guests an actual sense of Macau’s wealthy cultural tapestry.
As you stroll deeper into the interior streets, your senses will likely be bombarded! The alleys main off the sq. are lined with shops promoting Macau delicacies, from Portuguese egg tarts to almond cookies and conventional meat jerky, lots of which provide free samples to tempt passersby. This makes strolling by the world not solely scenic however scrumptious — an ideal strategy to style native flavors as you discover.
Ruins of St. Paul’s
On the finish of the principle pedestrian road, you’ll discover the Ruins of St. Paul’s, Macau’s most iconic landmark. What stays at this time is the ornate stone façade of a Seventeenth-century Portuguese church, which was destroyed by hearth in 1835. Regardless of being a wreck, the intricate carvings, statues, and Latin inscriptions on the façade nonetheless convey the grandeur of its heyday, making it probably the most photographed websites in Macau.
Climbing the steps to the ruins offers you a small museum tucked behind the façade, showcasing artifacts from the unique church and monastery, giving context to Macau’s colonial and non secular historical past. From right here, you can even absorb sweeping views of the encompassing streets of the outdated metropolis, mixing Macau’s Portuguese and Chinese language heritage in a single body. And that’s completely captured while you spot the following merchandise on our itinerary.
Na Tcha Temple
Simply subsequent to the Ruins of St. Paul’s is the small, unassuming Na Tcha Temple, creating a strong visible distinction between Chinese language and Portuguese spiritual traditions in a single nook. It was in-built 1888 and is devoted to Na Tcha, a protecting deity in Chinese language people faith. And sure, it’s also a part of Macau’s UNESCO World Heritage–listed Historic Centre.
Architecturally, the temple is small and understated, with a easy stone construction, conventional Chinese language rooflines, and incense coils usually hanging inside. Regardless of its dimension, it performed an necessary function for the native Chinese language neighborhood, particularly throughout instances of sickness and hardship, when Na Tcha was worshipped as a guardian towards illness and misfortune.
Visiting the temple provides a quiet, reflective pause amid the crowds, and it completely symbolizes Macau’s distinctive id — a spot the place Jap and Western cultures have coexisted for hundreds of years, generally actually facet by facet.
After the temple go to, stroll to Praia De Hac Sa Bus Cease and catch Bus 26A to Est. Do Istmo / Londoner cease. The fare is MOP 6.
Cotai Strip
Welcome to Cotai Strip! That is Macau’s tackle the Las Vegas Strip, a blinding stretch of reclaimed land connecting the islands of Coloane and Taipa, filled with mega-resorts, luxurious accommodations, and leisure complexes. Cotai has remodeled quickly over the previous decade, evolving into the guts of Macau’s fashionable tourism business.
Past the grand façades, the Cotai Strip is a buying, eating, and leisure paradise. Excessive-end manufacturers line the corridors of resort malls, whereas numerous eating places serve every part from Cantonese dim sum to European effective eating. Guests may catch spectacular reveals, gondola rides, and light-weight shows — all a part of the immersive, over-the-top Cotai expertise. However since we solely have very restricted time, we’ll be making solely three stops tonight: London, Paris, and Venice. Properly, type of.
Let’s begin with London.
The Londoner Macao
The Londoner Macao is clad in basic British structure, mimicking the Palace of Westminster and Homes of Parliament. It additionally has a miniature Massive Ben tower, supplying you with a distinctly London look.
On the foremost foyer, you’ll discover a duplicate of the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain! And from right here, you can get misplaced in mini-London and take unli-selfies on the many UK icons scattered round, together with a double-decker bus and a statue of Sir Winston Churchill greeting everybody at 10 Downing Avenue. You may as well hop right into a taxi for what they name Black Cab Escape, the place you’ll get to take pleasure in a digital drive with David Beckham. These are simply a few of the many points of interest inside! We have been advised there’s additionally a altering of the guards, however we didn’t get to see it.
All these could be accessed for FREE by the best way.
There’s additionally the Harry Potter The Exhibition, however this one collects an entrance charge and we don’t have time for that on this journey. For now, let’s cross over to Paris.
The Parisian Macao
The Parisian Macao delivers on French class. The centerpiece is a half-scale duplicate of the Eiffel Tower. Each Quarter-hour from 6:15 PM to midnight, each single evening, the enduring landmark is roofed in dazzling lights, creating an superior present that bathes the encompassing space in numerous colours.
The tower has two statement decks, one on Degree 37, which fees MOP 75 per particular person, and the opposite on Degree 7, which is open to everybody FREE OF CHARGE. As for us, we determined to simply keep on the bottom, admire it from afar, and snap numerous pictures with the colourful construction as backdrop!
And proper subsequent door lies Venice.
The Venetian Macao
The Venetian Macao is without doubt one of the largest resorts on the planet and brings Italy’s romantic Venice to Cotai. With indoor canals, gondola rides, and replicas of Venetian landmarks, it’s a feast for the senses.
Inside, you’ll discover teamLab SuperNature Macao, among the finest teamLab branches that we now have skilled. However once more, perhaps not on this journey, as we don’t have time.
The resort additionally options luxurious buying and over 30 eating places, together with a meals court docket. And sure, that is the place we’ll have dinner. Costs listed here are a lot larger than normal meals court docket fare, although.
Again to Hong Kong
For those who nonetheless have time to spare, stroll across the mall, perhaps store. Simply just be sure you go to the bus choose up level at 8:00 PM. Sure, you may be boarding the bus again to Hong Kong right here on the Venetian at 8:30 PM. The bus fare is HK$ 160.
You may e book this upfront on Klook, particularly this journey, as a result of this has an 8:30 PM pickup on the Venetian, which is ideal for our itinerary.
Within the listing of choices, select MACAU VENETIAN HOTEL because the departing level and select HONG KONG PRINCE EDWARD because the vacation spot.
Once more, similar to earlier, you’ll must move by each the Macao and Hong Kong Immigration inspection, so have your passports useful.
You must arrive within the Prince Edward space in Kowloon by 11 PM. From right here, stroll and take the MTR to your lodge. The fare from Prince Edward Station to Central Station is HK$ 13.20.
And that’s it! You may simply insert today journey itinerary into your Hong Kong itinerary! However the query is, how a lot finances must you put together?
MACAU DAY TRIP BUDGET BREAKDOWN
Right here’s the finances breakdown for our pattern 1-day Macau itinerary, together with the bus transfers. It assumes you’re a celebration of two, splitting the price of shared bills equally.
TOTAL: HKD 578.5 (USD 74, EUR 62, SGD 94, PHP 4360)
IMPORTANT! These are the minimal budgets to organize. However please notice:
- Add a buffer (even as little as HKD 200) to cowl doable worth actions, forex alternate changes, and different bills we’d have missed. These don’t embody private purchases (buying finances) and alcohol.
- These itineraries shouldn’t be taken as official journey recommendation. Simply use these as a information in constructing your individual. Be happy to tweak to match your bookings, availability, schedule, and preferences.
And there you have got it! That’s our pattern Macau DIY day journey itinerary if coming from Hong Kong.
Whereas it’s positively doable to see Macau’s key points of interest in a single day, I nonetheless strongly encourage you to return and keep longer. On this pattern day-trip itinerary, we solely barely scratched the floor — we mainly simply blitzed by town, hitting the highlights and transferring on. Macau is compact, nevertheless it’s wealthy in tradition, historical past, and distinctive experiences, and a single day doesn’t do it justice. Spending an evening or two right here lets you discover at a extra relaxed tempo, soak within the ambiance, and actually recognize town’s mix of Portuguese and Chinese language heritage.
There’s much more to see past what we’ve shared right here. It additionally has peaceable metropolis gardens like Camoes Sq. and Jardim Lou Lim Ioc; interactive points of interest like teamLab Supernature, Harry Potter the Exhibition, Martial Arts Enviornment and Grand Prix Museum; and historic websites just like the Ama Temple and Guia Fortress. Or you’ll be able to go meals tripping. There’s additionally a thriving meals scene past the standard vacationer spots, from homegrown household eating places to beautiful fine-dining territory.
Primarily, a day-trip provides you with a style, however staying longer allows you to expertise the complete taste of Macau.
Shield your funds when touring!
Getting a journey insurance coverage is optionally available, however we extremely suggest this, particularly when touring overseas. Journey could be unpredictable, and although we hope we’ll by no means use it, having it offers us peace of thoughts in case of surprising delays, cancellations, or emergencies.
For worldwide locations, contemplate PGA Sompo’s TravelJOY Plus insurance coverage. You may GET IT HERE. Don’t overlook to make use of WORTHIT for a particular reasonably priced price.
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Edited by: Asta Alvarez
