Visit the Las Vegas of Asia : 4 Days Macau Itinerary
One of the most underrated destinations in Asia is Macau, which boasts one of the world’s biggest casinos and luxury hotels. Also known as the “Las Vegas of Asia”, Macau features a perfect blend of the Chinese and Portuguese cultures and is the only place in China where gambling is legal. Due to this reason, most of Macau’s tourists are from mainland China and Hong Kong.
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| The Parisian Macao (Image credit: scmp.com) |
Located around 65km west of Hong Kong, Macau territory consists of the Peninsula and Cotai Island. If you have a look at the map of Macau, you will notice that Cotai is situated in between Coloane and Taipa. Coloane and Tapai were previously 2 separate islands, but now joined by reclaimed land. The reclaimed land in the centre is called Cotai (by combining Coloane and Taipa).
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| Macau Map |
So when should you visit Macau?
Similar to Hong Kong, the best time to visit Macau will be between October to December. With an average temperature of 22°C/72°F, you will be able to explore Macau comfortably without worrying about the heat. The peak season in Macau is during the summer months (May to September), which is when the crowds at the casinos, hotels and attractions are the biggest.
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| Best time to visit Macau |
It is also during the summer months, which you can expect higher humidity and temperatures which leads to heavy downpours and the monsoon season. Its best to have a backup plan just in case your holiday is disrupted by the unexpected weather during the monsoon season. If you are planning to visit Macau just to gamble, then you can come here any time of the year. These casinos and resorts here are well equipped to handle Macau’s adverse weather.
How many days should you spend in Macau?
Depending on what you plan to do and where you plan to go, each persons itinerary may differ. If you plan to gamble here, 1-2 days may be sufficient for you. But if you want to explore and visit the popular attractions here, we recommend spending at least 3-5 days here.
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| Galaxy Macau |
How to get around Macau?
Getting around Macau is quite easy as there are plenty of options to choose from; bus, train, taxi and pedicabs. Upon your arrival at the Macau International Airport, Macau Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal or the Taipa Ferry Terminal there will be complimentary shuttle buses waiting to bring you back to your hotel. Do check with your hotel in Macau, on their latest bus schedules as each hotel shuttle differs from one another. For sightseeing in Macau, you can opt to go for the Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour which covers most of the popular tourist attractions in Macau. Click here to download the tour bus map.
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| Hotel bus waiting at the pick up/drop off location |
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| Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour (Image credit: Klook) |
How to visit Macau from Hong Kong?
You could do a day trip to Macau or opt to spend a few nights in Macau to explore their attractions. There are a few ways to visit Macau from Hong Kong, via sea, land and air. Among the 3 options are :-
i) Take the ferry
– Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal (recommended), China Ferry Terminal (recommended), Sky Pier at the Hong Kong International Airport and Tuen Mun Ferry Terminal)
– This is one of the cheaper options to travel
– Journey time around 1 hour
– Expect to arrive at either Macau Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal (close to downtown Macau) or Taipa Terminal (close to the airport, casinos and hotels)
– The 2 main ferry companies are Turbojet and Cotai Water Jet
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| Cotai Water Jet (Image credit: cotaiwaterjet) |
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| Turbojet |
ii) Travel by bus over the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge
– Take any one of these busses to Macau; Chinalink/Eternal East/One Bus or book via any of the agencies such as Klook
– The cheapest way to travel, however expect long queues for the bus especially during weekends/holidays
– Journey time around 40 minutes depending on the bus routes
– Depending on the bus company, drop off point may be at one of these hotels in Macau (MGM Cotai, MGM Macao, Grand Lisboa Macau, Starworld Hotel, The Venetian Macao, Galaxy Macao, and Sands Macao)
– The bridge is the longest sea crossing (55km) in the world
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| Take the bus to Macau |
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| Map of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge |
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| Scenic views on the bridge |
iii) Take a helicopter ride
– Go to Hong Kong Heliport which is located at 6th floor of the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal (Sky Shuttle HK)
– The coolest and most expensive way to travel
– Journey time only 15 minutes
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| Get the best view of Hong Kong and Macau (Image credit: skyshuttlehk) |
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| Hong Kong Heliport (Image credit: skyshuttlehk) |
The official currency here is the Macau/Macanese Pataca, (MOP$/MOP). If you are travelling from Hong Kong/Mainland China, then it won’t be necessary to acquire MOP as most of the retailers here accept HKD/RMB. While the RMB and MOP exchange rate varies, the HKD and MOP currencies are pegged between MOP 1.03 to HKD 1.00. This will render your HKD/RMB to be slightly more valuable than MOP. However, don’t expect any additional change when using HKD/RMB here as they are considered (1:1:1 exchange rate). Depending on the vendor/shopkeeper here, expect to receive your change in MOP.
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| Exchange rate in Macau shops |
Also be aware that MOP is not accepted in Hong Kong/Mainland China. If you want to avoid all the hassle of changing currency while travelling, why not use Big Pay. We have used it for almost all our purchases during our travel in Macau and found it helpful. You can save on the currency conversion fee when you use the apps. Just make sure to select the local currency of the country you are in to get cheaper rates. Click here to sign up. Don’t forget to use our referral code GB1RB1XMDE to receive a bonus when you activate the card.
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| BigPay |
If you haven’t read our previous post on VISITING HONG KONG IN 4 DAYS – TRAVEL GUIDE, we highly recommend you to check it out. If you’re coming from Hong Kong like us, there is no need to adjust your timing since Hong Kong and Macau are both in the same time zone (GMT+8).
Day 1 – Exploring the Las Vegas of Asia
Since we were already in Hong Kong previously, we took the Turbojet ferry as its drop-off point is at the Macau Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal, which is close to our hotel. Upon arrival at the ferry terminal, we walked to the pick-up point and waited around 10 minutes for our hotel shuttle. In Macau, almost all of the major hotels here have their own casino, so you actually don’t have to venture far if you want to gamble.
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| Our hotel for 4 days – Rio Hotel Macau |
After checking-in, we decided to grab some lunch at a nearby restaurant before exploring the area. As we strolled along the streets of Macau, casinos could be seen at every corner. The most impressive one was The Grand Lisboa, which is one of the tallest building in Macau with a height of 260m/856ft. This 5 star hotel/casino boasts a gold interior lobby, a permanent display of the world’s largest cushion-shaped diamond (218.08 carat/43.62 g), Michelin-starred restaurants, world class shows and super-luxurious rooms.
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| Lunch in Macau |
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| Grand Lisboa Macau |
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| “The Star of Stanley Ho” 218.08 carat (43.62 g) diamond |
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| This place is dripping in gold – Grand Lisboa |
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| The Michelin-starred restaurants – Grand Lisboa |
By the time we were done exploring the Grand Lisboa casino, it started to rain heavily in Macau. Luckily, we brought our umbrella with us and walked back to the hotel. Even when we got back to the hotel it didn’t stop raining. In fact, it rained throughout the night on our first day in Macau. We had to postpone and make a few adjustments to our itinerary as we couldn’t cover them on the first day.
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| Dinner at the 2 Michelin-starred restaurant (CANTON 8) – Rio Hotel |
Day 2 – Visiting the historical sites of Macau
We had an early start (6.30am) and was determined to make up ground on the attractions we couldn’t visit on the first day. Since there was no buses running that early, we took the taxi to the first destination of the day, The Ruins of St. Paul. Built in 1602, this site was originally an educational institution and a church.
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| Ruins of St Paul’s cathedral |
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| Ruins of St Paul’s cathedral |
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| The small garden in front of the Ruins of St Paul’s cathedral |
Today, only part of the building and façade remains standing. This is because of the 3 tragic fire incidents which the church had withstand over the centuries. The remains of the façade compromises of 4 levels, all of which are covered with:-
i) Statues
– Holy Saints, Virgin Mary, Holy Father, Baby Jesus
ii) Symbols
– Garden Eden
– Crucifixion
iii) Carvings
– Chinese dragon
– Japanese chrysanthemum
– Portuguese ship
– Angels and devils
– Dove, Sun, Moon and Stars
iv) Inscriptions
– Written in Chinese to warn the public
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| Statues on the Ruins of St Paul’s cathedral |
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| Carvings on the Ruins of St Paul’s cathedral |
The Ruins of St. Paul is also part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site and features a crypt (containing remains of Japanese and Vietnamese martyrs) and a museum (containing religious artworks and sculptures). To ensure that the ruin does not topple down, reinforcements were made at the back side of the church.
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| Steel and concrete reinforcements – Ruins of St Paul’s cathedral |
Since we were nearby Senado Square (Largo do Senado), we decided to explore that area as well. It took us around 10 minutes to walk from the Ruins of St Paul’s cathedral to the public square. Being one of the largest squares in Macau, the Senado Square was constructed in 1918 to connect the Inner Harbour to the Praia Grande. The square was used by the governors to showcase their influence and military strength.
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| Senado Square colourful buildings (Image credit: Macao Government Tourism Office) |
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| Senado Square |
Today, Senado Square is listed as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the most popular attractions in Macau. Take a walk here and you will be impressed by the blend of Eastern and Western building architectures such as St. Dominic’s Church, Sam Kai Vui Kun Temple, Holy House of Mercy and the Leal Senado Building.
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| Cathedral of the Nativity of Our Lady |
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| Leal Senado Building
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| Matching outfits with the fountain |
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| Picturesque square |
As we walked around the square, we could see plenty of tourists and locals hanging out at the square, some having their picnics while others busy taking photos of the colourful buildings. While you are here, make sure to try Macau’s local delicacies such as their famous Portuguese tarts, pork chop bun, egg rolls, serradura, almond cookies and sweet pork jerky. We ended up spending the rest of the day food hunting in Macau and headed back to the hotel when we were done.
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| Lots of places to take photos – Senada Square |
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| Try out the local delicacies – Macau |
Day 3 – More casinos and food hunting!
After spending the first 2 days in Macau Peninsula, we decided to venture to Cotai Island, which features the biggest and latest casinos in Macau. We took the bus to the first destination of the day, the Venetian Macao. With a size of 10.5 million sq ft/240 acres, the Venetian Macao is the largest hotel resort in Asia and boasts a casino, exhibition halls, a hotel, shopping malls and world-class restaurants.
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| The Venetian Macau |
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| Venetian Macau casino |
The resort was inspired by the Las Vegas hotel and Venice. At the Venetian Macao, you can take a romantic ride on the gondola or stroll along San Luca, Marco Polo or Grand Canals of Shoppes. To make it even more authentic, the mall features canals, cobblestone bridges, a blue sky ceiling and Italian gondoliers shipped from Venice.
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| Grand Canals of Shoppes – Venetian Macau |
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| Take a romantic ride on the gondola – Venetian Macau |
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| Grand Canals of Shoppes – Venetian Macau |
We spent a few hours exploring the mall and the casino here before heading to the next location, The Parisian Macao which is located around 600m away. This Parisian Macao features a mall, hotel, theatre and a half-scale 525ft Eiffel Tower.
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| The Parisian Macao |
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| The Resplendent Concierge Lobby (Image credit: Venetian Cotai Limited) |
Getting its inspiration from Paris, the resort is a complete replica of the city with buskers, street performers, mime artists and cafés to give you French vibes. If going on a vacation to Paris is still a pipe dream, drop by this resort instead to see the next best thing.
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| Replica of the French buildings and murals – Parisian Macao |
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| At the Parisian Macao mall |
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| Posing with the sculptures – Parisian Macao |
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| Parisian Macao |
For a reasonable sum of fee, you will be able to climb the miniature Eiffel Tower. Even though it might not be as tall as the original one, but the views at the top is still spectacular. If you come here in the evenings, make sure to catch the impressive Eiffel Tower light shows which starts daily at 6.15pm till midnight.
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| Visit the miniature Eiffel Tower – Parisian Macao |
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| Beautifully lit up in the evening – Parisian Macao |
After having our lunch here, we moved on the last location of the day, the Taipa Village. which is located at Rua de Regedor. The Taipa Village features a combination of Portuguese and Macanese community which makes it so unique and interesting. Here you can find plenty of museums, art galleries, churches and shops.
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| Taipa Village map (Image credit: taipavillagemacau) |
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| Cunha Street -Taipa Village |
To get here, we walked back to the Venetian Macao and headed west, towards the direction to the Galaxy hotel. From there, we walked across the street at the exit of the Venetian Macao. Take the escalator leading up to the pedestrian walkway and walk along it for around 10 minutes to reach Taipa Village.
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| Walk along this walkway to Taipa Village |
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| Exploring the colourful streets of Taipa Village |
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| Taipa House Museum |
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| Pai Tak Temple |
Not to miss here also is the Taipa Flea Market located 200m north of the village, which only operates on Sundays from 11am-8pm. Here, you will be able to find various stalls selling delicious food and beverages, traditional crafts and souvenirs. To keep you entertained, there is also live performances here such as street dances, magicians, musicians, lion dance and Portuguese folk dance.
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| Taipa Flea Market |
We spent a few hours at Taipa trying out as much food as our stomach could handle. By the time we were done, it was already 6pm. As we were exhausted from all the walking we did that day, we decided to call it a day and take the taxi back to our hotel.
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| Check out the Michelin Recommended restaurant (Antonio) – Taipa Village |
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| We spent the whole day food hunting at Taipa Village |
Day 4 – Goodbye Macau!
It was our last day in Macau and we were not looking forward to return home as we really enjoyed our time here. After packing up, we took the taxi to Macau International Airport for our afternoon flight back. Wrapping things up, our trip to Macau was an enjoyable one. Not only did we get to see the flashiest and luxurious resorts/casinos here, but we got to experience the Macanese cultures, visit historical sites and indulge in scrumptious food here.
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| Mooncakes and fresh egg rolls – Macau |
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| Last minute souvenirs to bring back – Macau |
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| Time to go home – Macau International Airport |
Have any experience or tips on travelling in Macau? Or are you planning a trip soon? Let us know and share your thoughts and questions in the comments section. We’d love to hear from you!
