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Voykit pocket guide · Macau
Macau Peninsula
澳門
Macau is a 1–2 night stop: walk the Peninsula old town from Senado Square to the Ruins of St Paul's in the morning, eat in Taipa Village in the evening, and keep the ferry or bridge crossing for daylight.
Macau is small, hot and humid for much of the year, with a walkable old town on the Peninsula and a separate resort and food area on Taipa and Cotai. The trips that go wrong are the ones that ignore the weather and the border: noon walks in summer, ferries stopped by a typhoon signal, and border queues on holidays. Four clusters cover a first visit; it pairs with Hong Kong by ferry or bridge.
- Country
- Macau
- Local name
- 澳門
- Best months
- Jan · Mar · Apr · Oct · Nov · Dec
- Time zone
- Asia/Macau
- Stay
- 1 days: Ferry or bridge from Hong Kong, Senado and the Ruins of St Paul's, A-Ma Temple, back in the evening
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- MOP
- Money
- Cards and mobile wallets work in hotels, malls and most restaurants; cash for buses, food stalls and small shops. Hong Kong dollars are accepted in most places (change usually comes back in MOP); MOP is not accepted in Hong Kong.
- Daily spend
- Budget MOP 250–450 excl. bed · Mid MOP 450–1,000 excl. bed · High MOP 1,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Install an eSIM before you fly, or buy a tourist SIM at the airport or a convenience store with your passport.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 999 · Tourist hotline (MGTO) +853 2833 3000 · Public Security Police +853 2857 3333 · Conde S. Januário Hospital (public) +853 2831 3731 · Kiang Wu Hospital (private) +853 2837 1333
- Plugs
- 220 V, 50 Hz; British-style three-pin (type G) is common, with types D and F also in use. Bring a universal adapter.
- Tipping
- Not expected; a 10% service charge is often added in hotels and restaurants.
- Water
- Tap water is treated but many people drink bottled water.
- Toilets
- Malls, casinos, cafés and museums; carry tissues.
Get in
By air
- Macau International Airport (MFM)
- MFM to the Peninsula: one taxi to the door, about 20–45 minutes across the bridges — use the taxi rank outside arrivals and agree the meter.
Get around
Walk inside the old town; bus or taxi between the Peninsula, Taipa and the ferry terminals.
- Passes
- No pass needed for a short stay; buses have a low fixed fare.
- Late at night
- There is no metro; buses and taxis run late, but taxis are scarce in heavy rain.
See and do
01Ruins of St Paul's大三巴牌坊
The 17th-century church facade above the old town: 30 minutes, best in the early morning; a steep climb by steps.
02A-Ma Temple媽閣廟
The oldest temple in Macau, built into a hillside above the harbour: 30–45 minutes, late afternoon for softer light; incense smoke and steps.
03Largo do Senado (Senado Square)議事亭前地
The wave-patterned square at the heart of the old town: 30 minutes before the tour groups arrive at 10:30.
04Taipa Houses Museum龍環葡韻住宅式博物館
Five restored green-and-white houses on the Taipa seafront: 30–45 minutes, then Rua do Cunha for dinner.
Hours and prices are desk estimates (checked 2026-09); anything marked (check) is not confirmed. Coordinates open in any map app.
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong | Ferry about 1 h or the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge shuttle bus | Full day |
| Zhuhai (mainland China) | Walk across the Gongbei border | Half day |
| Coloane village | Bus about 25 min from Taipa | Half day |
Eat
- Rua do Cunha snack street
- A pedestrian street of snack shops, bakeries and small restaurants in Taipa Village: an evening walk and a light dinner; go on a weekday.
- Wong Chi Kei
- A long-running noodle and congee restaurant by Senado Square: a quick bowl before or after the old town; confirm the address before you go.
Sleep
- Taipa and Cotai
- Resort side: bigger rooms and free shuttle buses, ten minutes from the airport; a taxi or bus to the old town.
- Peninsula near Senado
- First visits: the old town on foot, buses at the door and hotels with 24-hour desks; the ferry terminal is a short taxi ride.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | 你好nei hou (Cantonese) |
| Thank you | 多謝do ze (Cantonese) |
| How much is it? | 幾錢?gei chin (Cantonese) |
| The bill, please | 埋單maai daan (Cantonese) |
| Please take me to this address | 請帶我去呢個地址cing daai ngo heoi ni go dei zi (Cantonese) |
| Delicious! | 好好味hou hou mei (Cantonese) |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A nod or handshake; 'nei hou' (你好) or 'bom dia' both land well; avoid: Hugging or kissing on the cheek with Chinese acquaintances
- Temples: Enter quietly, leave incense and offerings alone; avoid: Photographing worshippers' faces up close
- Churches: Covered shoulders; silence during Mass; avoid: Walking around during services
- Casinos: Watch from behind the rope; ask before sitting at a table; avoid: Photos, touching chips at others' tables, giving advice
- Queues: Line up for buses, taxis and bakeries; avoid: Assuming a crowd is not a queue
- Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; avoid: Clocks as gifts (death association) and sets of four
- Dining: Share dishes; let the host order; avoid: Sticking chopsticks upright in rice
- Money: Pay in MOP when you have it; avoid: Expecting HKD change
Red lines
- Temples: dress modestly, do not photograph worshippers close-up and do not touch offerings.
- Casinos: photography is not allowed on the gaming floor; under-21s cannot enter.
- Do not carry drugs or restricted items across the border; penalties are strict.
Scams and watch-outs
- Taxi drivers who refuse the meter or take a long route: ask for the meter, or use a hotel-booked car.
- Touts near the ferry terminals selling 'special' casino shuttles: use the free hotel shuttle buses.
- Prices quoted in Hong Kong dollars when patacas were meant: ask which currency is meant before you pay.
One and two days
1 day
The first day of the timed plan.
Day 1 — St Paul's at opening, Senado Square, a 12:30 lunch table
- 08:30Ruins of St Paul's
- Largo do Senado (Senado Square)
- 12:30Lunch table 12:30 (Senado)
- Rest 14:00–16:30 in an air-conditioned place; the waterfront in the evening.
2 days
The first two days of the timed plan.
Day 1 — St Paul's at opening, Senado Square, a 12:30 lunch table
- 08:30Ruins of St Paul's
- Largo do Senado (Senado Square)
- 12:30Lunch table 12:30 (Senado)
- Rest 14:00–16:30 in an air-conditioned place; the waterfront in the evening.
Day 2 — A-Ma Temple, then Taipa in the evening
- 09:00A-Ma Temple
- Taipa Houses Museum
- Rua do Cunha snack street (optional)
- Dinner in Taipa Village; taxi back to the Peninsula.
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Macao Government Tourism Office: www.macaotourism.gov.mo/en/
- Macao SAR Government portal: www.gov.mo/en/
- Wikivoyage — Macau: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Macau
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Macau Peninsula澳門
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Take me to
- 大三巴牌坊Ruins of St Paul's
- 媽閣廟A-Ma Temple
- 議事亭前地Largo do Senado (Senado Square)
- 龍環葡韻住宅式博物館Taipa Houses Museum
- Police, fire, ambulance999
- Tourist hotline (MGTO)+853 2833 3000
- Public Security Police+853 2857 3333
- Conde S. Januário Hospital (public)+853 2831 3731
- Kiang Wu Hospital (private)+853 2837 1333
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/macau-peninsula). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.