Smart Self-Managed Tours

City guide · China

Macau

A photograph of Macau
Photograph · Charlie fong · CC BY-SA 4.0

Macau combines a dense historic peninsula with newer districts across the water. Senado Square, the Ruins of St Paul's and nearby churches anchor the UNESCO-listed centre; Guia Hill and the harbour extend the peninsula visit. Taipa preserves a lower-rise village core beside Cotai's resort strip, and Coloane adds beaches, trails and a quieter settlement farther south. Distances between these areas make Macau a compact destination with several distinct transport legs.

Practical information

Language spoken
Standard Chinese; regional languages are widely used
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+86 mainland · +852 Hong Kong · +853 Macao
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
Renminbi (CNY); HKD and MOP in the SARs
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
110 police · 120 medical on the mainland
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type A, C and I · 220 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Not recorded
No single verified statement covers mainland China and both SARs

Turn this list into a plan

Set your days, your pace and the hours you actually want to be out. The planner works around closing days and travel time, and leaves room to eat.

Plan Macau

Planning a visit

Suggested stay
Not recorded
Getting around
Walking, public bus, light rail and taxi
  1. January: best time to visit
  2. February: good time to visit
  3. March: good time to visit
  4. April: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  5. May: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  6. June: recurring difficult conditions
  7. July: recurring difficult conditions
  8. August: recurring difficult conditions
  9. September: viable with meaningful trade-offs — current month
  10. October: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  11. November: best time to visit
  12. December: best time to visit
  • Best time
  • Good time
  • Viable with trade-offs
  • Difficult conditions

Sources

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

  1. Santa Casa da Misericórdia Santa Casa da Misericórdia
    02 45 min

    Santa Casa da Misericórdia

    仁慈堂大樓 Santa Casa da Misericórdia

    The Holy House of Mercy, or 仁慈堂大樓, is a historic charitable institution beside Senado Square in Macau. Founded in 1569 by Macau's first bishop, it became associated with care for orphans, widows and people in poverty.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
  2. St Lawrence's Church St Lawrence's Church
    03 30 min

    St Lawrence's Church

    聖老楞佐堂 Igreja de S. Lourenço

    St. Lawrence's Church is a historic Catholic church in Macau, one of the territory's oldest religious structures. The local name is 聖老楞佐教堂. It stands as a significant monument within the Historic Centre of Macau, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
  3. Old Protestant Cemetery Old Protestant Cemetery
    04 30 min

    Old Protestant Cemetery

    舊基督教墳場 Cemitério Protestante

    The Protestant Cemetery is a historic burial ground within Macau’s Historic Centre, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
  4. Templo de Kun Iam Tong Templo de Kun Iam Tong
    05 30 min

    Templo de Kun Iam Tong

    普濟禪院 (觀音堂) Templo Kun Iam

    Kun Iam Temple, known locally as 普濟禪院, is one of the oldest and most significant Buddhist temples in Macau. It serves as a major place of worship and cultural heritage site, reflecting the territory's deep-rooted Buddhist traditions.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
  5. MGM Macau
    06 45 min

    MGM Macau

    澳門美高梅 MGM Macau

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
  6. Portas do Cerco
    07 45 min

    Portas do Cerco

    關閘 Portas do Cerco

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
  7. City of Dreams
    08 45 min

    City of Dreams

    新濠天地 City of Dreams

    • High
    • Historic monument
  8. Igreja da Sé Igreja da Sé
    11 30 min

    Igreja da Sé

    主教座堂 (大堂/聖母誕辰主教座堂) Igreja da Sé (Sé Catedral da Natividade de Nossa Senhora)

    • High
    • Place of worship
  9. Grand Lisboa Palace
    13 45 min

    Grand Lisboa Palace

    澳門上葡京 Grand Lisboa Palace

    • High
    • Historic monument
  10. The Plaza Macao
    14 45 min

    The Plaza Macao

    澳門百利宮 The Plaza Macao

    • High
    • Historic monument
  11. Kou Ho Neng Mansion
    15 45 min

    Kou Ho Neng Mansion

    高可寧大宅 Mansão do Kou Ho Neng

    • High
    • Historic monument
  12. Sam Kai Vui Kun Sam Kai Vui Kun
    16 30 min

    Sam Kai Vui Kun

    三街會館 Templo Sam Kai Vui Kun

    • High
    • Place of worship
  13. St. Anthony's Church
    17 30 min

    St. Anthony's Church

    聖安多尼堂 (花王堂) Igreja de Santo António

    • High
    • Place of worship
  14. Broadway Macau
    18 45 min

    Broadway Macau

    澳門百老匯 Broadway Macau

    • High
    • Historic monument
  15. St. Lazarus' Church St. Lazarus' Church
    19 30 min

    St. Lazarus' Church

    望德聖母堂 Igreja de São Lázaro

    • High
    • Place of worship
  16. Fort Dona Maria II Fort Dona Maria II
    20 45 min

    Fort Dona Maria II

    馬交石炮台 Fortaleza de D. Maria II

    • High
    • Historic monument
  17. Macau Protestant Chapel
    21 30 min

    Macau Protestant Chapel

    馬禮遜教堂 Capela Protestante de Macau

    • High
    • Place of worship
  18. Macau Mosque and Cemetery
    22 30 min

    Macau Mosque and Cemetery

    澳門伊斯蘭清真寺及墳場 Mesquita e Cemitério de Macau

    • High
    • Place of worship
  19. Forever Handshake Forever Handshake
    24 45 min

    Forever Handshake

    永遠的握手 Para Sempre Aperto do Mão

    • High
    • Historic monument
  20. Oriental Arch
    25 45 min

    Oriental Arch

    東方拱門 Arco Oriente

    • High
    • Historic monument
  21. Wing of Good Winds
    26 45 min

    Wing of Good Winds

    乘風展翅 Asa dos Bons Ventos

    • High
    • Historic monument
  22. Yuet Wah College
    28 30 min

    Yuet Wah College

    粵華中學 Colégio Yuet Wah

    • High
    • Place of worship
  23. Galaxy Macau
    30 45 min

    Galaxy Macau

    澳門銀河 Galaxy Macau

    • High
    • Historic monument
  24. Studio City Macao
    31 45 min

    Studio City Macao

    新濠影滙 Studio City Macao

    • High
    • Historic monument
  25. The Londoner Macao The Londoner Macao
    32 45 min

    The Londoner Macao

    澳門倫敦人 The Londoner Macao

    • High
    • Historic monument
  26. The Venetian Macao
    33 45 min

    The Venetian Macao

    澳門威尼斯人 The Venetian Macau

    • High
    • Historic monument
  27. Wynn Macau
    34 45 min

    Wynn Macau

    永利澳門 Wynn Macau

    • High
    • Historic monument
  28. Parsee Cemetery
    37 30 min

    Parsee Cemetery

    白頭墳場 Cemitério dos Parses

    • High
    • Place of worship
  29. Tin Hau Temple
    38 30 min

    Tin Hau Temple

    天后古廟 Templo de Tin Hau

    • High
    • Place of worship
  30. Fountain Show
    47 45 min

    Fountain Show

    噴泉表演 Fountain Show

    • High
    • Historic monument
  31. Grand Lisboa
    48 45 min

    Grand Lisboa

    新葡京 Grand Lisboa

    • High
    • Historic monument
  32. Hotel Lisboa
    50 45 min

    Hotel Lisboa

    葡京酒店 Hotel Lisboa

    • High
    • Historic monument

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

How the city is laid out

Begin on the Macau Peninsula, where Senado Square, the Ruins of St Paul's and the lanes of the Historic Centre form the main walking sequence. Guia Hill and the Outer Harbour sit beyond that compact core. South of the bridges, Taipa Village is distinct from Cotai's large resort blocks, while Coloane occupies the quieter southern end. Keep each peninsula or island district together instead of repeatedly crossing the harbour.

Checked 2026-08-26

Getting around

Walk the short lanes between Senado Square, St Paul's and the surrounding Historic Centre sights. Public buses connect the peninsula with Taipa, Cotai and Coloane, while the light rail serves a different corridor south of the harbour; taxis are another official option. Ferry terminals, the airport and land-border checkpoints are separate arrival points, so identify the correct one before choosing a route and consult current transport notices on the day.

Checked 2026-08-26

Common questions

How many days should I spend in Macau?

A fixed stay length is not recorded. Start with Historic Centre and waterfront, then add Taipa Village and Cotai and Coloane only when the available schedule supports separate transport blocks.

How should I organise sightseeing in Macau?

Keep Historic Centre and waterfront together and treat Taipa Village and Cotai as another local cluster. Reserve Coloane for a dedicated journey so repeated transfers do not displace the main visit.

How do I get around Macau?

Use Walking, public bus, light rail and taxi. Walk within compact visitor areas and consult the linked official transport information for longer connections, current timetables and service changes.

Can I explore Macau mainly on foot?

Walking works within Historic Centre and waterfront, but the wider visitor area is not one continuous pedestrian route. Use public or scheduled transport for Taipa Village and Cotai and more distant destinations.

Which Macau trips need separate planning?

Plan Coloane separately and check airport, ferry terminals and border checkpoints. Confirm the practical return connection on the official source before committing to the journey.