10 Awesome Things to Do in Macau!

This is our list of 10 awesome things to do in Macau! I visited this region recently and enjoyed myself very much. This former Portuguese colony is famous as a gambling haven but is often under-appreciated for its exotic fusion of Portuguese and Chinese culture. This cultural amalgamation is palpable from its mix of local Chinese dwellers and ubiquitous Portuguese influences, such as the various Portuguese-inspired foods and pastel coloured Portuguese architecture.

It is very easy to travel around Macau. Most of the hotels provide free shuttle services. Galaxy Hotel (on Taipa Island), in particular, provides shuttles to many places in Macau. You can see the list of places on Galaxy’s website. If not, you can also catch a cab (the rates are very reasonable) easily at the airport, the ferry terminal, the hotels, or even along the roads.

After going through the reviews of Macau hotels, we decided to stay at the classy Conrad Macao Cotai Central, which offers impeccable service and luxurious rooms at very reasonable rates.

Below is my list of 10 things to do in Macau, starting with visiting the world-renowned casinos, but also including other interesting activities that embody the unique culture of Macau. This article was last updated on 16 May 2019.

1. Casino Hopping

Sands Cotai Central (Conrad, Sheraton, Holiday Inn)

Left: Conrad Hotel. Right: Hotel Lisboa.

The Venetian Macao

The Venetian Mall (aka “The Grand Canal Shoppes”) inside Venetian Macao Hotel

City of Dreams (Hard Rock Hotel, Crown Towers, Grand Hyatt)

Galaxy Hotel

Wynn Hotel

Casino Lisboa

Every year, countless Chinese and Hong Kong gamblers visit the “Las Vegas of the Far East”. As of 2019, there are more than forty casinos in Macau, of which the biggest is “The Venetian Macao”; it also has the largest casino floor in the world! Raevian and I were awed by the towering magnitude of the casino resorts, which become even more stunning at night with their dazzling and flamboyant lighting displays. Personally, I was a little put-off by this ostentatious spectacle, which seemed to be an overwhelming metaphor of mankind’s greed and other vices. But when I conveyed this sentiment to Raevian (who was busy snapping photos of the casinos), she brushed me off as being humourless and told me to just enjoy myself. I guessed I was thinking too much and decided to just soak in the beautiful sights and sounds. It is extremely easy to travel between the casino resorts as they all offer free shuttle services. Below is the list of casinos/hotels we visited.

Cotai:
– The Venetian Macao
– Four Seasons
– City of Dreams (Hard Rock Hotel, Crown Towers, Grand Hyatt)
– Sands Cotai Central (Conrad, Sheraton, Holiday Inn)
– Galaxy Macau

Macau Peninsula
– Casino Lisboa
– Wynn Macau
– MGM Macau

2. Food Hunting

“Mok Yi Kei” at Taipa Village

Famous Pork Chop Bun at Taipa Village

Egg Tarts from Lord Stow’s Bakery and Café

There are lots of good food in Macau! Raevian and I were on a food-hunting mission during our stay in Macau (which probably explains the extra 2kg I gained after the trip). From Portuguese egg tarts to almond cookies to durian ice-cream to Pork Chop buns to dim sum to Crab Congee, Macau will definitely have something to satisfy your taste buds.

3. Taipa Village

Taipa Village, a charming enclave that houses rows of rustic Chinese/Portuguese restaurants and shops

Beautiful Streets of Taipa Village

Taipa Village at night

Taipa Village at night

Photo Taking in Taipa Village

Beyond the glitzy exterior of Macau lies Taipa Village, a charming enclave that houses rows of rustic Chinese/Portuguese restaurants and shops. We also chanced upon a small Chinese temple.

The wife and I enjoyed walking along the narrow streets and alleys of Taipa Village. This is perhaps the only place in the world where you can walk past a sprawl of traditional Chinese shops, turn the corner, and find Portuguese-style buildings in their pastel hues of yellow, green, and blue.

Other than the colourful and interesting sights, we also found lots of good food along Rua Do Cunha street.

Directions to Taipa Village
Method One: You can easily reach Taipa Village by walking from Galaxy Hotel. It will take about fifteen minutes. If you are unsure, you can check with the friendly Galaxy Hotel staff. There used to be a shuttle service between Galaxy Hotel and Taipa Village but it has been discontinued.

Method Two: Otherwise, you can catch a cab from the airport, the ferry terminal, your hotel, or simply flag a cab along the streets. We found the Macau cab fares reasonable and they only charge by the meter (instead of quoting you a random overpriced amount like in some other countries).

You can refer to this map to get a better idea.

4. Senado Square / Ruins of St. Paul’s

Senado Square paved with traditional Portuguese mosaic

Water fountain in Senado Square. It changes colours at night!

Wong Chi Kei (黃枝記粥麵) at Senado Square

Leal Senado Building (民政總署大樓)

Holy House of Mercy (Santa Casa da Misericórdia / 仁慈堂大樓)

St. Dominic’s Church (Igreja de São Domingos / 玫瑰堂)

Interior of St. Dominic’s Church (Igreja de São Domingos / 玫瑰堂)

Macau Business Tourism Centre

Ruins of St Paul’s

Senado Square (Largo do Senado / 議事亭前地) is a beautiful town square in Macau paved with traditional Portuguese mosaic. It houses an elegant water foundation in the centre.

Senado Square used to be the official civic square of Macau when it was still a Portuguese colony, but today it is a popular tourist attraction and listed as one of the sites in the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Historic Centre of Macau”.

Similar to Taipa Village, you will also find plenty of good food in this area.

Standing in the centre of the square near the fountain, I took a moment to look at the traditional Portuguese pavement beneath my feet, the surrounding Portuguese architecture, and simply revelled in the atmosphere of the place.

It almost felt like I was standing in the centre of a European plaza. This is a beautiful place and you would kick yourself if you did not visit it!

Another very popular attraction is the Ruins of St Paul’s (Ruínas de São Paulo / 大三巴牌坊). These are the the remains of St. Paul’s Church, originally built over 400 years ago. It was once the largest church in Asia and was known as “The Vatican of the Far East”.

However, it burned down in 1835 during a violent typhoon. Today, only the granite facade and grand stone steps remain of the once-great church.

Even though it was quite tiring to walk up the stone stairs, it was worth it to see the famous attraction up close. I was impressed by the baroque facade which has plenty of beautiful intricate sculptures, but with oriental characteristics.

Ruins of St Paul’s is a ten minute walk from Senado Square.

Directions to Senado Square
Method One: You can take a shuttle bus from Galaxy Hotel to “San Ma Lo (新馬路)” (Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro). From there, just walk two minutes to Senado Square.

Method Two: If you are going from Taipa Village, you can grab a cab from the Rua do Cunha taxi-stand in Taipa Village to reach here. It will be a fifteen-minutes ride. You will travel across the bridge from Taipa Island (where Taipa Village is situated) to Macau Peninsula (where Senado Square is situated).

Method Three: Finally, you can also catch a cab from the airport, the ferry terminal, your hotel, or catch a cab along the streets. We found the Macau cab fares reasonable and they only charge by the meter instead of quoting you a random overpriced amount.

If you are unsure of the directions, you can look at my map of Macau to get a clearer idea.

5. Kun Iam Statue

The Kun Iam Statue is a bronze statue of the Goddess of Mercy that stands at 20 metres tall. It is built on top of a dome shaped like a lotus flower, and faces Macau to protect it (symbolically).

By the time we reached the statue, it was already 6p.m. and the Kun Iam Ecumenical Centre (which consists of a souvenir centre, a contemplation room, among others) beneath the statue was closed.

Raevian had told me to hurry earlier but I insisted that the centre would only close at 6.30pm. I was fearing the worst and preparing for a earful from Raevian, but luckily it turned out the statue looked beautiful with its gentle glow in the evening sun. We managed to get a few good shots of the statue, above is one of them.

Directions to Kun Iam Statue
As usual, you can simply catch a taxi to reach Kun Iam Statue. However, you can also take a hotel shuttle bus to MGM Macau, and walk about ten minutes from there to reach the statue.

Kun Iam Ecumenical Centre
Address: Avenida de Sun Yat-sen
Opening Hours: 10a.m. to 6p.m. (closed on Fridays)
Tel：+853 2875 1516
Free admission. Free internet access in the library.

6. Chinese Temples

Chinese Temple in Taipa Village

There are many traditional Chinese temples in Macau. Raevian and I chanced upon one in Taipa Village. There are also more well-known ones like the Na Tcha Temple (哪吒庙) and the Ah Ma Temple (妈阁庙).

7. Macau Tower

Standing at 338 metres tall, the Macau Tower is another popular attraction in Macau. It boasts amenities such as an observation deck, a revolving restaurant, and even a cinema.

For the adventurous, you can also try the world’s highest commercial bungee jump facility at 233 metres, certified by Guinness World Records!

Why anybody would want to stand at the top of a towering structure amidst strong winds, and choose to jump headfirst downwards (albeit with a piece of rope tied to your leg), totally blows my mind.

The wife doesn’t share my sentiments and is looking forward to checking out this adrenaline-charged activity the next time we visit Macau.

Directions to Macau Tower
You can simply catch a cab to reach this place. The Macau cab fares are very reasonable. Otherwise, you can take a hotel shuttle bus to MGM Macau and walk about twenty minutes from there to Macau Tower.

8. Bridges of Macau

Macau-Taipa Bridge (Ponte Governador Nobre de Carvalho /嘉樂庇總督大橋)

Before our trip, when Raevian told me that one of the things on our Macau agenda was to view the Macau bridges at night, I thought she was trying to pull a fast one.

In my mind, the only bridge I knew to be worthy of visiting was the Golden Gate Bridge. Macau was just a tiny island, how could it have any notable bridges?

Well, I was very wrong and the bridges of Macau are indeed amazingly beautiful and majestic. There are three long bridges connecting Macau Peninsula and Taipa Island:

1. Sai Van Bridge (Ponte de Sai Van /西灣大橋).
2. Macau-Taipa Bridge (Ponte Governador Nobre de Carvalho /嘉樂庇總督大橋)
3. Bridge of Friendship (Ponte de Amizade / 澳門友誼大橋)

We took some pictures of the Macau-Taipa Bridge from outside MGM hotel, and sat on one of the benches to enjoy the night breeze and picturesque views of the bridge. For the other bridges, we were able to see them while transiting between the islands on the shuttle buses.

9. Macao Museum

Entrance

They used Apple II in Macau too!

Hilltop Level of Macao Museum

Mount Fortress (Fortaleza do Monte/大炮台), located beside Macao Museum on the hilltop

View from Mount Fortress on the hilltop. Left: Casino Lisboa. Right: Ruins of St Paul’s and view of Macau from the top.

I am a history buff and I enjoy dragging Raevian to museums with me. It’s like payback for all the shopping trips: she’s now the one mindlessly scrolling through her Facebook feed while waiting for me to finish my excruciatingly long tour of the museum.

There are quite a few museums in Macau, but I was kind enough to visit just one: the Macao Museum. It is situated on top of a hill right beside Ruins of St Paul’s. If you are interested in the history of Macau, this would be the place for you. Some of the displays have interactive buttons, so Raevian wasn’t that bored.

On the hill top, you will also find Mount Fortress (Fortaleza do Monte/大炮台), which was the military stronghold of the former Portuguese colony. We went to Mount Fortress through the museum. However, you can visit it directly as well. Entrance is free and you get a good view of Macau from the top. There are World War Two cannons lined up on the sides of the fortress. Do note that you can take an escalator up to the fortress, instead of going up the steps (unless you want to, of course).

Other museums in Macau include the Grand Prix Museum, the Wine Museum, and the Macau Maritime Museum.

Directions to Macao Museum
Macao Museum is situated right beside Ruins of St Paul’s, and is within walking distance from Senado Square (a ten minute walk). See above (4. Senado Square) for directions to Senado Square. The map at the end of this article will give you a clearer idea as well.

Macao Museum
Monte Fortress, 112 Praceta do Museu de Macau
博物館前地112號
Opening hours : | Daily 10am to 6pm (Ticket booth closes 5.30pm) | Closed on Mondays |
Tel: +853 2835 7911
Admission Fee: MOP 15

10. Zhuhai (China)

Macau Border Gate

Walking across the Macau-Zhuhai border!

Zhuhai Port Plaza

Zhuhai Port Plaza, North Exit 1. Exit here to go to Yijian Seafood Restaurant (益健海鲜大食坊)!

Live Seafood in Yijian Seafood Restaurant (益健海鲜大食坊)

Clockwise from top: Yijian Seafood Restaurant Menu, Ma-La (spicy) Chicken, Scallops, Sea Cucumbers

Yijian Seafood Restaurant (益健海鲜大食坊)

Yijian Seafood Restaurant (益健海鲜大食坊) Entrance

Last but not least, if you are spending at least two days in Macau, you can also plan for a day trip to the neighboring city of Zhuhai, in China. Singaporeans can visit Zhuhai for up to 15 days without a visa for sightseeing.

Once you clear the Zhuhai customs, you will reach a huge underground mall. This is the Zhuhai Port Plaza (珠海口岸购物广场). Basically, it’s a giant multi-level flea market that sells anything from mobile accessories to winter clothing. If you are a fan of such places, you will enjoy shopping here. However, please be warned that some of the stall owners can be a tad aggressive. In one shop, after I picked up a shirt but decided not to buy it, I was hounded by the lady stall owner as I tried to leave the stall.  “Why don’t you just buy it? It’s cheap! You want discount? How much discount? You tell me? How much?!” she kept asking as she followed me all the way to outside her stall. In the end, she finally gave up and went back. Full marks for persistence though.

For lunch, Raevian and I went to Yijian Seafood Restaurant (益健海鲜大食坊), which is located right outside the “North Exit 1”of Zhuhai Port Plaza. This Chinese seafood offers fresh seafood at a super low price. You get to pick your desired seafood (scallops, fish, crabs, etc) from the water tanks and the chefs will prepare them for you. We had two sea cucumbers, four scallops, and one plate of ma-la (spicy) chicken for less than SGD30 (impossible price to get in Singapore). The food was decent enough for the price we paid. Service was good and prompt. However, I saw some people smoking in the restaurant and I was glad we were not sitting near them. Overall, we had an enjoyable lunch.

After lunch, we went back to Macau as it was getting dark and we had heard that Zhuhai is not entirely safe for tourists at night. However, if you are interested, you can visit other nearby attractions such as Lotus Road, Fisher’s Girl Statue, and Lover’s Road.

Directions to Zhuhai
1. Go to the Macau Border Gate.
This is the immigration checkpoint at the northern tip of the Macau Peninsula (see map below). You can take the hotel shuttle from Galaxy Hotel or City of Dreams to the “Border Gate”.

2. Clear Macau customs
Once you enter the immigration building, queue up to clear the Macau customs. I recommend going early to avoid the long queues. Raevian and I reached at about 11.30am and the queues were relatively short.

3. Walk to Gongbei Port of Entry
Once you clear the Macau customs, you can walk over to “Gongbei Port of Entry”, which is the Zhuhai immigration checkpoint. The walk should take about 20 minutes (15 if you are a brisk walker like Raevian and me). Basically, you are walking across the border between Macau and Zhuhai. Along the way, you will find shops selling alcohol and cigarettes. We did not buy any but I assume they were selling at premium prices as people were buying the items in bulk (warning: smoking and drinking is bad for your health and may lead to cancer, among other diseases).

4. Clear Zhuhai Customs
After you walk across the border and clear the Zhuhai customs, you’ll officially be in Zhuhai! The first place you see will be Zhuhai Port Plaza.

The entire process (clearing Macau customs, walking across the border, clearing Zhuhai customs) should take about 30 minutes or less during non-peak hours. However, if you go during peak hours, it may take about 2 hours. Therefore, I recommend going early (before 12pm) to avoid the queues.

Conclusion

I hope you have enjoyed reading this article on the 10 best things to do in Macau! I have also included a rough map of Macau above so that it is easier for you to visualise the various places. Thanks for reading!

This is part of our completely FREE and FANTASTIC All in One Travel Guide to Having Fun in Macau. Why spend days researching when all your holiday information is simply a click away?