Macau Peninsula travel guide

The Macau Peninsula's heritage route runs on foot from Senado Square to the Ruins of St. Paul's and Mount Fortress, so you can cover it walking in a day.

The Ruins of St. Paul's and A-Ma Temple are free; the Macao Museum inside Mount Fortress costs 15 patacas for adults.

The inner area of St. Paul's closes at 18:00 with last entry at 17:30, so see the ruins first in the morning; A-Ma Temple also closes at 18:00, so don't leave everything for late afternoon.

From the airport, taxis start at 21 patacas plus an 8-pataca airport surcharge, and city buses cost 6 patacas in cash. Check entry requirements for your nationality before you travel.

Visa and entry requirements for Macao

Whether you need a visa, how long you can stay and which pre-arrival forms apply all depend on your nationality and the purpose of your trip. Check the official source below, and your own government's travel advice, before you book.

• Entry requirements (Macao SAR Government Portal) (Macao SAR Government)
• Public Security Police Force of Macao (Macao SAR Government)

Senado Square is open 24 hours, and the façade of the Ruins of St. Paul's can be seen 24 hours. The inner ruins area, the Museum of Sacred Art and the Crypt are open 9:00 to 18:00 with entry until 17:30; the Museum of Sacred Art closes after 14:00 on Tuesdays. The neighbouring Na Tcha Temple is open 8:00 to 17:00, with its exhibition hall open 10:00 to 18:00 and closed on Wednesdays.

Mount Fortress and its garden are open 7:00 to 19:00 and free. The Macao Museum in the middle of the fortress is open 10:00 to 18:00 and closed on Mondays; adults pay 15 patacas, or 8 patacas with a student card. It's free on Tuesdays and on the 15th of each month, and for children aged 12 and under and people aged 65 and over. A-Ma Temple, beside Barra Square in the south of the peninsula, is open 7:00 to 18:00 and free.

Based on Macao government information. Same-day closures and events follow on-site notices.

With 2 nights: on the first morning see the Ruins of St. Paul's and Na Tcha Temple, then Mount Fortress and the Macao Museum in the middle of the day. The museum is closed on Mondays, so if you arrive on a Monday just walk the fortress garden and save the museum for a free Tuesday. On day two walk A-Ma Temple and Barra Square, and use the rest of the time for Taipa or your departure.

With 4 nights: keep the first two days in the same order, then spend day three in Taipa Village and day four in the Cotai hotel area. Doing the peninsula and Cotai on the same day means long taxi or bus rides, so give them separate days.

Since 8 December 2023, the Macao LRT Taipa Line has run to Barra Station; the full ride from Airport Station to Barra takes about 28 minutes. Single tickets cost 6 patacas for up to 3 stations, 8 patacas for 4–6, 10 patacas for 7–9 and 12 patacas for 10–12; sea crossings, such as between Barra and Ocean stations, count as two stations. With a transport card or Macau Pass, fares are 3, 4, 5 and 6 patacas.

Bus AP1 runs from the airport to the Barrier Gate terminus from 6:00 to 1:20, costing 6 patacas in cash. With a Macau Pass, regular routes cost 3 patacas and express routes marked X cost 4 patacas; no change is given for cash. Taxis cost 21 patacas for the first 1,600 m plus 2 patacas per 220 m, with an extra 8 patacas when boarding at the airport or Taipa Ferry Terminal, and 3 patacas per piece of luggage. Free hotel shuttles leave from the airport's north car park every 15 to 20 minutes from 11:00 to 21:00.

Coming from Hong Kong, the TurboJET from Sheung Wan to Macau takes about 60 minutes, with weekday economy at 194 Hong Kong dollars. Shuttle buses from the Hong Kong Port to the Macao Port of the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge run 24 hours, costing 65 Hong Kong dollars for adults between 6:00 and 23:59.

The peninsula's heritage streets involve lots of walking, so keep lunch light and snack as you go. Egg tarts, pork chop buns and minchi (Macanese minced meat) are good on the move, while African chicken (a spicy Macanese dish) and seafood congee make sit-down meals. We don't pick shops or prices here; prices and hours follow each shop's signs and menus.

Macau grants visa-free stays to many nationalities, but the permitted length depends on your passport. Check the official Macau government portal before you travel. You may be asked to show a return ticket and sufficient funds for your stay. The local emergency number is 999.

When Typhoon Signal No. 8 is raised, outdoor activities and ferries stop and the bridge may close. The Macanese pataca is pegged to the Hong Kong dollar, so Hong Kong dollars are widely accepted, but price tags are in patacas.

Before you leave the Macau Peninsula

• Note the 17:30 last entry for the St. Paul's area and Museum of Sacred Art
• Check the Macao Museum's Monday closure and free Tuesdays
• Choose LRT, bus or taxi for the airport
• Check your passport validity
• Check entry requirements on the official sources

• Want to walk heritage sites: stay on the peninsula, with St. Paul's in the morning and Mount Fortress at midday.
• Coming straight from the airport: take the LRT to Barra or bus AP1; with lots of luggage, take a taxi.
• Fitting food into your walks: egg tarts and pork chop buns on the move, a sit-down place for dinner.