Macao

A World Heritage small city blending East and West: the Ruins of St. Paul's, Portuguese egg tarts and the Cotai resorts, a short-break destination that drew 20.4 million international visitors in 2025.

The Macao Special Administrative Region lies on the west bank of the Pearl River estuary, bordering Gongbei in Zhuhai. It consists of the Macao Peninsula, Taipa, Coloane and the reclaimed Cotai Strip that joins them. It covers only 33 sq km, yet was the world's fourth most-visited city by international arrivals in 2025. There are two main areas to explore. One is the Historic Centre of Macao on the peninsula, a World Cultural Heritage Site since 2005 comprising 22 buildings and 8 squares. Centered on the Ruins of St. Paul's and Senado Square, it extends south to Largo de Santo Agostinho, St. Lawrence's Church and A-Ma Temple, and north to Guia Lighthouse, and can mostly be linked on foot; at the southern tip of the peninsula are Macau Tower and the night views of Sai Van Lake. The other is Cotai, where large integrated resorts such as The Venetian, The Parisian, The Londoner, City of Dreams and Galaxy line the Cotai Strip, offering shopping, shows, water parks and family holidays. In Taipa Old Town, Rua do Cunha and the Taipa Houses-Museum preserve the feel of a Portuguese town, with Hac Sa Beach and Lord Stow's egg tarts in Coloane as extensions. Best season: October to March is cool and dry; the Macau Grand Prix (on the Guia Circuit, with streets closed) takes place in mid to late November, and Christmas lights go up in December. April–September is hot, humid and rainy with typhoons, though indoor activities at the resorts are unaffected. Getting there: the most common way is to cross on foot at the Zhuhai Gongbei Border Gate (about 10–30 minutes to clear), the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge checkpoint has shuttle buses to Hong Kong and Zhuhai, and Macao International Airport is on Taipa. Once there, the major resorts run free shuttle buses from the border gates, the main way to get around; public buses are cheap and taxis are relatively hard to get. Suggested stay: 1–2 days (one day for the Historic Centre, half to one day for Cotai). Tips: Mainland residents need an Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao, with a Macao endorsement. The pataca and Hong Kong dollar are used roughly 1:1 (Hong Kong dollars are accepted in Macao, but change may be given in patacas), and Alipay/WeChat are widely used. The streets are hilly and cobblestoned, so wear comfortable shoes. Casinos prohibit entry to anyone under 21 and do not allow photography. UV is strong in summer and the Historic Centre has little shade.

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Itineraries