Why go
Macao's old town is a 30-minute walk from end to end: Senado Square's wave-patterned mosaics, the candy-striped St Dominic's, the Ruins of St Paul's climbing to Monte Fort, and lanes where Portuguese tiles meet Chinese shop-houses. UNESCO listed the whole ensemble in 2005.
The other Macao is the Cotai Strip's engineered fantasy — Venetian canals, fountain shows, and casinos running 24/7 — plus the 338-metre Macao Tower, whose bungee jump is the world's highest commercial jump. Between the two poles sits real Macanese cooking, the world's original fusion cuisine.
- Ruins of St Paul's — the baroque facade that became the icon
- The Historic Centre — UNESCO-listed squares and streets
- Cotai Strip shows and resorts
- Macanese egg tarts and pork chop buns
Where to go
Day one: Historic Centre on foot, sunset from Monte Fort, Portuguese-Macanese dinner. Day two: Cotai shows and the Macao Tower bungee, or the laid-back Coloane village with Lord Stow's bakery.
What to eat
Pastéis de nata (Macanese egg tarts), pork chop buns, African chicken, minchi (minced meat with potato) and Portuguese egg-custard everything. Fortuna Bakery queues move fast.
Entry & visa
Macao runs its own immigration regime, separate from both mainland China and Hong Kong. Most nationalities enter visa-free for 30 to 90 days; citizens of six countries (Bangladesh, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Vietnam) must apply for a Macao visa in advance.
Mainland Chinese visas do not cover Macao. If your trip combines Macao, Hong Kong and the mainland, you need to satisfy all three entry regimes — plan visa counts accordingly.
Border crossings: the HZMB bridge from Zhuhai (immigration at both ends, shuttle buses every 10–15 minutes), the Cotai and Outer Harbour ferry terminals from Hong Kong/Shenzhen, and Macao airport. Carry your passport everywhere; casinos check IDs strictly and anyone under 21 cannot enter gaming floors.
Getting there
- 1h ferry or 40 min bus from Hong Kong; HZMB bridge from Zhuhai
- Status
- Special Administrative Region, China
- Currency
- Macau pataca (MOP); HKD widely accepted
- UNESCO
- Historic Centre of Macao, 2005
