Macau Guide
Forty minutes from Hong Kong, four hundred years of Portugal, and the largest gaming floor on earth.
Macau splits cleanly in two: the Cotai Strip of integrated resorts, and the peninsula's old town of tiled squares and egg tarts. The free resort shuttle buses connect everything, so you rarely need a taxi. Weekend room rates from Friday to Sunday can be double the weekday price.
Peninsula to Cotai, end to end
Illustrated
Drawn by hand for the KEY2 Macau guide
Where to stay
Hotels
The KEY2 list
Happy Hour
Daylight
Hotel Pools & Pool Clubs
Eat
Best Food
Mornings
Breakfast & Brunch
Recover
Health & Wellness
After dark
Nightlife
Arenas
Sports
Tonight
Concerts & Comedy
Say it here
Weddings
Book the room
Event Spaces
Experiences
100 Other Things To Do
Macau explained
Hour-by-hour plans drawn by hand — pick one and follow it from first coffee to last call.
Macau Beyond the Casinos
Coloane, the coast and the forts — the Macau most visitors never see.
One Perfect Day in Macau
Portuguese old town in the morning, Cotai spectacle after dark.
Macau travel guide
The practical layer: when to come, how to arrive, how to move, where to base yourself and what it costs.
Best time to visit
October to December offers the driest, coolest weather with comfortable humidity, ideal for walking the historic centre before the spring rains and summer typhoon season arrive.
Getting in
Most visitors arrive via ferry from Hong Kong's Sheung Wan or Kowloon terminals (Cotai Water Jet or TurboJet, about an hour, HKD 175–300 depending on class), or fly into Macau International Airport (MFM); free casino shuttle buses run from the ferry terminal and airport to most integrated resorts, while a taxi to the Peninsula centre costs roughly MOP 60–100.
Getting around
Macau has no metro; free shuttle buses connect the ferry terminal, airport and the major casino resorts across the Cotai Strip and Peninsula, and are the easiest way to cover the longer distances. Public buses (MOP 6–8, exact change or Macau Pass card) and taxis cover everything else, while the historic centre around Senado Square is compact and best explored on foot.
What it costs
Mid-range hotel doubles run MOP 900–1,600 a night; dinner for two at a mid-range restaurant is MOP 300–500; a public bus fare is around MOP 6, and a short taxi hop is MOP 30–50.
Where to stay
- Cotai Strip
- The Vegas-style resort corridor with the largest casinos, shows and shopping, best for a resort-based trip.
- Macau Peninsula / Historic Centre
- UNESCO-listed old town around Senado Square and the Ruins of St. Paul's, best for heritage and street food.
- NAPE / Outer Harbour
- Waterfront district with mid-range hotels near the Fisherman's Wharf and MGM Macau, a short hop to both old town and Cotai.
- Taipa Village
- Quieter lanes with Portuguese-Chinese architecture and local egg tart bakeries, close to the Cotai resorts.
Traveller tips
- Carry both Hong Kong dollars and Macau patacas — HKD is widely accepted at close to par, but change often comes in patacas.
- Book ferry tickets in advance for weekend and holiday travel from Hong Kong, as sailings sell out.
- Casino floors enforce a minimum age of 21 and photo ID checks are routine, even for non-gambling visitors.
- The historic centre's Portuguese-tiled pavements are slippery when wet, especially around Senado Square.
- Tipping isn't customary at local eateries but is appreciated at higher-end restaurants and by hotel staff, around 10%.
- Plugs are mostly UK-style three-pin (Type G) at 220V, matching Hong Kong.
The Macau calendar
The dates that actually move prices, crowds and opening hours.
February
Chinese New Year
The single busiest travel window; resorts sell out and lion dances run through every casino floor.
May
Feast of A-Ma and Macau Arts Festival
Temple processions in the old town, plus a month of performance across the peninsula.
September
Mid-Autumn Festival & fireworks contest
International fireworks displays over the Praia Grande on weekend nights.
November
Macau Grand Prix
The Guia street circuit closes central roads for a week; hotel rates peak with it.
December
Macau Marathon & handover holiday
20 December public holiday plus year-end travel fills Cotai.
Seasonal highlights
- Spring (Mar–May)
- Humid and often misty; comfortable for the old-town walk between showers.
- Summer (Jun–Sep)
- Hot, wet and typhoon season — resorts and covered walkways earn their keep.
- Autumn (Oct–Dec)
- The best weather of the year: dry, mild, and the busiest events calendar.
- Winter (Jan–Feb)
- Cool and clear outside Chinese New Year, which is the exception to every rule.
Off-peak intel
- Sunday to Thursday nights cost a fraction of the weekend at every Cotai resort.
- Use the free inter-resort shuttles instead of taxis — they cover the whole Strip and the ferry terminals.
- Avoid the week either side of Chinese New Year and the Grand Prix unless you are there for them.
- Three-star tasting menus offer weekday set lunches at a fraction of the dinner price.