11 Tips for how you can travel Macao (Macau) on the cheap

Macau (Macao) is known as China’s gambling mecca and has even surpassed Las Vegas in terms of revenue. But it is also the first and last European colony in China, making Macau a unique testament to the marriage of East and West cultures.

Located across the Pearl River Delta from Hong Kong, it also used to be one of the important trading ports. Its colonial architecture and cultural heritage make it more than just the Las Vegas of the East. So if you’re looking for travel tips for Macau, here are free and cheap ways to help you explore.

We had the opportunity to visit the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China for a day tour from Hong Kong. Here are some tips on how you can visit without breaking the bank.

Note: Since the SAR has two spelling versions, you’ll find both spellings used on this website. However, the government prefers to use ‘Macao’.

Macao travel guide: What to see and do around Macau for free (or on a budget!)

Check out these tips on how to travel to Macao affordably!

1. Casino hopping at the Las Vegas of the East

The biggest casino in the city, The Venetian Macao, is definitely a must-see even for non-gamblers. It was so ostentatious and grandiose with its East meets West architecture. Combined with a myriad of sights and smells, your senses will surely go into overdrive.

The main lobby is inspired by Italian museums with hand-painted frescoes, fountains and statues, and vaulted ceilings. The Grand Colonnade leads the visitors to the casinos.

It’s easy to lose track of time inside the Grand Canal Shoppes of Venetian Macao, with its painted blue sky ceiling.

The façade of Galaxy Macau was also a sight to behold with all those gold and towers!

Wynn Hotel offers four entertainment attractions: Performance Lake, water, light, and fire show which runs for 3 minutes at 15-minute intervals; Dragon of Fortune show; Tree of Prosperity show; and the Moon Jelly Aquarium.

In their effort to diversify, a slew of non-gambling attractions was built to entice more non-Chinese visitors.

Casinos in Cotai: The Venetian, Galaxy, Sands Cotai Central, Four Seasons, City of Dreams
Casinos in Macau center: Wynn, MGM, Grand Lisboa

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2. Make use of free casino shuttles to travel around Macao

Thanks to the big casinos in Macau, one can go around without having to spend a dime on transportation. The secret to getting around Macau for FREE? The casino buses!

During our day tour, we took Venetian and Galaxy’s shuttle buses. To get to Senado Square, you can avail of the free shuttle bus to San Man Lo from Galaxy Macau and then walk towards Senado Square.

To get to Macau Tower, the only shuttle bus that goes there is operated by the City of Dreams.

Take a look at the schedules of complimentary shuttle service of Macau casinos:

Galaxy Macau Complimentary Shuttle Bus

City of Dreams Macau Free Shuttle Service Schedule

Grand Lisboa Complimentary Shuttle Bus Service

MGM Macau Complimentary Shuttle Service

Wynn Macau and Wynn Palace Shuttle Bus Service

The Venetian Macao Shuttle Service Schedule

The Parisian Macao Shuttle Service Schedule

Sands Macao Complimentary Shuttle Bus Schedule

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3. Watch the Eiffel Tower Grand Illumination Show at The Parisian Macao

It’s a mesmerizing spectacle that captivates visitors with its dazzling display of lights and colors. This nightly show at The Parisian Macao offers a breathtaking experience as the Eiffel Tower replica comes alive with a stunning light show. The vibrant colors and intricate lighting patterns create a truly enchanting atmosphere, making it a must-visit attraction for anyone exploring the vibrant Cotai Strip in Macao.

• Schedule: Daily, 6:15 pm – 12:00 am, every 15 minutes
• How to get here: Take the complimentary Parisian Macao shuttle bus (see schedule above)

Klook.com

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4. Visit the Historic Centre of Macau

The Historic Centre of Macau, inscribed as a World Heritage Site on July 15, 2005, is where you can find 25 monuments of historical and architectural importance. These attest to the unique interweaving of Portuguese and Chinese culture.

The Ruins of St. Paul has become one of the most visited sites in Macau. The remaining façade is also one of the most photographed in the city, evidenced by the crowds you will see on the stairs going up the ruins.

Aside from the remains of the former Church of the Mother of God (Mater Dei), visitors can also visit the Crypt below where the relics of the Martyrs of Japan and Vietnam rest. The crypt was quite cold and the solemn music/chanting echoed around the room, which made goosebumps inevitable.

Near the Ruins is Mount Fortress which used to be the city’s principal military defense structure.
West of the Ruins are Na Tcha Temple, a Section of the Old City’s Walls, and St. Anthony’s Church.

Largo do Senado (Senado Square), the city’s urban center, is surrounded by mosaic-tiled floors and pastel-colored neo-classical buildings which create a European atmosphere. Around the Square is where you can also find the Leal Senado (Loyal Senate) Building, Sam Kai Vui Kum Temple (Kuan Tai), St. Dominic’s Church, Holy House of Mercy, Lou Kau Mansion, and Igreja da Se Cathedral.

TIP: For a small entrance fee of MOP 5, you can have a view overlooking the Square from the second-floor veranda of Holy House of Mercy.

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5. Free taste of jerky and Macau delicacies

Coming from Senado Square, there is a street going to the Ruins of St. Paul where jerky sellers and Macanese delicacies abound. Most of the shops offer free taste, enticing you to buy more of the tasty and delicious food they are selling. There are also restaurants and souvenir shops along the street.

Must-try food: Portuguese egg tarts, Tai Lei Loi Kei’s pork chop buns, Koi Kei’s almond cookies, and egg rolls.

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6. Stroll around Fisherman’s Wharf

Fisherman’s Wharf, at Macau’s outer harbor, is a ghost town in the morning. But that proved to be an advantage still because we didn’t have to compete with crowds just to take pictures. It is best to go here in the afternoon.

MWF is within walking distance from the Macau ferry terminal and the entertainment complex is free. Feast your eyes on European-themed buildings around the harbourfront.

READ MORE ABOUT FISHERMAN’S WHARF HERE. 

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7. Museum hopping for free

Rich with a cultural and historical past, the small city of Macau also has a plethora of museums, exhibits, and galleries to choose from. For those tight on budget, there are a handful of the abovementioned with free admission.

Free museums and galleries in Macao:

• Mandarin’s House
• Maritime Museum
• Macao Museum of Art
• Handover Gifts Museum of Macao
• Treasure of Sacred Art
• Treasure of Sacred Art of St. Joseph’s Seminary
• Museum of Sacred Art and Crypt
• The Old Iec Long Firecracker Factory site
• Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial House in Macau
• Xian Xinghai Memorial Museum
• Fire Services Museum
• Natural and Agrarian Museum
• Taipa Houses
• Heritage Exhibition of a Traditional Pawnshop Business
• The Patane Night Watch House
• Exhibition Room of Master Lu Ban’s Woodcraft Works
• The Na Tcha Exhibition Room
• Museum of the Macao Security Forces
• Macao Tea Culture House
• Communications Museum
• Museum of Taipa and Coloane History
• The Sculpture Park of the Chinese Ethnics
• General Ye Ting’s Former Residence
• Former Chong Sai Pharmacy
• Jao Tsung-I Academy
• Commemorative Gallery of the Macao Basic Law
• MGM MACAU Art Collection

This includes Macau Tea Culture House, which will delight tea culture enthusiasts. Mandarin’s House is the traditional Chinese home of prominent Chinese literary figure Zheng Guanying. The Maritime Museum is in the shape of a sailing ship anchored in the waters of the Inner Harbour. Macao Museum of Art is the only museum dedicated to arts in Macao.

Inside St. Dominic’s Church (next to Senado Square) is the Treasure of Sacred Art Museum, which houses around 300 artifacts dating from the 17th to the 19th centuries. Inside the Ruins of St. Paul, is the Museum of Sacred Art and Crypt. This is where one can find the only work of the ancient St. Paul’s College that survived the fire in 1835 – the 17th-century oil painting of Archangel Michael.

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8. Avail of Macau’s free WiFiGO

With the aim to promote easier access to the Internet for citizens and visitors, the Macao SAR Government started providing the Wireless Broadband System “Wifi GO” service in September 2010. Free wireless internet access can be availed at selected government premises, public facilities, and tourist locations.

System Requirements: devices supporting Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11 b/g) standard
For a list of the locations, pick up the free WiFiGO service locations map at the airport or ferry terminal

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9. Temple Run: Macau edition

Aside from A-Ma, the oldest temple, in the Historic Centre of Macau, there are other temples around Macau that you can visit. What’s fascinating about the temples in Macau is that a combination of Buddhist, Taoist, and Animist gods is worshiped in them. Their location was also determined based on Feng Shui.

Kun Iam Tong, one of the biggest and wealthiest among Macau temples, is dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy. It is also one of the Three Ancient Temples of Macau. Lin Fung, one of the largest temples in scale is also one of the Three Ancient Temples of Macau.

It is best to remember that courtesy and respect must be shown on the temple grounds and it is best to ask permission before taking any pictures.

Free maps and guides for your temple hopping: Macau Temple Map and Macau Temples.

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10. Budget accommodations in Macau

Macau may be known for its luxurious hotels and casinos but that doesn’t mean there aren’t budget accommodations you can choose from.

Two-star hotels are mostly located in the Inner Harbour and some have been recently renovated. There are also Hostels, Guesthouses, and Villas available.

11. Experience Macau’s Walking Tour Routes

Macao Government Tourism Office has four (4) suggested walking tour routes under the Macau Full of Fun:

• World Heritage Tour – 15 sights – 120 minutes
• Art & Cultural Tour in St. Lazarus Parish – 5 sights – 90 minutes
• Portuguese Ambiance Tour at Taipa Island – 8 sights – 90 minutes
• Tranquility Tour in Coloane Village – 7 sights – 50 minutes

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Quick Guide to Macau

Currency: Macanese Pataca (MOP) has been the official currency since 1906. But Hong Kong Dollars are widely accepted. We didn’t have to exchange our HKD for MOP when we were there.

Visa Requirements: Filipinos are not required to apply for Visa. For those who are required to apply for Visa, check out Entry Requirements.

Getting There: Macau is easily reached from Hong Kong via CotaiJET or TurboJet. Travel time can take from 45 minutes to 1 hour. You can also fly directly to Macau via Macau International Airport on Taipa Island.

Languages: Portuguese, Cantonese, English

Area: Macau Peninsula (connected to Mainland China), Taipa, Coloane, COTAI (reclaimed area)

Climate: The best months to visit Macau for pleasant temperatures and little rainfall would be from October to December (Autumn). Tropical climate all year round. The average temperature is 23 C and the average humidity is 79%.

For more information visit the Macao Government Tourism Office website.

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Macao Day Tour Sample Itinerary

Best way to get around Macau in a day: 

Entry – Hong Kong

0630 H – MTR to Sheung Wan; clear HK immigration

0730 H – Macau Ferry Terminal – Hong Kong to Macau via Cotai Water Jet

0830 H – ETA Macau’s Taipa Ferry Terminal; clear Macau immigration

0900 H – Ride a free shuttle to Venetian Macau

0930 H – Explore Venetian Macau and City of Dreams; look for baggage storage (MOP10/piece)

1300 H – Senado Square, Ruins of St Paul, Historic Centre of Macau

1500 H – Wynn Hotel/Casino to Galaxy via free shuttles

1700 H – back to Venetian for a free shuttle to the airport

2215 H – Flight Macau to Manila (Cebu Pacific Air)

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Have you been to Macau? Got any more tips on how to get around Macau for free?

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