- Chinese Name: 澳门
- Chinese Pinyin: Àomén
- Location: Southern China near Hong Kong
Macau, also spelled Macao, is a tiny Chinese territory that is about 30 square kilometers in size. It is a fusion of East and West in lifestyles, architecture, and food. Known for its huge casinos and being the world's top gambling city, it boasts some popular attractions for tourists to visit.
Where Macau Is
Macau is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China. Located on the southeast coast of China, it borders Guangdong Province of Chinese mainland to the north. It is about 60 kilometers (37 miles) to the southwest of Hong Kong.
It takes about one hour to get there by ferry from Hong Kong and about four hours by air from Beijing.
Macau consists of the Macau Peninsula itself and the islands of Taipa and Coloane, which are now connected by landfill forming the Cotai strip.
Visa-Free Travel
To promote tourism, Macau has some liberal visa-free entry policies for citizens of 66 countries, including the US, Canada, Australia, and most of the countries in Europe. The duration ranges from 180 days to 14 days, depending on nationality.
- Find out more about Macau's liberal visa-free policy.
- Also find out about how you can transit via Macau to China's 72-hour visa-free cities.
Top Things to Do in Macau
The Ruins of St. Paul'sMacau is a place where you can feel the rich Portuguese heritage fused with Chinese culture in street signs, architecture, food, and more. Here are some recommended things you can do in this wonderful destination:
- Appreciate historical and cultural heritage, such as the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of A-Ma Temple and the Ruins of St. Paul's.
- Sample Macau's unique cuisine, which is a perfect blend of Cantonese and Portuguese cuisines. Learn more about Macau food.
- If interested, you can explore the city's famous casinos, such as The Venetian Macau. Macau has earned the nickname of "Vegas of the East".
- Enjoy duty-free shopping in Macau. There are malls and shops offering antiques, the latest styles of clothing, perfumes, cosmetics, jewelry, and more.
- Walk around Old Taipa Village, one of only two traditional 'villages' that still exist in Macau.
Learn more about things to do in Macau.
The Most Popular Attractions in Macau
Monte FortThe Historic Center of Macau, inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2005, is filled with cultural treasures:
- A-Ma Temple: It is the oldest temple in Macau, and is an exemplary representation of Chinese culture inspired by Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and multiple folk beliefs.
- Ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral: They are the ruins of a 16th century complex and regarded as one of Macau's best known landmarks.
- Senado Square: It is the urban center of Macau. You may feel you are in a city by the Mediterranean Sea when you see the pastel-colored neo-classical buildings around the square.
- Monte Fort: It is an almost 400-year-old stone fort, which offers superb sunset and casino views from the top.
The Best Time to Visit Macau
The best time to visit Macau is from October to December when the weather is warm and sunny, and humidity levels are low.
The weather from January to March is cold but sunny. It starts to get humid in April. From May to September, the climate becomes hot, humid, and rainy with occasional typhoons.
Our Most Popular Macau and Hong Kong Tours
The Venetian MacauHong Kong and Macau are only an hour away by fast ferry. It is easy to take a tour including the highlights of Hong Kong and Macau.
- How to Plan a 1-Day Trip to Macau from Hong Kong
- How to Have the Best Tour of Macau in Two Days
- Half-Day Hong Kong Highlights Tour
We at China Highlights specialize in private and personalized tours. We can help you tour the area and other parts of China as well. Just tell us your interests and requirements.