Macau Travel Itineraries

Macau Travel Itineraries and Tips

Sands Hotell Macau

Macau Travel Itineraries

1-Day Family Tour
If you only have one day in Macau

Have a local breakfast: Start the day off on with a hearty bowl of fish, pork or chicken porridge (congee) with or without an egg and crispy dough fritters. The Chinese cafes in Senado Square sell a range of breakfast noodles and porridge, or just look down one of the narrow side streets and follow the crowd to a make-shift stall where you can see people sitting on stools slurping away. Wash it down with a cup of hot tea or strong coffee or the kids can have soya bean milk. Tykes who prefer something Western can have their hotcakes and McMuffins at the McDonalds in Senado Square.

Explore the historical sites: Explore the historical sites in Senado Square. There is no entry fee to see buildings and temples like LouKau Mansion, St. Dominic’s Church, Cathedral, Holy House of Mercy and Kuan Tai Temple are a few minutes’ walk of each other – just follow the signs. And no visit to Macau is complete without a photo in front of symbol of Macau - The Ruins of St. Paul’s. Only the front façade is left, but there are stairs behind which allow you to climb up and peek out of the second level.

Discover Macau’s history: The stairs above The Ruins of St. Paul’s will take you up to the Macau Museum. Housed within the battlement walls of the old Monte Fort, it has cannons overlooking the city on the upper level. Well worth a visit, it gives an in depth look into the history of Macau and is colorful enough to keep all but the youngest children interested for at least 45 minutes. There are daily guided tours catered for children as young as 5 and activities with prizes for children who can answer questions correctly. A section of the museum has computers with educational games targeted at children, and there occasionally children’s workshops and events.

Lunch in the tallest building in Macau – the Macau Tower: Café 360 is Macau’s only revolving restaurant and from the 60th floor, you can enjoy breathtaking views. There is a wide range of cuisines on offer, include local specialties, and a dessert selection, which will satisfy the fussiest palate.

Live life on the edge: Parents and kids 13 years old and above can try the bungy jump, but be warned that you’ll need a stomach of steel, because from up there, it’s a long way down. The Sky Jump, is a controlled decent from the same height, which lasts about 20 seconds, and is open for anyone above 10 years old. But we highly recommend the whole family try the Sky Walk, which is a 15-minute walk on an outdoor circular metallic platform on the 57th floor of the Macau Tower. While it feels like there’s nothing between you and the ground below, a sturdy safety harness ensures your safety. While it’s a sure way to get butterflies in your stomach, it’s so safe that children as young as 3 can take part. Now’s an opportunity to get a family photo like none other - a guide taking photos will encourage you to strike daring poses with your feet hanging off the edge of the platform.

Shop till you drop: Kids will go crazy at the Toys “R”Us and Warner Bros. Studio Store on the ground floor of the Macau Tower. Other than apparel and stationary, there is a selection of over 3,500 types of toys. After all that excitement stop for a fresh pastry and a cup of coffee in the basement of the Macau Tower. The bakery sells delicious Western style afternoon tea treats like donuts, muffins and croissants, and has a sandwich bar with a wide range of artisan breads on offer.

Go-kart: Head to the nearby Macau Motor Sports Club to try out one of the best go kart tracks in the region. Children must be at least 16-years-old to drive, although double go karts are available, where children can enjoy the thrill of being a passenger while driven by an adult. Whether or not you go for a spin, have a hot drink or afternoon tea in one of the booths, in the shape of a go-kart, while watching the real karts on the track whizz past.

Ice cream and gondola rides at The Venetian: Head to the Cotai Strip – the home of Macau’s largest casino, The Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel and shop at its Grand Canal Shoppes, which have everything from clothes to electronics to books, chocolate and ice cream for sale. Go for a ride in a gondola, steered by a singing gondolier. If you are a guest of the hotel, try a round of mini golf at Grado Golf course, a new mini golf course which is on the rooftop of the Grand Canal Shoppes.

Jungle dinner: Have dinner at the jungle themed 3-Monkeys Restaurant. Kids love the Fajitas, which come out on a steaming platter and are accompanied by monkey sounds. The giant burgers with homemade patties are another hot favorite. The giant toy monkeys evoke squeals of delight from most young diners.

—————————————————————-
1-Day Macau Cultural Tour
If you have only 1 day in Macau

9am – 12pm
Begin your day on the picturesque Macau peninsula on the peak of Penha Hill. While it is accessible on foot, it is highly recommended that you catch a cab up there so that you don’t tire yourself out. This is where the first chapel in the Portuguese settlement, the Chapel of Our Lady Penha, sits. As you approach the chapel, it seems to be shrouded in somberness and mystery. Some parts of the simply-landscaped grounds are overgrown with vegetation, adding to its mystery. Take time to enjoy the panoramic view of the inner harbour, the Macau-Taipa Bridge and nearby towns in China across the Pearl River. You can also admire the juxtaposition of new modern architectures against the weather beaten buildings around the Nam Van Lake area. If you go down a flight of stone steps past the statue of Mother Mary, you will find a large Lady of Lourdes grotto that is still popular with Catholic devotees.

Stroll down the hill towards the Barra Square. This is where the first Portuguese settlers arrived in the 16th century. Here, your attention will immediately be caught by the vibrant colors of the temple gates and the spiraling coils of incense burning at the A-Ma Temple, Macau’s oldest temple. With about 25% of Macanese are A-Ma worshippers and 200 million devotees worldwide, this temple is always busy. Stone inscriptions of Chinese poetry and stone grottoes with taped recordings of Buddhist chants make for an intoxicating sensorial experience.

Before you explore this temple, do drop in the Maritime Museum where you can get a better understanding of the temple’s significance and get a sense of Macau’s beginnings. Informative exhibits also explain Macau’s significant religious festivals.

A 3-minute walk north of the square will take you to the Moorish Barracks. If you lose your bearings, just keep an eye out of the official olive tourist signposts. This neo-classical brick-and-stone building will be hard to miss as it sits on a raised granite platform. Once the home of a police regiment of Goa, it now serves as the office of the Macau Maritime Administration.

This same street will soon lead you to Lilau Square which is almost inconspicuous if not for the dilapidating yellow-and-red blocks on its right. These buildings are the remaining testament of its former past as the first Portuguese residential district in the settlement. Across the square, hidden behind pastel buildings, is the Mandarin’s House where the famous Chinese thinker and literary figure, Zheng Guan Ying, lived. Unfortunately, this house is still undergoing renovation works.

If you continue along Colcada da Barra, you will hit Rua Padre Antonio and Rua de Sao Lourenco. Here is where you will see St Lawrence’s Church. Its grandiose exterior contains an exquisite sky-blue and canary interior decorated with gold chandeliers and stained glass windows. It is easily one of the most beautiful of churches in Macau.

Behind here you can find another important Macanese church - the St Joseph’s Seminary and Church. Many foreign and Macanese missionaries to China and Southeast Asia have been trained here, and it continues to operate as a seminary. The elaborate Baroque architecture of the church is well-preserved and beautiful to behold.

Head back to Rua do Seminario and walk towards the junction of Calçada do Gamboa. Follow the path up the hill and you will soon reach the cobblestoned pavements of the small St Augustine’s Square. A cluster of postcard-perfect monuments surrounds this square – St. Augustine’s Church, Sir Robert Ho Tung Library and Dom Pedro V Theatre. Even on busy tourist days, these monuments are still able to exert a calming influence on the visitor. A couple of notable firsts occured here - fhe first english sermon in Macau was preached at St. Augustine’s while Dom Pedro V was the first western-styled theatre in China. As you exit the square and head towards Senado Square, you will see a lovely mansard-roofed building that houses Banco Delta Asia, a local independent bank. While bearing no particular historical significance, the dollhouse-like building is pretty to look at.

12 – 1pm
Now that you’ve viewed almost half of the monuments on the World Heritage List, it is time to reward yourself with a feast. Senado Square, the historical centre of Macau, offers a veritable spread of cuisinary delights. If you feel the need to escape the crowd, get to the Restaurante Platao, just round the corner from MacDonalds. You can choose to dine in the al-fresco garden or in air-conditioned comfort. This popular restaurant serves both traditional and re-invented Portuguese and Macanese fare. Their biscuit mousse dessert is especially good. Those in search of more Chinese offerings can head over to Wong Chi Kei for their fine Cantonese noodles and congee. Try the traditional Cantonese favourite of ‘Wanton Noodles’ in soup. Famous personalities like Chris Patten and Hong Kong silverscreen dames have dined here.

1 – 4 pm
Before you continue to explore the area, pop into the Tourist Information Counter inside the Macau Business Tourism Centre, near the water fountain. You can get useful tourist maps and guides. Just behind this building is the Sam Kai Vui Kun Temple. Formerly the guild house for a commercial association, the Sam Kai Vui Kun or Three Streets Association, it now is a temple dedicated to Kuan Tai, the God of War and Riches. Built sometime in the 18th century, this was also where Qing Dynasty edicts were announced in the past.

As you continue to explore the historical gems that surround Senado Square, you will be pleased to note that an abundance of artifacts at many of these places can be viewed for free. These exhibits will give you an insight into Macau’s bi-cultural character and how she came to be. Unique architectural designs that further reflect the cross-pollination of the East and West can be spotted in many of these buildings.

We suggest that you begin from the General Post Office and work your way through the Leal Senado Building, the Holy House of Mercy Cathedral, Bishop of Macau’s Office (also known as ‘The Bishop’s Palace or Residence’), LouKau Mansion, before going to St. Dominic’s Church. Religious museums featuring Catholic statues, paintings and liturgical objects are found inside the Holy House of Mercy, St Dominic’s Church and at the Ruins of St Pauls. The Loukau Mansion is an opportunity for you to admire classic Guangzhou ‘xiguan’ architecture that infuses Western elements into its design – something that you did not manage to see earlier at the Mandarin’s House.

As you go toward the Ruins of St Paul’s, you may find your nose overwhelmed by rich aromas wafting from the many shops selling Macanese snacks like the famous almond cookies, peanut cookies, sweet egg wafers and local beef jerky. The most famous local chain is the Pasteleria Koi Kei. Free samples abound. If you intend to buy any of these goodies, consider buying them on your way down from the ruins.

At the Company of Jesus Square, you will be welcomed by two peculiar bronze sculptures that flank the path. One is of a young lady, posed rather provocatively on a low stone wall, with her dog. Another show a lotus flower being passed between a young man and woman. This sculpture supposedly symbolizes the friendship between China and Portugal.

Remember to take a snapshot of the Ruin’s of St Paul’s, Macau’s iconic symbol, before you head up those 66 steps. This remaining façade of the Church of Mater Dei is rather imposing and awe-inspiring. Other than its architectural merit and place in Macau Catholic history, it is also a marvel as it is the only part of the entire compound to survive the great inferno in 1835.

If you are in need of some good fortune, climb up to the second level behind the façade to toss coins out of the window as many other superstitious tourists do. The remains that you see today were excavated between 1990 and 1995, and have been converted into a museum consisting of a crypt and sacred art relics dating as far back as the 16th century. Elegant glass niches in the crypt walls contain the remains of missionary matyrs in Japan and Vietnam as well as monks and clergy men once buried in the church. While the crypt is a serene space built around an solid-block marble altar, those who are easily spooked can choose to view it at a distance from the upper balustrade.

Take it easy as you go up Mount Fortress as the slopes and stairs are rather steep and exhausting. An easy way up is to ride the escalators that go to Macau Museum. However, the fit and able-bodied should try tackling the slopes and stairs as you will be able to catch a glimpse of the old fortress tunnels. Just when you think you cannot think another step, there is hole -in-the-wall café located near the top where you can rest your tired legs and grab a cool drink.

Either ways, just getting to the top will give you an almost perfect 360° view of the entire Macau island and even into China. Today, the fortress tunnels house the Macau Museum. This museum is worth a visit as it pulls together artifacts to tell the story of Macau’s complex heritage spanning the historical, commercial, religious, social-cultural and folk art aspects.

Take the escalator down through the museum and walk towards the Na Tcha Temple that sits just by St Paul’s ruins.While she stands next to the larger and more imposing St Paul’s ruins, her cultural and religious significance is not to be dwarfed. She was built and dedicated to the child-warrior deity, Na Tcha, in a bid to stop a raging plague in 1888. Next to the temple is the remains of the Old City Walls.

4 – 6pm
Antique hunters can dive into the many antique shops around the Rua de S.Paulo piazza. These shops not only specialize in the sale of authentic antiques but also quality reproductions of pieces. Prices are reasonable and shipping to just about any destination in the world is available. Mobilias Mei Choi is one such shop that has four branches along this street.

If your legs can still take the pounding, walk towards St Anthony’s Church. Another small cluster of World Heritage sites await you – Camoes Square, Casa Garden and the Protestant Cemetery. You can also catch a cab or the bus.

A handful of popular temples are situated around here as well – Tai Soi Miu, Lin Kai Miu and Tai Soi Miu or the Temple of the Sleeping Buddha is located behind Camoes Garden. It is popular amongst women devotees who come here to offer prayers and offerings to the goddesses of fertility and child rearing. Different year gods and prayer halls dedicted to Pau Kung, Kun Iam and Chung Kwei can be found here.

6 – 8pm
End the day with a dinner at any of the eateries around the Barra Point area. If you like some hearty and homely Macanese cuisine and quality Portuguese vintage wines, the Litoral is ideal.

But if you rather a more modern dining experience, pick any of the four restaurants at the Macau Tower. While you may not be overly enthused by the tower’s claims of being ranked the 10th tallest free-standing structure in the world, and the 8th tallest in Asia, you will enjoy the views from its the observation deck. There, you can marvel at how a place with such small land mass is able to contain so much history and buzz.

—————————————————————–
1-Day Guide for Thrill Seekers
If you only have one day in Macau

Breakfast: Breakfast at Café Bela Vista at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Inspired by the historical Hotel Bela Vista in Portugal, the restaurant reflects the character of a Portuguese family home. With the classic columns and mosaic floors and peaceful ambience, it’s easy to imagine that you’re dining in a Portuguese stately home. Choose from a la carte offerings such as the American or Continental breakfast or if you’re feeling ravenous, why not try the buffet.

The world’s highest bungy jump: AJ Hackett at the Macau Tower has the honor of having the world’s highest bungy jump. Even though they have a 100% safety record, even those with the hearts of a lion will still feel their stomach doing little summersaults when they get up on the bungy launch pad 223 meters high and look down on sky scrapers. There are a range of other less terrifying options, including the Sky Walk, which involves walking around a rail-free circular platform. Put aside at least 3 hours if you plan to try the mast climb, which involves hiking right up to the mast of the skyscraper – an eye popping 338 meters above the ground. It’s one of the only places in the world you’ll get to climb a skyscraper.

Go downtown: The historical centre of Macau is at Senado Square – which is where you’ll find several of Macau’s most famous landmarks within walking distance. The picturesque pedestrian-only Square is a mix of the old and new, with lovingly restored Macanese houses sitting side by side Starbucks and Chinese medicine shops. Take a stroll up to The Ruins of St. Paul’s – helping yourself to the free samples of pastries that vendors will be handing out along the way, and sample a Portuguese egg tart of 2. Put aside at least 45 minutes for a whirlwind tour of the Macau Museum, which is housed within battle fort right by the side of The Ruins of St. Paul’s.

Local lunch: Get a taste of local cuisine at a family-run Macanese or Portuguese restaurant. On Rua do Almirante Sergio there are 3 which are known among locals for consistently good service and food. You can’t go wrong with A Lorcha, Litoral and O Porto Interior – which are all down-to-earth restaurants who do great African Chicken and Baked Cod – but be sure to ask for their specialties. Those with a sweet tooth should try the range of local desserts. Portuguese wines are known for good quality at low prices, so if you’re partial for a drink, pair a bottle with your meal.

Explore Macau’s nautical heritage: On the same road as the restaurants is the Maritime Museum, which pays homage to Macau’s past as an international port. Legend has it that the red A-Ma Temple right by the museum is the exact spot where the Portuguese first landed in Macau.

Go karting: Take a cab out to visit Coloane – the most picturesque of Macau’s 2 islands and burn rubber at the Macau motorsports Club’s go-kart track. Not for your typical Sunday driver it is one of the most exciting kart-racing circuits in Southeast Asia. People from Hong Kong and China make regular trips here for racing on Sundays. The 1.2km long track has 10 turns of varying difficulty including a tight hairpin, making it challenging for even the experienced karter.

Taipa Village: A bustling city centre for Taipa island, there are markets and shops to explore, pubs to grab a cold beer at, and plenty of local snacks to try and interesting architecture worth photographing. It’s just a 5 minute cab ride or 10 minute walk from Macau’s biggest and most famous casino – The Venetian.

The Venetian tour: Even if it’s just to take a photo by the indoor canals, or try your luck at the poker table, The Venetian is worth a visit because it has become almost as much a symbol of Macau as The Ruins of St. Paul’s. If you want to do some shopping, here is the place. The Grand Canal Shoppes is a 500,000 sq ft shopping mall housing a wide range of international luxury brands and mid-range fashion labels as well as bookstores, specialty stores and cafes.

Dinner and drinks: It’s going to be a long night, so make sure you’re properly fuelled for it by having a good dinner. There is a stretch of bars at an area in Macau peninsula called NAPE – or commonly referred to as “Lan Kwai Fong” – which also has a range of restaurants offering local, Lebanese, Chinese and Western choices. After dinner, you can choose where to start your pub crawl. Moonwalker is known for its live band which plays rousing covers; while MP3 has notorious pole dancing acts and cheap drink.

Credit to spicyblue of pinoyexchange