Macau's proximity to Hong Kong makes it a great day trip adventure for travellers who have an extra day or two in Hong Kong. Alongside its vibrant casino scene, it is also home to many European architectures that are remnants of its colonial past.
Even though Hong Kong is also a Special Administrative Region (SAR) that is part of the People's Republic of China, it is governed under the one country, two systems which also means you will need to bring along your PASSPORT when travelling from Hong Kong to Macau. Also, should you be visiting the casinos, you may also need to show your passport for entry.
1. By ferry
Many travellers head to Macau as a day trip from Hong Kong and the most popular and easiest way is to get there via ferry. The ferry ride from Hong Kong to Macau will take about 40 minutes to an hour depending on which ferry operator and which harbour you choose. There are two major harbours in Hong Kong where you can take the ferry to Macau:
- China Ferry Terminal
This terminal is located in Tsim Sha Tsui and you can easily get there through Harbour City Mall. It is quite a walk from the nearest MTR so you may wish to take a taxi straight to the ferry terminal. For travellers who stay on this part of the island, this is one of the most convenient and popular ferry terminal to head to Macau.
Since we stayed closer to the Tsim Sha Tsui region, we took the ferry from this ferry terminal. Our hotel, Dorsett Mongkok Hong Kong also has a complimentary shuttle bus service that brings us straight to the ferry terminal so it was really convenient! :)
Read more about our stay at Dorsett Mongkok Hong Kong here.
China Ferry Terminal
33 Canton Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Nearest MTR: Austin Road / Tsim Sha Tsui
- Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal
If you are on the other side of Hong Kong, you may wish to head to the Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal. The ferry terminal is connected to the Sheung Wan MTR station so it is really quite easily accessible.
Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal
168-200 Connaught Rd Central, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
Nearest MTR: Sheung Wan
After selecting your terminal, there are also two main ferry operators that would take you to Macau: Turbojet Ferry and CotaiJet Ferry. Essentially, both ferry operators are similar in terms of price with CotaiJet being slightly cheaper than Turbojet for a one day weekday trip. If you are buying the tickets on the spot, we would say, pick the ferry that has an earlier slot so that you can save some time on waiting and spend more time in Macau.
We would also recommend buying a two-way ticket so that you can ensure that you will have a ferry back! If possible, book it online for slightly cheaper tickets: for Turbojet Ferry; for CotaiJet Ferry.
Other than consideration of the timing, the two operators also differ in their port of call in Macau. Turbojet has more trips that will bring you to Macau Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal, which is the terminal that is much closer to downtown Macau. For travellers heading to Macau for a day trip, we would highly recommend taking Turbojet to the Macau Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal.
But if you are heading to the Taipa region in Macau, Cotai Ferry has more trips to Macau Taipa Temporary Ferry Terminal! The Taipa region is where all the newer casinos are, like the Venetian Hotel, the City of Dreams, et cetera. The Taipa region is also closer to the Macau airport should you be leaving taking off from Macau!
Our recommendation for a day trip from Hong Kong to Macau:
Take the Turbojet ferry from either terminals (depending on where you are staying in Hong Kong) to the Macau Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal! This ferry terminal is a great start to your day trip as it is much closer to many of the Macau tourist attraction.
Should you be getting your tickets online, be sure to still head to the ferry terminal between 30 minutes to 60 minutes before the scheduled ferry to exchange your vouchers for the tickets.
Prices: About $28 SGD for a one-way trip
2. By Helicopter
Like Vegas, if you would like to head to Macau in style, this is the way to go! Helicopter gets you from Hong Kong to Macau in about 15 to 20 minutes where you can also simultaneously enjoy the skyscrapers and concrete jungle of Hong Kong from the top, along with the magnificent view of the harbour!
Sky Shuttle is the company that provides this helicopter service and they do run promotions from time to time.
Prices: About $738 SGD for a one-way trip
But if you really want to get on a helicopter, you can also consider joining a 15-minute helicopter tour for half the price at $334 SGD.
3. Hong Kong - Zhuhai - Macau Bridge
This tunnel-bridge is expected to be opened in July this year, and perhaps could be another way for travellers to head to Macau. Although the opening has been delayed, amidst concern over the safety of the infrastructure, being on top of one of the longest over-sea bridges could be an experience in itself!
This blog post is part of our Hong Kong Travel Series, read our other posts here:
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