In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Macau is a separate immigration zone: take your passport. The ferries leave from the Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan, take about an hour and cost HK$192 to HK$212 on weekday and weekend day sailings (TurboJET Outer Harbour, Cotai Water Jet to Taipa). The cheaper alternative is the HK$65 shuttle bus over the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, which starts at Hong Kong Port next to the airport. The Historic Centre, a UNESCO site, fits into a morning. Or book a tour: the Macau day tour via the bridge with lunch and hotel transfersad (from HK$1,800, 4.7 stars from 215 reviews) takes care of the ferry, the border and the bus. The day trips guide compares Macau with the other excursions.
Getting from Hong Kong to Macau
| Route | From | To | Journey | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TurboJET ferry | Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal, Sheung Wan | Macau Outer Harbour | About 60 minutes | Economy HK$194 weekday, HK$212 weekend and holiday, HK$242 night |
| Cotai Water Jet ferry | Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal, Sheung Wan | Taipa Ferry Terminal | About 60 minutes | Cotai Class HK$192 weekday, HK$209 weekend and holiday, HK$242 night |
| Bridge shuttle bus | Hong Kong Port, next to the airport | Macao Port | About 40 minutes | HK$65 from 06:00 to 23:59, HK$70 from 00:00 to 05:59 |
Sources: TurboJET fares effective 25 April 2026, Cotai Water Jet fares and the Hong Kong government’s bridge page. TurboJET counts sailings from 18:30 as night sailings; Cotai Water Jet’s night sailings start between 17:10 and 18:00, depending on the season. Children aged one or over need a ticket.
The ferries
A TurboJET catamaran at a Macau pier. Photo: Seader, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
- TurboJET sails from Sheung Wan to the Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal on the Macau peninsula, the closer landing for the historic centre. Sailings from Sheung Wan to the Outer Harbour run from 07:30 to 22:30. Four sailings a day go to Taipa instead, at 10:30, 11:30, 15:00 and 19:00 (schedule effective 16 October 2026).
- Cotai Water Jet sails to the Taipa Ferry Terminal, nearest the Cotai resorts and Taipa Village. Its sailings from Sheung Wan run from 07:30 to 22:30, and the return sailings from Taipa run from 09:00 to 23:59 (Cotai Water Jet).
- TurboJET asks passengers to board at least 30 minutes before departure.
- You clear Hong Kong immigration at the terminal before boarding and Macau immigration on arrival.
- You can buy at the terminal or book in advance: TurboJET tickets on Klookad{rel=“sponsored nofollow noopener”} are a QR code for the gate.
The bridge bus
A bridge shuttle bus at Macao Port. Photo: LN9267, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The 55 km Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge runs 24 hours a day, with the shuttle taking about 40 minutes between the two ports (Hong Kong government). Buses run every 5 minutes at peak times and every 10 to 15 minutes otherwise. Half fares of HK$33 by day and HK$35 at night apply to children under 12 or under 1.2 m, people with disabilities and over-65s.
To reach Hong Kong Port from the city, take an airport bus that calls there: the government lists the Citybus A11 from North Point, Wan Chai, Central and Sheung Wan (HK$41.90) and the A21 from Hung Hom, Tsim Sha Tsui and Mong Kok (HK$34.60) (Hong Kong Port transport list). From Tung Chung, the New Lantao Bus B6 goes to Hong Kong Port. That puts the daytime total from the city at about HK$100 to HK$107 each way, against HK$192 to HK$212 on a ferry, but the trip takes longer.
Tours from Hong Kong
A tour pays for the transfers, the border queues and a guide who knows the order of the sights. The ferry on its own is cheaper.
Macau day tour via the bridge with lunch
From HK$1,800 · 4.7 stars from 215 reviews · 10 hours · hotel pickup
From Hong Kong: Macau Day Tour via HZMB w/Lunch & Transfersad is a join-in group tour with hotel transfers in Hong Kong and a buffet lunch at a 4-star hotel in Macau. You go to Macau by ferry and return by seat-in coach over the bridge. It suits visitors who want the UNESCO sites in a guided loop without arranging a single ticket.
All-inclusive day tour by TurboJET
From HK$2,023 · 4.6 stars from 100 reviews · 10 hours · hotel pickup
From Hong Kong: Macau All-Inclusive Seat-In-Coach Day Tourad is a guided day with hotel pickup, the TurboJET ferry, the UNESCO landmarks and a buffet lunch, returning by ferry or over the bridge.
Six-hour Macau tour with lunch
From HK$970 · 4.8 stars from 13 reviews · 6 hours · hotel pickup
Macau: Macau Full-Day Tour with Lunch and Transfersad is a join-in group tour with hotel transfers and a buffet lunch at a 4-star hotel. It is the shortest of the group tours.
Ferry ticket only
From HK$218 · 4.9 stars from 38 reviews · 1 hour
Hong Kong: Ferry Journey Between Hong Kong Island and Macauad is a Cotai Water Jet crossing. It suits visitors who want a booked ticket and will make their own plans in Macau.
Official fare or tour: the prices side by side
| Option | Operator’s price | Tour or resold price | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cotai Water Jet, weekday day sailing | HK$192 | From HK$218 on GetYourGuide | The same crossing, booked in advance |
| TurboJET Economy, weekday day sailing | HK$194 | TurboJET ticket on Klookad{rel=“sponsored nofollow noopener”} | A QR code for the gate |
| Bridge shuttle bus plus airport bus | HK$65 plus HK$34.60 or HK$41.90 each way | n/a | The bridge crossing, with a bus change |
| Group day tour with lunch | n/a | From HK$970 (6 hours) to HK$2,023 (10 hours) | Transfers, a guide, lunch and the border handled |
The ferry directly from the operator is the cheapest way to cross. The group tours cost HK$970 to HK$2,023 against HK$384 for return Cotai Water Jet tickets on weekdays, and the difference buys lunch, transfers and a guide.
Passports and money
Senado Square at night. Photo: The Red Hat of Pat Ferrick, Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
Macau has its own immigration. Carry a passport; a Hong Kong Octopus card does not substitute. Under the Macau government’s rules for non-residents:
- The passport must be valid for at least 90 days beyond your intended stay.
- Visitors need an onward or return ticket.
- Visa-free stay on arrival (Macau government): British citizens get up to 6 months, citizens of EU member states up to 90 days, and US, Canadian and Australian citizens up to 30 days.
- A visitor staying up to seven days must be able to prove at least MOP5,000 for the stay.
- Nationals of six countries (Bangladesh, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Vietnam) must obtain a Macau visa in advance. Nationals of other countries should check the Public Security Police Force’s pages for their passport.
The pataca (MOP) is linked to the Hong Kong dollar at MOP103.20 to HK$100. The Macao Government Tourism Office lists Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay, Alipay, WeChat Pay and Apple Pay as widely accepted, so you can pay by card or phone. Public buses cost MOP6, with no change given, so carry coins or a Macau Pass (local transport). Taxis start at MOP21 for the first 1,600 m, with an extra MOP8 for boarding at the Taipa Ferry Terminal.
One day in Macau
Ferries arrive by 10:30 on a 09:30 departure; allow time for the immigration queue at either end.
| Time | Stop | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 09:30 | Ferry from Sheung Wan | Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal |
| 10:30 | Senado Square | Historic Centre |
| 11:15 | Ruins of St. Paul’s, then Mount Fortress | Historic Centre |
| 12:30 | Lunch: Macanese dishes | Central Macau |
| 14:30 | The Venetian and the Parisian | Cotai Strip |
| 16:30 | Coloane Village and Lord Stow’s | Coloane |
| 19:00 | Cotai Water Jet back to Sheung Wan | Taipa Ferry Terminal |
The Historic Centre
The Historic Centre of Macao is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its core is walkable. From the Outer Harbour take a MOP6 bus or a taxi to Senado Square, paved with black-and-white wave-patterned Portuguese stone (calçada portuguesa) and ringed by pastel colonial buildings.
Walk north up the pedestrian shopping street, past bakeries selling almond cookies and pork jerky, to the Ruins of St. Paul’s, the carved granite facade of a Jesuit church that burned down in 1835. A stairway beside it climbs to Mount Fortress, built by the Jesuits in the early 17th century. Bronze cannons still point across the harbour towards Zhuhai.
A cannon at Mount Fortress. Photo: LN9267, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Lunch, Cotai and Coloane
Macanese food mixes Portuguese cooking with spices from Goa, Malacca and Africa. Look for:
- Minchi: minced beef and pork fried with onion and diced potato, served over rice, often with a fried egg.
- Pork chop bun: a seasoned pork cutlet in a crusty roll with butter.
- Portuguese egg tart: a custard tart with a blistered, caramelised top in a flaky pastry shell. Lord Stow’s Bakery has run shops in Macau since 1989; its original is in Coloane Village.
On the Cotai Strip, the Venetian Macao has indoor canals and gondolas, the Parisian has a half-scale Eiffel Tower and the Londoner has a Big Ben replica. Coloane Village, at the southern end, is a quiet square with a small waterfront chapel, and the Taipa Ferry Terminal is where the Cotai Water Jet leaves for Sheung Wan.
For the other excursions, see day trips from Hong Kong. To compare the border crossing with the other mainland option, read the Shenzhen day trip.
Common questions
Do I need a passport to visit Macau from Hong Kong?
Yes. Macau has its own immigration checkpoints. The Macau Public Security Police Force requires a passport valid for at least 90 days beyond your intended stay and an onward or return ticket, and visitors staying up to seven days may be asked to show at least MOP5,000 for their stay. Nationals of some countries need a visa arranged in advance.
How much is the ferry from Hong Kong to Macau?
TurboJET's Economy Class fare is HK$194 on weekday day sailings, HK$212 at weekends and on public holidays, and HK$242 on night sailings from 18:30 (fares effective 25 April 2026). Cotai Water Jet's Cotai Class fare to Taipa is HK$192 on weekdays, HK$209 at weekends and holidays, and HK$242 at night.
How much is the bridge bus from Hong Kong to Macau?
The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge shuttle bus costs HK$65 from 06:00 to 23:59 and HK$70 from 00:00 to 05:59, according to the Hong Kong government's bridge website. It runs between the bridge's Hong Kong Port next to the airport and Macao Port, and the crossing takes about 40 minutes.
Can I use Hong Kong dollars in Macau?
The pataca is linked to the Hong Kong dollar at MOP103.20 to HK$100, according to the Macao Government Tourism Office. The tourism office lists credit cards, WeChat Pay, Alipay and Apple Pay as widely accepted, so you can manage a day without changing money.
Which is better to reach Macau: the ferry or the bridge bus?
The ferry is simpler from Hong Kong Island or Kowloon: it leaves from the terminal in Sheung Wan and takes about an hour. The bridge bus is cheaper per ticket, at HK$65, but you first travel to Hong Kong Port by airport bus or from Tung Chung, so the whole journey takes longer.
