Macau Day Trip from Hong Kong

If you’re in Hong Kong for a week, make time to do a Macau day trip. Macau is best know for gambling in the casinos but that’s not what caught my eye. It’s so interesting to see a place with both Portuguese (It’s a former Portuguese colony) & Chinese influences. The best site by far is the Ruins of the Church of St Paul (photos below). The rest is seemingly filled with casinos everywhere. Here’s a photo tour of Macau.

Arrive early – it certainly gets crowded, especially at the Ruins of the Church of St Paul.

When to start your Macau day trip?

Start your Macau day trip early – it’ll get crowded. I always aim to start as early as possible at the most touristy spot on my list. Enjoy it without the crowds. As you’ll notice from the below photos, I did not follow this recommendation.

The walk to St Paul Church is beautiful. It’s situated on the hill, allowing you to enjoy it the whole walk up.

The ferry from HK to Macau can offer beautiful views. Try to get a window seat. Double check, but it typically leaves every 15 minutes.

Ferry from Hong Kong to Macau

Ruins of the Church of St Paul in Macau

This is the crown jewel of Macau, from my perspective. It’s an essential part of any Macau day trip, and I start your day there.

Interestingly it’s only the elaborate outdoor stairs and facade – the rest burned down years ago.

History of the the Ruins of the Church of St Paul

The Ruins of the Church of St Paul were built in 1617. Some consider these ruins to be greatest monument to Christianity in Asia. However, in 1835 a fire destroyed nearly everything besides the facade pictured here.

Below is more info on the Ruins of St Paul:

The Ruins of the Church of St Paul – built in 1617. Some consider these ruins to be greatest monument to Christianity in Asia. In 1835 a fire destroyed nearly everything besides the facade pictured here.

Portuguese architecture on your Macau day trip

I find the history of places to be fascinating. For example, you won’t be able to miss the colorful Portuguese architecture on your Macau day trip. Loved it!

Food in Macau

The food is delicious and fascinating. Make sure you leave time to get some local meals on your Macau day trip. There’s both traditional Portuguese and Chinese cuisine.

Largo de Senado in Macau

The most famous town square in Macau is the Largo de Senado. This stands for ‘Square of the Senate’. I love that they keep the Portuguese name.

Casinos in Macau

Macau is filled with casinos! So many people come to Macau to gamble from mainland China. Macau is the Vegas of Asia!

Make time to go inside on your Macau day trip. They’re actually very different than what you might expect in the west. For example, my favorite game is Blackjack, but it’s hard to find in many of the casinos. However, you’ll have no trouble finding Bacharach. The casino I went to had 7 floors of only that game!

Photos with strangers

Strangers kept coming up to me and asking to take a picture with me. This happens so often in Asia. It will likely happen at least once during your Macau day trip. Be polite and enjoy being the star of somebody’s photo! You have to love Macau!

Visit Monte Forte

Walk around and you’ll notice Macau still has the old military setup from years ago. This is before the casinos moved in.

Transportation on your Macau day trip

For most of your Macau day trip you can just walk around. It’s so small! However, you’ll notice all the motorbikes. They’re everywhere!

See some live music on your Macau day trip

The concerts are interesting too. The instruments are all different compared to typical instruments in western countries. Beautiful music!

Here’s some additional info for your trip

Are you planning a trip through Asia? I put together an Asia Travel Guide to help!