Getting there and choosing your base
- Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal: Still the way most visitors arrive, with ferries from Sheung Wan in Hong Kong and from Shekou. Free hotel and casino shuttle buses wait to the left of the building, so check whether yours runs one before paying for a taxi.
- Taipa Ferry Terminal and Macau International Airport: The two sit next to each other on Taipa, served by ferries from Hong Kong and by many low-cost airlines. The light rail runs from here through Taipa and Cotai to Barra, at the peninsula's south-western tip, which favours a hotel on Cotai.
- Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge: Shuttle buses cross the bridge day and night from the Hong Kong port near Hong Kong's airport. At the Macau end, public buses and free casino shuttles run on to the old centre, Taipa and the Cotai resorts.
Areas to consider
Historic centre around Senado Square
Suits walking among churches, squares and patterned-pavement streets, several of them on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Lanes off the square are narrow and partly pedestrianised, so find out how close a taxi can drop you with bags.
Outer Harbour and the Lisboa area
Suits travellers who want casino hotels within reach of both the ferry terminal and the old streets. Ask whether the hotel runs a free shuttle to the ferry terminal or the border gate, and how often.
Cotai
Suits resort stays where shows, shopping and pools are all under one roof. The resorts are enormous and joined by indoor walkways, so check how far your tower is from the shuttle bay or light-rail stop.
Coloane
Suits a quieter stay near the old village, two beaches and hiking trails in the hills. There are few places to stay and transport thins out after dark, so plan how you will get back from Cotai or the peninsula in the evening.
When to go
Room rates climb on Friday and Saturday nights, when visitors from Hong Kong and the mainland arrive for the weekend, and again at Chinese New Year and during the National Day Golden Week in early October. The Grand Prix, held each November, closes peninsula streets for its circuit, and typhoons are most likely between July and September.
Before choosing a room
- The same room can cost far more on a weekend than midweek. Price a Sunday-to-Thursday stay before fixing your dates.
- Some hotels quote rates before service charge and government tax. Confirm whether the figure you see is the total you will pay.
- Packages that bundle a room with return ferry tickets from Hong Kong can beat booking the two separately. Compare the combined price.
Sources and planning resources
Facts checked on . Transport services, taxes and hotel offers can change. Confirm the details for your trip before booking.