3 days in Macau

Day by day

1. Day 1: Ruins of St. Paul's and Senado Square

   Ruins of St. Paul's, Senado Square and Monte Fort and Macau Museum, then Macau Tower in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Ruins of St. Paul's

      The carved stone façade of the 17th-century Church of Mater Dei is all that survived a fire in 1835.

   2. Late morning

      Senado Square

      Step inside the Leal Senado building to see its tiled staircase and small garden, which most people walk past.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Portuguese-style egg tart

      Lord Stow's Bakery in Coloane Village and Margaret's Café e Nata near Senado Square; buy them warm.

   4. Afternoon

      Monte Fort and Macau Museum

      The Jesuit-built Monte Fort, finished in 1626, overlooks the Ruins of St.

   5. Evening

      Macau Tower

      Go up at sunset to see both daylight and the city lights in one visit.

2. Day 2: A-Ma Temple and Mandarin's House

   A-Ma Temple, Mandarin's House and Lilau Square, then The Venetian Macao in the evening.

   1. Morning

      A-Ma Temple

      Visit early in the morning, when worshippers light incense and the coach tours have not yet arrived.

   2. Late morning

      Mandarin's House

      Built around 1869, this large courtyard residence belonged to the family of Zheng Guanying, an influential reformist writer.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Pork chop bun

      Long-established cafés in Taipa Village and local cha chaan teng diners across the peninsula.

   4. Afternoon

      Lilau Square

      Walk up Calçada da Barra from the A-Ma Temple to reach the square and the barracks on foot.

   5. Evening

      The Venetian Macao

      Walk through the connected malls of the Venetian, the Parisian and the Londoner to stay out of the heat or rain.

3. Day 3: Guia Fortress and Lighthouse and Taipa Village and the Taipa Houses

   Guia Fortress and Lighthouse, Taipa Village and the Taipa Houses and Coloane Village, then Rua da Felicidade in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Guia Fortress and Lighthouse

      On the peninsula's highest point, the 17th-century fort shelters a small chapel with restored frescoes and the Guia Lighthouse of 1865, the oldest modern lighthouse on the Chinese coast.

   2. Late morning

      Taipa Village and the Taipa Houses

      Skip the free samples on Rua do Cunha, then have lunch at one of the Portuguese restaurants in the side streets.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: African chicken

      Macanese and Portuguese restaurants in Taipa Village, Coloane and the peninsula.

   4. Afternoon

      Coloane Village

      A slow-paced fishing village on Macau's southern island, with the yellow Chapel of St.

   5. Evening

      Rua da Felicidade

      Come in the evening for dinner, when the red shutters are lit and the day crowds have moved on.

Before you go

• Macau Tower: Bungee jumps and skywalks should be booked in advance, especially at weekends.

If it rains

• Swap in Macao Science Center (Nam Van and the peninsula casinos): Book a planetarium show in advance at weekends, as sessions fill up with families.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 3 nights, Senado Square and the Historic Centre keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Cotai Strip ($$$$) suits luxury, families, nightlife and shopping. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 13–16 hours of visiting over 3 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 10.8 hours in December to 13.5 hours in June.

More or fewer days

• One day in Macau
• 2 days in Macau

Questions travellers ask