Getting around · Macau · China
Getting around Macau
Public transport, passes, airport connections and when a car makes sense.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Whhalbert, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Macau is compact: the Historic Centre is best on foot, while buses, the Light Rapid Transit and taxis link the peninsula with Taipa, Cotai and Coloane. Many big resorts run free shuttle buses from the border crossings and ferry terminals. No.
Key facts
- Main way around
- Walking
- Airports
- MFM, HKG
- Need a car?
- No
- Travel pass
- Macau Pass
Ways to get around
Walking
The Historic Centre from the A-Ma Temple to the Ruins of St. Paul's is about a 2 km walk, and Taipa Village is a short walk from the Cotai resorts.
Bus
Public buses run by two operators cover every part of Macau at a flat fare; routes and stop names are shown in Chinese and Portuguese.
Pay with a Macau Pass card for a lower fare; drivers do not give change.
Metro
The Macao Light Rapid Transit's Taipa line links Barra on the peninsula with Taipa, the Cotai resorts, the airport and the Taipa Ferry Terminal.
Taxi
Metered taxis are reasonably priced but scarce at peak times; hotel ranks are the most reliable places to find one.
Show your destination in Chinese; many drivers speak little English.
Ferry
High-speed ferries from Hong Kong arrive at the Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal on the peninsula and at the Taipa Ferry Terminal near Cotai in about an hour.
Tickets and passes
Macau Pass
A stored-value card for buses and the Light Rapid Transit that gives lower fares and works in convenience stores.
From the airport
Macau International Airport on Taipa is about 10 minutes from Cotai by taxi and on the Light Rapid Transit line. Travellers flying into Hong Kong International Airport can take buses across the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge, a journey of about an hour including border formalities.
Do you need a car?
No. Macau is small, parking is scarce and driving is on the left with dense traffic; walk, use buses and taxis, and take the resort shuttles.
Reaching the day trips
| Destination | Travel time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong | About 1 hour by ferry or bridge bus | High-speed ferry or bus across the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge |
| Chimelong Ocean Kingdom (Hengqin) | About 30–45 minutes including the border | Taxi or shuttle bus via the Hengqin port |
| Zhuhai | About 30 minutes including the border | Walk across the Border Gate to Gongbei, then bus or taxi |
Questions travellers ask
+Do you need a car in Macau?
No. Macau is small, parking is scarce and driving is on the left with dense traffic; walk, use buses and taxis, and take the resort shuttles.
+How do you get from the airport to Macau?
Macau International Airport on Taipa is about 10 minutes from Cotai by taxi and on the Light Rapid Transit line. Travellers flying into Hong Kong International Airport can take buses across the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge, a journey of about an hour including border formalities.
+What is the best way to get around Macau?
Walking: The Historic Centre from the A-Ma Temple to the Ruins of St. Paul's is about a 2 km walk, and Taipa Village is a short walk from the Cotai resorts.