One day in Macau

Day by day

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

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

   1. Morning

      Ruins of St. Paul's

      Come before 9am or after dark, when the façade is lit up and the steps are far less crowded. Allow 45 minutes.

   2. Late morning

      Senado Square

      Step inside the Leal Senado building to see its tiled staircase and small garden, which most people walk past. Allow 30 minutes.

   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

      Take the escalator beside the Ruins of St. Paul's up to the fort and walk the ramparts for views across the peninsula. Allow 1.5 hours.

   5. Late afternoon

      St. Dominic's Church

      Step in for a quiet break from the crowds on the way up to the Ruins of St. Paul's. Allow 30 minutes.

   6. Evening

      Macau Tower

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

Before you go

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

If it rains

• Swap in The Venetian Macao (Cotai Strip): Walk through the connected malls of the Venetian, the Parisian and the Londoner to stay out of the heat or rain.
• Swap in Mandarin's House (Barra and the Inner Harbour): Combine it with Lilau Square next door and the A-Ma Temple a few minutes downhill.
• 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

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 4–5 hours of visiting over one day, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 10.8 hours in December to 13.5 hours in June.

Getting between stops: Walking. The Historic Centre from the A-Ma Temple to the Ruins of St.

More or fewer days

• 2 days in Macau
• 3 days in Macau

Questions travellers ask