Shopping · Macau · China
Shopping in Macau
Shopping streets, markets and souvenirs worth the suitcase space.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Андрей Суриков / Andrey Surikov . Original uploader was Сура at ru.wikipedia, CC BY 2.5
Quick answer
Shopping in Macau ranges from luxury malls linking the Cotai resorts to food-souvenir streets in the Historic Centre and Taipa, with prices often a little lower than in Hong Kong for some brands. Best souvenirs: Almond cookies, Egg rolls and peanut candy and Portuguese products.
Key facts
- Shopping areas
- 3
- Markets
- 2
- Top souvenir
- Almond cookies
Where to shop
Cotai resort malls
Connected malls in the Venetian, Parisian, Londoner and Galaxy, with luxury and high-street brands.
Rua de São Paulo
The street up to the Ruins of St. Paul's, lined with almond-cookie bakeries and jerky shops.
Rua do Cunha
Taipa's snack-and-souvenir street of bakeries and dessert stalls.
Markets
Red Market
A 1936 Art Deco building housing the peninsula's busiest wet market, a window into local daily shopping.
Rua da Tercena flea stalls
Small antique and curio shops and street stalls in the lanes below the Ruins of St. Paul's.
What to buy
Almond cookies
Boxed almond cookies from the bakeries near the Ruins of St. Paul's travel well.
Egg rolls and peanut candy
Crisp egg rolls and peanut brittle, sold in gift tins.
Portuguese products
Tinned sardines, olive oil, Portuguese soap and wine from specialist shops.
Azulejo-style tiles
Blue-and-white painted tiles inspired by Portuguese street signs.
Streets and markets worth a wander
Architecture · Cotai Strip
The Venetian Macao
One of the largest buildings in the world, the Venetian holds a mall laid out along indoor canals with gondola rides under a painted sky, a large casino and a 15,000-seat arena.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Shopping
- Rainy day
- Kids
- After dark
- Free
Street · Senado Square and the Historic Centre
Rua da Felicidade
The 'Street of Happiness' was once Macau's red-light district; its houses with red wooden doors and shutters now hold traditional restaurants, jerky shops and bakeries.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Food
- Free
- Photo spot
- After dark
Food and drink to take home
Edible souvenirs travel best when they are dry or sealed: consider Portuguese-style egg tart, Serradura, Almond cookies and Meat jerky. Lord Stow's Bakery in Coloane Village and Margaret's Café e Nata near Senado Square; buy them warm. Check your home country's rules on bringing food and drink back.
Shopping by neighbourhood
| Area | Price level | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Senado Square and the Historic Centre | $$ | Wave-patterned Portuguese paving, baroque churches and old shophouses |
| Cotai Strip | $$$$ | Integrated resorts, casinos, malls and shows on reclaimed land |
| Nam Van and the peninsula casinos | $$$ | Older casino hotels along Avenida da Praia Grande and the Nam Van lakes |
| Taipa Village | $$$ | Pastel shophouses, snack streets and the Taipa Houses on the old waterfront |
| Barra and the Inner Harbour | $$ | Temple, mansions and old trading streets on the peninsula's southwest tip |
Paying and bargaining
Prices are in MOP. Restaurants and hotels usually add a 10% service charge, so extra tipping is optional. Rounding up taxi fares is common but not expected.
- Eat lunch at local cafés and noodle shops; resort restaurants charge several times more.
When to shop
Shops and markets are quietest in January, March–April, June and September; the busiest months are February and October.
- February: Lantern Festival (15th day of the lunar new year)
- April: A-Ma Festival at the A-Ma Temple (23rd day of the third lunar month, usually April or May)
- May: Macao Arts Festival (usually May)
- September: Mid-Autumn Festival (September or early October)
- October: Macao International Music Festival (usually October–November)
- November: Macao Food Festival at Sai Van Lake (usually November)
Staying near the shops
$$$$ · Best for luxury, families, nightlife and shopping
Cotai Strip
Integrated resorts, casinos, malls and shows on reclaimed land
Questions travellers ask
+What should I buy in Macau?
Almond cookies, Egg rolls and peanut candy, Portuguese products and Azulejo-style tiles.
+Where is the best shopping in Macau?
Cotai resort malls: Connected malls in the Venetian, Parisian, Londoner and Galaxy, with luxury and high-street brands.
+What are the best markets in Macau?
Red Market and Rua da Tercena flea stalls.