Top 12 Must-visit Macau Attractions

No.1: Ruins of the Church of St Paul

Type: Architectural Buildings, Historic Sites, Landmarks/ Points of Interest, Ancient Ruins

Recommended Length of Visit: About 1 Hour

Built in 1602, Ruins of St Paul’s Cathedral is one of the most recognizable, dramatic and popular icons of Macau City. With its statues, portals and engravings that effectively make up a “sermon in stone” and a Biblia pauperum, the church was one of the greatest monuments to Christianity in Asia. In 2005, the Ruins of St. Paul’s were officially enlisted as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Historic Centre of Macau.

2 Days Hong Kong & Macau Highlights Tour (by Ferry)
3 Days Hong Kong & Macau In-depth Cultural Tour

No.2: Macau Tower

Type: Architectural Buildings, Historic Sites, Landmarks/ Points of Interest, Ancient Ruins

Recommended Length of Visit: About 1 Hour

Macau Tower is landmark of Macau. The tower measures 338m in height from the ground level to the highest point. It is the tenth tallest sightseeing tower in the world. Taking one of the three high-speed glass-fronted lifts to the 233 meters high observation deck, visitors will be amazed by the wonderful view of the Macau in all directions. Besides, the 360°Café is Macau's highest revolving restaurant, offering a sumptuous buffet that caters to all tastes. Besides, it offers restaurants, theaters, shopping malls and the Skywalk X, a thrilling walking tour around the outer rim.

No.3: Macau Museum

Type: Museums

Recommended Length of Visit: 1~2 Hours

Macau Museum, opened in 1998, presents the history of the city and territory of the former Portuguese colony of Macau. The setting itself is impressive, as it is built into the fortress. Displays are arranged in chronological order and logically laid out. There are many fine displays that you can walk through, reproduction of Macanese buildings, lots of information, and you can easily spend a few hours here. In addition, as part of the museum, Monte Forte (Fortaleza do Monte), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is also worth visit.

No.4: A-Ma Temple

Type: Temples

Recommended Length of Visit: About 1 Hour

If you are interested in history and local religious customs, you should pay a visit to A-Ma Temple. A-Ma Temple, with a history of over 500 years, is the oldest temple among the three ancient temples in Macau (The other two are Kun Iam Temple and Lin Fong Temple). This temple is dedicated to Matsu, the goddess of seafarers and fishermen.

The name Macau is thought to be derived from the name of the temple. It is said that when the Portuguese sailors landed at the coast just outside the temple and asked the name of the place, the native replied “Jyutping”. The Portuguese then named the peninsula “Macao”. In 2005, the temple became one of the designated sites of the Historic Center of Macau enlisted on UNESCO World Heritage List.

2 Days Hong Kong & Macau Highlights Tour (by Ferry)
3 Days Hong Kong & Macau In-depth Cultural Tour

No.5: Historic Centre of Macau

Type: Historic Sites

Recommended Length of Visit: 2~3 Hours

Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2005, the Historic Centre of Macau comprises a Zone of culturally significant buildings scattered in the southwestern corner of the Macau peninsula.

Popular stops in the Historic Centre include the 15th century A-Ma Temple, where devotees of this Goddess of seafaring come to burn incense and pray for safe passage. You may also want to climb atop the old walls of Monte Fort where cannons which once defended against invading Dutch sailors now point towards glitzy casinos. Down on the street level the classic, pastel façades of Portuguese buildings give areas such as Senado Square and the Church of St. Dominic a fairytale appearance. Other stops like the Ruins of St. Paul’s Cathedral show that history isn’t always kind, in that even the grandest of buildings are still susceptible to fire and disaster.

No.6: Kun Iam Temple

Type: Religious Sites

Recommended Length of Visit: About 1 Hour

Considered to be one of Macau’s finest Buddhist temples, Kun Iam Temple is larger and less crowded than A-Ma Temple. The original temple can date back to the 1400s and is one of only two temples in the city to pre-date the arrival of the Portuguese in Macau.

Dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy, Kun Iam features three main worship halls: Daxiong Grand Hall, Longevity Buddha, and Bodhisattva Hall. The temple is also known for its gardens, terraces and four gnarled banyan trees with interlacing branches known as the Lovers Tree.

No.7: Venetian & Parisian Macau

Type: Casino

Recommended Length of Visit: 1~2 Hours

As you know, Macau is the “Monte Carlo of the Orient”. Macau really earns its reputation with several world famous casinos. Said to be one of the 10 largest buildings in the world, Venetian Macau features 3,000 hotel suites, countless restaurants and shops and has a gaming floor measuring in at over 46, 451 square meters. Here you could shop in over 350 international shops, may be dazzled by the street performers, or you could take a ride on an authentic Venetian gondola. Parisian Macau, on the other hand, is the latest new shopping mall, hotel, casino and has its own Eiffel Tower. There are also several other casinos. You can take free shuttle bus to these hotels from Macau International Airport, Taipa Ferry Terminal, etc.

6 Days Hong Kong Macau Shenzhen Fusion Tour

No.8: Grand Prix Museum

Type:Museums

Recommended Length of Visit: 1~2 Hours

Opened 1993 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Macau Grand Prix featuring a number of automobile and motorbike races and taking place every year in November. The sport started in 1954 due to the enthusiasm of a group of Macao residents and the support of the authorities. Today it is an international sports event that attracts thousands of tourists and racing enthusiasts to Macao, to watch the classic "Guia Race" and the "Formula 3 Grand Prix". The Grand Prix Museum contains exhibits that are related to Grand Prix worldwide including photos, videos, illustrated articles, cups, records of champions and some commemorative items. You could also experience the feelings of a real racer by taking the driving simulator. Near the museum, there is also a Wine Museum, where you could learn about the culture of wines and try a cup of it.

No.9: Macau Giant Panda Pavilion

Type:Panda, Parks

Recommended Length of Visit: 1~2 Hours

Your kids must love China’s panda and maybe you too. If you come to Macau, you must go to Macau Giant Panda Pavilion. The pavilion comprises two 330 square meters indoor activity quarters and a 600 square meters outdoor yard for the inhabitation of the giant pandas and a 900 square meters indoor exhibit area. Two viewing paths of different elevations align along the front edge of the fan-layout indoor activity area, accessible to two streams of visitors. Here you could see both the cute baby panda and big adult pandas. Look out for exhibits and lectures where you can learn about panda behavior and natural habitat.

No.10: Macau Maritime Museum

Type:Museums

Recommended Length of Visit: 1~2 Hours

When viewed from a distance, the exterior of the museum’ s uniquely designed exhibition hall looks like a boat. Occupying an area of 800 square meters (about 0.2 acres), the Macau Maritime Museum was built on the site where the first group of Portuguese explorers landed on Macau in 1553. Enlarged in 1990, the museum follows the typical museum layouts of a European style. The exhibits explore major themes in the history of the maritime industry in Macau, China and Portugal. On the way out you will cross a gallery of aquariums showing a riverbed, the harbour waters, a coral reef and last of all the seabed with the remains if an ancient shipwreck. Outside the museum you will find several real size exhibits, among which a dragon-boat similar to those raced during the Dragon Boat Festival.

No.11: Fisherman’s Wharf

Type:Theme Park, Restaurant, Hotels

Recommended Length of Visit: 1~2 Hours

Fisherman’ s Wharf is a large (111,500 square meters) theme park, with various port 'towns' among them - Miami, New Orleans, Amsterdam, Lisbon, Venice, the Italian Riviera and Cape Town. The Wharf has a total of three themed areas: Dynasty Wharf, East Meets West and Legend Wharf. The area, within walking distance of the ferry terminal, features shops, restaurants, nightlife, an amusement park and amphitheatre. Being situated at the outer harbor, Fisherman’ s Wharf Macau also offers a beautiful view of the marina and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao bridge. If you are fond of adventure activities and water sports, here is a good choice for you. In addition, you could also have a delicious lunch here or experience the luxury hotels. During morning or night, it would be a nice tour to walk around this area and appreciate the scenery along roads.

No.12: Guia Hill

Type:Nature, Historical Site

Recommended Length of Visit: 1~2 Hours

Guia Hill, the highest mountain in Macau Peninsula Macau, is one of off-the-beaten-track places in Macau. From the top of the hill, you could overlook Macau. The hill is also the home to the UNESCO heritage site – the historical Guia Lighthouse and Fortress. The lighthouse built in 1865 is the oldest one on the Chinese coast. It is 91 metres high and its beams can be seen from up to 20 miles away in clear weather conditions. At the summit is a circular observation platform with a lantern. The charming chapel right next to the lighthouse was built in 1526, and was used in the past as a storm warning as it would peal its bells to alert Macau citizens of impending bad weather. The Guia Fortress is used for defending Macau from invaders in 17-th century. In addition, you could find Macau’ s largest park - Flora Garden at the base of Guia Hill.