Macau
Macau
Former Portuguese enclave of colonial squares, temples and Macanese food. Stay 2 days. This guide pulls together 5 sights, 1 activity and 1 outdoor spot from our curated routes.
- Places
- 9
- Curated routes
- 1
- Best season
- Oct – Dec
- Warmest month
- July
- Coolest month
- January
- Wettest month
- June
5 See · 1 Do · 1 Outdoors · 2 Eat
Hong Kong, Lantau & Macau
from our route notes
29°C / 85°F avg high
18°C / 65°F avg high
about 294 mm rain
Climate: NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages.
Things to do in Macau
9 places from our curated routes, grouped by what you will do there. Each one has its own page with the address and full notes.
See
5 sights worth building a day around across Historic Centre, Barra and Guia. 4 of them are free.
- See
Ruins of St. Paul's
Stone facade of a 17th-century Jesuit church atop a grand stairway.
Tip Visit early before tour groups fill the steps.
Photo: Андрей Суриков / Andrey Surikov. Original uploader was Сура at ru.wikipedia · CC BY 2.5SeeSenado Square
Wave-patterned square lined with pastel colonial buildings and St. Dominic's Church.
Tip Lit up at night and calmer after 9pm.
Photo: ワエ · GoogleSeeMonte Fort and Macao Museum
Hilltop fort with cannons and a museum on the city's East-West history.
Photo: WiNG · CC BY 3.0
Photo: J. Patrick Fischer · CC BY-SA 3.0SeeGuia Fortress
17th-century fort, chapel and lighthouse on Macau's highest hill.
Tip Take the short cable car up from Flora Garden.
Do
1 activity for when the group wants to do more than look in Taipa.
Photo: Brent Chen · GoogleDoTaipa Village
Old lanes of Rua do Cunha with snack shops, Portuguese houses and the Taipa Houses Museum.
Tip Try pork chop buns and almond cookies.
Outdoors
1 outdoor spot for fresh air in Coloane.
Photo: Tinz Castillo · GoogleOutdoorsColoane Village
Quiet seaside village with the Chapel of St. Francis Xavier and Hac Sa Beach nearby.
Eat
Where we would book a table in Macau across Coloane and Barra.
Photo: 你噢!Ne-yo · GoogleEatLord Stow's Bakery
Coloane bakery that made the Portuguese-style egg tart famous in Macau.
Tip Buy them warm and eat by the water.
Photo: Hisayoshi Honoki · GoogleEatRestaurante Litoral
Long-running Macanese restaurant serving African chicken and minchi.
Tip Book ahead for dinner.
How to fit Macau into a trip
Macau is stop 3 of 3 on our Hong Kong, Lantau & Macau route. Follow it as-is or lift Macau into your own plan.
Stop 3 of 3
Hong Kong, Lantau & Macau
Harbor views, island hikes and Portuguese lanes
- Trip length
- 6 days
- Best season
- Oct – Dec
- Pace
- easy
- Before: Lantau Island
Getting here and onward
- Lantau Island to MacauLantau Island is about 41 km / 26 mi away in a straight line
Distances are straight-line estimates between destination centers, not road distances.
Macau month by month
Average daily highs run from 18°C / 65°F in January to 29°C / 85°F in July. June is the wettest month, with about 294 mm of rain. Outlined months fall in the best season on our routes.
- Jan18° / 65°F average high
- Feb19° / 66°F average high
- Mar21° / 69°F average high
- Apr24° / 74°F average high
- May27° / 80°F average high
- Jun29° / 83°F average high
- Jul29° / 85°F average high
- Aug29° / 85°F average high
- Sep29° / 84°F average high
- Oct27° / 80°F average high, in our recommended season
- Nov24° / 74°F average high, in our recommended season
- Dec20° / 68°F average high, in our recommended season
Average daily highs, NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages. Macau weather and the best time to visit →
Near Macau
2 other destinations from our guides within about 100 km (62 mi), measured in a straight line.
Macau questions, answered
How many days do you need in Macau?
Our route notes suggest 2 days in Macau. On our Hong Kong, Lantau & Macau route it is stop 3 of 3 in a 6-day trip. The listed visit times for our 9 places add up to roughly 10 hours, before travel between them, so you will need to choose.
What is Macau best known for?
Former Portuguese enclave of colonial squares, temples and Macanese food. Stay 2 days. Standouts on our list: Ruins of St. Paul's (Stone facade of a 17th-century Jesuit church atop a grand stairway); Senado Square (Wave-patterned square lined with pastel colonial buildings and St. Dominic's Church); Monte Fort and Macao Museum (Hilltop fort with cannons and a museum on the city's East-West history).
When is the best time to visit Macau?
Our Hong Kong, Lantau & Macau route is best Oct – Dec. NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages put the warmest highs in July (29°C / 85°F), the coolest in January (18°C / 65°F) and the most rain in June (about 294 mm).
What are the best things to do in Macau?
Start with Ruins of St. Paul's, Senado Square, Monte Fort and Macao Museum, A-Ma Temple and Guia Fortress. Our guide lists 9 places in all, from 5 sights, 1 activity, 1 outdoor spot and 2 places to eat.
Where should a group eat in Macau?
Our picks: Lord Stow's Bakery (Coloane); Restaurante Litoral (Barra). Buy them warm and eat by the water (Lord Stow's Bakery).
What is near Macau?
The closest destinations in our guides are Lantau Island (about 41 km / 26 mi) and Hong Kong Island and Kowloon (about 64 km / 40 mi). Distances are straight-line estimates, not road distances.
Plan Macau with your crew
Open the Hong Kong, Lantau & Macau route in TripsCircle, invite friends with a link, settle which of these 9 places make the cut with a quick poll, then split costs and share one packing list.