Macau
・Stylish Portuguese town
・Many Chinese power spots appear
【City description】
Macau is a special administrative region of China in the south. As it was once an overseas territory of Portugal, the city has a mixture of Chinese and Portuguese streetscapes. The central Macau Peninsula is home to 22 historical buildings and 8 squares registered as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and as they are all concentrated in one day, it is also known as the Las Vegas of the East due to the large number of casinos and luxury hotels. This page introduces half of a model itinerary (from Senado Square to A-Ma Temple) for touring the 30 World Heritage Sites in one day.
Please see here for a sample itinerary for the remaining half.
【Overall rating】
★★★★★
【Time required】
5h30
【Budget】
219 MOP
【Fatigue】
★★★★★
- Itinerary Map
- ⑱Senado Square☆
- ⑲Holy House of Mercy☆
- ⑳Municipal Affairs Bureau☆
- ㉑Sam Kai Vui Kun (Kuan Tai Temple)☆
- ㉒Rua da Felicidade
- ㉓St. Augustine’s Square☆
- ㉔Sir Robert Ho Tung Library☆
- ㉕St. Augustine’s Church☆
- ㉖D. Pedro V. Theatre☆
- ㉗St. Joseph’s Seminary and Church☆
- ㉘St. Lawrence’s Church☆
- ㉙Lilau Square☆
- ㉚Mandarin’s House☆
- ㉛Moorish Barracks☆
- ㉜A-Ma Temple Square☆
- ㉝A-Ma Temple☆
- ㉞Bus Stop; Templo Á Ma
- ㉟Macau Tower
- Useful Links for Travel
- Let’s Check Other Asian Cities !!
Itinerary Map
Overall Route
Route of this page
Navigation
【Start】⑱Senado Square
★Proceed to the cream-colored building in the square.
⑲Holy House of Mercy★Go to the white building in the square.
⑳Municipal Affairs Bureau
★Route Time required: a few minutes
Return to the square and take the pastel pink road to the right on the left to find the old temple.
★Route Time required: 5 minutes
When you leave the building, turn left and then turn left again at the end of the road. Continue straight until you reach a stylish, Chinese-style street.
★Route Time required: 5 minutes
Go back along Rua da Felicidade, turn right at the end of the street, then turn left at the first intersection. Turn right at the end of the street and you will arrive at a square with wave-patterned cobblestones.
★Proceed to the yellow arched building in the square.
㉔Sir Robert Ho Tung Library
★Route Time required: a few minutes
If you walk along the road in front of the library you will see the church on your left.
★Route Time required: a few minutes
Continue down the street, turn right at the end and proceed to the pastel green building on your right.
★Route Time required: 5 minutes
Go down the slope in front of the theater and continue straight. Turn right at the first fork in the road and continue along the road until you see the entrance to the church on your right.
★Route Time required: a few minutes
Return the way you came and turn right at the fork in the road, and you will see the church on your right.
★Route Time required: a few minutes
Continue along the street until you reach the square.
★Route Time required: a few minutes
Take the one-way street to the right of the pastel green building in the square. The building next to the pastel green house is your next destination.
★Route Time required: 5 minutes
Once you return to the square, continue down the street and you will see your next pastel yellow destination on your left.
★Route Time required: a few minutes
Continue along the street and take the left at the fork to reach the square.
★Inside the square, proceed to the Chinese temple you will see on your left.
㉝A-Ma Temple
★Route Time required: a few minutes
Go back along the road, exit the square onto the main road, then turn right and you will find the bus stop.
★Route Time required: 5 minutes
Get off at Macau Tower bus stop Torre De Macau.
【Goal】
・If you open the enlarge button on the top right corner on your smartphone, this model course will be displayed on Google Maps along with its location information.
・You can also quickly return to this map from the table of contents in the sidebar (if using a smartphone, select “Go to table of contents” from the menu at the bottom of the screen).
【Start】
World Heritage sites are marked with ☆.
⑱Senado Square☆
議事亭前地
Time required: 10 min
It is one of the most popular tourist spots in Macau. The name comes from the fact that the city hall, which we will visit later, was called Real Senado (Royal Parliament). It is surrounded by pastel-colored buildings and features wave-patterned cobblestones. In the center is a globe that represents Portugal’s Age of Discovery.
★Proceed to the cream-colored building in the square.
⑲Holy House of Mercy☆
仁慈堂大樓
Time required: 45 min
Admission fee: 5 MOP
Opening hour: 10 am – 1 pm / 2h30 pm – 5h30 pm
Closed: Monday (open on public holidays)
Built in the 16th century, this building was the first medical and charitable welfare organization in Asia, and it also had bases in Nagasaki and Brazil. The building was modeled after the oldest charity organization in Portugal, and shows influences from the neoclassical and Manueline styles. There is a museum on the second floor where you can see the history of the organization and Catholic-related exhibits, and you can see Senado Square from the terrace.
★Go to the white building in the square.
⑳Municipal Affairs Bureau☆
市政署
Time required: 20 min
Admission fee: 0 MOP
Opening hour: 9 am – 9 pm
Closed: No
This building, owned by the Macau City Council, was built in the late 18th century. The name Leal Senado means neutral council, and it was named after King Dom John IV of Portugal, who praised Macau as “the city of God’s name, to which no one is loyal.” It is a neoclassical building, and has a meeting room, library, and small chapel on the second floor. The gallery is open when there are exhibitions and other events.
★Route Time required: a few minutes
Return to the square and take the pastel pink road to the right on the left to find the old temple.
㉑Sam Kai Vui Kun (Kuan Tai Temple)☆
三街會館（關帝廟）
Time required: 15 min
Admission fee: 0 MOP
Opening hour: 9 am – 6 pm
Closed: No
This Chinese temple enshrines Guan Yu, who is famous in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It was originally the chamber of commerce for the three streets nearby: Yingdi Street, Guanqianzheng Street, and Caodui Street, hence the name. When the Macau General Chamber of Commerce was established in the 20th century, it ceased to function as a chamber of commerce and became famous as a place to enshrine Guan Yu.
Guan Yu is known as the god of business, and there is a Guan Yu temple in Taiwan called Xingtian Temple.
Inside are statues of his son Guan Ping and his beloved horse Red Hare, as well as the god of prosperity in business, Zhaoxing.
★Route Time required: 5 minutes
When you leave the building, turn left and then turn left again at the end of the road. Continue straight until you reach a stylish, Chinese-style street.
㉒Rua da Felicidade
福隆新街
Time required: 15 min
It used to be an entertainment district with gambling and red light districts, but now it is a fashionable street lined with many shops and a popular tourist spot. Its white walls and red doors are distinctive, giving it an exterior reminiscent of the architecture of the Basque region of southern France.
★Route Time required: 5 minutes
Go back along Rua da Felicidade, turn right at the end of the street, then turn left at the first intersection. Turn right at the end of the street and you will arrive at a square with wave-patterned cobblestones.
㉓St. Augustine’s Square☆
崗頂前地
Time required: 5 min
You can see the traditional Portuguese streetscape in this square surrounded by three World Heritage Sites.
★Proceed to the yellow arched building in the square.
㉔Sir Robert Ho Tung Library☆
何東圖書館
Time required: 10 min
Admission fee: 0 MOP
Opening hour: 8 am – 8 pm
(from 2 pm on Monday)
Closed: No
It was originally the residence of the Portuguese Dona Carolina Cunha, but in the 20th century, entrepreneur Robert Ho Tung bought it and used it. After his death, he donated it to the Macau government in his will and used it as a library. The beautiful garden that harmonizes with the building is a must-see.
★Route Time required: a few minutes
If you walk along the road in front of the library you will see the church on your left.
㉕St. Augustine’s Church☆
聖奧斯定堂
Time required: 15 min
Admission fee: 0 MOP
Opening hour: 10 am – 6 pm
Closed: No
Built in the late 16th century by the Spanish Order of St. Augustine, it was later handed over to the Portuguese and renovated in the late 19th century to its current form. In the past, it was reinforced with palm leaves, and when seen from afar, the way they fluttered in the wind looked like a dragon’s beard, so local Chinese people called it the Dragon’s Beard Temple.
This church has an anecdote about a statue of Christ that was once moved to another church but somehow returned, so on the first Sunday of Lent, a procession called the Passos Eucharist is held, in which the statue is carried to the cathedral and returned the next day.
★Route Time required: a few minutes
Continue down the street, turn right at the end and proceed to the pastel green building on your right.
㉖D. Pedro V. Theatre☆
伯多祿五世劇院
Time required: 15 min
Admission fee: 0 MOP
Opening hour: 10 am – 6 pm
Closed: Tuesday (open on public holidays)
Built in commemoration of King Pedro V of Portugal, this is the first Western-style theater in East Asia. It was designed by Macau-born Portuguese Pedro Germano Marques and adopts a neoclassical style. The theater, which seats nearly 300 people, is still used for public events and celebrations, and can be visited when there are no events.
★Route Time required: 5 minutes
Go down the slope in front of the theater and continue straight. Turn right at the first fork in the road and continue along the road until you see the entrance to the church on your right.
㉗St. Joseph’s Seminary and Church☆
聖若瑟修院藏珍館
Time required: 15 min
Admission fee: 0 MOP
Opening hour: 10 am – 7 pm
Closed: Wednesday (open on public holidays)
The monastery and church were built by the Jesuits along with St. Paul’s College and were the main base for missionary work in neighboring countries. The monastery was an important academic site with a curriculum similar to that of a university. Locally known as Sanbazai, it received the royal title of “House of the Missionaries” from Queen Doña Maria I of Portugal. The church has been listed by UNESCO as a masterpiece of Chinese Baroque architecture. The remains of Francis Xavier’s upper arm are enshrined inside.
★Route Time required: a few minutes
Return the way you came and turn right at the fork in the road, and you will see the church on your right.
㉘St. Lawrence’s Church☆
聖老楞佐堂
Time required: 15 min
Admission fee: 0 MOP
Opening hour: 7 am – 6 pm
(until 9 pm on Saturday and Sunday)
Closed: No
This is the last of Macau’s three great ancient churches, built by the Jesuits in the mid-16th century. It was made of wood at the time, but in the 19th century it took on its current form, incorporating Baroque styles into the neoclassical style. It is also called the Wind-Direction Church because the families of Portuguese sailors used to pray on the steps in front of the church for their return, and St. Lawrence is said to be the patron saint of wind.
The church also houses a statue of the Virgin Mary of Lourdes in France, the largest Catholic holy site.
★Route Time required: a few minutes
Continue along the street until you reach the square.
㉙Lilau Square☆
亞婆井前地
Time required: 5 min
This square means “spring water” in Portuguese, and it was one of the areas where the Portuguese first settled. The groundwater from here is the source of Macau’s natural water, and a Portuguese legend says that “those who drink the water of Lilau will never forget Macau.” A huge banyan tree is the landmark.
★Route Time required: a few minutes
Take the one-way street to the right of the pastel green building in the square. The building next to the pastel green house is your next destination.
㉚Mandarin’s House☆
鄭家大屋
Time required: 30 min
Admission fee: 0 MOP
Opening hour: 10 am – 6 pm
Closed: Wednesday (open on public holidays)
This is a traditional Chinese house built by Cheng Kuan-ying, a thinker, businessman and literary figure from the Qing Dynasty in China. With over 60 rooms on an area of 4,000m², it is one of the largest residences in Macau and was home to 50 families until it was purchased by the government in 2001. It uses European-style grey bricks and Western elements can be seen throughout, such as Indian-style mother-of-pearl window frames. Feng shui is also incorporated, and the osmanthus flowers and mother-of-pearl windows in the courtyard are said to bring good fortune. The circular window in the courtyard is said to bring good fortune in the family, making it an impressive place. There is also a museum inside where you can learn more about the building.
★Route Time required: 5 minutes
Once you return to the square, continue down the street and you will see your next pastel yellow destination on your left.
㉛Moorish Barracks☆
港務局大樓
Time required: 10 min
Admission fee: 0 MOP
Opening hour: 9 am – 6 pm
Closed: No
It was once the barracks for Moorish soldiers sent from Goa, India to reinforce the Macau police force, and is now the office of the Maritime and Water Administration. It is an Islamic-style neoclassical building that reflects the architecture of the Mughal Empire, designed by an Italian, and only the corridor can be visited.
★Route Time required: a few minutes
Continue along the street and take the left at the fork to reach the square.
㉜A-Ma Temple Square☆
媽閣廟前地
Time required: 5 min
This is the square in front of A-Ma Temple, the last World Heritage site we visited this time. Inside the square is the Maritime Museum, where you can learn about ships and navigation.
★Inside the square, proceed to the Chinese temple you will see on your left.
㉝A-Ma Temple☆
媽閣廟
Time required: 20 min
Admission fee: 0 MOP
Opening hour: 8 am – 6 pm
Closed: No
This temple enshrines Mazu, the goddess of the sea, and a festival is held on her birthday, March 23rd of the lunar calendar. This old place existed before the city of Macau was formed. When the Portuguese landed, they asked a local for the name of the place, but they mistakenly thought they were being asked about the name of this temple and answered Ma-Koku, which is how the name Macau came about.
It consists of four halls, a main gate, and a Chinese-style torii gate, and Ma-Koku is enshrined in three halls. The first to be built was the Hongin Hall on the middle slope, and the main hall Ma-Koku Hall also enshrines the god of learning, “Wenchang Dijun,” and the god of strength and speed, “Idaten.”
It is a power spot that has many benefits such as safe travels and warding off evil spirits, and the “Century-Year Couple Tree” is popular for couples and happy marriages, and is famous for its amulet with a windmill inside a red and gold sphere called the wish ball.
★Route Time required: a few minutes
Go back along the road, exit the square onto the main road, then turn right and you will find the bus stop.
㉞Bus Stop; Templo Á Ma
媽閣廟站
Fare: 6 MOP
From there, take bus number 26, 60 or 65 to Macau Tower.
★Route Time required: 5 minutes
Get off at Macau Tower bus stop Torre De Macau.
㉟Macau Tower
澳門旅遊塔
Time required: 20 min
Admission fee: 208 MOP
Opening hour: 10 am – 7 pm
(until 8 pm on Saturday, Sunday, national holidays)
Closed: No
The 338m tall tower was built when Macau billionaire Stanley Ho was inspired by the Sky Tower in Auckland, New Zealand, and wanted to build one in Macau.
Click here to learn more about Auckland’s Sky Tower.
The design is the same as the Stratosphere in Las Vegas. It is located in a shopping center with four floors and two basements, and to go up the tower you need to follow the signs and go down to the first basement floor. You can get a panoramic view of Macau from the observation deck at 223m above sea level, and the bungee jump from the 61st floor is Guinness certified. There are also various other activities such as the Skywalk, where you can walk around the outside of the tower, and tower climbing.
【Goal】
Return to your accommodation by taxi or bus.
Useful Links for Travel
【Hotel Reservations】
ExpediaThere is a lot of great hotel deals listed, and you can read comments from people from all over the world. You can also book these together with your flight.
Hotels.comThere is also a lot of hotel information here. Another great thing is that many of them offer no cancellation fees.
This world-famous hotel booking site has a huge number of listings, so you can find the hotel you like. If you become a member and stay many times, you can get discounts and get even better deals.
【Flight Reservations】
ExpediaIt is a world-famous travel site. It is convenient because you can also purchase domestic air tickets.
【Attractions and Tours】
klookThis is a convenient site where you can book tickets and tours to tourist spots around the world. Be sure to check it out as they sometimes offer discounts.
Let’s Check Other Asian Cities !!
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