Travel to Macau city

Flying to Macau city

There are no direct flights to Macau from the UK. Indirect options include flying with Air China via Beijing or Thai Airways via Bangkok. Alternatively, you can fly to Hong Kong International Airport, from where TurboJET runs a direct fast ferry to Macau (journey time - 50 minutes). There are no direct flights from the USA. 

Flight times

From London - 16 hours 30 minutes (including stopover); New York - 19 hours (including stopover); Los Angeles - 17 hours 30 minutes (including stopover); Toronto - 20 hours (including stopover); Sydney - 14 hours (including stopover).

Travel by road

Given the strict licensing restrictions on foreigners and the large queues to access Macau by road, driving is not recommended. The vast majority of visitors arrive by ferry from Hong Kong, by air or by coach travel from mainland China.

Traffic drives on the left and the minimum driving age is 18. Speed limits are 20-60kph (12-37mph) in built-up areas and 80kph (50mph) outside built-up areas. An International Driving Permit is recommended if you do need to hire a car.

Emergency breakdown services

There are no dedicated breakdown services, but if you are hiring a car in Macau, both Avis and Magic Mokes can provide full breakdown cover.

Routes

Road access is via two entry points: the Barrier Gate (open between 0600-0100) and the Cotai Frontier Post (open 24 hours).

Coaches

Coach travel, rather than car, to and from China is advised: Kee Kwan Motor Road Co (tel: +853 2893 3888) and China Travel Service (tel: +853 8798 0868) operate frequent daily, air-conditioned buses between Macau and Guangzhou.

Time to city

From Guangzhou - 2 hours 30 minutes.

Travel by boat

Macau-bound routes from Hong Kong depart from two terminals. Departures from the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal in Shun Tak Centre located on Hong Kong Island operate 24 hours a day, every 15-30 minutes by day and hourly at night. Ferries run every 30 minutes by day between 0700 and 2230 from the China (HK) Ferry Terminal located in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. Travellers can also travel by ferry from Hong Kong International Airport.

In addition, several ferry companies run to Macau from mainland ports in China, including Jiangmen, Shekou (in Shenzhen) and Fu Yong Ferry Terminal (next to Shenzhen Airport).

Ferry operators

TurboJet (tel: +853 2855 5025; www.turbojet.com.hk) and CotaiJet (tel: +853 2885 0595; www.cotaijet.com.mo) operate high-speed ferries from Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. If you are travelling from Hong Kong International Airport, jump on board the TurboJet ferry at the airport's SkyPier terminal which is reached via an internal train.