5 Day Macau Trip Plan
If you’re in Macau for 5 days, here’s an in depth travel itinerary that I think you’ll enjoy.
5 Day Macau Trip Plan: Day 1
Lisboa Hotel—Avenida da Praia Grande—Avenida da Republica—Maritime Museum—Historic Quarter—St. Lazarus Quarter
(Reminder: The Maritime Museum is shut on Tuesdays, and Mandarin’s House is closed on Wednesday. Therefore it’s best to follow “Day 1” on a day between Thursday and Monday.)
Day 1 follows the same itinerary as “3 Days in Macau – Day 1” between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm.
By this time it should be nearing 5 pm and you’ll have the freedom to eat dinner wherever you want to in the whole city. Of course it depends on you, but I think MacauSoul would make the perfect place to end your first day at.
Go there for an evening of amazing drinks and great food, all at extremely low prices. (The one thing you have to be sure to do is to make reservations first. Macau Soul is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays).
Order almost any wine from the Douro Valley and you can’t go wrong. As for food, everything they have there is phenomenal. I particularly enjoy the Parma Ham, Spianata, Char Shu Special Salad, Sardine Pate, and Hummus while the Japanese Kyoto cake is to die for. If you’re one of those weird people who likes cheese, their Cheese Board is hands down the best in town.
As those in the know say: One does not go to Macau without going to MacauSoul.
5 Day Macau Trip Plan: Day 2
Luis de Camoes Park—Macau Museum—Historic Quarter—Street of Happiness—Wynn and MGM
(Friendly reminder: Macau Museum is closed on Monday, so make sure “Day 2” falls on a day between Tuesday and Sunday.)
Day 2 follows the same itinerary as “3 Days in Macau – Day 2” between 9:00 am and 3:35 pm.
3:40 on: From the Street of Happiness, take a walk down San Ma Lo to the Wynn Macau for a look at Macau’s first Western type hotel/casino. Afterwards check out MGM Macau, home to the the stunning Grande Praca, the most beautiful part of any 5 star hotel in Macau.
Yeah, I’d totally say that it’s Instagram worthy.
Dinner Suggestion: End your day by eating at MGM’s Rossio, the best buffet going on the old Macau peninsula.
5 Day Macau Trip Plan: Day 3
Saec Pai Van Park (Giant Panda Pavilion)—A Ma Cultural Village—Coloane Village—Cheoc Van Beach—Hac Sa Beach—Sam Seng Temple—Church of Our Lady of Sorrows
(Friendly reminder: The Giant Panda Pavilion is closed on Mondays so make sure “Day 3” falls on a day between Tuesday and Sunday.)
Day 3 follows the exact same itinerary as “3 Days in Macau – Day 3.”
5 Day Macau Trip Plan: Day 4
Poi Tai Un Monastery—Taipa Village—Cotai Strip
(Reminder: Taipa Houses Museum is closed on Mondays, so make sure “Day 4” falls on a day between Tuesday and Sunday.
After your day in Coloane, Day 4 will be all about seeing the sights in Taipa and on the Cotai Strip.
9:00 am – 9:20 am: Begin your day at Pou Tai Un Monastery, one of Macau’s largest and most beautiful temple complexes.
Visitor traffic is always very slow, so you should have the whole grounds to yourself.
Afterwards, make the 20 minute walk down to Taipa Village, walking South down Rua de Braganca until you hit Rua de Cunha.
9:40 am – 12:00 pm: Taipa Village. Make sure to check out the Taipa Houses Museum and everything between Sam Po Temple and Tin Hau Temple. There’s a ton to see in the Village and just getting lost on its narrow streets is very enjoyable too.
Take a pass on the Museum of Taipa and Coloane History though, since it’s one of the most boring museums I’ve ever been to.
Lunch suggestion: Taipa Village is home to two of my favorite Portuguese restaurants: A Petisqueira and Antonio. Unless it’s a weekend, reservations usually aren’t essential, but it’s never a bad idea to make them anyway.
After lunch walk South down Rua de Regedor to begin your tour of the Cotai Strip at the Galaxy.
1:30 pm – 6:00 pm: The afternoon will be spent hotel hopping on the Cotai Strip. For an idea of the different activities and attractions to try, please refer to the Cotai Strip section.
DINNER SUGGESTION: There are a ton of restaurants on the Cotai Strip, but if you want to go for some high end Chinese, try Jade Dragon at the City of Dreams Nuwa hotel. If you prefer buffet, try the Galaxy’s Urban Kitchen, while avoiding the Four Seasons overpriced and overrated Belcancao at all costs!
After dinner you might want to take in a show as well, such as the City of Dreams House of Dancing Water. Check out the Venetian as well to see what kinds of exhibitions are on or if anyone is visiting the Cotai Arena. Finally, if you’re in the mood for some upscale cabaret entertainment, Galaxy’s ultra hip nightclub China Rouge is now open to the public (save for Mondays).
5 Day Macau Trip Plan: Day 5
Guia Fortress—Flora Garden—Memorial of Dr. Sun Yat Sen—Kun Iam Temple—Mong Ha Hill—Lin Fung Temple—Lin Ze Xu Museum—Ox Warehouse—Temple of Bamboo—Art Museum—Handover Gifts Museum—Grand Prix Museum—Wine Museum
(Important note: The afternoon of Day 5 will be spent museum hopping out by the Sands Macao and the Ferry Terminal. Be aware that the Art Museum is closed on Mondays and the Grand Prix and Wine Museums are closed on Tuesdays, so make sure your “Day 5” lands on a Wednesday through Sunday.)
One of my favorite parts of Macau is the area around Mong Ha Hill. Quite neglected by tour groups and casual travellers this is an area for hard core Macau enthusiasts only. Your day begins a little bit to the South though at the foot of Guia Hill.
8:30 am – 9:30 am: Guia Fortress, the 25th and final UNESCO heritage site, is home to Guia Chapel and Guia Lighthouse, the first modern lighthouse in China. There’s also an air raid shelter on top of the hill. After having a look at the lighthouse and the chapel, take a nice walk through Guia Hill Municipal Park towards Flora Garden, where you’ll find a small zoo and aviary.
9:45 am – 10:15 am: Head over to the nearby Sun Iat Sen Memorial House, dedicated to the legendary Chinese revolutionary leader who spent a year in Macau from 1892 to 1893. Interestingly, he was the first Chinese to practice western medicine in the city.
10:25 am – 10:45 am: Proceed north up Conselheiro Ferreira de Almeida for Kun Iam Temple, one of Macau’s two oldest temples, that predates the arrival of the Portuguese in 1555.
11:05 am – 11:30 am: From Kun Iam walk west along Coronel Mesquita to Mong Ha Park. This is where you’ll find one of Macau’s best hotels (the Pousada de Mong Ha) and one of its best restaurants, the highly acclaimed (but oh so poorly named) Educational Restaurant.
Take a little stroll to the top of Mong Ha Hill for the ruins of an abandoned fortress that dates from 1841.
11:40 am – 12:10 pm: Head out the East gate of the park to Est. de Areia Preta. Follow this road until you reach Lin Fung Temple. Spend a good half hour there checking out the temple as well as the adjoining Lin Ze Xu Museum of Opium Trade.
Lunch suggestion: Go to the Red Market for Long Wa, Macau’s last standing original teahouse. Enjoy a long leisurely lunch there sipping tea and helping yourself to the delicious dim sum. The teahouse is a blast to just be in, like being in a living museum. They have more space allocated to the storage of all their antiques and art than to actual seating. Highly recommended!
2:00 pm – 2:20 pm: After lunch wind South for one of Macau’s hidden treasures, the green and serene Bamboo Temple, located on Estrada de Coelho do Amaral.
Cab it over to the Sands Macao and spend the rest of the day there visiting four museums: the Art Museum, the Handover Gifts Museum, the Grand Prix Museum, and the Wine Museum.
Seeing all of them might take around 3 hours, but don’t feel the need to rush anything, since closing time isn’t until 7 or 8 pm.
(Update: The Grand Prix Museum and Wine Museum are currently closed.)
Dinner Suggestion: Vic’s Restaurant at the Rocks Hotel is a great place to end your day at. If you’re looking for something more centrally located, you can’t go wrong with the three restaurants below.
1. Golden Flower. Located in the Wynn Macau, Golden Flower does fantastic Chinese cuisine from all regions of the country.
2. Lei Hong Kei. Located on the Street of Happiness, Lei Hong Kei is one of Macau’s 10 Iconic Restaurants.
3. Solmar. Another iconic resturant, Solmar has been doing great African Chicken and Macau Sole for over 40 years. You can find it on the Praia Grande opposite the Metropole Hotel.
Some of these itineraries are very similar to days I’ve actually spent in Macau and wrote about in my three Trip Reports. Feel free to take a look through them to get an idea of the kind of excellent fun you’re in store for.
Remember, only prepared travellers get the most out of their trips!
And if you’re a little short of cash, that’s okay too! Follow the link below to learn how to spend 3 days in Macau on less than $60 US a day.