Macau Transportation

(Last updated: September 5, 2026)

Getting Around Macau

As noted in the Top 10 Things to Do, the best way to see Macau is on foot.  However that might not be possible all the time, meaning less appealing alternatives will sometimes be necessary.

Let’s begin with the one most likely to test your patience.

Taxis

Macau taxis have caused me enough trouble over the years that I now prefer taking the bus or doing what I probably should have been doing all along: walking.

The situation is not quite as hopeless as it once was, with the majority of drivers today simply taking you where you need to go. Even so, visitors occasionally report refused journeys, indirect routes and demands for more than the metered fare. Finding an available taxi can also be difficult during weekends, casino events, bad weather and shift changes.

The standard black taxis can be hailed from the street or found at taxi ranks. Macau also has special radio taxis, which can be requested using the official Macao Taxi app, at macaotaxi.com or by calling +853 2881 2345.

When using a taxi:

• Make sure the meter is running.
• Photograph or note the taxi number if a dispute occurs.
• Ask your hotel or restaurant to write the destination in Chinese.
• Keep the receipt if you believe you were overcharged.
• Do not agree to a large fixed fare for an ordinary metered journey.

Current taxi fares are:

• $21 for the first 1,600 metres
• $2 for every additional 220 metres
• $2 for every 55 seconds of waiting
• $3 for each item of luggage placed in the boot

• $8 surcharge when boarding at Macau International Airport, the Taipa Ferry Terminal, the HZMB Macao Frontier Post or the Macao Port Zone at Hengqin Port
• $5 surcharge when travelling from the Macau Peninsula to Coloane or boarding at the University of Macau campus on Hengqin Island
• $2 surcharge when travelling from Taipa to Coloane

There is no equivalent surcharge when travelling from Macau to Taipa or from Taipa and Coloane back to the Peninsula.

Shuttle Buses

Macau’s free casino buses remain a tremendous resource, particularly for visitors trying to save money.

Major resorts operate buses from selected entry points, including the Border Gate, the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge port, Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal, Taipa Ferry Terminal and Macau International Airport.

They are free, and visitors generally do not need to be hotel guests or casino players.

As a general rule:

• Peninsula resorts are useful for reaching downtown Macau.
• Sands Macao is convenient for the Outer Harbour area.
• Every resort group operates connections between their Peninsula and Cotai properties.

Casino buses are less useful for Taipa Village and almost useless for Coloane Village. A shuttle may get you closer, but a public bus, LRT train or taxi will still be required for the final part of the journey.

Public buses

I like Macau’s public buses because they are clean, inexpensive and generally frequent.

The difficult part is understanding the routes. Stops are often named after streets, apartment buildings, hospitals or gardens that visitors have never heard of. Portuguese and Chinese names can make them look even more intimidating.

Fortunately, this is much easier than it used to be.

Download Macao Smart Go, the official Transport Bureau app. It provides route planning, bus-stop locations, suggested walking connections and live vehicle information. The separate Bus Travelling System app is also useful for current routes and arrival times.

Do not rely exclusively on a printed tourist map. Routes and stop arrangements change far more often than the maps do.

Bus fares and payment

The standard cash fare is $6, regardless of distance. Have the exact amount ready because no change is given.

A Macau Pass card reduces the fare to $3 on ordinary routes, and $4 on express routes marked with an “X”. Macau Pass users may also receive free or reduced-price transfers within the permitted time.

Some non-local versions of Alipay and WeChat Pay can generate Macau bus codes. Account eligibility depends on the country or region in which the wallet was registered, so international visitors should not assume their usual payment app will work.

For a short visit, exact cash remains the safest solution. Travellers taking buses frequently may find a Macau Pass more convenient, particularly because it can also be used in many shops and on the LRT.

Useful destination names

Here’s a trick I used back in the day.  If I knew which area I wanted to get to, but wasn’t sure which bus to take, I’d look out for these names:

• Barra or Templo A-Má: For destinations close to A-Ma Temple and the Maritime Museum
• Almeida Ribeiro: Central Macau, St. Paul’s, Senado Square 
• Ponte e Horta: Inner Harbour and the Street of Happiness
• Horta e Costa: Northern Macau, for Kun Iam Temple, Mong Ha Hill, Red Market, Long Wa
• Portas do Cerco: Border Gate
• Vila de Coloane: Coloane Village
• Praia de Hac Sá: Hac Sa Beach

First-time visitors should still plan the journey before boarding. Macau is small, but getting on the wrong bus can produce a surprisingly comprehensive tour of places you never intended to see.

Macau LRT

The LRT has become useful enough that it can no longer be omitted from a transportation guide.

The Taipa Line connects Barra on the Peninsula with Ocean Gardens, central Taipa, Cotai, Macau International Airport and Taipa Ferry Terminal.

It is particularly useful for:

• Travelling between Barra and Taipa
• Reaching Taipa Village via Pai Kok Station
• Moving between major Cotai resorts
• Macau International Airport
• Taipa Ferry Terminal

The short Seac Pai Van Line connects the main system with Seac Pai Van, while the Hengqin Line reaches the Macau side of Hengqin Port. Both opened in 2024.

The LRT does not yet serve Senado Square, St. Paul’s, the northern Peninsula or most of old Macau. The East Line, which should eventually connect the Border Gate area with Taipa, remains under construction.

Single-journey tickets currently cost between $6 and $12 depending on distance. A Macau Pass reduces those fares to between $3 and $6.

Services generally run:

• Monday–Thursday: 6:30 am–11:15 pm
• Friday–Sunday and public holidays: 6:30 am–11:59 pm

The Taipa Line normally runs every five to eleven minutes.

Getting To and From Macau

By air

This one is fairly self-explanatory. Get on the plane, get off the plane and hope it has landed in Macau.

Macau International Airport mainly handles regional Asian routes. If direct airfare is expensive, Hong Kong International Airport may provide more choices.

Zhuhai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou are other possibilities, but using them requires entering mainland China. Make sure you have the necessary visa or entry permission before treating a mainland airport as an alternative.

Hong Kong International Airport sometimes offers airside transfer services to Macau using bridge coaches or ferries. These allow eligible passengers to transfer without formally entering Hong Kong, but schedules, airline participation and minimum connection times vary.

Do not assume that the old SkyPier ferry arrangement is available for every flight. Check Hong Kong International Airport’s current transfer information before booking.

By helicopter

Sky Shuttle is operating again.

The company advertises scheduled and charter helicopter services linking Macau with Hong Kong and Shenzhen. The Hong Kong heliport is on top of the Hong Kong–Macau Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan, while the Macau heliport is above Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal.

As of August 2026, Sky Shuttle’s published one-way fares are:

• Macau–Shenzhen: MOP5,780, HKD5,600 or RMB4,700

As of September 1, the Hong Kong route is only available via charter. 

The currency charged appears to depend on where or how the ticket is purchased. The published fares include the relevant aviation taxes and government charges, although additional surcharges may apply on peak travel days.

Shenzhen to Macau flights operate from Thursday to Monday, with no scheduled service on Tuesdays or Wednesdays.

By sea

Macau has ferry routes linking 3 cities: Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and Zhuhai.

Hong Kong

TurboJet operates between Hong Kong–Macau Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan and Macau’s Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal. It also runs a smaller number of sailings between Sheung Wan and Taipa Ferry Terminal. Cotai Water Jet operates between Sheung Wan and Taipa.

Outer Harbour is generally better for the historic Peninsula, while Taipa is more convenient for Cotai, Macau International Airport and Taipa Village. The crossing takes approximately one hour.

TurboJet Economy Class currently costs:
• $175 for a daytime sailing on weekdays
• $190 for a daytime sailing on weekends and public holidays
• $220 for a night sailing

Cotai Water Jet is slightly more expensive:
• $192 for a daytime sailing on weekdays
• $209 for a daytime sailing on weekends and public holidays
• $242 for a night sailing

Promotional tickets may be cheaper, while first-class seats cost considerably more.

Purchase tickets in advance during weekends, concerts, major holidays and Golden Week. On ordinary days, same-day tickets are often available, but “often” is not a promise on which I would risk an international flight.

Official operators:
• TurboJet
• Cotai Water Jet 

Shenzhen

Ferry services connect Macau with Shekou and, more occasionally, Shenzhen Airport.

These routes are much less frequent than the Hong Kong service. Check TurboJet or the relevant terminal directly for current sailings and do not build a flight connection around an old timetable.

Passengers must satisfy mainland Chinese immigration requirements.

Zhuhai

The ferry between the Yuet Tung Ferry Pier in the Inner Harbour and Wanzai port in Zhuhai has resumed operations.  Tickets cost $35 and the ride takes just 5 minutes. 

Running every half hour, the first and last ferries leave Macau at 7:10 am and 9:45 pm, and from Zhuhai at 7:20 am and 10:00 pm.

By road

The Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge changed the way people travel between Macau and Hong Kong.

The bridge shuttle, commonly called the Gold Bus, operates 24 hours a day between the separate Hong Kong and Macau boundary ports.

Current fares are:

• HKD/MOP65 from 6:00 am to 11:59 pm
• HKD/MOP70 from midnight to 5:59 am

Buses normally run every five minutes during peak periods, every 10 to 15 minutes during quieter daytime periods and every 15 to 30 minutes overnight.

The drive itself takes approximately 40 to 45 minutes, but that does not include immigration, waiting or onward transportation.

The Macau Port is on the artificial island beside the bridge. It is not the Border Gate and should not be described as being near Gongbei. The Hong Kong Port is on Lantau Island close to Hong Kong International Airport. This makes the Gold Bus particularly useful for airport journeys, Tung Chung and western Lantau. It is less convenient for travellers whose true destination is Central, Tsim Sha Tsui or another urban neighbourhood. After reaching the Hong Kong Port, passengers still need a local bus, taxi or other onward connection.

Direct cross-border coaches also connect selected Macau hotels and transport hubs with urban Hong Kong. They eliminate one transfer but cost more and may take substantially longer because of hotel stops and traffic.

Compare the complete journey rather than the advertised bridge-crossing time:

• Ferry: More expensive, but arrives directly in Sheung Wan
• Gold Bus: Cheapest and operates all night, but requires transport at both ends
• Direct coach: Convenient for certain hotels and neighbourhoods, but slower and schedule-dependent
• Helicopter: Congratulations on your success

Travelling to Mainland China

Macau has several land crossings into Zhuhai:

• Border Gate: The traditional and busiest crossing
• Hengqin Port: Open 24 hours and connected to the Macau LRT
• Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge Port: Useful for bridge traffic and eastern connections

Visitors must have the appropriate mainland Chinese visa or entry permission.

For Guangzhou and many destinations farther north, crossing into Zhuhai and using China’s high-speed railway is usually the most efficient approach. Long-distance buses still exist, however, and remain useful for places without convenient railway service.

China’s train network may be magnificent, but it has not rendered every bus in the country obsolete just yet.