MO · Macau Peninsula · 22.20°N 113.55°E

macau peninsula

Mosaic-paved squares, Chinese temples and old lanes full of egg tarts and almond biscuits.

Best time
October–December is cool and dry, the best time to visit. January–March is cooler and sometimes damp. July–September is hot and humid with typhoons, and Chinese holiday weeks bring big crowds.
How long
2 days, plus a day for Taipa and Coloane
Getting there
Fly direct from KL to Macau (about 4 hours). The airport is on Taipa, about 20–30 minutes from the peninsula by bus or taxi. Ferries from Hong Kong take about an hour.
Save postcard
MO · Macau Peninsulamacau peninsula22.20°N 113.55°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Mosaic-paved squares, Chinese temples and old lanes full of egg tarts and almond biscuits.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingMacau PeninsulaMO, Macau Peninsula
KLmacau peninsula
≈ 2,476 km from KL, as the crow flies
Macau skyline from Taipa 2013

Photo: Mimihitam · CC BY-SA 3.0

1 / 5

Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Macau's peninsula is the old city, where Chinese temples, Portuguese churches and mosaic-paved squares sit within a few streets of each other, all part of a UNESCO-listed historic centre. You can fill two days just walking between squares and stopping for snacks.

Makan

  1. Portuguese egg tartsFlaky pastry and blistered, caramelised custard, best eaten warm.Map ↗
  2. African chickenA Macanese classic: grilled chicken in a spicy peanut and coconut sauce.Map ↗
  3. Almond biscuitsCrumbly biscuits pressed in wooden moulds, the standard take-home gift; some recipes use lard.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Senado SquareWave-patterned paving and pastel colonial buildings, the start of most walks.Map ↗
  2. Ruins of St Paul's and Monte FortThe stone façade of a 17th-century church, all that survived a fire, beside an old fortress with city views.Map ↗
  3. A-Ma TempleThe hillside temple to the sea goddess who gave Macau its name.Map ↗
  4. Mandarin's HouseA big restored family mansion of courtyards and carved rooms.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Walk from Senado Square to St Paul's early, before the tour groups, then lose them in the side streets.
  • Halal food is limited, but the tourism office's website lists certified restaurants, from an Indian and Pakistani curry house near Senado Square to Chinese hotpot in the resorts.
  • Malaysians can visit Macau visa-free for up to 30 days.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.