10 Best Things To Do In Macau: East Meets West

Nothing compares to Macau as where the East converges perfectly with the West. So many things to do in Macau if you decide to travel to this city in China. Formerly a Portuguese colony, Macau is not only where you can find attractions that are truly China, but also newest and modern tourist spots with influences from the West, such as The Parisian Macao, The Venetian Macao, and the Londoner Macao. The city loves to showcase their admiration for the West, doesn’t it?

Macau is China’s autonomous region on its south coast, across the Pearl River Delta from Hong Kong. In fact, you can take a short ferry ride from Hong Kong to reach Macau. The city was a Portuguese territory until just recently, in 1999 – well, when you compare this to where other destinations gained their independence from their colonizers, so the remnants from Macau’s colonizers still reverberate even until today. From playing casinos on the Cotai Strip to facing your fears and bungee jumping from the top of Macau Tower, the things to do in Macau are exciting.

What Are Some Of The Best Things To Do In Macau?

Macau is a melting pot of Eastern and Western culture and traditions. Planning to travel to this Chinese Special Administrative Region (SAR)? Here are the best things to do in Macau to add to your bucket list. 

1. Witness The Remnants Of Colonization At The Ruins Of The Church Of Saint Paul

Travel back in time and immerse yourself in Macau’s history when you visit the Ruins of the Church of Saint Paul, one of the first things to do in Macau. Touted as Macau’s most popular tourist attraction (for good reason), St. Paul’s Ruins, or also known as Sam Ba Sing Tzik, is recognizable for the church’s façade that stands strong from its destroyed state. It is also regarded as the finest Christian establishment in the Far East region. 

Once a magnificent church and academic institution, the Ruins of the Church of Saint Paul is challenging the likes of Paris’ Notre-Dame as the former has survived three fires and a typhoon, leaving only its façade and granite steps. But, despite this, the beauty and grandeur of this Renaissance architecture is a must-see for everybody.

The most treasured icon in this Chinese city, this church was among the greatest monuments to Christianity in Asia. Since it was a former academic institution as well, the church once helped the illiterate understand the Passion of Christ and the lives of the saints. Truly a must-visit. 

2. Experience Venice At The Venetian Macao

From some church ruins to something more modern – Macau truly is where you can witness the convergence of old structures with sprawling and bustling attractions like The Venetian Macao. This, as the name suggests, is literally meant to showcase the beauty of Venice in Italy here in Macau. 

The Venetian Macao has succeeded in bringing the famous gondola ride along the canals of Venice right here in Macau. Here, you can enjoy a romantic gondola ride rowed by your charming boatman, while being treated to stunning views of the architectures of The Venetian Macao around.

But aside from this gondola ride, there are lots of other things to do in Macau while you’re here. The Venetian Macao is also the perfect place to dine, watch shows, and shop. It is home to some of the most luxurious brands in the world, such as Giorgio Armani, Givenchy, Louis Vuitton, and Dior, to name a few.

3. Fearless? Bungee Jump From The Top Of Macau Tower!

Macau Tower, officially known as the Macau Tower Convention and Entertainment Center, is a tower measuring 338 meters in height from the ground level to its highest point. Visitors can head to its observation deck, where you can find spots to view the city from a new perspective, restaurants, theaters, shopping malls, and the Skywalk X, which offers a walking tour around the tower’s outer rim. If you are in for things to do in Macau where you can conquer your fears, this is the place to go.

Feeling a little bit daring? Macau Tower offers an experience wherein, you can take the plunge and bungee jump from the top of Macau Tower. Don’t worry because its expert staff are there to keep everything safe. 

But if you’d rather not take the rest, and keep your feet firmly on the ground, but still want to see stunning views of the city, Macau Tower also offers a skywalk and tower climb. Or, for a more unique experience, you can also try ski jumping here.

Macau Tower also offers great places to shop and dine.

Things to do in Macau are grand, no wonder it has been nicknamed “the Vegas of China.” Quite fascinating. 

4. Be Transported To Paris While You’re In Macau At The Parisian Macao

Macau truly likes to transport a bit of the best places in the world to its territory, such as The Parisian Macao. The name says it all. The Parisian Macao brings the best of “the city of love,” Paris, in this tiny but wonderful Chinese city. There are lots of things to do in Macau while you are here. 

Complete with a mini-replica of France’s Eiffel Tower, The Parisian Macao is a luxury hotel and resort that will make you feel like you are strolling around France. Hotel rates are quite expensive here, but that does not mean that you cannot enjoy this place. If you don’t intend to check in, you can instead enjoy the place’s mime artists (they’re scattered in Paris), buskers, and street performers present in the complex’s grand boulevards, which are also lined with sidewalk cafés and bistros.

You can also climb the Eiffel Tower replica, enjoy The Parisian Macao’s light show performed daily, ride the carousel, make a splash in its water theme park –  Aqua World – drop your kids to the Qube Kingdom play area, shop, and pamper yourself in its spa. 

5. Soak In The Culture At Macau’s Temples

A visit to almost any popular destination in China won’t be complete without a tour of its temples. These temples have been a significant part of Chinese history. There are various temples in Macau, and two of the must-visits would be Kun lam Temple and Sam Kai Vui Kun Temple. 

Kun lam Temple is Macau’s oldest temple founded during the 1200s. Its roof ridges are intricately embellished with porcelain figures, while its halls are decorated lavishly. Its main hall houses the likeness of Kun lam, the Goddess of Mercy, and to the left of the altar is a bearded arhat rumored to represent Marco Polo, the Venetian merchant who traveled from Europe to Asia during the late 13th century. Also, the first Sino-American treaty was said to have been signed at the round stone table in this temple’s terraced gardens during the mid-19th century.

Another temple worth visiting in Macau is the Sam Kai Vui Kun Temple. On the other hand, this temple used to be a meeting place for merchants and an adjudication court before the Chinese Chamber of Commerce was established in 1912. The temple is dedicated to Kwan Yu, the god of war and justice. Sam Kai Vui Kun Temple gets busier between May to July as the locals celebrate various festivals in the god’s honor.

6. Get A Taste Of London At The Londoner Macao

If Macau brings a bit of France’s Paris and Italy’s Venice within its realm, it also does for London in the United Kingdom, through The Londoner Macao, which is the most recently opened amongst the three. 

The Londoner Macao is located within the integrated resort project of Sands China. Get ready to embark on a journey around “London” and all things British with the various things to do in Macau while you’re here. 

This building presents replicas of iconic British structures like the Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. To enhance the experience, it also plays British pop music as you stroll around, ranging from the songs of Elton John to those of Spice Girls. 

Should you want to check into this hotel, you can consider staying in the David Beckham suite designed by Beckham himself, and which is the first celebrity-designed suite across Macau. For foodies, you can visit The Residence, which serves an international buffet breakfast, afternoon tea, all-day snacks, and cocktails in the evening. Though things here can be quite expensive, this is still one of the must-try things to do in Macau.

Visiting various cities in China? If you are enjoying the things to do in Macau so far, for sure, you’ll also have fun with the best things to do in Beijing, the country’s capital. 

7. Macau Is The ‘Vegas Of China,’ So Why Don’t You Experience The Casinos Here?

Playing casinos may be a bit controversial, as it is a form of gambling, and not morally right. But, what will you lose if you experience a bit of it when you get to visit Macau? When will be the second-time you’ll journey to Macau, right? 

Macau is also nicknamed the “Vegas of China.” Thus, it is one of the hottest places on Earth for casinos. One of the best places for casinos in Macau is the glamorous Cotai Strip, where neon lights shine brighter than diamonds and the stars. This dazzling stretch of land is home to some of the world’s most renowned casinos. 

Other great places to play casinos in Macau would be at Grand Lisboa Casino and MGM Casino. Macau has a total of 36 casinos with over 8,900 slots and video gaming machines, as well as more than 3,500 table games, so if you are looking for things to do in Macau wherein you’ll get to play casinos, it won’t be difficult to find a casino near you in this city.

8. Watch The Cutest Pandas Do Their Thing

After you are done enjoying the casinos at the Cotai Strip, you can quickly head over to the Macao Giant Panda Pavilion, a must-visit attraction for those looking to experience the national emblem of China – pandas.

This charming pavilion cradles adorable giant pandas, as well as other wildlife creatures like monkeys and red pandas. Admission is free. If you are traveling to Macau with the whole family, the Macao Giant Panda Pavilion is one of the best places to take them to. However, it is advised that you visit during the morning when the animals are most active. Perhaps before hitting the casino in Cotai?

Enjoying the best thing to do in Macau? You might want to keep traveling and explore Shanghai, too. Learn about this glitzy city in this guide.

9. Travel To The Future At Legend Heroes Park

The world venerates theme parks like Disneyland, Universal Studios, and LEGOLAND, but here in Macau, there’s a park that is proud of its personality it can call its own, the Legend Heroes Park. 

Legend Heroes Park is a thrilling tech-based entertainment park that fuses cutting-edge virtual technology with the physical world for an unmatched immersive experience. Here, you will get to experience things to do in Macau that you may have never had before yet, such as virtual and augmented reality, holograms, motion tracking, 4D+, projection mapping, sportainment, and video arcade games. The park hosts over 60 games. Give this a try!

10. Discover Macau’s Vibrant Nightlife

Macau is called “the Vegas of China” for good reason. Aside from the exciting casino experience, the city also has an extraordinarily vibrant nightlife scene. 

If you are looking to enjoy the city’s nightlife the way you want it, you might want to join this evening bar and club crawl facilitated by a dedicated party host. In this experience, you’ll get to enjoy live music and cocktails at an outdoor bar, drinking games and beer at a local bar, and welcome shots at Club Cubic, one of Macau’s hottest clubs. Looking for fun? This is one of the best things to do in Macau that you should not dare miss. 

Some of the best things to do in Macau are visiting attractions that bring a bit of Paris, London, and Venice into this magnificent city. 

Things To Do In Macau: Best Hotels

For you to make the most out of the myriad of things to do in Macau, you’ve got to be pampered in every bit of your experience in this Chinese city. Part of the pleasure would be you, staying at a hotel that beats expectations when it comes to providing the best hospitality. But where should you get started? Here’s a list of some of the best hotels in Macau. 

• The Londoner Hotel
• City of Dreams – Morpheus Macau
• The Ritz-Carlton, Macau
• Banyan Tree Macau
• City of Dreams – Nüwa Macau
• MGM Macau
• Wynn Macau
• Wynn Palace

Macau: A World Of Difference

Known as “the Vegas of China” and “Little Portugal of the Far East,” Macau is another of China’s glitzy and glamorous cities. The country is quite known for this, isn’t it? 

While Macau is home to luxury and world-class entertainment, the city has much more to offer than just that. Macau was a Portuguese colony for hundreds of years, so you can see this reflected around, such as with its Chinese temples, sounds of Cantonese with Portuguese terms, and array of food – the most famous ones would be Chinese dim sum, pastéis de nata or Portuguese egg tarts, and Macanese minchi or ground meat stir-fried with potatoes. 

So much things to do in Macau, right? Come and visit Macau right now, and allow the city to captivate your senses.