Macau in one day
 

Can you go to Macau from Hong Kong and back in one day with enough time to spare to really see the city? When are the fireworks contests taking place exactly?

It depends on your definition of day. There are 3 parts to Macau, the city itself, casinoland and the more rural southern part. If you want to "really see" everything then you probably need to depart HK at 6am.

Google revealed the following website which tells you about the fireworks contests: http://fireworks.macaotourism.gov.mo/

If you want to see the fireworks you won't get back to HK until midnight.

One day = 24 hrs.
The silver lining is the ferries are a 24hrs operation.

Did it in one day in March from HK. Worth doing. Don't get caught though and stop at the legitimate looking 'Information Desk' at the airport. Chap there seemed anything other than legit - recommended a 'state registered tour'..... turned out to the private and expensive. Just outside the airport are loads of tuk-tuk type transport and from what we saw later, the prices were not bad and they offer flexible transport.

I wonder did you perhaps post this to the wrong forum? It is not possible to travel to Macau by air from Hong Kong(*), so it seems strange that you would go to Macau airport!

(*) except by helicopter, but they fly between the ferry terminals, not the airports except by private charter

Yes, I did this a number of years ago (excluding the fireworks). Early ferry over, do the main city area, then mid-to-late afternoon move over to the casinos. A lovely day, very rushed but if that's all the time you can afford then go for it.

A couple of years ago I returned to Macau for three nights. A much more rewarding experience. It's really an interesting city with lots to see. If you can afford to do an overnight then I would definitely recommend it.

Macau you can do in one day and actually you can do most of it by busses or taxis. Is is very efficient. But leave early! And not in the weekend!

I would take the ferry to Macau and then back from Macau Airport by ferry to Hong Kong or the other way around as it sort of makes sense if you want to combine the city with the casinos. (but if you have been in Las Vegas you can skip it as it is the same actually)

Just to reiterate, it's easy if you leave early (6am). Buy tickets in advance if possible.

Can you elaborate on that a little bit? I've done a full day trip and a couple partial day trips and always had good experiences in Macau. They have been pretty much standard quick Macau trips. Always a good time, but I didn't get a very in-depth experience. I have yet to do a multi-day trip so I'm sure there is a lot more I could see. What are some things you recommend doing in a multi-day trip that are beyond the typical attractions (St. Paul's, casinos, the fort, etc)?

There is a surprising amount to see in Macau. I have been going for almost 30 years and still find new things of interest. Unfortunately over that period pollution has taken its toll.

Often I take business visitors for day out to Macau to get a feel for the place and enjoy a good lunch.

My usual itinerary provides a listing of the standard sites, but does give a good introduction, though does miss out Coloane and Taipa. Less said about the Kotai strip the better.

1. Firstly a visit to the Fort, and St Paul's remains.
2. Walk down to Centro past St Dominic's Church, see the old Portuguese centre and visit the 'Leal Senado'.
3. Then a visit to the A-Ma Temple, it is quite unique and gave Macau its name.
4. Lunch at one of the restaurants along Ruo Do Almirante Sergio, close to the temple.
5. If time pop into the Pousada De Sao Tiago (My favourite hotel in Macau) for an afternoon tea or drink. Definite walk back in time.
6. Afternoon a visit to the casinos in the centre of town. I am not a casino person but visitors always want to visit. Usually I pick the Lisboa, but I do miss the dives from the 90s like the old Floating Casino (which incidentally is now a floating restaurant in Manila).
7. Finally a cocktail at the new Mandarin Oriental. Again I much prefer the old one.
8. Before returning to HK. If you want to try the helicopter, it is best to take Macau to HKG, not the other way round as get better views of HK Harbour.

If there is little pollution there is also the Macau Tower.

Hope this helps and enjoy Macau!

Nicc

A number of years ago now, but it was
Ferry over at a reasonably early hour
Taxi to the center, walk around a bit, find the museum of Macau and fortess
I vaguely remember a bus trip to see more of the town.
Taxi to the south with dinner at Fernandos
Taxi back to the ferry

Neither of us were casino types.

Happy wandering
Fred

Is the open top bus tour worth it?

It goes to all the sights so good from that standpoint, but not frequent and you can do cheaper on your own. Even by taxi costs about 2xbus tickets, so the bus is no bargain.

Walk around the busstop of colone centre. There is the rural macau, the ship docks n u can hv a glimpse of zhuhai.

I've thinking of doing similar on a Sunday in mid-January. Early ish ferry over to the outer harbour and return around 10pm ish. I'm a big walker and this is my preferred way to get around. Is walking from the outer port towards St Paul's remains possible / sensible? I've read a few conflicting thoughts as to what walking around the city is like!