Macau
Greater China
A UNESCO-listed Portuguese-Chinese old town and, across the Cotai reclamation, a decade of hotels by Zaha Hadid, Versace and Lagerfeld.
Photo: Karl Lagerfeld Macau
Why visit
Why visit Macau
Macau is where Portuguese and Chinese culture meet in architecture, religion, language and cooking. The Historic Centre takes in squares, temples, churches, a fortress and a lighthouse arranged along narrow, winding streets, and the Ruins of St Paul’s, a baroque-mannerist façade that uses Chinese characters among its ornament, make the point at a glance.
Macanese cooking grew from centuries of exchange between Portugal, China, Africa and South-East Asia, and it is the city’s least predictable pleasure. The old village of Taipa has long-established Chinese, Portuguese and Macanese restaurants, Rua da Felicidade on the peninsula, once an opium den and red-light district, now serves some of the best street food, and Coloane, the quietest island, is a village of fishing families known for its salt fish.
Cotai is the other draw. In a few square kilometres, the resort owners have built one of the densest collections of contemporary hotel architecture in Asia, including two towers by Zaha Hadid’s office, which can be visited as an exhibition in a day.
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What to see
On the peninsula, Senado Square is the focal point of the Historic Centre. The Ruins of St Paul’s are a stone façade and grand staircase left after a fire in 1865. A-Ma Temple, dedicated to the sea goddess Mazu and built in 1488, is the oldest place of worship in Macau, and the name Macau is said to derive from A-Ma Kok, the Bay of A-Ma. Guia Hill, the city’s highest point, has wartime bunkers and a lighthouse that has stood since 1865. Lou Lim Ioc Garden is designed in the Suzhou style, with ponds and bamboo.
Taipa’s village has Chinese shophouses and colonial Portuguese offices, a craft fair on Sundays and many places to eat on Rua da Cunha. Coloane is quieter and more rugged, with the Chapel of St Francis Xavier, black-sand beaches at Hac Sa and Cheoc Van, and a 19.99-metre statue of A-Ma on Alto de Coloane. The towers and lake of Cotai are best seen with a guide to Macau’s hotel architecture.
Hotels
Where to stay in Macau
Most of Macau’s luxury hotels stand on Cotai, which makes it the practical base, and the choice is mainly a choice of building. For the architecture, Morpheus is the flagship of City of Dreams and one of the last major buildings designed by Zaha Hadid. A 40-storey tower, it opened in 2018. Hadid’s office also designed W Macau – Studio City, the W brand’s first hotel in Macau.
Andaz · Cotai (Galaxy Macau)Andaz MacauAndaz Macau, the largest Andaz in the world, is the convention hotel of Galaxy Macau's third phase, with interiors EDG Design set out to make quieter than the casino hotels around it.Explore →
Raffles · Galaxy Macau, CotaiRaffles at Galaxy MacauRaffles at Galaxy Macau is the all-suite flagship of Galaxy Macau's non-gaming third phase, two towers dressed by HBA as the house of an imaginary 14th-century Italian merchant who collected art.Explore →
Grand Lisboa Palace Resort, CotaiThe Karl Lagerfeld MacauKarl Lagerfeld signed for "an entire hotel designed by me" in 2014; the 271-room tower in SJM's Grand Lisboa Palace opened almost three years after his death, its moon gates and Ming-chair headboards as he approved them.Explore →Dining
Where to eat in Macau
Many of Macau’s starred restaurants are inside its resorts. The 2026 guide gives three stars to two: Jade Dragon, a Cantonese restaurant at City of Dreams, and Robuchon au Dôme, in the glass dome of the Grand Lisboa tower. Six restaurants hold two stars, among them Wing Lei at Wynn Macau, Chef Tam’s Seasons at Wynn Palace and Alain Ducasse at Morpheus. Ratings change, so check the current guide.
Macanese · Inner Harbour, Macau PeninsulaA LorchaA nautical-themed Portuguese and Macanese restaurant near Barra Temple; Bib Gourmand.Explore →
French · Grand Lisboa, Macau PeninsulaRobuchon au DômeContemporary French cuisine at the top of Grand Lisboa in Macau; three Michelin stars.Explore →
Cantonese · Grand Lisboa, Macau PeninsulaThe EightGrand Lisboa's Cantonese restaurant, with more than 40 kinds of dim sum at lunch; two Michelin stars.Explore →
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Before you go
Practical information
Best time to visit
Typhoon season normally runs from May to November. Typhoons very occasionally hit Macau and can cause flooding and landslides, and public offices close when the Typhoon 8 signal is issued.
Getting around
The Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge opened to traffic in 2018 and, at 55 kilometres, is the longest sea crossing in the world. Taipa holds Macau’s international airport. Uber is illegal in Macau, and you can drive with a Hong Kong, Chinese or Portuguese licence. The old city on the peninsula is best seen on foot; Guia Hill is reached by cable car or by a walking path.
Practical notes
Visa rules differ by nationality; UK passport holders can visit visa-free for up to six months, the passport must be valid for at least 90 days after departure, and visitors must stay in licensed accommodation. Check with the Macao authorities before you travel.
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