48 Best Sights in Macau, China

Macau’s largest representation of Guangdong residential architecture spans 43,055 square feet and has more than 60 lovingly restored rooms. Built in 1869 and refurbished in 2010, the compound blends Chinese and Western architectural elements. It was the home of Zheng Guanying, a late Qing Dynasty literary figure, who completed his influential Words of Warning in Times of Prosperity here. Just steps away, Lilau Square, a banyan-shaded plaza near one of Macau’s first Portuguese residential quarters, reflects the city’s deep cultural ties.

Quiet, relaxed Coloane Village is home to traditional Portuguese-style houses painted in pastels, as well as the baroque-style Chapel of St. Francis Xavier and the Taoist Tam Kung Temple, dedicated to the god of seafarers. The narrow alleys reveal surprises at every turn; you may well encounter fishermen repairing their junks or a baptism at the chapel. At the village’s heart is a small square adorned with a fountain with a bronze Cupid. The slow-moving pace picks up a bit on weekends, when travelers swarm the streets seeking for the perfect photo op beside wall murals and the Portuguese and Chinese restaurants fill up.

This fort, built between 1622 and 1638 on Macau’s highest hill, was key to protecting the Portuguese from invaders. You can take a short cable-car ride from the entrance of Flora Garden on Avenida Sidónio Pais or walk the winding road up to it—a journey made easier thanks to elevators inside a pedestrian tunnel linking the Flora Garden and Avenida Dr. Rodrigo Rodrigues. On the hill, follow the signs for the Guia Lighthouse—you can’t go in, but you can get a good look at the gleaming white exterior that's lit every night. Next to it is the Guia Chapel, built by Clarist nuns to provide soldiers with religious services. Restoration work in 1996 uncovered elaborate frescoes mixing Western and Chinese themes. They’re best seen when the morning or afternoon sun floods the chapel, which is no longer used for services. The views from here are among the best, sweeping across all of Macau. Beneath the lighthouse, you’ll find exercise paths popular with runners, walkers, and tai chi practitioners in the morning and evening.

Paved with swirling calçada portuguesa (black-and-white mosaic tiles), this pedestrian-only plaza has been Macau’s beating heart for centuries. Lined with pastel-hued neoclassical buildings, Largo do Senado offers a picture-perfect backdrop. Across Avenida Almeida Ribeiro, the Edifício do Leal Senado (“Loyal Senate” building)—erected in 1784 as Macau’s original city hall—still serves as the Municipal Affairs Bureau today. Open to the public, it features a Portuguese-style garden adorned with striking azulejos (blue-and-white glazed tiles), a foyer hosting art and history exhibits, and an elegant meeting room that leads to a magnificent library inspired by Portugal’s Convent of Mafra. Nearby alleys brim with restaurants and shops, although they are increasingly branches of Koi Kei Bakery and health and beauty chain Mannings.

Visit early on weekdays to avoid crowds, and try to come back at night, when the square is beautifully lit.

Following a full-scale overhaul, the former Sands Cotai Central hotel, shopping, and casino complex re-emerged as The Londoner in 2021. Architects reconstructed the exterior to resemble, appropriately, London, complete with a replica of Big Ben along the Cotai Strip. Inside, British rock pumps through speakers as guests flit from venues like the Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill to Churchill’s Table, enjoy retail therapy at 150-plus shops and boutiques, and take selfies with black cabs, double-decker buses, and a replica of a royal carriage. There are five hotels, including The St. Regis, The Londoner, and The Londoner Grand, a high-end “resort within a resort,” not to mention 14 invitation-only suites brought to life by David Beckham and British designer David Collins.

Only the towering facade, with its intricate carvings and bronze statues, remains from the original Church of Mater Dei, built between 1602 and 1640 and destroyed by fire in 1835. The sanctuary, an adjacent college, and Mount Fortress—all Jesuit constructions—once formed East Asia’s first Western-style university. Now a tourist attraction, the ruins are the widely adopted symbol of Macau. Tucked behind the facade of São Paulo is the small Museum of Sacred Art and Crypt, which contains statues, crucifixes, and the bones of Japanese and Vietnamese martyrs. There are also some intriguing Asian interpretations of Christian images, including samurai angels and a Chinese Virgin and Child. Note that admission to the site isn't allowed after 5:30 pm.

Taipa’s narrow, winding streets are packed with restaurants, bakeries, souvenir stores, temples, coffee shops, and heritage buildings defined by their traditional South Chinese and Portuguese design elements. All roads lead to perpetually busy Rua do Cunha, Taipa’s famed food street. This little lane is lined by shops selling everything from matcha ice cream to pork chop buns and stewed offal. Be sure to get some egg tarts from Lord Stow’s here. As you wander around the neighborhood, you’ll find several Macanese and Portuguese restaurants—almost all worth a visit—alongside popular Thai, Chinese, and Western options. Come hungry, come curious. Taipa village is best explored street by street, and you’ll have no shortage of tasty options to refuel.

Created by the renowned Japanese art collective teamLab, this immersive art experience features large-scale digital installations that blend design, technology, and nature. Visitors can walk through expansive, ever-changing environments—many of them floral-theme, some even perfumed—where light, color, and movement respond to their presence. Unlike traditional exhibitions, this one is designed as a “body-immersive” space. That means you can physically engage with the artwork, influencing how it evolves in real time. Highlights include floating light orbs, infinite mirror rooms, and surreal digital landscapes, as well as a space for kids to create their own artwork. Best of all, it’s a choose-your-own-adventure without a set route or map.

The tiered A-Ma Temple (Ma Kok Miu) is one of Macau’s oldest and most striking landmarks, as well as its likely namesake. Built during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) into the slopes on the Barra hill, it blends Confucian, Taoist, Buddhist, and folk influences. Vivid red calligraphy on massive boulders recounts the legend of the sea goddess A-Ma (Tin Hau). A small gate leads to prayer halls, pavilions, and caves carved directly into the hillside.

Every 30 minutes, from noon until 10 pm, punters and passersby flock to the Wynn to witness flames and fountain jets flicker to tracks like “Diamonds Are Forever” at Performance Lake outside Macau’s first Vegas-style casino-hotel. Inside, they crowd around the rotunda to watch the “Tree of Prosperity” unfold with feng shui glitz, every hour on the dot from noon until 10 pm. Elaborate shows aside, the Wynn’s expansive, brightly lit gaming floor, exquisite fine dining options, luxury boutiques, deluxe spa, and trendy suites make this one of the finer resorts in Macau. Its 1,000 rooms span the glamorous suites in the Encore Tower, all offering views of Nam Van Lake and no less than 1,100 square feet, and the Wynn Tower’s luxurious suites and guestrooms, clad with marble-floored bathrooms, subdued cream-and-gold palettes, and Chinese artwork.

This huge complex built in a traditional Qing Dynasty style pays homage to Macau’s namesake, A-Ma. The vibrancy and color of the details in the bell and drum towers, the tiled roofs, and the carved marble altars are awe-inspiring. It’s as if you’ve been transported back centuries and can see temples in their true greatness. Other remarkable details include the striking rows of stairs leading to Tin Hau Palace at the entrance. Each row features painstakingly detailed marble and stone carvings of auspicious Chinese symbols: a roaring tiger, double lions, five cranes, the double phoenix, and a splendid imperial dragon.

Behind A-Ma Cultural Village, Coloane Hill rises 170 meters (560 feet) above the sea and is crowned by a 65-foot, white-marble statue of A-Ma lording over Coloane. You can make the short hike up to the top or take one of the shuttle buses that leave from the base of the hill every 30 minutes.

From dawn to dusk, Macau’s most popular park comes alive with tai chi practitioners, palm readers, couples, students, and men locked in Chinese chess battles under banyan trees. Developed in the 18th century, the gardens were built on the estate once occupied by the chairman of the British East India Company. When the British moved out in 1835, the land’s new Portuguese owners built a grotto around the country’s greatest poet, Luís de Camões, who spent years in exile in Macau. Now the park’s most iconic spot, Camões Grotto shelters a bronze bust of the poet within a rocky niche, while a bronze sculpture at the entrance symbolizes Portugal and China’s historic ties. Nearby, Casa Garden, a smaller park that now houses the Orient Foundation, features landscaped grounds, a brick pathway, and a lily-filled pond.

Opened in 1970 by Dr. Stanley Ho, this iconic Macau gaming den, unmissable with its flashing neon marquee, is replete with ancient jade ships in the halls, gilded staircases, and more baccarat tables than you can shake a craps stick at. Most of the gamblers are from neighboring Guangdong province, and Cantonese is the lingua franca. Other popular pastimes at this storied casino revolve around international fine-dining venues and colorful coffee shops, if you care to wander around the maze of marbled floors and low ceilings.

Cotai’s glitzy entertainment complex is the living definition of a megaproject. City of Dreams, or CoD for short, boasts three separate casinos with nearly 500 gaming tables, four hotels with around 2,270 total hotel rooms, and 30-plus bars and restaurants. Most know it for its entertainment options, though. The 17,000-square-foot Kids’ City provides four floors of guided playtime and adventure, while the House of Dancing Water dazzled thousands with its aquatic-based spectacles until going on hiatus for improvements.

Race enthusiasts and thrill-seekers should head to the Macau Motor Sports Club, opposite the Coloane reservoir. Drivers must be at least 16 years old and have a driver’s license, as 200cc engine go-karts can reach speeds up to 60 kph (37 mph). The track is 1.2 km (0.7 miles) long, 10 meters (33 feet) wide, and has 10 challenging curves. Aim for a lap time under 50 seconds on a sunny day. Take note: the track closes at even the whiff of inclement weather, and you need to wear long pants and closed-toe shoes.

Perched on a hill overlooking the Ruins of St. Paul’s, this 17th-century Jesuit fort played a pivotal role in Macau’s history. In 1622, during Macau’s most legendary battle, a priest’s lucky cannon shot struck a Dutch ship’s powder supply, thwarting an invasion. Though fire destroyed the interior buildings in 1835, the outer walls, cannons, and artillery pieces still stand. Next door, the Macau Museum traces the territory’s history, from its origins to modern-day development.

It’s impossible to miss the six 24-karat gold cupolas of the Galaxy complex towering over the northwestern end of the Cotai Strip. This palatial complex is currently home to seven luxury hotels—including the Banyan Tree, JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, and Raffles—and as of 2025, an all-suites-and-villas Capella. The whole complex spans more than 11 million square feet of space and includes 120 dining options, a 10-screen cinema, a white-sand beach and wave pool on the rooftop, a cavernous 16,000-seat arena, a VR entertainment center, and more. Smack in the center is a brightly lit casino floor packed with gaming tables, surrounded by high-end shops where you can actually hear yourself think.

This blooming lotus-shape landmark towers over the Macau skyline. Inside, the main gaming floor features hundreds of tables—including some offering Texas hold ’em poker rings and craps, plus low minimums—and about 1,000 slot machines centered around a giant glowing orb. While the casino’s famed Paris cabaret show is no more, there are plenty of ways to stay entertained. The Grand Lisboa has fantastic dining choices, for example, from the baroque Casa Don Alfonso to the elegant Lotus Lounge. If the slots have been kind, celebrate by having a divine dinner on-site at Michelin-starred stalwarts Robuchon au Dôme or The Eight. 

The Grand Lisboa Palace is certainly both grand and palatial. The castle-like facility blends baroque and neoclassical influences with Chinese and Portuguese design elements. Inside, the sprawling resort houses 1,350 ornate rooms and suites, including the exclusive Karl Lagerfeld and Palazzo Versace hotels. These sit alongside a massive casino and a luxury shopping complex led by NY8 New Yaohan, a 160,000-square-foot department store with a supermarket, kid’s zone, and dining center, and Made in Macau, a space that displays products from local brands. Dining options range from high-end restaurants like Zuicho and Palace Garden to the indulgent Grand Buffet—one of the city’s best all-you-can-eat experiences. If you need some serenity, visit Jardim Secreto, a European-style garden with grass mazes and European-style pavilions.

Inaugurated in 1993 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Macau Grand Prix, this museum tells the stories of the best drivers from every year—including German legend Michael Schumacher—but the highlights are the actual race cars on display. More than 20 Formula vehicles are exhibited in the hall, the centerpiece being the red-and-white Formula Three car driven by the late Brazilian champion Aryton Senna. Though Macau has lost its premier Formula Three race, replaced by a Formula Regional championship, its sporting legacy lives on here as well as the tough, twisting Guia Circuit.

Translated from Chinese, hác sá means “black sand.” Today, though, the beaches look a shade more golden, as the once-grayish sands have been mixed with yellow sand to prevent erosion. This quiet corner of Macau is a great place to hike, enjoy a picnic, or dabble in water sports. Cool off in the Olympic-size Hác Sá Park pool (open from May 1 until October 31; MOP$15 for adults; MOP$5 for kids under 12). Hike the easy Hác Sá family trail. Play a round of 18 at the Macau Golf and Country Club. Then finish with a bite to eat on the beach.

The cream-and-white interior of Macau’s oldest church takes on a heavenly golden glow when illuminated for service. Originally a convent founded by Spanish Dominican friars in 1587, St. Dominic’s is steeped in history. In 1822, China’s first Portuguese newspaper, The China Bee, was published here, and the church became a repository for sacred art in 1834 when convents were banned in Portugal.

Admission to all churches and temples is free, though donations are suggested.

Founded by Jesuits in 1560, the Church of St. Lawrence is one of Macau’s three oldest churches and has been carefully rebuilt over the centuries, with its current form dating to 1846. Set amid palm-shaded gardens overlooking the sea, it once drew families of Portuguese sailors, who gathered on its steps to pray for their loved ones’ safe return, hence its Chinese name, Feng Shun Tang (Hall of the Soothing Winds). Inside, elegant wood carvings, striking stained glass, a baroque altar, and crystal chandeliers create a breathtaking display of craftsmanship and devotion.

Like a snapshot of a Portuguese praça, St. Augustine Square is paved with black-and-white tiles laid out in mosaic wave patterns and lined with leafy overhanging trees and lots of wooden benches. It’s easy to feel as if you’re in a European village, far from South China. One of the square’s main structures is the Teatro Dom Pedro V, a European-style performance hall with an inviting green-and-white facade, built in 1859. It’s an important cultural landmark for Macau and was regularly used until World War II, when it fell into disrepair. The 300-seat venue once again hosts concerts and recitals—especially during the annual Macau International Music Festival—as well as important public events. Igreja de Santo Agostinho (Church of St. Augustine), to one side of the square, was built by Spanish Augustinians in 1591. The Catholic landmark has a grand, weathered exterior, a drafty interior with a high, turquoise-color wood-beam ceiling, and a magnificent stone altar with a statue of Christ on his knees, bearing the cross, with small crucifixes in silhouette on the hill behind him. On the first day of Lent each year, devotees carry this statue, called Our Lord of Passos, in a procession through the downtown streets.

Built in 1592, the Temple of the Lotus honors several Buddhist and Taoist deities, including Tin Hau (goddess of the sea), Kun Iam (goddess of mercy), and Kwan Tai (god of war and wealth). The front of the temple is embellished with magnificent clay bas-reliefs of renowned figures from Chinese history and mythology, while inside there are several halls, shrines, and courtyards. But the temple is best known as the place where, for centuries, Chinese Mandarins traveling from Guangdong would stay. The most famous of these was Commissioner Lin Zexu, whose confiscation and destruction of British opium in 1839 helped kick off the First Opium War. There’s even a six-foot statue of him in the courtyard.

These beautiful gardens were built in the 19th century by a Chinese merchant named Lou Kau, who considered every last detail, from the rock formations and angle of the sunlight to the placement of the ponds and pavilions. The balanced landscapes bear the hallmark of Suzhou’s gardening style. The government took possession and restored the grounds in the mid-1970s, opening up this space for tranquil walks among delicate flowering bushes framed by bamboo groves. A large auditorium frequently hosts concerts and other events, most notably recitals during the annual Macau International Music Festival. Adjacent to the gardens, a yellow, European-style building houses the Macau Tea Culture House, a small museum with exhibits on Chinese tea culture.

The Macao Museum of Art (MAM), the city’s only dedicated art museum, spans five floors and houses over 16,000 artifacts. Opened in 1999, it showcases Chinese calligraphy, paintings, ceramics, photography, and Western works, with highlights from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Its striking, curved-roof design is as distinctive as its exhibitions, which include collaborations with Beijing’s Palace Museum and the Shanghai Museum.

This sprawling complex of rides, games, and attractions mimics foreign heritage sites with a Disney-esque flair. While the Roman Amphitheatre, Czech Baroque-inspired Harborview Hotel, and kitschy themed shops and karaoke bars won’t impress world travelers, some of the restaurants offer reason to visit. Vic’s Restaurante, for one, stands out for its rich Portuguese seafood rice and harbor views, and Jin Yue Xuan nails Cantonese classics and dim sum, adding a touch of authenticity to an otherwise artificial setting.

After Dr. Stanley Ho bought the Macau Jockey Club (MJC) in 1991, he transformed what was a quiet trotting track into a lucrative high-stakes racing facility. However, horse racing is now a more retro gambling option in Asia's rising casino hotspot of Macau, and the local MJC pales in comparison to the truly world-class Hong Kong Jockey Club. Nonetheless the MJC continues to operate year-round, hosting more than 100 races and entertaining a majority of local middle-aged men, along with some younger spectators who come to see the horses close up in between races. If you're game, you can place bets at a number of stations throughout Macau and Hong Kong, as well as by phone and online.

Rising above Sai Van Lake, this 338-meter (1,109-foot) freestanding tower recalls Sky Tower, a similar structure in New Zealand—and it should, as both were designed by New Zealand architect Gordon Moller. The Macau Tower offers a variety of thrills, including the Tower Climb, which challenges the strong of heart and body with a two-hour ascent on steel rungs 100 meters (328 feet) up the tower's mast for incomparable views of Macau and the mainland. Other thrills include the Skywalk, an open-air stroll around the tower’s exterior—without handrails; SkyJump, an assisted, decelerated 233-meter (765-foot) descent; and what was until recently the world’s highest bungee jump. More subdued attractions inside the tower include a revolving restaurant (the 360° Café) serving lunch, high tea, and a dinner buffet.