Macau is well connected by transport from all over China and neighbouring Hong Kong. The city also has its own international airport with an extensive network of routes around East Asia.
By air
Macau has a medium-sized international airport on Taipa Island, Macau MFM, whose runway is built on an artificial peninsula in the sea.
Frequent services run to all metropolitan areas in East and Southeast Asia (on average 3-5 times a day) as well as to all major cities in mainland China.
There are no long-haul flights outside Asia to Macau. The nearest major airport, Hong Kong HKG with direct flights to the rest of the world, is an hour's bus ride away via the HZMB bridge.
As most developed countries in the world do not require a visa to travel to Macau or neighbouring Hong Kong (unlike travel to mainland China), most foreign tourists arrive in Macau by plane, either directly at Macau MFM airport or via Hong Kong.
By boat
The most common way to get to Macau is just to take the ferry from Hong Kong.
There are 3 ports here. The main port is the Macau Ferry Terminal at the "Outer Harbour". From here ferries run to Hong Kong and Shekou in China.
Another lesser-known port is the "Inner Harbour", which is located at walking distance to the city centre and connects Macau with the nearby Chinese cities of Zhuhai and Wanzai (usually a 5-15 minute cruise).
For detailed information, ticket prices and departure times, see the separate Ferry section.
HZMB bus to Hong Kong
The cheapest transport between Macau and Hong Kong is provided by the golden "HZMB-Shuttle" buses running on one of the longest bridges, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. This is also where the abbreviation for this connection comes from.
Although the HZMB buses are the cheapest, they do not run from the centre to the centre. Therefore, you have to add the price of public transport tickets to the border crossings in both Macau and Hong Kong to the total price.
How much do tickets cost and where to buy them?
Prices vary between day and night time (24:00-5:59).
| Route | Day fare | Night fare |
| Hong Kong <-> Macau | 65 hkd | 70 hkd |
| Hong Kong <-> Zhuhai | 65 hkd | 70 hkd |
In total, including transport to/from downtown Hong Kong and to/from downtown Macau, the price will be approximately 100 hkd to 130 hkd depending on the mode of transport chosen.
You can buy tickets in several different ways.
- Online at the official website: hzmbus.com
- At a vending machine after passing through immigration control - payment is possible in cash, with Octopus or Macau Pass and via the mobile apps WeChat, M Pay, Alipay, Union Pass
- Manual tills after passing through immigration control - payment possible by all the above methods + VISA or Mastercard
Timetable and journey times
Buses from Hong Kong to Macau run 24/7.
Frequency during the day is approximately 5 minutes, early morning and later evening 10-15 minutes and overnight 15-30 minutes.
The journey over the 55 km long HZMB bridge takes approximately 45 minutes.
Transportation to HZMB HK Port
The Hong Kong side of the border crossing is called HZMB HK Port and is approximately 30 km from the city centre and 1.5 km from Hong Kong HKG Airport.
The journey from the city centre to the border crossing takes approximately 45-60 minutes. Only buses run directly to the border crossing.
Detailed information about connections can be found on the website: hzmb.gov.hk/en/local-public
Fast connection by buses of line "A"
The fastest way to get to all parts of Hong Kong is by using the "A" bus lines, which also serve as a shuttle service from central Hong Kong to the airport.
Depending on the destination, ticket prices vary between 45 hkd and 49 hkd.
Local buses + MTR metro
The cheapest transport to the city centre is a combination of bus and metro. Both bus lines run to the same metro line, the "Tung Chung Line" going to Kowloon and downtown Hong Kong.
- Bus B6 to Tung Chung Metro Station - price 5,10 hkd, frequency 15 minutes
- Bus B5 towards Sunny Bay subway station - price 6,10 hkd, frequency 20-30 minutes
The MTR Tung Chung Line subway goes to the city centre every 7 minutes and fares to Hong Kong cost 23,60 hkd from Tung Chung station or 21,50 hkd from Sunny Bay station.
The most convenient way to pay for tickets in Hong Kong is with the Octopus Card, which can be purchased at places such as the 7-Eleven mini-market in the arrivals hall.
For detailed information on getting around the city, see our guide to Getting around Hong Kong.
Transport to HZMB Macau
There are two bus routes from the Macau border crossing to the city centre.
- 101X - towards the centre on the main island of Macau (Praca Ferreira Amaral)
- 102X - towards the centre on the main island of Macau, Taipa Island and Henqin border crossing
Both lines run on average once every 10-15 minutes.
Fares cost 6 mop and can be paid in Hong Kong dollars for the same amount. You can only pay in exact cash.
Therefore, it is much more convenient to pay with the city card Macau Pass, which you can buy at the mini-market in the arrival hall of the border crossing.
For detailed information on travelling around Macau, see our guide to Transport in Macau.
Border crossing facilities
Both border terminals are housed in huge modern buildings, which house basic facilities for travellers.
On both the Hong Kong and Macau sides, there are mini-markets selling packaged food, where you can also purchase transport cards for local public transport.
There are also ATMs or toilets in each terminal.
Direct buses from central Macau to central Hong Kong
A cheaper and relatively comfortable alternative to boats are direct buses running from several casinos in Macau to the centre of Hong Kong's Kowloon district.
The service is operated by One Bus. Official information, timetables and online ticket booking can be found at onebus.hk.
Ticket prices and timetable
Buses run on average once an hour and the total journey time including border checks is around 120 minutes.
The first bus from Macau to Hong Kong leaves at 11:05am and the last bus leaves at 9:05pm.
On the other hand, the first bus from Hong Kong to Macau leaves at 8:00 am and the last bus doesn't leave until 6:00 pm.
Ticket prices vary on weekdays and weekends, and also according to the time of travel.
- 160 hkd - Weekdays before 18:00
- 180 hkd - weekends, holidays and weekdays after 18:00
On-site payment can only be made with cash or the mobile apps WeChat, Mpay or Union Pay.
Where are the bus stops?
Direct buses from downtown to downtown are convenient, especially for travel from Kowloon.
Hong Kong
The only bus stop within Hong Kong is called Jordan. However, it is not located directly at the subway station of the same name.
- [505 Canton Road (google.com/maps)
- Jordan Subway Station - 350 metres
- Austin Metro Station - 150 metres
- Battery Street Jordan bus stop
- search.kmb.hk - Lines 3C, 8, 11, 14, 36B, 46, 49, 81, 95, 203E, 287P, 287X
- citybus.com.hk - Lines 20A, 79P, 970, 970X, 971
Macau
Within Macau, buses stop at three major hotels.
- Sands Macau
- Public transport buses - lines 3A, 8, 12, 17, 17S, 60
- Londoner Macao
- Public transport buses - lines 15, 21A, 25, 26, 26A, 51X, 56, 73S, MT4
- Venetian Macao
- Public transport buses - lines 15, 21A, 25, 26, 26A, 51X, 56, 73S, MT4
For detailed information on travelling around Macau, please refer to the Macau Transport Guide.
What are the immigration controls?
During your trip, you will make two stops at border crossings.
Each time, you must disembark, take all your luggage (including large suitcases) and walk through the huge border crossing buildings into the transit zone.
The driver will always tell you on alighting which stop the bus will be waiting at after immigration control.
After passing through immigration control, always follow these signs to guide you to the appropriate stops.
- In Macau "Tourist Bus"
- In Hong Kong "Cross-Boundary Bus"
Macau Buses <-> China
Direct buses also run across the border to the cities of Zhuhai and Shenzhen in mainland China.
The service is operated by Kee Kwan Motor Road and Zhuhai Jiuzhou Travel & Transportation Co. However, neither company has a functioning website and non-Chinese travellers find it easier to cross the border on foot and continue on across China by train, whose station is just a few metres from the border crossing.
On foot
The border between China and Macau can also be crossed on foot at a place called Gongbei / Portas do Cerco (Barrier Gate), located in the very north of the Macau peninsula.
Border control can take several hours (even 3 hours) depending on the day of the week and time (the longest lines are on weekends and in the morning or evening after work on weekdays).
How to get to the border from Macau?
At the Portas do Cerco border crossing, there is a large hub of public bus lines that take you all over Macau.
- Praça Ferreira do Amaral - lines 3, 3AX, 25, 25AX, 25B
- West Coast (near the historic centre) - lines 1, 3, 3X, 10, 61, MT4
- Historic Centre - lines 17, 25, 25B
- Cotai Strip - lines 25, 25AX, 51A, 51X, MT4
- Outer Harbour - lines 3, 3X, 3AX, 10, 17, 17S
- Taipa Port and Macau Airport - lines 51A, 51X, MT4
- Coloane - lines 25
Helicopter
A very exotic option that can be accessed from Hong Kong or Shenzhen. This service is provided by SkyShuttle.
Heliports can be found at the following locations:
- Hong Kong - at the boat dock to Macau (Sheung Wan)
- Macau - at the wharf on the main island (Outer Harbour)
A one-way ticket costs 4 300 hkd and can be booked at: ticketing.skyshuttlevacation.com.