Macau Attractions: What to See in Macao China

Macau may be the casino capital of the world, but there’s so many things to do in Macau China beyond gambling, resorts and shopping. It may surprise you to learn that Macau (or ‘Macao’) is a former Portuguese settlement, and has pockets of old Macau where East meets West with well-preserved European colonial buildings and Chinese influences. Check out the top 10 Macau tourist spots that you can’t miss on your Macau trip! 

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1. See the Glitz of the Cotai Strip with Hotels and Casinos

A trip to Macau wouldn’t be complete without marvelling at the glitz and glamour of the Cotai Strip resorts, hotels, casinos, shops, restaurants and clubs. The Cotai Strip is like a mini-Vegas filled with bright lights and ostentatious hotels, and is what most people imagine when they think of Macau tourist spots.

In fact, Macau is the biggest gambling destination in the world by revenue outstripping even Las Vegas (wow!), and is the only place in China where casinos are legal. Macau is very popular with wealthy Mainland Chinese who love to gamble. Even if casinos ain’t your thang, you’ll have a blast gawking at the bright lights and ogling at the rich gamblers clad in sports-luxe Gucci and Chanel.

Highlights of the Cotai Strip include exploring the casinos, restaurants and shops at the Parisian Macao Hotel Resort and the Venetian Macao Hotel Resort (2 and 3 below) and catching a show (4 below).

2. Views from the Eiffel Tower at the Parisian Hotel

Views from my room at The Parisian Macao

The Parisian Macao Hotel Resort is rather resplendent French-themed hotel, casino and shopping complex, complete with a half size replica of Paris’s Eiffel Tower. Yup, that’s a 525 foot / 160 meter Eiffel Tower just hanging out the front of a 3000 room hotel!

It’s worth paying 108MOP (around $20) to ascend the elevator up the Eiffel Tower to the viewing platform on the 37th floor. Visit at night to see the Cotai Strip lit up with bright lights, and stay to watch the musical light show when the Eiffel Tower flashes colourful lights to a backdrop of music.

We stayed in the Parisian Hotel in Macau and absolutely loved it for its beautiful rooms, OTT European style, relaxing swimming pool complex and central location. I’m usually more an old town kinda gal, but am glad we went for the quintessential Macao hotel experience!

Book The Parisian: Booking.com | HotelsCombined

3. Wander the Grand Canal of the Venetian Hotel

The Venetian Macao Hotel Resort is another opulent European styled hotel right next door to The Parisian, this time with (you guessed it!) a romantic Venice theme. The Venetian is modelled on its sister hotel in Las Vegas, and includes the biggest casino in the world with a mind-boggling 550,000 metres of gambling space, the largest mall in Macau packed with luxury brands, an incredible 3000 rooms, and a massive 15,000 seat Cotai Arena for concerts and other events. (Where I *may* have seen the Backstreet Boys perform!)

The highlight of the Venetian Hotel is the Grand Canal, where canals filled with water wind through luxury shops, complete with authentic Venetian gondolas and fake Venetian shop facades, all housed beneath an artificial blue sky with painted clouds. Yup, it’s as surreal as it sounds and somehow manages to be equal parts gaudy and beautiful. You can even take an indoor or outdoor ride in a gondola and be serenaded by the gondola driver!

The Venetian is another great hotel option in Macau. I visited friends who were staying at The Venetian, and it’s certainly a sight to behold with grand luxury rooms and lobbies.

Book The Venetian: Booking.com | HotelsCombined

4. Be Wowed at the House of Dancing Water Show

Spot the performers flying through the air at the House of Dancing Water Show in Macau!

What can I say, the House of Dancing Water Show Macau is quite possibly the BEST show I have ever seen. Big call I know, but it’s been a long time since I’ve seen something this unique.

The House of Dancing Water Show is a water-based stage show and is a high-action mix of dancing, diving, acrobatics and theatre, with a splash of surrealism. While there’s a rather loose classic good vs. evil love storyline (still not sure how the motorbikes fit into that!), the water and acrobatics are the stand-out features of this show.

The set is nothing short of spectacular, and features a stage that changes from being a solid floor which motorbikes fly across, to a shallow pool where ballerinas gracefully dance through water fountains, to an incredible 26 foot diving pool where divers land after flying somersaults through the sky. Expect to be wowed, and to come away buzzing.

The show took 5 years and a staggering $250 million to prepare, and has already been seen by millions of spectators, making it one of the top Macau attractions. Unsurprisingly, many of the performers are ex-professional gymnasts and divers, and there’s also a team of professional divers underwater with respirators for the performers.

The House of Dancing Water is located at the City of Dreams, just across the road from The Venetian. The theatre is a circular 270 degree theatre (similar to Cirque du Soleil), where the performers use the entire stage so all seats offer good views of the action. We had B-Reserve tickets in the second rows, which offered incredible views and an immersive experience due to the splash! Don’t worry, those at the front are offered ponchos to keep you dry. The show is approximately 90 minutes.

Keen to see the most popular show in Macau yourself? Buy your tickets to the Dancing Water Show here!

5. Get Lost in the Historic Centre of Macau’s Old Town

Senado Square, Macau Historic Centre

I absolutely love picturesque old towns like Hoi An in Vietnam, and was definitely not disappointed by the UNESCO World Heritage Historic Centre of Macau. In fact, I was a little surprised to find such a beautiful and well preserved old town in Macau, given that it’s mainly famous for casinos!

Macau is a former Portuguese colony, and the Historic Centre has a unique mix of Chinese and Portuguese culture, heritage and architecture. Expect to see old Chinese temples like the A-Ma Temple built in 1488 in one block, followed by brightly coloured Portuguese style buildings like those that line Senado Square just down the road.

The Macau old town is relatively compact and easy to navigate, with frequent signs in English pointing you in the right direction to the main sights. Wandering aimlessly around the old town was definitely one of my favorite things to do in Macau.

6. Check out the Ruins of St Paul’s Church

The Ruins of St Paul’s are one of the highlights of the Macau old town. St Paul’s Ruins are the crumbling remains of the Church of St Paul’s and St Paul’s College, which were largely destroyed by a fire in 1835.

Today, all that remains of the religious structure is a remarkably well preserved 25 metre high baroque style facade. The church’s design is unique, and again reflects the East-West mix that Macau is famous for. The facade is filled with intricate carvings with European and Asian influences including Christian images, Chinese characters, a Portuguese ship and a resting skeleton.

7. Walk up Guia Fortress for Views of Macau

Guia Fortress is a 17th century fort, lighthouse and chapel on top of Guia Hill, the highest point in Macau. Get your blood pumping with a short but steep walk up the hill (don’t worry, it’s pretty low!) and be rewarded with sweeping views over Macao. Walking not your jam? Take a short cable car ride to the top which is as cheap as chips.

Guia Fortress is easy to navigate, with regular signs in English to provide directions. There’s a few paths on your way up and around the top of the hill, most of which offer panoramic views over the city. You can also walk through the old military tunnels near the top where historic photos line the walls.

8. Explore Taipa Village

Taipa Village is another charming slice of old Macau, this time perfectly preserved right next to the Cotai Casino Strip. Take the 10 minute walk over the travelator (moving walkway) direct from The Venetian Hotel to Taipa Village.

Taipa Village is a mix of well preserved Portuguese colonial architecture and Chinese buildings and temples. Highlights of Taipa Village include the Taipa Houses Museum, Our Lady of Carmel Church (photo above), Pak Tai Temple and the Museum of Taipa and Coloane History.

Taipa Village is also a well known Macau foodie destination. Once you’re done wandering around the narrow streets of Taipa, grab lunch at one of the excellent Portuguese restaurants like local institution Antonio or Tapas de Portugal.

9. Say Awww at the Giant Panda Pavilion

For a dose of the awwwww factor, visit Macau’s Giant Panda Pavilion to see the endangered species up close. Pandas are extraordinarily comical animals, and provide hours of amusement with their clumsy antics. However, they’re also notorious for being rather sleepy creatures, so hopefully you don’t catch them during a long nap!

When I visited the Giant Panda Pavilion at around 11am, one panda was sleeping like a baby and the another two were clumsily rolling around their enclosure. The Giant Panda Pavilion is also home to a few gorgeous red pandas and monkeys.

Entry to the Macau Giant Panda Pavilion is a bargain at just 10 MOP (less than US$1.50). The Pavilion is open from 10am-1pm and 2pm-5pm daily, with tickets sold in one hour sittings.

10. Have Portuguese Lunch at Fernando’s Restaurant

Fernando’s Restaurant is a bit of an institution in Macau, serving up casual and delicious Portuguese cuisine in a cosy venue. Chicken and sangria near the beach. That’s pretty much all you need to know.

Grab a spot at the back of the restaurant for the best ambience. As at October 2019, Fernando’s is cash only so bring along some MOP. Fernando’s doesn’t take bookings, but you can relax in the courtyard while you wait for your table.

After lunch, take a walk along the beach near the restaurant and, if you have time, pop over to the island’s south-west and explore nearby Coloane Village. Coloane Village is yet another pretty historic area of Macau with colorful Portuguese colonial buildings, including the bright yellow Chapel of St Francis Xavier.

Fernando’s Restaurant and Coloane Village combine well with the nearby Giant Panda Pavilion (9 above).

I hope these awesome things to do in Macau have convinced you that Macao’s tourist spots are much more than just casinos. Plan your trip to Macau today! 

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