4-Day Macau Independent Tour
Before going to Macau, I looked at many tour group itineraries but felt they didn't suit my preferences. Most of them focused on checking in at Ruins of St. Paul's, Lovers' Lane, Fisherman's Wharf, Rua do Cunha, the fountain and cable car at Wynn Palace, the artificial sky and gondolas at The Venetian Macao, and the Figure-8 Ferris wheel at Studio City. However, the 'Historic Centre of Macau', which is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, was rarely visited. As a result, many tourists only know to see the Ruins of St. Paul's in Macau, eat an Andrew's Portuguese egg tart, and then go to casinos and shopping. In fact, the 'Historic Centre of Macau' is a historic district centered on Macau's old city, connected by adjacent squares and streets. It includes 22 buildings and 8 squares listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites. Wandering through this historic area feels like stepping into a Southern European town or traveling back to the 1920s and 1930s, with a blend of Chinese and Western elements, old and new, historical vicissitudes, and artistic freshness. Therefore, I chose Ctrip's 4-day independent tour package (2055 RMB per person, including only round-trip airfare and three nights at Hotel Lisboa), and planned my own itinerary as follows:
Day 1: At 16:50, take Air Macau flight NX135 from Shanghai Pudong Airport, arriving at Macau Airport at 19:45; take a bus (6 MOP per person) to check into Hotel Lisboa. In the evening, walk around and explore the area inside and outside Grand Lisboa, then return to Hotel Lisboa to visit the many noteworthy Ho family collectibles in the lobby.
Day 2: Macau Peninsula tour, covering the following within the 'Historic Centre of Macau': A-Ma Temple, Moorish Barracks, Chapel of Our Lady of Penha (Penha Church), Lilau Square, Mandarin's House, St. Lawrence's Church (Feng Shun Tang), St. Joseph's Seminary and Church, St. Augustine's Square, Dom Pedro V Theatre, Sir Robert Ho Tung Library, St. Augustine's Church, Leal Senado Building, Senate Square, Sam Kai Vui Kun (Kuan Tai Temple), Holy House of Mercy, Cathedral (Cathedral of the Nativity of Our Lady), Lou Kau Mansion, St. Dominic's Church, Ruins of St. Paul's, Na Tcha Temple, Section of the Old City Walls, Mount Fortress, St. Anthony's Church, Casa Garden, Protestant Cemetery, Camões Square, etc., covering the 22 buildings and 4 squares listed as UNESCO World Heritage.
Day 3: Morning tour of Macau Peninsula: visit Jardim da Flora, Fortaleza da Guia (including Guia Lighthouse and Chapel of Our Lady of Guia); take a bus to Taipa Island at noon, visit Rua do Cunha, Taipa Houses–Museum, Carmo Square, Our Lady of Carmel Church, The Venetian Macao (see the artificial sky and gondolas, then browse the hotel's shopping mall), view Studio City (Figure-8 Ferris wheel) from the bus, and Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal.
Day 4: Go to 'Wa Fung Dim Sum', a local favorite, for freshly made Cantonese morning tea. Take bus 3A to see the Guanyin statue by the sea, the sunrise over the ocean, the Roman-style Colosseum replica at Fisherman's Wharf, the golden lotus at the Lotus Square; at 11:00, take Hotel Lisboa's free shuttle to the airport and return to Shanghai Pudong Airport.
Since I lost one day, I gave up attractions like Hac Sa Beach on Coloane Island.
February 15: Walking tour of Macau Peninsula Historic Centre
Playing badminton with locals at Camões Square!
Casa Garden building at Camões Square.
St. Anthony's Church (also known as Flower King Church).
Looking down from the second-floor museum corridor of the Holy House of Mercy towards Senado Square!
Second-floor museum corridor of the Holy House of Mercy.
General Post Office building.
Inside the General Post Office building!
Leal Senado Building (Municipal Affairs Bureau).
Inside the Municipal Affairs Bureau.
Small garden inside the Municipal Affairs Bureau!
Crossing the street through an alley leads to St. Augustine's Square.
Macau historic district (near St. Augustine's Square).
Path leading to St. Augustine's Square.
St. Augustine's Church at St. Augustine's Square.
St. Augustine's Church sanctuary.
Pulpit inside the sanctuary.
Sir Robert Ho Tung Library at St. Augustine's Square.
St. Joseph's Seminary at St. Augustine's Square.
Descending the slope leads to St. Lawrence's Church (Feng Shun Tang) in the Macau historic district.
This alley leads to the sea.
Opposite this Western-style building is St. Lawrence's Church (Feng Shun Tang).
St. Lawrence's Church in the Macau historic district.
Lilau Square in the Historic Centre of Macau.
The end of this Lilau Street leads to Penha Hill.
This is the Penha Hill lookout on Penha Hill.
View from the Penha Hill lookout.
Chapel of Our Lady of Penha, also known as Penha Church, or Our Lady of the Sea Chapel. It stands on Penha Hill, one of the highest points of the Macau Peninsula.
In front of the church is a wide platform, at the end of which stands a marble statue of the Virgin Mary.
From the platform of the Chapel of Our Lady of Penha, you can see the Macau Tower in the distance.
From the platform of the Chapel of Our Lady of Penha, you can see the Grand Lisboa in the distance.
An unidentified plant photographed on the way to A-Ma Temple.
The Maritime Museum at A-Ma Temple Square.
Moorish Barracks in the Historic Centre of Macau.
Alley outside the walls of Mandarin's House.
Entrance to Mandarin's House.
Architectural features of Mandarin's House.
The twelve-panel screen in the rear hall forms a 'longevity screen', whose carving craftsmanship is the most exquisite and refined among the wood carvings in Mandarin's House.
St. Joseph's Seminary Church in the Macau historic district.
St. Joseph's Seminary Church.
Alley leading to the Cathedral!
The Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of the Nativity of Our Lady!
Cathedral Square, European style!
The lane where Lou Kau Mansion is located.
Wood carving of the door bolt at Lou Kau Mansion.
Lou Kau Mansion blends Chinese and Western architecture, unique!
'Ruins of the Old Ghosts' (Lung Kai Tu) under the setting sun has a strong nostalgic feel!
Narrow alleys in the Historic Centre of Macau, but many cars and motorcycles shuttle through.
Instagram-famous spot: Rua da Felicidade – San Va Hotel, filming location for the movies '2046' and 'The Casino'.
Rua da Felicidade was once a red-light district.
Portuguese restaurant 'Fat Siu Lau' on Rua da Felicidade, but reservations must be made one day in advance.
The Grand Lisboa photographed in the morning at the Flora Garden, shining golden.
The Grand Lisboa photographed on Estrada do Engenheiro Trigo, juxtaposed with old residential buildings in a time warp!
February 16 morning: Visit Jardim da Flora, take the shortest cable car to Colina da Guia, then go to Guia Hill to see the lighthouse, fort, and small chapel!
The cable car costs only 5 MOP round trip!
Unknown red flower balls in the park.
Fortaleza da Guia (also known as Guia Fortress, Colina da Guia Fortress), located on Guia Hill, the highest point of the Macau Peninsula.
This ancient fort was built in the 17th century and is one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Macau.
Fortaleza da Guia is one of the oldest surviving Western-style fort complexes in China.
This is the Chapel of Our Lady of Guia and Guia Lighthouse inside Fortaleza da Guia!
Inside the Chapel of Our Lady of Guia.
Large bell by the chapel.
Check-in at the marked spot on the map!
Panoramic view of the Macau Peninsula from here!
February 16 noon: Taipa Island
Alley leading to Rua do Cunha!
The short 50-meter Rua do Cunha is packed with people!
This path leads to Our Lady of Carmel Church without climbing stairs!
This fresh and artistic path also leads to Our Lady of Carmel Church!
Climb these high steps to reach Our Lady of Carmel Church!
Before 12:00, the area in front of Our Lady of Carmel Church is very lively; this small square in front of the church is called Carmo Square.
But around 13:00, the front of Our Lady of Carmel Church is completely empty!
Walking around the surroundings of Our Lady of Carmel Church is quiet and elegant.
Going down from the church, there is a beautiful large garden.
Adjacent to the Cross Garden is one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Macau, 'Taipa Houses–Museum', which consists of five beautiful green Portuguese-style buildings.
Street view of Taipa Island!
Walk from Rua do Cunha to The Venetian Macao on Taipa Island.
See the artificial sky and gondolas inside The Venetian Macao.
Take The Venetian Macao's free shuttle to the Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal, then take Hotel Lisboa's free shuttle back to Hotel Lisboa for rest! Make good use of the free shuttles of major hotels to travel between Macau Peninsula and Taipa Island.
