... visit unique markets and festivals, indulge at your favorite patisserie, and enjoy nights at rooftop bars ...

Senado Square decorated with red lanterns during Chinese New Year. Image credit: Shutterstock

Shop

Pastéis de nata. Image credit: Shutterstock

Whiffs of buttery puff pastry and sweet custard drift through Macau’s streets and alleyways. A sweeter crème brûlée-like variation of the Portuguese pastéis de nata, egg tarts are sold across the city, but the best can be found at Lord Stow’s Bakery. The decades-old confectioner makes the tarts from scratch throughout the day, so you can buy them still warm straight from the oven. For added local flavor, try to visit the original shop in Coloane. lordstow.com

Eat & Drink

Macau Tower stands sentinel above SaiVan Bridge and the surrounding area. Image credit: Shutterstock

Thrill-seekers should aim for Macau Tower, a 1,109-foot-high entertainment center at the edge of the Pearl River Estuary. Zoom to the top in a new glass-fronted elevator, where you’ll find an array of restaurants and an observation deck with a hair-raising skywalk around the building’s outer rim. If that’s not terrifying enough, try a bungee jump from 764 feet, the highest commercial bungee leap in the world. macautower.com.mo Visit macaotourism.gov.mo for more.

Explore

From Chinese New Year celebrations to musical extravaganzas and huge sporting contests, Macau has a festival or event for every month of the year. Catch lion dances and Cantonese opera performances during A-Ma Festival in April; make a splash at the Dragon Boat Races in June; or rev up at the Macau F3 Grand Prix in November.

Insider's Tip

Image credit: Shutterstock

NEIGHBORHOODS

Image credit: Shutterstock

Eat & Drink

Shop

Classic Cantonese

Portuguese comfort food

Egg tart treats

Art and antiques

Hit the shops

Historic neighborhoods

Coloane calling

Adrenaline rush

A 10-minute walk from the Ruins of Saint Paul’s, 3 Sardines is the passion project of three young Portuguese chefs. On the mezzanine deck there are reclaimed TAP airline seats and vintage bicycles strapped to the wall. Below, wooden tables are crammed between vintage TVs, radios, and travel posters. But the authentic Portuguese petiscos – small plates of crusty white bread, cured hams, cod croquettes, and buttery beef pastries – are the main attraction.

Kapok is a beloved Cantonese restaurant that has been a part of the Taipa landscape for more than 60 years. Behind its marble and gold frontage, the decor remains almost unchanged, featuring brass ceiling fans, Lingnan stained-glass screens, rosewood booths, and waitstaff in white tunics. The menu veers toward the classics, too. Go for dim sum and order plump prawn siu mai dumplings, skewers of fish balls, and roast pork and apple puffs.

Originally built as a thoroughfare between the old Christian Quarter and Chinatown, the pastel-colored mansions, percolating fountains, and black-and-white paved streets of Senado Square are among Macau’s most popular attractions. Away from the big-name stores, browse market stalls selling oil paintings, watercolors, costume jewelry, and silk scarves. Fuel up on street food as you go. Favorite local snacks include Hot-Star fried chicken and egg waffles smeared with condensed milk and peanut butter.

Offshooting the Ruins of Saint Paul’s, Rua de São Paulo is the place to find authentic Chinese antiques. Bronze horses, red velvet beds of ancient coins, framed calligraphy, Buddhist iconography, jade “money gardens,” and elegant ceramics tempt visitors in from the street. Inside, you’ll find original and reproduction rosewood tables, chairs, cabinets, and altar tables. Genuine antiques come with strict provenance certification and shipping can be easily arranged for a very reasonable fee.

A former pirate haven, the southern island of Coloane is the green and peaceful flipside to the action-packed city and casino zone. Start your day exploring the old fishing village, where a maze of streets lead to Crayola-colored tong lau (tenements), Portuguese mansions, and incensed-smoked temples. Later, dive in with the locals at Hac Sa Beach, a mile-long stretch of gently sloping sands leading to the warm waters of the South China Sea.

Built in 1640 by Jesuit priests, only the wedding cake façade of the Ruins of Saint Paul’s survived the devastating fire of 1835. Set atop 68 wide, stone steps, the frontispiece is Macau’s most recognizable attraction – and also its most popular. Get there early in the morning to avoid the crowds and then Segway uphill toward Guia Hill, home to 17th-century battlements, an ancient cannon, and the oldest European lighthouse in Asia. Later, wander back down through the Jardim do São Francisco with its the collection of peaceful floral gardens, beautiful stone balustrades, octagonal pavilions, and a Castilian convent.

Travelers

Best Rate Guarantee About Us Philanthropy Careers

Global Directory American Destinations International Destinations

Destinations

Partners & Press

Preferred Meetings & Events Press Center Travel Partners Travel Professionals Become a Member Hotel Become an Alliance Partner PreferredNet

Offers

Discover Offers I Prefer Gift Cards

* Actual rate may vary based on date, room type, and availability. Enter dates to determine more accurate rates for your search.

Download the App

#ThePreferredLife

Cookies & Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Modify a Reservation

1 (866) 990-9491

International Phone Lines

* Actual rate may vary based on date, room type, and availability. Enter dates to determine more accurate rates for your search.

#ThePreferredLife

Partners & Press

Preferred Meetings & Events Press Center Travel Partners Travel Professionals Become a Member Hotel Become an Alliance Partner PreferredNet

Cookies & Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Modify a Reservation

Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

Offers

Discover Offers I Prefer Gift Cards

Global Directory American Destinations International Destinations

Destinations

Travelers

Best Rate Guarantee About Us Philanthropy Careers

1 (866) 990-9491

Image credit: Shutterstock

Macau’s downtown city skyline with the distinctive flower-shaped Grand Lisboa, which houses one of many casinos in the area. Image credit: Shutterstock

Image credit: Shutterstock. Maroon Bells and Maroon Lake are roughly ten miles from Aspen

The former Portuguese colony of Macau might be best known as the Las Vegas of the East, but the pocket-sized territory still offers plenty of cultural punch.

Macau

BY Amiee White Beazley

72 Hours in...

By Jennifer Walker

Vienna

72 Hours in...

December 2024 (Volume 26)

The hip ’hood

VIEW Hotels

Where To Stay in Macau

View Hotels

Where To Stay in San Antonio

The pastel-colored mansions, percolating fountains, and black-and-white paved streets of Senado Square are among Macau’s most popular attractions

One of Macau’s most beautiful neighborhoods, the Saint Lazarus district – also known as the Leprosy Quarter – dates back to the 16th century. Like its namesake, the area is currently undergoing something of a revival thanks to an influx of small indy boutiques, such as Collectore, a kitschy-cool curiosity shop selling everything from old Happy Meal toys to neon signs. Keep wandering and you’ll also find fashion, craft shops, art galleries, and cafés.

The hip ’hood

December 2024 (Volume 26)

More Inspiration

Quebec City

French-speaking Quebec City strikes a romantic pose, from ...

72 Hours in ...

In Love with New York

Experience all that this dynamic city has to offer

Destination: New York

Endless Inspiration

Wander through some of New York City’s diverse and captivating museums

Destination: New York

Nashville

The country music capital of the world offers a wealth of indulgent eateries, ...

72 Hours in ...

Endless Inspiration

Wander through some of New York City’s diverse and captivating museums

Destination: New York

Nashville

The country music capital of the world offers a wealth of indulgent eateries, ...

72 Hours in...

More Inspiration

Read Vol 26 Now

Where To Stay

View All Issues

Life & Arts

Food & Drink

Experiences

Inspiration

Middle East & Africa

Central & South America

Caribbean

Asia & Pacific

Europe

North America

Top Destinations

Destinations

Where To Stay

View All Issues

Life & Arts

Food & Drink

Experiences

Inspiration

Middle East & Africa

Central & South America

Caribbean

Asia & Pacific

Europe

North America

Top Destinations

Destinations

Experiences Food & Drink Life & Arts

Inspiration

Top Destinations North America Europe Asia & Pacific Carribean Central & South America

Destinations

Destinations Inspiration View All Issues Where to Stay