A Macau Day Trip from Hong Kong: Bus, Ferry, Money and Getting Around (as of November 2026)

From Hong Kong you can do Macau as a day trip, either on the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge shuttle bus or by ferry. This guide covers entry, getting there, local transport, money and sights, based on government and operator websites checked on November 3, 2026. Anything I could not confirm from an official source is marked unverified. I'm from mainland China and often take Japanese friends to Macau; my own picks are marked Author's recommendation.

Entering Macau on a Japanese passport

• Japanese passport holders need no visa and are normally given a stay of up to 90 days on arrival.
• Your passport must be valid for longer than your planned stay plus 90 days.
• You need a return or onward ticket.
• You may be asked to show you have enough money for your stay (at least MOP 5,000 for a stay of up to 7 days).

Source: Macao SAR Government portal (reproducing Public Security Police information) gov.mo/… . The Chinese Embassy in Japan also states that Japanese citizens get a 90-day visa exemption.

Hong Kong to Macau

HZMB shuttle bus ("Gold Bus")

Board at the Passenger Clearance Building of the Hong Kong Port of the bridge. It runs 24 hours.

Concessions cover children under 12 or under 1.2 m, people with disabilities, and those aged 65+. Tickets are sold at counters in the restricted area of the departure hall at the Hong Kong Port, at ticket machines and online (source: HZMB Hong Kong section hzmb.gov.hk/sc/cross-boundary.html ).

From the Hong Kong Port to the Macao Port, buses run every 5–10 minutes from 09:00 to 23:59, every 15–20 minutes from 06:15 to 08:59, and every 30 minutes from 00:00 to 06:14. Coming back (Macau → Hong Kong), they run every 5–10 minutes from 08:00 to 23:59 (source: official HZMBus site hzmbus.com ). On the Hong Kong side, local routes such as B4 (airport / AsiaWorld-Expo), B5 (Sunny Bay) and B6 (Tung Chung) go to the port.

The return fare and payment options at the Macao Port are only given on third-party sites, so they are unverified.

Ferry from the Hong Kong–Macau Ferry Terminal, Sheung Wan

TurboJET: Sheung Wan (Shun Tak Centre, 3/F, 200 Connaught Road Central) ↔ Macau Outer Harbour. About 60 minutes (source: TurboJET official site, timetable effective October 16, 2026).

• Sheung Wan → Outer Harbour: 16 daytime sailings from 07:30 to 18:00, plus night sailings at 19:30, 20:30, 21:30 and 22:30
• Outer Harbour → Sheung Wan: 16 daytime sailings from 07:30 to 18:00, plus night sailings at 19:00, 21:00, 22:00 and 23:00
• Economy, one way: weekdays HK$194 / weekends and holidays HK$212 / night (after 18:30) HK$242. HKD fares include Hong Kong departure tax.
• Check in at the gate at least 30 minutes before departure. Children aged 1 and over need a ticket.

Cotai Water Jet: Sheung Wan ↔ Taipa Ferry Terminal. Standard class is 192 on weekdays / 209 on weekends and holidays / 242 at night (HKD if bought in Hong Kong, MOP if bought in Macau). Booking on the official website gets a limited-quantity Standard fare of HK$165 for travel by November 30, 2026 (source: hk.cotaiwaterjet.com ).

Timetables change, so check the official site on the day.

Routes that don't work or couldn't be confirmed

• Hong Kong Airport SkyPier → Macau: both TurboJET and Cotai Water Jet say they currently offer charter sailings only. There is no scheduled ferry from the airport straight to Macau at the moment.
• China Ferry Terminal, Tsim Sha Tsui → Macau: TurboJET's official site lists only the Zhuhai route from this terminal. I found no official suspension notice, so the safe choice is the Sheung Wan ferry or the bridge bus.

Macau–Zhuhai border crossings (opening hours)

• Border Gate (Portas do Cerco; Gongbei Port on the Zhuhai side): arrival/departure halls 06:00 to 01:00 the next day
• Hengqin Port (Macau side): 24 hours
• HZMB Macao Port: Hong Kong–Macau hall 24 hours; Zhuhai–Macau hall 08:00–22:00

Source: Macau Public Security Police live border information. I have not checked the rules for entering mainland China (Zhuhai) on a Japanese passport from Macau.

Getting around Macau

Buses

• Cash fare: MOP 6.
• With an approved stored-value card such as Macau Pass: MOP 3 on regular routes, MOP 4 on express (X) routes, with transfer discounts within 45 minutes (60 minutes between the Peninsula and Coloane).
• Children 1 m tall or under ride free.
• Don't count on Alipay or WeChat Pay. Accounts verified with any ID other than a mainland Chinese ID card (for example a Japanese passport) cannot be used outside mainland China, including Hong Kong and Macau. Pay bus fares in cash (MOP or HKD) or with a transport card.
• Credit cards are not on DSAT's approved list.

Source: Transport Bureau (DSAT) dsat.gov.mo/…

Light Rail (Macao LRT)

• Taipa, Seac Pai Van and Hengqin lines: Monday–Thursday 06:30–23:15; Friday–Sunday and public holidays 06:30–23:59. On the Taipa Line, trains come every 5–10.5 minutes and an end-to-end trip takes about 28 minutes.
• Single-journey tickets: up to 3 stations MOP 6, up to 6 MOP 8, up to 9 MOP 10, up to 12 MOP 12. They are valid on the day of purchase only.
• The Taipa Line runs from Barra to Taipa Ferry Terminal, with stations including the Airport, Taipa Ferry Terminal and Lotus.

Source: Macao LRT mlm.com.mo .

Money and payments

• The legal currency is the pataca (MOP), pegged to the Hong Kong dollar at HK$1 = MOP 1.03 (source: Monetary Authority of Macao).
• For cash, bring MOP or HKD. I could not find an official source on whether shops accept US dollars or renminbi cash.
• Alipay and WeChat Pay won't work for you. Accounts verified with any ID other than a mainland Chinese ID card (for example a Japanese passport) cannot be used outside mainland China, including Hong Kong and Macau.
• Besides cash, Visa, Mastercard and Apple Pay can be used where shops accept them (source: Macao Government Tourism Office news, 2026-06-22). Acceptance varies by shop, so always carry cash. No Japanese e-wallet (such as PayPay) is on the published list.

Sights

Ruins of St. Paul's

An open-air ruin, free to visit. I could not check the exact opening-hours wording on the official page, so I won't give hours here.

Behind it, the Museum of Sacred Art and Crypt is open 09:00–18:00 (last entry 17:30), Tuesdays 09:00–14:00 only, open on public holidays, and free (source: Macao Museum macaumuseum.gov.mo ).

Senado Square

The square at the heart of the old city, featured in the Macao Government Tourism Office's walking routes.

Rua do Cunha (Taipa Village)

Macau's first pedestrian street, lined with souvenir and snack shops. Opening hours vary by shop (source: Macao Government Tourism Office).

Author's recommendations

Author's recommendation 1: 世紀麵包 bakery near the Border Gate A bakery I often stop at with Japanese friends. The pork chop bun (猪扒包) and chicken chop bun (鸡扒包) are tasty and cheap.

Author's recommendation 2: Hac Sa Beach (黑沙海灘), Coloane As the name says, it's a black-sand beach. You can see black sand without going all the way to Iceland.

Checklist before you go

• Japanese passport: no visa, up to 90 days. Check passport validity and carry a return ticket
• Hong Kong → Macau: bridge bus (24 hours) or ferry from Sheung Wan. No scheduled ferry from the airport SkyPier
• Bring MOP or HKD cash. Japanese e-wallets such as PayPay are not on the official acceptance list
• Buses: MOP 6 cash (discounted with a transport card). Alipay/WeChat Pay verified with a Japanese passport do not work in Macau
• The Museum of Sacred Art closes at 14:00 on Tuesdays
• Going on to Zhuhai: the Border Gate is open 06:00–01:00. Check mainland China entry rules separately

Fares and times were checked on November 3, 2026 and may change.