A more updated version of this article can be found here:
Hong Kong Travel Guide
Macau Travel Guide

2012 • 11 • 22

Hong Kong and Macau are great places to have a first out-of-the-country trip. This realization dawned on me as soon as I started touring these “modern and futuristic” cites. The culture is not too different to alienate Pinoy first-time tourists and not too similar to bore them. The region is also connected by an impressively expansive systems of transportation — from its world-class airport terminals to its vast train network (Hong Kong) to its reliable bus system. They have all their major tourist attractions easily accessible. They also make the cities very friendly to kids and elderly, an important criterion for ideal family vacations.

All these pogi points combined make it one of the best foreign cities for first-time overseas traveler. I have been to Hong Kong and Macau three times, and I enjoyed every single moment I spent there. If these two cities are in your travel plans, here are some tips that you might want to consider to help make your trip run smoothly.

Booking Flights

If possible, book a flight to Hong Kong and then take a return flight from Macau, or vice versa. This way, you get to see and discover both cities.

If there really is no way that you can do a Hong Kong entrance-Macau exit (or vice versa), you can also book a roundtrip ticket to either. That means you’re gonna have to take the 1-hour ferry ride to the other.

Finding a Place to Stay

Finding cheap accommodations in Hong Kong is easy. The Tsim Sha Tsui area is littered with guesthouses and hostels offering affordable rooms. They are also consistently cheap throughout the year, ranging from HK300-HK500 for a double room. Here’s a separate article on the places I have tried in Hong Kong.

Check Hong Kong Rates Here

Check Macau Rates Here

Macau is a different story. There are so many cheap hotels in Macau but their rates usually increase on weekends and skyrocket during peak seasons. Take my two most recent trips for example. In February, I booked a room with Fu Hua Guang Dong Hotel for only HKD668. In November, in the middle of Macau Grand Prix, the rates doubled, almost HKD1500 per night. There are also cheap, cheap guesthouses and inns in the city but the reviews online are horrible so I didn’t bother trying. This means that you need to book way in advance to snag a cheap room and make sure it’s on a weekday.

If you can’t find a place to stay in Macau that is within your budget range and you have a roundtrip ticket to Hong Kong, you can just visit Macau on a day tour. Take the early morning ferry from Hong Kong and return the same day. Macau is small and if you’re planning on just sightseeing, you can cover almost every major point of interest within the day. Make sure you have the energy.

Getting Around Hong Kong: Places to Visit

Hong Kong’s MTR system is your best friend in the city. It’s extensive, tourist-friendly, and relatively inexpensive. Buses are also efficient and very organized. Here are some places you don’t want to miss. Tap or click on the pics to reveal more info:

You might also find the following links useful:
Hong Kong Airport Guide
10 Kid-Friendly Places to Visit in HK
How to get to Avenue of Stars from Tsim Sha Tsui on Foot
How to get to Victoria Peak from Tsim Sha Tsui
How to get to Disneyland from Tsim Sha Tsui

Getting Around Macau: Places to Visit

The Historic Center of Macau harbors the most popular attractions. This includes the Ruins of St. Paul’s, the Senado Square, and A-ma Temple. Macau is a very walkable city, and most interesting sites are within walking distance of each other.

If you feel like your knees are not up for some great stroll, a good option is to take advantage of the free shuttle bus services provided by luxury hotels. Regular buses are also available, but make sure you have exact change. Here are some of the must-visit places in Macau. The pics lead to more info about the place.

Other useful links:
4 Must-See Hotel Attractions in Macau
5 Relaxing Parks and Gardens in Macau

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Building a Hong Kong-Macau Itinerary

If you enter Hong Kong and exit in Macau, everything should go smoothly. Experience Hong Kong first and then spend the last two days in Macau. This was my itinerary for a recent 4-day trip.

Day 1: NGONG PING, VICTORIA PEAK
07:55 am – ETD: NAIA Terminal 3 Airport
09:55 am – ETA: Hong Kong Airport
10:30 am – Take A21 Bus to Tsim Sha Tsui
11:20 am – Check-in at guesthouse
12:00 pm – Ngong Ping  (Tian Tan Buddha, Po Lin Monastery)
04:00 pm – Victoria Peak
07:30 pm – Avenue of Stars (Watch the Symphony of Lights)
09:30 pm – Sleep

Day 2: DISNEYLAND, MONG KOK
07:00 am – Wake up
08:15 am – Breakfast
11:00 am – Disneyland Hong Kong
08:00 pm – Disneyland Fireworks Show
09:30 pm – Mong Kok (Ladies’ Market, Temple Street Night Market, etc)
12:00 am – Sleep

Day 3: SENADO SQUARE, HOTELS/CASINOS
07:00 am – Wake up
08:00 am – Breakfast
10:00 am – ETD: Hong Kong China Ferry Terminal (or Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal)
11:00 am – ETA: Taipa Ferry Terminal (or Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal)
12:00 pm – City of Dreams: Watch Dragon’s Treasure at The Bubble
02:00 pm – The Venetian (Lunch at Food Court)
04:00 pm – Senado Square and St. Paul Ruins
07:00 pm – Wynn Hotel: Tree of Prosperity and Musical Fountain
09:00 pm – Checkin at Hotel in Macau

Day 4: MACAU HERITAGE
07:00 am – Checkout Hotel, Leave Baggage at Reception
08:00 am – Breakfast
09:00 am – Camoes Garden or Lou Lim Ioc Garden
11:00 am – A Ma Temple
12:30 pm – Lunch
02:00 pm – Guia Fortress or free time
06:00 pm – Pick up baggage at Hotel
07:00 pm – Have dinner and check-in at Airport
10:15 pm – ETD: Macau Airport
12:15 am – ETA: NAIA Terminal 3

Rule of thumb, always prioritize places that are farthest from the airport. For instance, if you have a roundtrip Hong Kong ticket and you wish to see Macau, explore the latter first and make your way back to Hong Kong in the next days. This way, you won’t have to hustle trying to catch your return flight. Here’s a sample itinerary.

Day 1: ARRIVAL IN HONG KONG, MACAU HOTELS, SENADO SQUARE
07:55 am – ETD: NAIA Terminal 3 Airport
09:55 am – ETA: Hong Kong Airport
10:30 am – Lunch
12:00 pm – Take Ferry from HK Airport to Macau
01:00 pm – ETA: Macau Ferry Terminal
02:00 pm – City of Dreams: Watch Dragon’s Treasure at The Bubble
03:00 pm – The Venetian (Lunch at Food Court)
05:00 pm – Senado Square and St. Paul Ruins
08:00 pm – Wynn Hotel: Tree of Prosperity and Musical Fountain
10:00 pm – Checkin at Hotel in Macau

Day 2: A MA TEMPLE, BACK TO HONG KONG
07:00 am – Wake up, Check out
08:00 am – A Ma Temple
10:00 am – Guia Fortress
12:00 pm – Lunch
01:00 pm – Take ferry to Hong Kong
02:00 pm – ETA: Hong Kong Ferry Terminal
03:00 pm – Check-in at Hotel in Hong Kong/Kowloon
04:00 pm – Victoria Peak
07:30 pm – Avenue of Stars (Watch the Symphony of Lights)
09:30 pm – Sleep

Day 3: NGONG PING, DISNEYLAND, MONG KOK
07:00 am – Wake up
08:15 am – Breakfast
10:00 am – Ngong Ping (Po Lin Monastery, Tian Tan Temple)
12:00 pm – Disneyland
08:00 pm – Disneyland Fireworks Show
09:30 pm – Mong Kok (Ladies’ Market, Temple Street Night Market, etc)
12:00 am – Sleep

Day 4: DEPARTURE
07:00 am – Wake up
09:00 am – Buy pasalubong, walk around the city, or visit museums
05:00 pm – Have dinner and check-in at Airport
08:45 pm – ETD: Macau Airport
10:35 pm – ETA: Clark Airport

I have to warn you, though, that these itineraries can get extremely exhausting because it involves a lot of walking. Ngong Ping, Disneyland, and Mongkok in one day is no joke and can be physically painful. You might want to adjust this if you have kids or elderly with you.

Budget Breakdown

If you’re going to follow the first itinerary above (4D3N Hong Kong-Macau), here’s how much you would probably spend. If you decide to use this as basis of your trip, please do so at your own risk. This is based on my trip in 2012 and figures might have been outdated already. Still, this should somehow manage your expectations as far as budget is concerned. Also, this is based on two people traveling. As usual, you can cut down cost if there are more of you in the group splitting almost everything.

• HONG KONG LEG
  HK$ 500 – Taisan Guesthouse (2 nights at HK$500/night, divided by 2 pax)
  HK$ 100 – Octopus Card
  HK$ 17 – Bus to Ngong Ping (HK$135 if you take the cable car)
  HK$ 75 – Victoria Peak Tram and Skypass
  HK$ 350 – Disneyland Ticket
  HK$ 140 – Food Expenses
  HK$ 159 – Ferry: Hong Kong to Macau
  HK$ 1341 (PHP 7587) – SUB TOTAL
• MACAU LEG
  MOP 334 – Fu Hua Guang Dong (1 night at MOP668, divided by 2 pax)
  MOP 50 – Dragon’s Treasure Ticket (City of Dreams)
  MOP 80 – Food Expenses
  MOP 40 – Incidentals (water, bus ride, etc.)
  MOP 504 (PHP 2763) – SUB TOTAL

TOTAL: PHP 10,350

The above figure does not cover airfare and other airport fees (Departure Fee of P550 and Travel Tax of P1650). Much of the expenses were for the entrance fees, with Disneyland taking the bulk.

But if you’re traveling on a really tight budget, there are a lot of things you can do in Hong Kong and Macau for FREE. Here are some suggestions:

10 FREE Things to Do in Macau
7 FREE Things to Do in Hong Kong

Additional Tips

Here are some more tips that you might want to consider.

• Get an Octopus Card at the airport. Almost every form of transportation we used accepted Octopus Cards. We didn’t have to worry about coins or change. All we need to do was flash the card when boarding the bus or train. You might want to do the same. You can have it for HKD100 plus HKD50 deposit. Unused credits are refundable and the deposit for the card can be claimed back.
• Grab a map or guide booklets at the Hong Kong Tourism section at the airport. The MTR and bus route maps are particularly useful.
• Exchange only a little at the airport. There are many Money Changers with much better rates at Tsim Sha Tsui area.
• If you’re hotel or guesthouse is just along Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, take the A21 bus instead of the MTR. The bus passes right through. If you take the MTR, you’re gonna have to change trains at least twice.
• In Macau, you can take advantage of the FREE shuttle buses operated by hotels to get to your next stop. For example, from the ferry terminal you can take the Venetian shuttle to get to Venetian. You can cross the road to City of Dreams afterwards and after doing your thing there, take the bus at the basement of the hotel to the city center. (To get to Senado Square, take the shuttle going to Sintra.)

That’s about it! Have a safe trip and enjoy your trip to Hong Kong and Macau! If you have questions, just post a comment below and I’ll see what I can do to help you.

*Additional thumbnails courtesy of DiscoverHongKong.com and Tourism.gov.hk