HOW TO GO FROM HONG KONG TO MACAO: FERRY, BUS AND TOUR

At first glance, Macao and Hong Kong could look like two very similar cities / states. Both are territories linked to China, which remained under European rule during the last centuries. But with a little nuance: Hong Kong was controlled by England while Macau's control fell to Portuguese hands. So they traveled a parallel path in history, but their hearts could not be more different. Therefore, it is super recommended to make an escape to neighboring Macao from Hong Kong. If this is your case, we will tell you how to get from Hong Kong to Macao: both by ferry (the option we use) and by bus.

First of all you have to know that, both Hong Kong and Macao, are divided into several territories, and have different ferry terminals. Let's see each one:

Ferry terminals in Hong Kong

The two most important are:

• China Ferry Terminal: in the Kowloon area (Location)
• Hong Kong (Sheung Wan): on Hong Kong Island (Location)
• There are others less interesting for our trip, such as Tuen Mun and the airport ferry terminal.

We used the Kowloon terminal and it was a bit weird to arrive: it is inside the China Hong Kong City shopping center, you will have to go up to the second floor.

Ferry terminals in Macau

Also Macao has two ferry terminals:

• Macau Outer Ferry Terminal: in the city of Macao itself (Location)
• Taipa Ferry Terminal: on the island of Taipa, south of Macao (Location)

Ferry Companies

There are two companies that travel by ferry between Hong Kong and Macao:

Both have the same prices, but if you want to visit the center of Macau, you are only interested in TurboJet, since it is the only one of the two that arrives at the Outer Ferry Terminal.

How much does the ferry from Hong Kong to Macao cost?

As we anticipate, both companies have the same prices for this tour, which changes depending on the day of the week you travel:

• Monday to Friday: 171 HK $ (€ 20)
• Saturdays and Sundays: HK $ 186 (€ 21.5)
• Returns are usually a little cheaper

You can book tickets online on their websites, although we went directly to the terminal and bought them there a few minutes before leaving. The prices are the same online and at the box office and from what we saw, there are no discounts for buying round trip.

It can be paid in cash (both in Hong Kong dollars and Macaeca pataca) and by credit card.

We advise you to take a look at the website of Klook They usually have offers and discounts:

Hours and duration

The distance that separates Hong Kong from Macao is about 70km and the ferry takes approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.

As for the departure times, here we leave them:

Although we recommend that you visit the companies website to ensure:

• TurboJet schedules
• Cotai schedules

Border Crossing Process

The passport and boarding control process is very simple and is done in a few minutes (in fact we arrived 10 minutes before the ferry left, without the tickets, and it gave us time). It would be like this:

1. You go to the company's box office and buy your ticket (in the case of Kowloon, on the second floor of the China Hong Kong City Mall).
2. You pass a ticket control.
3. You pass a passport control, which is usually automatic (although there are workers who help you scan your passport).
4. You go to the boarding gate, as in an airport, and before boarding the boat you pass another ticket control.
5. In Macao you will have to pass your border control, in the window that says “Visitors”. There they will give you a sealed piece of paper that will be your entry permit. And ready!

The return process will be exactly the same, although to overcome the control of Hong Kong you will have to deliver the filled Arrival Card (like the one you delivered to your arrival in Hong Kong through the airport).

Since the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) was inaugurated in October 2018, it is much simpler get to Macao from Hong Kong by highway. This section, of a total of 55 km, which consists of 3 elevated bridges and an underwater tunnel, was one of the bestial engineering works and is the longest sea crossing in the world. And of course, it is the one used if you arrive in Macao from Hong Kong by bus.

There is two options To make this journey:

• Take a bus direct between Hong Kong and Macao
• Drink two buses different: the first from Hong Kong to Hong Kong Port (where the bridge starts) and from there another bus to Macao. Here you can see all the lines.

Obviously, the best way to forget about trouble is the first. But remember that you will have to get off the bus at the border, take all your things, and pass customs controls, then follow the route to Macao. Two companies that operate this route are One Bus and HK Mo Expresss. It costs around HKD and the journey takes just over 2 hours.

You can also book online with some offers on the Klook website.

Of course, there is also the option of joining an organized day tour from Hong Kong to visit Macau. This includes the following:

• Hotel pickup
• Roundtrip transportation to the port of Hong Kong
• Ferry trip to Macau
• Guided city tour (in English)
• Food

These are all transport options for those who wonder how to get from Hong Kong to Macao, we hope you have it clearer now and do not miss the opportunity to know this amazing city!