How to Get from Hong Kong to Macau: Ferry vs Bridge Bus

There are two sensible answers to how to get from Hong Kong to Macau, and the choice comes down to one question: do you want to leave from the middle of the city, or do you want to pay a third of the price? The high-speed ferry from Sheung Wan takes about an hour and costs a bit under HK$200 in economy. The shuttle bus across the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge costs around HK$65 and runs all night, but it leaves from a port out by the airport, so you have to get there first.

The two are about 66km apart by sea, there is no train, and nothing you can walk. So: boat or bus. Here is how each actually works.

The ferry: Sheung Wan to Macau in about an hour

This is the default, and for a day trip it is usually the right call. Two operators run it, and they land in different parts of Macau, which matters more than most people realise.

TurboJET sails from the Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal at the Shun Tak Centre in Sheung Wan (straight up from Sheung Wan MTR station) to the Macau Outer Harbour terminal on the Macau peninsula. Journey time is roughly 60 minutes. That terminal is the one you want if you are heading for the historic centre, Senado Square and the Ruins of St Paul's.

Cotai Water Jet leaves the same Sheung Wan terminal but lands at Macau Taipa, near the airport and the Cotai casino strip. If your day is Venetian-and-Londoner rather than Portuguese old town, this saves a long taxi ride at the other end.

Current published fares, one way in the cheapest class:

• TurboJET economy - HK$194 on weekdays, HK$212 at weekends and public holidays, HK$242 on night sailings.
• Cotai Water Jet, Cotai Class - HK$192 on weekdays, HK$209 at weekends and holidays, HK$242 at night.
• Upgrading is real money: TurboJET Super Class runs HK$406 to HK$460, and Cotai First HK$330 to HK$380.

TurboJET takes HK$18 off per ticket for children under 12 and passengers aged 65 or over, and children aged one and above need their own ticket. Both operators start around 07:30. TurboJET's daytime sailings run to 17:30, then five night sailings, the last leaving Hong Kong at 22:30; Cotai Water Jet's last Hong Kong departure is also 22:30. Book the return leg before you go, especially on a Sunday evening.

The bridge bus: the cheapest way across

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge is a 55km sea crossing: a 12km Hong Kong link road, a 29.6km main bridge and a 13.4km Zhuhai link road. The shuttle bus that runs on it, the one everyone calls the Golden Bus, covers the roughly 42km from Hong Kong Port to Macao Port in about 40 minutes.

The fare is about HK$65 for an adult by day and around HK$70 overnight. That is roughly a third of the ferry, and unlike the ferries it runs 24 hours. Daytime departures come every five to ten minutes; overnight it drops to about every half hour.

The catch is getting there. Hong Kong Port sits on reclaimed land beside Hong Kong International Airport, so from the city you need an airport bus (routes A11, A21 and A22 serve the port) or a taxi before you even start. Then: clear Hong Kong exit immigration at the port building, buy your ticket, board, cross, clear Macau entry immigration at the far end. You are not hopping on a bus, you are crossing a border twice with a bus ride in the middle.

At Macao Port you are still outside town. Public bus routes 101X and 102X run from the port into the Macau peninsula for a few patacas.

How to get from Hong Kong to Macau: which one to pick

Take the ferry if you are staying on Hong Kong Island or in Kowloon, you are doing a day trip, and you want to land in central Macau without a connection at each end. Door to door it is the fastest realistic option, and Sheung Wan MTR puts you at the terminal in minutes.

Take the bridge bus if you are flying in or out the same day, you are travelling overnight, or you are counting every dollar. If you are already at the airport, the bus is the easy option and the ferry is the awkward one.

Still deciding whether the trip is worth doing at all? Our full Hong Kong to Macau day trip guide covers what to do once you land. And if the border crossing is what puts you off, a Cheung Chau day trip or a day out on Lantau Island gives you a boat ride and a change of scenery without a passport.

Three other options worth knowing about

Cross-border coach. Operators run direct coaches over the bridge from pick-up points around Hong Kong to Macau hotels, at roughly HK$160 on weekdays and HK$180 at weekends, taking around 110 minutes. Slower, but you stay in one seat.

Straight from the airport. If you are connecting from a flight rather than coming from the city, Macau's tourist board points to an airport-route ferry and cross-boundary bus services running to Macau directly via Hong Kong International Airport.

Helicopter. Fifteen minutes, from north of HK$4,000 per person. It exists. It is not a day-trip decision.

Passport, immigration and paying for things

Macau is a separate Special Administrative Region with its own border, so this is a proper immigration crossing even though it only takes an hour. Bring your physical passport, not a photo of it. You clear Hong Kong exit control, then Macau entry control, and repeat both on the way back. Most nationalities get visa-free entry, but the permitted length of stay varies by passport, so check yours before you book.

One thing that does not cross with you is your travel card. Macau runs its own systems, so read up on where your Octopus card does and does not work in Macau before you go, and carry some cash and a contactless card instead.

Quick answers

What is the best way to get to Macau from Hong Kong? The ferry from Sheung Wan, for most visitors. About an hour, roughly every half hour for most of the day, and it lands you close to where you want to be. The bridge shuttle bus is better value and runs overnight, but only makes sense if you start near the airport.

Is there a direct train from Hong Kong to Macau? No. There is no rail link between Hong Kong and Macau at all, and Macau has no cross-boundary railway. Every option is by sea, by road over the bridge, or by air.

Is it worth going to Macau from Hong Kong? Yes, if you have four days or more in Hong Kong. One day is enough for either the Portuguese old town or the Cotai resorts, but not both at a comfortable pace. On a two or three day trip, skip it.

How much does it cost to get from Hong Kong to Macau? Around HK$192 to HK$194 one way in economy on a weekday ferry, rising to HK$242 on night sailings, or about HK$65 on the bridge shuttle bus. Return fares are the same again, so budget roughly HK$400 for a return ferry day trip or HK$130 by bus, plus the cost of reaching the departure point at each end.

Fares and sailing times change, so confirm the current price and timetable with the operator when you book.