Macau transport guide: buses, LRT, taxis and arrival terminals

A peninsula base keeps the first day simple

For this two-day plan, choose one room near Senado Square rather than moving hotels for a single night. Hotel Sintra is a real option on Avenida de D. João IV; its own accommodation page lists Standard Rooms with either a king bed or twin beds. This is a base recommendation, with the accommodation cost left open below.

Senado Square is the historic urban centre and a venue for public celebrations. The Ruins of St Paul’s preserve the façade of the Church of Mater Dei, which was destroyed by fire in 1835. Use the historic-centre guide for the sights. Make these the first afternoon: the square, the connecting streets and the staircase at St Paul’s. Treat the stair climb as a separate choice if steps are difficult, rather than assuming the historic centre is level.

The bus plan below uses MFM for both arrival and departure. On day 1, route 26 brings you to the peninsula for the walk to Hotel Sintra, and another pair of route 26 journeys covers the Barra dinner. On day 2, check out and take your bags with you through Taipa and Coloane before going directly to MFM. This suits light luggage; choose a taxi for bulky bags or if the stop-to-hotel walks are difficult.

Buses: exact cash, route boards and changes

The pataca (MOP) is Macau’s official currency. Carry patacas for cash payments. Public buses link the Macau Peninsula, Taipa, Coloane and Macau International Airport.

Transmac and TCM operate the public buses. The Macao Government Tourism Office says route information in Chinese and Portuguese is posted at stops, including destinations and the sequence of stops. Match the direction on the board as well as the route number; the opposite side of the road may serve a different journey.

Pay on boarding. Each bus you board is a separate cash journey, so a change needs another fare; the worked allowance below uses cash and assumes no interchange discount. Macau Pass can pay for public transport and purchases at convenience stores, some bakeries and vending machines. Macau Pass’s own FAQ (in Chinese) lists the standard card at MOP$130: MOP$100 of stored value plus a MOP$30 card fee that cannot be spent or refunded. It is sold at 7-Eleven and Circle-K stores, other authorised dealers, self-service machines and three Macau Pass customer service centres, and a customer service centre refunds the remaining balance in full but not the card fee.

Transmac asks passengers to wave to the approaching bus at the designated stop and press the bell before their stop. Its passenger notice lists Macau Pass and Mpay as alternatives to cash. Bus departures and stop changes belong to the DSAT route information and each operator’s current notices.

Routes checked on 2026-10-16 against the DSAT diagrams dated 27 December 2025: Transmac route 26A runs towards Hac Sa from M172 Praça Ferreira Amaral via T364 Est. Baía N. S. Esperança/Quartel and C660 Assoc. de M. de Coloane to C669 Praia de Hac Sá. In the other direction, towards Bacia Norte do Patane, it serves different stops, among them T365 Pai Kok/Galaxy and C659 Vila de Coloane/Rua da Cordoaria. Route 26A’s terminal departures run from 06:00 to 00:30 towards Hac Sa and from 06:00 to 01:00 towards Bacia Norte do Patane. Its published frequency range is 8–15 minutes Monday–Saturday except public holidays, and 10–16 minutes on Sundays and public holidays.

Transmac route 26 is a loop that starts at M95 Rua Norte do Patane/Bacia Norte do Patane. Towards Coloane it serves M139 Praça Ponte Horta, M203 Templo Á Ma, T345 Taipa Ferry Terminal and T356 Aeroporto de Macau, and ends at C686 Vila de Coloane/Posto de Saúde. On the way back towards Bacia Norte do Patane it serves T406 Rotunda do Aeroporto/Wai Long, T345 Taipa Ferry Terminal, M198 Av. Panorâmica do Lago Sai Van/Ponte-Cais da Barra and M137 Terminal Marítimo de Passageiros do Porto Interior. Route 26 leaves its starting terminus from 06:00 to 23:30 daily; published frequencies range from 16–25 minutes Monday–Saturday except public holidays, and 20–25 minutes on Sundays and public holidays. Terminal departure spans are not first and last departures at intermediate stops. Keep the direction and stop code together: T356 Aeroporto de Macau is the Coloane-bound airport stop, and the airport stop towards Bacia Norte do Patane is T406 Rotunda do Aeroporto/Wai Long.

The LRT: which stations help and how to pay

The useful visitor spine is the Taipa Line: Barra on the peninsula, then stations including Ocean, Pai Kok, Cotai West, Cotai East, MUST, Airport and Taipa Ferry Terminal. Barra is beside the Barra Public Transport Interchange in the southwest of the peninsula; it is a connection for buses, rather than a station at Senado Square. Pai Kok serves Taipa and has a footbridge across Estrada da Baía de Nossa Senhora da Esperança. Seac Pai Van Line connects at Union Hospital. The Hengqin Line is a separate cross-border branch, outside this guide’s route. Mainland China needs its own entry check; this site does not cover it.

Hours and fares checked on 2026-10-16: The LRT operates from 06:30 to 23:15 Monday to Thursday, and from 06:30 to 23:59 Friday to Sunday and on public holidays. These are network service hours; station and direction determine the last train. The operator lists approximately 28 minutes for the full Taipa Line, rather than for every station pair.

Adult LRT single-journey fares are MOP$6 for up to three chargeable stations, MOP$8 for up to six, MOP$10 for up to nine and MOP$12 for up to twelve. The LRT section between Barra and Ocean counts as two stations when calculating fares. Union Hospital counts towards the fare only when a journey starts or ends at Union Hospital or Seac Pai Van. Use the operator’s route inquiry for the fare between your actual stations, rather than counting dots on the map.

LRT single-journey tokens for passengers aged 12 and over are sold at station ticket machines and customer service centres and are valid on the day of issue. LRT single-journey tokens are normally non-refundable; the operator may allow a refund or replacement at its discretion. General Macau Pass holders pay the LRT electronic prepaid fares: MOP$3 for up to three chargeable stations, MOP$4 for up to six, MOP$5 for up to nine and MOP$6 for up to twelve. An adult LRT card costs MOP$30.

LRT customer service centres accept cash, credit cards, Simple Pay, Alipay and WeChat Pay. LRT customer service centres accept patacas and Hong Kong dollars at one to one and give change only in patacas; HK$10 coins are not accepted. LRT ticket machines accept cash and LRT cards, while add-value machines accept cash only; both accept cash only in patacas.

Start from the terminal on your ticket

Macau International Airport (MFM): for the bus model, board Transmac 26 towards Bacia Norte do Patane at T406 Rotunda do Aeroporto/Wai Long, leave at M137 Terminal Marítimo de Passageiros do Porto Interior, then walk to Hotel Sintra on Avenida de D. João IV. The bus calls at T345 Taipa Ferry Terminal on the way. For the rail alternative, Airport station connects directly to the passenger terminal at Macau International Airport. Take the Barra direction, then continue by bus or taxi to your hotel.

Airport departures checked on 2026-10-16 against the September 2026 station timetable: From Airport station towards Barra, trains depart from 06:31 to 23:16 Monday to Thursday, and from 06:31 to midnight Friday to Sunday and on public holidays. From Airport station towards Taipa Ferry Terminal, trains depart from 06:34 to 23:40 Monday to Thursday, and from 06:34 to 00:24 Friday to Sunday and on public holidays. Midnight and 00:24 are on the following calendar day. Use this station timetable for a late arrival, rather than treating the network closing time as the final Airport departure.

Taipa Ferry Terminal: take Transmac 26 towards Bacia Norte do Patane from T345 Terminal Marítimo de Passageiros da Taipa and leave at M137 Terminal Marítimo de Passageiros do Porto Interior for the hotel approach. The terminal’s LRT station also connects directly to its building; the Taipa Line towards Barra is the rail alternative. For Taipa village, continue from the station that suits your walking route rather than assuming the ferry terminal is in the village.

Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal: take a metered taxi to Hotel Sintra for the arrival in this guide; the hotel’s location page lists a 10-minute drive from the Macau Maritime Ferry Terminal (the Outer Harbour terminal). HZMB Macao Port: after immigration, take a metered taxi from the port to the same hotel; the hotel lists a 25-minute drive from the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, and the bridge shuttle ends at the port. The same page lists 25-minute drives from the airport and the Taipa Ferry Terminal. No official page gives a taxi fare for these journeys, so the metered tariff in the taxi section applies. Have the hotel address ready and carry patacas for cash payment. Choose a taxi as well after the bus or LRT service you need has finished.

Hotel shuttles serve particular properties. The Venetian Macao publishes its own free-shuttle schedules and pickup locations; use that property’s current timetable when it fits your destination. A shuttle to a Cotai resort still leaves you to reach a peninsula hotel. Read the Macau entry guide before choosing the crossing. For the journey to a Hong Kong departure terminal, use the Hong Kong transport guide.

For the separate crossing, use the Hong Kong to Macau guide. TurboJET’s Hong Kong–Macau crossings take about 60 minutes. Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal is on the third floor of Shun Tak Centre, 200 Connaught Road Central, Sheung Wan. TurboJET serves Outer Harbour and Taipa; Cotai Water Jet takes about one hour between Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal and Macau Taipa Ferry Terminal. The HZMB port shuttle runs between Hong Kong Port and Macau Port 24 hours a day.

Crossing fares checked on 2026-10-16: TurboJET Economy Class from Macau Taipa to Sheung Wan cost HK$194 for weekday day sailings, HK$212 for weekend or public-holiday day sailings and HK$242 for night sailings, including Hong Kong departure tax. Cotai Class tickets bought in Hong Kong cost HK$192 for weekday day sailings, HK$209 for weekend or public-holiday day sailings and HK$242 for night sailings. Cotai Class tickets bought in Macau cost MOP$192 for weekday day sailings, MOP$209 for weekend or public-holiday day sailings and MOP$242 for night sailings. Cotai Water Jet’s night fares start at 17:10 from October to January, 17:40 in February, March and September, and 18:00 from April to August. From Hong Kong, the Hong Kong–Macau HZMB shuttle’s standard single fare from Hong Kong was HK$65 between 06:00 and 23:59 and HK$70 between 00:00 and 05:59. These crossing tickets are separate from the local bus model below.

Typhoons hit Macau regularly between April and November and can cause flooding and landslides; public offices shut when Typhoon Signal No. 8 is issued, and from Signal No. 3 you should stay away from the shore and avoid water activities. Follow the Macao Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau’s warnings and local authorities’ instructions, and check with the operator before any ferry crossing. TurboJET suspends all ferry services until further notice when Typhoon Signal No. 8 is issued. Cotai Water Jet suspends all sailings when Typhoon Signal No. 8 or higher is hoisted. Cotai Water Jet may suspend services for safety when the Hong Kong Observatory and Macao Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau announce Strong Wind Signal No. 3. The HZMB may close in severe weather and public transport may stop; check the latest bridge and service announcements. Leave room between the crossing and a flight; weather can change the connection.

Taxis, luggage and the last street journey

Use a metered black taxi for the final approach with bags, an evening return to the hotel or a journey where the bus needs an awkward change. Give the driver the hotel or restaurant’s exact name and address; a saved Chinese address is useful. Unlicensed taxi services, including Uber, are illegal in Macau, and the police act against both drivers and passengers.

Taxi extras checked on 2026-10-16: Waiting at the passenger’s request costs MOP$2 for every 55 seconds. Each item of luggage carried in a taxi’s boot costs an extra MOP$3. Boarding a taxi at Macau International Airport or Taipa Ferry Terminal adds MOP$8 to the metered fare. A taxi from the Macau Peninsula to Coloane has a MOP$5 surcharge; from Taipa to Coloane the surcharge is MOP$2. The tourism office also lists the HZMB artificial-island taxi station among the pickup points with the MOP$8 surcharge.

A two-day route, with Taipa and Coloane together

This route uses an MFM arrival morning, one peninsula night and an MFM departure evening. The six bus journeys below are the priced transport model. Use the stop codes to find the correct side of the route, because the same road can have different stops in each direction. The DSAT charts give no bus journey times, and no official page gives the walk between the airport terminal and T406 or between any stop and Hotel Sintra or A Lorcha, so check each stop against the address on a map or take a taxi. Check out with your bags before the Taipa outing, so the route does not need a return to the hotel.

At Macau’s No. 8 signal, stay indoors as far as possible and suspend outdoor and marine activities. Follow the Macao Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau for Macau’s current warnings.

• Day 1, airport to the peninsula: take route 26 towards Bacia Norte do Patane from T406 Rotunda do Aeroporto/Wai Long to M137 Terminal Marítimo de Passageiros do Porto Interior, then walk to Hotel Sintra. Leave your bags and walk Senado Square and the St Paul’s staircase. The hotel’s own location page places it within walking distance of both sights.
• Day 1, dinner near Barra: walk to M139 Praça Ponte Horta and take route 26 towards Coloane to M203 Templo Á Ma, then walk to A Lorcha on Avenida do Almirante Sérgio. After dinner, take route 26 towards Bacia Norte do Patane from one of the Barra-side stops M198, M183 or M140 (no official page says which is nearest A Lorcha) and leave at M137 Terminal Marítimo de Passageiros do Porto Interior. Choose seafood rice or oxtail; the food box gives the restaurant’s closing day.
• Day 2, Taipa village: check out carrying your bags and walk to M172 Praça Ferreira Amaral. Take route 26A towards Hac Sa to T364 Est. Baía N. S. Esperança/Quartel, the stop that the chart marks as an LRT connection on the road where Pai Kok station stands, then walk into Taipa village. Rua do Cunha is a pedestrian street with longstanding restaurants, and the Taipa Houses are the five green former residences along Avenida da Praia. Have lunch at António, choosing bacalhau à Brás or African chicken. The Taipa and Coloane guide covers the village walks; the Taipa Houses museum closes on Mondays.
• Day 2, Coloane and MFM: walk back to T364 and continue on 26A towards Hac Sa, leaving at C660 Assoc. de M. de Coloane (Lord Stow’s lists it as the Coloane Residence Hall stop for route 26A) for the village and Lord Stow’s original bakery at the town square. For the airport, take route 26 towards Bacia Norte do Patane from the return side of the Coloane loop and leave at T406 Rotunda do Aeroporto/Wai Long. Route 26 arrives in Coloane at C686 Vila de Coloane/Posto de Saúde, but the chart starts the return side at C656 Est. do Campo/PSP-2 and does not say which stop is nearest the village square, so check the stop with the driver or on a map. T356 is the Coloane-bound airport stop, not the one for this journey. Finish the village visit early enough for your flight’s check-in deadline.

Six bus journeys for two, with the room still to add

For two adults on the MFM-in/MFM-out, one-night route above, prices checked on 2026-10-16 give MOP$72 in total for the six bus journeys for two. This counts the airport arrival, two dinner journeys, peninsula–Taipa, Taipa–Coloane and Coloane–airport. It assumes cash payment and no interchange discount.

A two-adult room price is not included in this budget: Hotel Sintra’s accommodations page lists bed types and sizes but publishes no room rate, so ask the hotel for a quote for your dates. Book one private double or twin for two registered adults for the one peninsula night.

• Day 1: MOP$36 for two. Route 26 from T406 at MFM to M137, route 26 from M139 to M203 for dinner and the return towards Bacia Norte do Patane to M137: three boardings × two adults × MOP$6.
• Day 2: MOP$36 for two. Route 26A from Praça Ferreira Amaral to T364, route 26A onward to C660 in Coloane and route 26 from the Coloane loop to T406 at MFM: three boardings × two adults × MOP$6.
• Visits: the route uses outdoor streets and the St Paul’s staircase. Admission to the Taipa Houses is free.
• Not included: the hotel night and its service/tax, meals and drinks, flights, Hong Kong crossing tickets, any taxi or LRT replacing a bus, optional paid attractions and shopping. The MOP$72 subtotal covers buses; add those costs to complete the trip budget.