How to go from Hong Kong to Macau by Ferry

Last updated on 10 November 2026

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I went from Hong Kong to Macau via ferry and it was super easy

When I took a day trip from Hong Kong to Macau, it was actually super easy, despite going to a different country.

My dad is a pro-traveller, especially in Asia. I actually spent 3 years of my life in Mongolia, and we spent a lot of time in Hong Kong, so he knows all about the terminals, how to get around, and what we needed to do and where we needed to be. Which was suuuuper handy when he and I were exploring Hong Kong on our way back from a trip to Mongolia.

We got to the ferry terminal in Hong Kong early on the Friday morning, bought tickets for the ferry, had our passports scanned (it’s an international journey, so yes, you need them if you’re not a resident of Hong Kong or Macau), and on we hopped.

The trip from Hong Kong to Macau by ferry is about an hour. We could have gone for the slightly faster Turbo Jet (while we were on the ferry, we saw a Turbo Jet zip past), but the regular ferries ran every 15 minutes at the time, so there was no rush and no stress about missing one, and we weren’t commuting; we were just going for a casual day in Macau.

Quick-fire things you need to know about going from Hong Kong to Macau by ferry

• Ferries leave every 15 to 30 minutes to hourly, depending on the route and time of day
• You need your passport
• But a New Zealand passport doesn’t need a visa
• It takes about an hour to cross on the normal ferry
• Same-day return is super easy
• You get a seat number on your ticket

Before you go

As a New Zealander, while we needed our passports to travel (as anyone would), we didn’t need a visa. We could visit Macau for up to 90 days without one, but if you’re on any other visa, you’ll need to check your country’s limitations and allowances for travel.

The currency in Macau is the Macanese Pataca, which you can use in Macau.

Most places also take Hong Kong Dollars, so if you’ve got some of those, you’ll be fine (or a card). But just note: while you might get Pataca in return while you’re in Macau, Hong Kong does not take Pataca, so you’ll either need to exchange it back into HKD or accept the fact you’re headed home with a few Macanese Pataca.

👉🏻 Also read: Everything You Need to Know About the Wise Travel Card

Two Hong Kong to Macau Ferry Companies

At the time of writing this post, there are two ferry companies which can take you across the harbour to Macau.

1. Chu Kong High-Speed Ferry Company Limited (Cotai Water Jet)
2. Shun Tak-China Travel Ship Management Limited (TurboJET)

I mentioned earlier that we could have taken the TurboJET (above 2 above), but the timing was such that the Cotai Water Jet was the better option for us, and there was no need to try and save any time.

While I can’t comment on what the TurboJet is like, the Cotai Water Jet is pretty standard for a harbour crossing ferry. It was very similar to those in Auckland, actually, with part-open, part-enclosed seating areas. It was pretty full when we went, so I can imagine on the weekend it would be even fuller, as well as during commuting times.

You can check out the Cotai Water Jet website to find the full schedule. Note it changes a bit over the course of the year. And if you want the TurboJet, you can also see their schedule here.

Which terminal do you leave from?

For our day trip, we headed to the Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan, but you can also get a ferry to Macau from Hong Kong International Airport, which is on Lantau.

• Hong Kong – Macao Ferry Terminal: Deck3, Shun Tak Centre, 200 Connaught Road Central, Sheung Wan
• SkyPier Terminal: Hong Kong International Airport, Tung Chung, Lantau

Arriving in Macau

The ferry from Hong Kong arrives at Taipa, and from there you disembark and can jump in a taxi, a bus or a casino shuttle, depending on what you’re doing in Macau.

Before that, from memory (although double-check for yourself!), your passport gets checked, and you’re let loose on Macau. We grabbed a local bus which was headed in the general direction of where we wanted to start out, then jumped off and miraculously found our way around the island from there.

Ferry hiccups – things that might go wrong

Generally speaking, everything was super straightforward for us when we were going on our day trip to Macau. Buuuut obviously things can go wrong at any time.

The main thing you want to look out for/be aware of is typhoons. Sailings will be cancelled/suspended if the crossing could be impacted by typhoons. There is a ticket rescheduling and refund process, and you only really have to be aware of this between June and October.

The other thing to pay attention to is weekends and public holidays, as the ferries might be a lot busier. Best to book ahead.

Have you been on a day trip to Macau? Or a few days? I’d love to hear your story!