The Macau Ferry Terminal — officially known as the Terminal Marítimo de Passageiros do Porto Exterior — is one of the main entry points to the Macau SAR. This is where a row of jetfoils, high-speed boats that depart every five to ten minutes for Hong Kong, shuttle thousands of passengers to and from the island.
Although Macau now has several other ferry ports, and even an airport on Taipa Island, this port remains the main gateway for most tourists wanting to set foot in this former Portuguese colony.
From this port, there are numerous transportation options to hotels, resorts, and casinos scattered throughout Macau — from the Macau Peninsula to Taipa and Coloane Islands. Besides taxis and public buses, the most popular mode of transportation is the free shuttle buses operated by the hotels and casinos.
In front of the terminal building, dozens of colorful shuttle buses lined up with the logos and names of major hotels like Casino Lisboa, Sands Macao, Wynn, MGM, and even those on the Cotai Strip like the Venetian, Parisian, Galaxy, and City of Dreams. My destination this time was City of Dreams, home to the Grand Hyatt Macau, Crown Towers, and Hard Rock Hotel Macau.
The purple bus bearing the logo “City of Dreams” began to pull away from the port. Excitingly, there was free Wi-Fi on board — so you could enjoy the views and instantly upload photos to social media. The bus crossed Ponte de Amizade, the Friendship Bridge that stretches majestically over the strait between the Macau Peninsula and Taipa Island. About 20 minutes later, we arrived at the City of Dreams area.
After a short rest, I continued my afternoon journey to Lotus Square, which is not far from the ferry terminal. Again, the most economical way was to take the free shuttle. It turns out that the City of Dreams also has a shuttle terminal with various destinations: to the Taipa Ferry, the airport, Hotel Sintra, Border Gate, Macau Tower, Studio City, and many more.
That afternoon, the passenger queue at the ferry terminal was quiet. In fact, the busiest was for the Hotel Sintra. The shuttle continued along the streets of Taipa, then crossed to the Macau Peninsula. At the ferry terminal, there’s also a bus to Wynn Macau, which is across from Lotus Square. But since it’s less than a kilometer away, I opted to walk—a way to get some exercise while enjoying the city. On the way, I also passed another large casino complex, Fisherman’s Wharf Macau.
That evening, I watched the “House of Dancing Water” show at the City of Dreams. After a short stroll around Lotus Square, I took a shuttle from Sands Macao to the ferry terminal, then took the City of Dreams bus back to the hotel.
After the show, I didn’t feel like leaving right away. The next shuttle took me to the Hotel Sintra, in what locals call San Ma Lo—the heart of Macau’s old town, better known to tourists as Largo de Senado or Senado Square. Just a short walk around this area allows you to see legendary Macau icons, such as the Hotel Lisboa and the Grand Lisboa, with their distinctive futuristic architecture.
Besides the ferry terminal, there are also inter-resort shuttles in the Cotai area on Taipa Island. For example, from the City of Dreams, you can take the Cotai Connection to the Venetian, Galaxy, Sands Cotai, or Studio City—all free and convenient.
In short, if you have the opportunity to travel to Macau, don’t miss out on the free shuttle bus that takes you everywhere—from the terminal and the airport to the hotels and casinos.
And don’t forget, these shuttle buses wouldn’t exist if Macau didn’t have casinos! 😉
