Ruins of St. Paul's & the old town

More things to do in macau

The stone façade of a 17th-century Jesuit church, the fort beside it and the Portuguese-tiled Senado Square below — Macau's UNESCO core, all free and walkable in a morning.

Tickets

From
₹0
Tiers
  • Ruins, Monte Fort, Senado Square₹0 · Free, open all day
  • Macau Museum (inside the fort)₹170 · MOP 15; free on Tuesdays and the 15th of each month

Best time to go

Best time
Before 10am — by noon the steps are shoulder to shoulder with tour groups
Avoid
Chinese New Year and Golden Week (early October)
Notes
  • The steps and Senado Square are lit until midnight — a second visit at night is worth it

How long to spend

Recommended hours
3
Min hours
1.5

Highlights

  • The façade from the top of the stepsThe photo — and a look through the empty windows at the sky · 1
  • Monte FortCannons pointed at the Grand Lisboa casino — old and new Macau in one frame · 2
  • Rua de S. PauloThe lane of almond-biscuit and jerky shops — free samples all the way down · 3

Strategy

Tips
  • Start at Senado Square, walk up through St. Dominic's, the ruins, then the fort — downhill on the way back
  • Continue to St. Lazarus district for the quiet, pastel streets tour groups miss
  • Bus 3 or 10 from the Outer Harbour ferry terminal stops at Senado Square

Food nearby

Inside
  • Margaret's Café e NataEgg tarts and Portuguese coffee, 5 minutes from Senado Square
  • Koi Kei / Choi Heong YuenAlmond biscuits — the standard gift to carry home

Getting there

Options
  • Free casino shuttleGrand Lisboa or Wynn Macau shuttles from the ferry terminal; 10-minute walk from either
  • BusRoutes 3, 3A, 10 to Almeida Ribeiro (Senado Square)

What to carry

  • Water
  • Comfortable shoes — cobbles and slopes
  • Small notes for tarts and biscuits

Pro tips

  • The A-Ma Temple at the other end of the old town is a 25-minute walk and much calmer
  • Free shuttles run back to Cotai from the Grand Lisboa until late
  • Public toilets in the Macau Museum are the cleanest in the area