Most major hotels in Macau provide complimentary shuttle buses for their guests. This means you don’t need to spend extra money on public transportation in Macau. By using the hotel shuttle buses, you can travel to key destinations in Macau for free.
Since there are many large hotels in Macau, the routes for the complimentary hotel shuttles can be complex. However, if you know the bus routes provided by the hotels, you can navigate Macau’s transportation system just as easily as using public transportation. In addition to shuttles connecting the airport, ferry terminal, and hotels, there are also buses that connect the Macau Peninsula and the Cotai area.
“Free Shuttle Buses in Macau”
Macau is not very large, so by combining complimentary hotel shuttles with taxis, you can visit most tourist attractions. In fact, Macau is about the size of the Gwanak District in Seoul, South Korea.
Taking a look at the information about Macau hotel shuttles can be quite complex. That’s why I’ve organized the shuttle bus routes on a map for easy reference. Using the map along with the descriptions below will make it even easier to understand the free shuttle bus information in Macau.
- Free Shuttle Bus: https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=1YSdk49AxZWxIKR0YrcR84lGBy5_ZxGd1&ehbc=2E312F&ll=22.1686183722043%2C113.54583336962288&z=13
“Macau Divided into Three Regions”
First, let’s divide Macau into three main areas: the northern Macau Peninsula (Old Town), the southern Taipa area, and the Cotai area. There’s also the Coloane area further south, but there aren’t many tourist spots there, so most people primarily visit these three areas.
Among these, there is an area with a concentration of luxury hotels and casinos, and that is the Cotai area.
“Hotels in the Macau Peninsula Area”
There are four prominent large hotels in the Macau Peninsula area, and all of them operate free shuttle buses to the ferry terminal.
Notably, you can mention the “Grand Lisboa” Hotel and Casino. In terms of location, it’s right at the heart of the Macau Peninsula. Therefore, when entering the downtown area of Macau from the Macau Terminal, I used the shuttle bus provided by the Grand Lisboa.
Here are the prominent hotels in the Macau Peninsula area:
- Hotel Lisboa & Grand Lisboa
- MGM Macau
- Wynn Macau
- StarWorld Hotel
Note that the Macau Peninsula is home to many cultural heritage sites of Macau. Everything from Senado Square to the Cathedral of Saint Paul is located here.
If you’ve booked a smaller hotel in the Macau Peninsula that doesn’t provide a shuttle bus, you can still use the complimentary shuttle buses offered by one of these four hotels to move around for free.
“Hotels in the Cotai Area”
The Cotai area is filled with luxury hotels rated 5-stars and above. Therefore, there are a large number of shuttle buses to this area. Here are some of the hotels that represent this area:
- Galaxy Hotel
- The Venetian Macao
- City of Dreams (COD)
- Wynn Palace
- MGM Cotai
- The Parisian
- Studio City
- Sands Cotai
- Altira Macau
Among these, only Altira Macau is located in the Taipa area. It’s a good shuttle bus to use if you plan to explore Taipa Village. After visiting Altira, you can return to City of Dreams, and from there, take the shuttle bus back to Studio City. These hotels are marked in yellow on the map.
“City Connection”
In the Cotai area, there is a shuttle bus called the Cotai Connection that circulates among six major hotels. It starts from Sands Cotai, then goes through City of Dreams (COD), Wynn Palace, Galaxy Hotel, The Venetian Macao, and Studio City in sequence.
After completing the loop around Studio City, it returns to Sands Cotai and continues the cycle. On the map, the route covered by this bus is marked in orange.
“Cotai Connection Express”
There is also a route called Cotai Connection Express. Since it takes too much time to visit all six hotels, this route focuses on three of them.
Starting from Studio City, it goes through Venetian and Galaxy Hotel. Similarly, after visiting Galaxy Hotel, it returns to Studio City and continues the loop.
“Melco Connection”
In addition, there is a shuttle bus called Melco Connection with two routes.
The first route is a round trip between Studio City and City of Dreams (COD). By utilizing these two routes effectively, you can plan a course to enjoy the view from Macau Tower, take a bus to Studio City, ride the 8-shaped Ferris wheel, and then head to City of Dreams to watch the “House of Dancing Water Show.”
The second route connects “Studio City – City of Dreams – Altira.” Altira is the only hotel in Taipa. Making good use of this route allows you to explore Taipa Village. After visiting Altira, you can return to City of Dreams and take the route back to Studio City. This route is indicated in yellow on the map.
“Macau Peninsula – Cotai Area Shuttle Buses”
The shuttle bus routes that operate between the Macau Peninsula and the Cotai area are the most frequently used routes if you’ve booked a hotel in the Macau Peninsula area.
Among the various routes, the most convenient one is provided by “City of Dreams.”
If you go to the bus stop for City of Dreams on the Macau Peninsula, you’ll find several shuttle bus stops with people waiting in line. From here, you can board the shuttle bus and freely move between the two areas.
Here’s a summary of the main routes:
- Macau Peninsula – City of Dreams (COD)
- Macau Peninsula – Studio City
- Macau Peninsula – City of Dreams – Studio City (sometimes in reverse order)
- MGM Macau – MGM Taipa – MGM Macau Tower – MGM Cotai
“Shuttle Buses to Macau Tower”
There are also buses that go to Macau Tower. The location of Macau Tower on the map might seem a bit vague, and it appears to be in a place where you can only go by taxi.
However, by making good use of the shuttle buses, you can visit the tower for free and then return to the main areas of Taipa. There are three bus routes to Macau Tower:
- Macau Tower – Studio City
- Buses operated by MGM (Macau Peninsula – Macau Tower – Taipa City – MGM Cotai, in a loop)
- Altira Route (Macau Ferry Terminal – Macau Tower – Altira Hotel)
If you’re heading to Macau Tower from the Macau Peninsula, taking the “MGM” route is a good choice. If you’re heading from the Cotai area, boarding the “Studio City” route is recommended. For Typhoon Village, the “Altira Route” is a useful option.
“HZMB Bus Terminal Shuttle Buses”
Although not specifically marked on the map, there are complimentary shuttle buses from Macau Ferry Terminal and Taipa Ferry Terminal to the HZMB Bus Terminal.
“Notes on Free Shuttle Bus Routes”
So far, I’ve organized information about the complimentary hotel shuttle buses in Macau. If you keep this information in mind, it can be a powerful tool to save on travel expenses in Macau.
Please note that the areas marked on the map may not accurately represent the shuttle bus boarding locations. However, for the shuttle bus route connecting the Macau Peninsula to Taipa, the location of the bus stop is accurate.
For hotels in the Cotai area, I’ve personally visited Studio City and City of Dreams. They typically have shuttle bus stops located at the main entrance of the hotels. However, for the Cotai Connection route, there may be cases where the bus stop is in a different location, so it’s a good idea to confirm with the hotel.
It’s advisable to visit each hotel to confirm the exact shuttle bus boarding location.