Race week closes the circuit roads from 6 am. Here’s how to reach the Guia Circuit, get around and where to base yourself
Macau Grand Prix travel guide to getting there, getting around and where to stay
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The 73rd Macau Grand Prix takes over the streets of the Macao peninsula from 19 to 22 November, and this Macau Grand Prix travel guide covers what you need to know before you go. The Guia Circuit is made of public roads, so race week changes how you get into the city, how you move around it and where it makes sense to stay.
Plan early if you’re coming for the weekend. MacauTicket has been showing Saturday and Sunday tickets as sold out since early November. Organising committee coordinator Lei Si Leng said last week that about 90 percent of tickets had sold, and that a small number would be held back for sale at the circuit during the races. The Macau Food Festival also opens on 20 November, the same weekend, so expect crowds well beyond the circuit. For those who are watching the racing, see our guide to the 73rd Macau Grand Prix.
How do I get to Macao for the Grand Prix?
From Hong Kong, the TurboJET ferry from Sheung Wan is the most direct option. It arrives at the Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal, which sits across the road from the Grandstand and a short walk from the Reservoir Stand. The crossing takes about an hour, and economy fares are HK$194 (US$25) on weekdays and HK$212 at weekends. The first sailing leaves at 7:30 am. Cotai Water Jet sails to Taipa instead, which leaves you on the wrong side of the bridges on race days.
The Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge shuttle bus is cheaper at HK$65 by day and HK$70 overnight, and it runs 24 hours a day. It stops at the bridge’s Macau Port, well away from the circuit. From there, city bus 101 runs to Praça Ferreira Amaral outside Hotel Lisboa, where the free 12T shuttle to the ferry terminal has run in past years. Allow extra time on race days, when many routes are diverted.
[See more: Macau Grand Prix 2026: races, drivers and tickets for the 73rd edition]
From mainland China, the Guangzhou–Zhuhai intercity line runs to Zhuhai Station, right next to the Gongbei checkpoint. From there, you walk across to the Border Gate at the north end of the Macao peninsula. Crossing at Hengqin puts you in Cotai, which means another bus or taxi to reach the circuit.
Which roads close during the Macau Grand Prix?
The circuit roads close at 6 am on all four days and reopen at 6 pm, or earlier if racing ends ahead of schedule. Buses and taxis can’t get to the stand entrances while the roads are shut, so plan to walk the last stretch.
The Transport Bureau publishes its full traffic plan in the week before the race. In past years, it has diverted around 50 bus routes and run two free shuttle buses: the 12T between Praça Ferreira Amaral, outside Hotel Lisboa, and the Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal, and the 31T between the Macao Forum and the ferry terminal. Officials have warned in past years that the first day of racing brings the worst traffic. They encourage people to walk instead, using routes such as the pedestrian tunnel under Guia Hill.
Where should I stay for the Macau Grand Prix?
Stay as close to the circuit as you can. The roads close from 6 am on race days, so you’ll be walking the last stretch anyway. Book early: hotels were more than 90 percent full last November, according to the Statistics and Census Service.
Artyzen Grand Lapa Macau overlooks the track on Avenida da Amizade, a short walk from the Grandstand and Reservoir Stand, and some rooms face the circuit.
For the Lisboa Bend Stand, Hotel Lisboa sits right at the corner, with Grand Lisboa, Wynn Macau and StarWorld a few minutes’ walk away.
Hotel Guia is a smaller option on the slope of Guia Hill, beside the lighthouse, and looks over the uphill section of the circuit.
If you’d rather sleep away from the noise, the resorts in Taipa and Cotai mean crossing a bridge and walking around the closures each morning. Zhuhai is another option, since the Gongbei side of the border is a walk from the Border Gate on the peninsula.
How can I watch the races without a weekend ticket?
Thursday and Friday tickets cost 100 patacas at every stand and cover practice and qualifying. Tickets are paper only. If you bought through MacauTicket, collect yours at a service point in Macao or Hong Kong, and remember everyone aged two and over needs one. The ticket booths at the circuit open from 6:30 am to 6 pm from Thursday to Saturday, and until 5 pm on Sunday.
[See more: Programme details announced for the 73rd Macau Grand Prix]
The organisers are also putting up giant screens across the city. From 20 to 22 November, Anim’Arte Nam Van shows the races live, with racing simulators and games. The FIA has also streamed its World Cup races free on YouTube in past editions or you can watch it live on the Macau Grand Prix site.
What else should I plan for?
Mid-November in Macao is mild. The Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau’s averages for 1991 to 2020 put November highs at 24.7°C and lows at 18.8°C. The Reservoir Stand has no roof, so bring a hat and sunscreen, and earplugs help, especially for children.
Between sessions, the Macao Grand Prix Museum on Rua de Luís Gonzaga Gomes, near the ferry terminal, is open from 10 am to 6 pm and closes only on Tuesdays. A new basement zone, open since 6 November, shows the cars that won last year’s F4 World Cup with Jules Roussel and the 2024 Grand Prix with Ugo Ugochukwu, and Roussel is back racing in this year’s Grand Prix. During race week, the museum also runs a game built around the race’s standing start.
In the evenings, the 26th Macau Food Festival runs at Sai Van Lake Square from 20 November to 6 December, with around 150 stalls. It’s open from 3 pm to midnight, Friday to Sunday.
