HomeAsiaEast AsiaHong Kong and Macau Travel on a Budget By Marcos Detourist on November 19, 2009If you’re traveling to Hong Kong and Macau anytime soon or just thinking of visiting Hong Kong and Macau in the future, you might find this useful. Here’s a summary of expenses we spent during our 3 days and 2 nights Trip to Hong Kong and Macau. Our trip was relatively cheap and I guess most can classify it as budget traveling.Leftover Bills and Coins from our Hong Kong and Macau TripDay 1Manila to Hong Kong Flight Manila to Hong Kong Cebu Pacific Airlines Ticket bought during a promo fare – Php 2,134 (or HK$349.8) Ninoy Aquino (Manila) International Airport Terminal Fee – Php 750 (or HK$123) Philippine Travel Tax (for Philippine Residents) – Php 1,620 (or HK$265.6)Check cheap flights to Hong Kong. Enter your travel details:Hong Kong MTR Airport Express Travel Pass 3 days unlimited MTR rides with one way journey on the airport express line – HK$220Check-in at Wing Sing Hotel Two nights stay at Wing Sing Hotel (check rates) – HK$2160 or HK$540 per personCheck room rates on places to stay in Hong Kong. Enter your travel details:Ngong Ping 360 Round Trip Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car Ride – HK$107Disney Land Hong Kong Disneyland Hong Kong Admission Fee – HK$350Day 2Star Ferry Ride Fare – HK$ 2.30The Peak Tram, Sky Terrace, and Madame Tussauds The Peak Tram One Way Fare – HK$37 Sky Terrace Admission Fee – HK$20 Madame Tussauds Admission – HK$170 Bus 15 to Admiralty fare (going to Ocean Park) – HK$10.60Ocean Park Hong Kong Bus 629 (bus to Ocean Park) round trip fare – HK$21.2 Ocean Park Hong Kong Admission Fee – HK$208Day 3Hong Kong to Macau Ferry ride Turbojet Hong Kong to Macau One Way Fare – HK$146Macau Day Tour (HK$ is widely accepted in Macau) Two rides in Bus10A – HK$6.4 (we didn’t spend much because we took the free shuttle of casinos most of the time)Macau to Manila Flight Macau to Manila Cebu Pacific Airlines Ticket (Promo Fare) – HK$436.5Check room rates on places to stay in Macau. Enter your travel details:Total – HK$ 3,013.4 or Php 18,381.74 per personOur biggest expenses went to theme park admission fees. If you can do away with some of those theme parks, you’ll be spending much less. I didn’t keep track of how much we spent on food but as a general rule, we initially planned on spending around HK$50 / meal. Tip: We actually spent much less on food because we ate McDonalds most of the time or bought snacks at 7/11 stores. Food HK$50 per meal for 9 meals – $450 per personGrand Total – HK$ 3463.4 or Php 21,126.74 per person Grand Total excluding airfare (and terminal fee/travel tax in NAIA) – HK$ 2288.5 or Php 13,959.8 per person*computed at currency exchange rate of 1 HK$ = Php 6.1Check out our detailed 3 days and 2 night Hong Kong and Macau Itinerary.Update: View the improved “Hong Kong and Macau “Theme Park Hopper” 3-day itinerary at DIYdetours.com.Don’t leave yet. There’s more!Hong Kong & Macau DIY in 3 days - My First Trip AbroadSymphony of Lights Show in Tsim Sha Tsui Hong KongManila to Hong Kong Flight via Cebu PacificStarferry Ride: Tsim Sha Tsui to Central Hong KongTemple Street Night Market Hong KongWing Sing Hotel and Hong Kong MTR Airport ExpressComments Mawe saysNovember 20, 2009 at 3:21 amThese expenses were for two people, right? Mawe saysNovember 20, 2009 at 3:21 amand which travel agency did you use? chymera00 saysNovember 20, 2009 at 12:53 pmWe didn’t hire a travel agency, we did everything ourselves. The expenses are for 1 person only. Roanne saysNovember 23, 2009 at 12:27 pmwhat is the philippine travel tax? don’t we just have to pay for the terminal fee? Roanne saysNovember 23, 2009 at 12:32 pmcan we just take the free shuttle of casinos in macau even if we were not staying even for a night in any hotels in the area. we would just have a whole day tour at macau. chymera00 saysNovember 23, 2009 at 2:54 pmIf you’re a Philippine resident then most likely, you will have to pay for the Philippine travel tax if you’re leaving the country. You can learn more about the travel tax here:Yes, the shuttles are free even if you’re not staying at the hotel. You just go in the shuttles … no questions asked. That’s one of the best things I like about Macau, transportation (for tourist) can be very cheap … or free, it would just have to take a bit of walking from the hotel to your planned destinations. gene saysNovember 26, 2009 at 10:36 amWow, this is really a budget trip na you covered everything you would like to do and see. :) GReat job. Basi borrow ko imo itinerary if ever I go to HK and Macau. Thanks for sharing. chymera00 saysNovember 26, 2009 at 11:58 pmWelcome Gene. Ako, I will visit more places here in the Philippines muna, I still have a lot of places that I’m dying to experience. gene saysNovember 27, 2009 at 3:48 pmyes, mas damo di interesting and beautiful places sa aton. :D Matupad mo na ah… :) kon kinanlan mo tips on traveling to Palawan on economy budget, basi kabulig ako. More travels for us. missy saysNovember 29, 2009 at 11:56 amei,m very confuse about the mtr single journey ticket,kindly explain it further,tnx alot =b missy saysNovember 29, 2009 at 12:03 pmhow much kung admission lng at hnd ride all sa disney? kc u said pambata lng un… tnx chymera00 saysNovember 29, 2009 at 10:00 pmsige gene thanks gd. Ga explore pa ko subong sang options ko for trips next year. tani maka bisita man ko sa Palawan. Mostly, mga upod lng man kinanglan ko, hehe.Hey missy here was my reply in the other post: Hey missy sorry for the confusion. The airport express line is separate from the MTR lines. The ticket that we bought had a single journey on the airport express, that transports passengers from the airport to the MTR lines, and a 3 days unlimited ride within the MTR train system.For more information about the MTR you can visit their website: https://www.paydollar.com/b2c2/AELControlServlet?action=aelshop&lang=eng&catid=10000I think set rate na yan ang admission sa disneyland. Pareho din sa Enchanted Kingdom. The admission already includes all the rides/attractions inside disneyland. anisa saysMarch 30, 2010 at 3:17 pmis it safe doing the tour without a guide? im planning to go to HK and macau with my bro… will use your itinerary… is it easy to figure out where to go and explore? chymera00 saysMarch 30, 2010 at 3:32 pmYes it’s quite safe in Hong Kong and Macau. As with any city, you have to take extra precautions … I found Hong Kong easy to navigate and I guess it depends on how good you are following transport directions and stuff. Macau is a little bit more tricky.With regards to being able to ask for directions, Hong Kongers aren’t the easiest to approach … life there is fast-paced and it’ll be hard to find someone who will take the time to teach you where to go and stuff.I got lost this one time in Central it wasn’t much of a problem since there’s boatloads of Filipinos there … they were very helpful and friendly. Vertie Netterville saysMay 10, 2010 at 5:32 pmYou should definitely take advantage of the $50 free chip being offered at our new Bet Phoenix Casino. Available now at: Bet Phoenix. Good luck! Coach Hire saysJune 14, 2010 at 4:34 pmHi, you have explained in details about the place and the budget, this type of tips are very useful for people like me, because in coming days me and my friends are going to travel Asia, our first destination is Hong kong. Thank you so much for your useful tips. chymera00 saysJune 20, 2010 at 2:33 pmNo problem :) rosebud saysApril 2, 2011 at 4:26 pmhi, your travel tips had helped me a lot, me and my husband had just gone from hk and macau. We also did not take any tour guid because we thought that it will just add pressure to us. Although we didn’t get into places much but experiences such as lost in foreign country couldn’t be avoided but much more it’s so enjoyable having new adventure. We then plan to go back with our kids and hope our travel soon will be smoother than the first that we have. :-) chymera00 saysMay 5, 2011 at 2:29 amI have the same feelings with traveling without a guide / tour operator. It’s just so much more memorable when the trip feels more like an adventure. bardz saysMay 8, 2011 at 2:35 pmHi. am planning ill be going to macau. would like a lot of things sana. i booked cebu pacific for my airfare. i am confused if i have to pay for terminal fee in diosdado macapagal airport before leaving. and another thing is, do i have to pay for terminal fee in macau if i am going back to the philippines? chymera00 saysMay 8, 2011 at 5:08 pmYes you still have to pay the terminal fee, I think its P600, and also the philippine travel tax of P1,620. No more terminal fee in Macau Int. Airport.Generally, almost all airports outside the Philippines, already include the airport/gov’t tax in your airfare. Pilipinas lang talaga meron terminal fee pag check-in mo. Ayu saysJune 8, 2011 at 5:08 pmhey,thanks for the info! Atleast i have an idea na kun pila mabudget namon per head. Anyway, My friends and I are backpacking to Macau and HongKong this November for my birthday. It’s gonna be for a week. We already bought the ticket from Cebu pacific, what we need now is the hotel accomodation.can you suggest any good “decent” hotels for backpackers like us? also, ano mas convenient, have our money exchaged before the trip or sa airport na lang when we arrive in Macau? btw, great blog! It’s definitely worth the read :) chymera00 saysJune 23, 2011 at 4:33 pmWe stayed at Wing Sing Hotel in HK, the hotel was decent enough … we didn’t spend the night in Macau, so I don’t have any personal recommendations. Have your PHP exchanged to dollars before the trip. When you arrive at the airport, exchange a little amount just enough to get you to the city center and exchange most of the $ you’ll need. The currency exchange in HK Airport is a bit pricier. Zsay saysJuly 27, 2011 at 5:27 pmHi, ur flight is from Manila to hongkong Then Macau to Manila right?Di po ba magkakaproblem sa immigration pag ganun din ang pinabook kong ticket. Sa Macau na ung pagbalik ? Marcos saysAugust 3, 2011 at 8:49 amHindi naman. Just as long as you have a return ticket at hand, ok siya. Lito saysAugust 18, 2011 at 11:30 pmhi, ask ko lang if may kasama baby ok lang kaya pag di na kami kukuha ng travel agency para sa tour namin? nov 1-4 naman kami flight to hong kong kaya lang 2 days lang tlaga kung tutuusin kc darating pa lang kami ng 6pm sa Hong Kong ng nov 1, then return to manila naman ng nov 4 ng 8am, may baby kc kami kaya ayaw naming gabihin sa plane:) what can u suggest? laking tulong tong blog mo sa pagpaplano, thanks and god bless… Marcos saysAugust 24, 2011 at 2:42 amI suggest limiting your itinerary to Hong Kong only. Speeding a trip to Macau might be too much to have a packed itinerary with a baby along. Relatively convenient naman because of the convenient MTR in Hong Kong. DK Ortega saysAugust 25, 2011 at 10:44 pmYour itinerary really helped me in our travel to HK and Macau. :) Can’t wait for your blog about cruise. :) babs saysOctober 6, 2011 at 4:34 pmis it hard to navigate around the MTR stations? I am asking cuz I have noticed that on some (or maybe all) stations there are numerous exits, (A, A2, B, C1, E, etc). Do I need to include the information in my research (I am trying to make our itinerary…) on where we need to exit on each station depending where we are headed to before we even leave for our trip, or is it fairly easy to figure out where you need to exit when we get there? thanks for your help Marcos saysOctober 12, 2011 at 8:01 amIf you know the exit code better. If not, no big deal. You can just figure out the right way easily at street level. smdc saysOctober 20, 2011 at 1:55 pmanu ng tram terminus? terminal na pakadto sa the peak? hehe Marcos saysNovember 11, 2011 at 6:01 pmyes, it’s just another word for terminal :) reynan saysNovember 7, 2011 at 3:40 pmHi, thanks for these Sample IT and summary of expenses. It’s detailed and helpful! Good job! Podong saysNovember 9, 2011 at 6:21 pmGreat blog. Can’t wait to be in hk n macau this 25th. irene saysJanuary 20, 2012 at 11:43 amhi there! :) thank you for posting this. it’s really helpful for me. now i know how much to budget on our trip. but i couldn’t find your itenerary. is there another link for this? i clicked the one above, but it says “Page Not Found”. really appreciate if you could share it to me too. thank you a lot! God bless you! Marcos saysFebruary 2, 2012 at 2:48 amSorry about that, the links are now fixed: https://www.ambot-ah.com/hong-kong-macau-tour/ https://www.ambot-ah.com/hong-kong-macau-itinerary/ Angella saysJanuary 25, 2012 at 6:25 amhi i just wanna ask.. so its not a package right? you can just make your own itinerary? is it much easier for you to do your own itinerary rather than getting the packages? this is really helpful.. i like everything. thanks for posting this and hope you’ll answer my questions. tnx! Marcos saysFebruary 2, 2012 at 3:14 amYes, I did not take a packaged tour during this trip. It’s definitely much harder to do your own itinerary since you’re basically on your own. The main advantage of do-it-yourself (DIY) travels is the cheaper cost … at the expense of convenience and more often than not, comfort.I remember reading from somewhere that “Traveling on the cheapest packaged tour is always more expensive than a DIY itinerary.” From my experience, it is true most of the time … but not all. Romel saysFebruary 7, 2012 at 12:51 pmmagkano po ba ang terminal fee from macau to phils? Marcos saysFebruary 7, 2012 at 7:28 pmThere’s no terminal fee in Macau International Airport. All taxes are already paid for when you bought the ticket. Jason saysFebruary 12, 2012 at 5:06 pmjust wanna ask if there are baggage fee on the ferry going to Macau since our flight are same MNL-HKN and MACAU-MNL …baggage fee for check -in baggage.. thanks Nikki saysApril 10, 2012 at 10:59 amhello! regarding the hotel booking thru Agoda, is it possible to use someone else’s credit card for booking, one who is not joining the trip? I read that the voucher and the credit card should be presented upon check-in. Thank you! Will appreciate your help. Marcos saysApril 13, 2012 at 11:05 pmYou have to fax them additional documents such as the photocopy of the credit card used and the ID of the person whose name is on the CC Got this from Agoda’s website: http://www.agoda.com/info/additional-docs-during-payment-process.html Yam saysMay 12, 2012 at 12:31 pmHI there! Thanks for this helpful blog post! I would like to ask where did you exhange your US DOllar to HKD? Do we have numerous Forex Shop in Manila that can exchange Peso to HK Dollar?Thanks and btw, very good blog! Kx Esporlas saysMay 18, 2012 at 9:04 pmHey your blog is just amazing. We have an upcoming Macau-HK trip too by me and my sister and we want a DIY one. Im starting to plan things out now as well. This is really cool. For the hotel, did you booked online as well? zarah cadiz saysMay 19, 2012 at 7:23 pmtnx for the blog. my husband and I plus our two kids, 6&4 yrs old will be in HK this coming may 25..di kmi nag package tour coz we thought it would be tiring on the part of my children to follow the sched itinerary. we also want to do things our own way…glad to see some helpful tips… Jennifer Chua saysMay 21, 2012 at 2:20 pmhi,your blog is so helpful because i am planning on a DIY trip to Hong Kong and Macau and it will be my first time.can i ask how can i get to Disneyland from Tsim Sha Tsui? and how can i go back from Disneyland to Tsim Sha Tsui? I would prefer to ride the mickey mouse themed MTR to Disneyland.lastly, would it be less expensive to have a DIY tour or avail of a tour package?your help will be very useful for me.thank you very much//Jen Tan saysJune 24, 2012 at 9:23 amHi Marcos. Read your blog and it’s very helpful to travelers. Btw, if you know someone who is planning to go to HK on Aug 11-13, 2012, and no accomodations booked yet, I’m looking for someone to share the Twin room with (booked it because the Single room is not available) at Golden Crown Tsim Sha Tsui. My contact info is 09053184169. Thanks! Leah saysJuly 11, 2012 at 10:59 amask lng san pdeng mgpapalit ng peso to HK dollar dto sa manila? thank you..txt me naman 09239279940. jae saysSeptember 4, 2012 at 8:57 amhello.. paulit-ulit ko pong binabsa ang blog mo about your hong kong- macau trip. So excited na to go to these places with my hubby, sister and 3 children. this is also our first time to travel abroad. ( my husband has been travelling around the world- nature kc ng job nya). thank you so much because I find your blog very helpful. Looking forward to reading more of your travel blogs! Marcos saysNovember 11, 2012 at 6:24 pmThanks Jae! Eric saysSeptember 29, 2012 at 3:15 amSir, ask ko lang kung may binabayaran din ba sa hongkong ng kagaya sa pilipinas (kagaya ng terminal at travel taxes). Aside from that anu pa po ang na-encounter nyo n binabayran. i dont see that in your post.thank you.it will be very helpful to us,were planning to go in december. BTW, how about disneyland? minnnie saysSeptember 30, 2012 at 9:14 amyour travel blog is very detailed, informative and educational. i and my kids are plannng tao go to hk next year. i will follow ur itinerary and bring wid me printed copy of your blog. thanks a lot. boy je saysOctober 14, 2012 at 7:11 ami believe ur itinerary is great, will print it and will bring it with me in hk and macau so that i can follow it step by step…..will be going alone and only my back pack and camera with me, with limited budget…is it possible i will book my hotel only upon arrival in hk? will it there be any issue with the hk immigration? anyone travelling this weekend, perhaps i can join you and we can split the budget forhotels? rome saysNovember 14, 2012 at 2:31 pmthanks! nice and very helpful itinerary, been planning to go to hongkong and macau but i can’t decide if will avail travel agency tour package or will just simply go there on our own. which is better in your opinion? package tour or just go there ourselves? i will appreciate your reply, thanks..=) Marcos saysDecember 4, 2012 at 6:00 pmIt totally depends on your preferences. If I were to go back to Hong Kong or Macau, I’d travel DIY again. Raemon27 saysJanuary 17, 2013 at 8:13 pmIm visiting hong kong this september and I wanted to go to the big buddha and disneyland in one day, your blog is helpful! thanks! But I am afraid if we can do macau tour on the 3rd day because our return flight is around 5pm at hongkong intl airport. =( Marcos saysFebruary 2, 2013 at 9:48 pmYes, that’s a tough schedule for a sidetrip to Macau. I suggest maximizing your time in Hong Kong. kristine saysFebruary 22, 2013 at 12:32 pmvery informative.will be in hongkong this coming march. just one thing, your conversion from $hk to php is wrong. Your expenses in peso should be higher, right? chorl saysFebruary 26, 2013 at 12:37 pmwhat about black market? I mean do you need to have it (money) exchange here in our country or there’s a better option in HK? Is it in US dollar or HK dollar? and what about those affordable restaurants which are good and clean? plan to visit HK by March 2013. thank you! chorl saysFebruary 26, 2013 at 12:41 pmwe also plan to check in at Causeway Hotels, any suggestion much more cheaper and accessible? Kaycee saysFebruary 28, 2013 at 5:33 pmThis is an amazing blog. I’m scheduled to go by Sept this year and still deciding whether to take group tours from travel agencies. I’m afraid that by doing a DIY tour I might ruin the entire experience at all. Now I know where & how to start my own itinerary and I have the rough estimate as to the expenses I’ll be incurring! You know you’re helping other people (including me) out there! keep it up! Ella saysMarch 20, 2013 at 9:23 pm“I want to take a trip to HK in the very near future (dates are flexible) and am looking for someone to travel with and share hotel expenses – preference for another girl and best if they have travelled outside Philippine before” marge saysMarch 23, 2013 at 10:06 amThank you for sharing your tipid tips and escapade during your Macau trip. My family and i will go there this apr 28-may 3 and will allot 1 day tour at macau. your blog will surely be a big help :) God bless and more power! rex saysMarch 27, 2013 at 4:07 pmi just want to ask do we need visa when we enrty to macau if 3days tour only…or no visa needed?thanks…pls…i need your help… gynx07 saysMarch 31, 2013 at 6:01 amThat was very nice of you to share it. It would truly help a lot of backpackers. I am just wondering the amounts stated was that from few years back or recent data? If you have 20 thousand pesos as pocket money minus shopping would that be sufficient on a suggested meals?@ella let’s go! When? Holler at me at: [email protected] gynx07 saysMarch 31, 2013 at 6:04 am*budgetted meals and tours Ashly saysMay 14, 2013 at 6:55 amHi macros. We are a family of 4 planning a trip to HK and Macau. Airasia has a promo but Clark to hk only. If ever I will book Macau to Manila thru Cebu pacific, will that be ok with the immigration? I’m really paranoid with the stories of people being offloaded by immigration due to minor issues. BTW, me, my hubby and 2 kids ages 11 and 14 are traveling. angelie saysMay 26, 2013 at 2:42 pmhi.. what is more advisable… availing package tours to hongkong or DIY? we’re firs timers and i’m planning to travel hongkong with my parents this coming december…. hope i can get great suggestions from you. you can email me. thanks! great blog btw. =) Marcos saysJune 13, 2013 at 7:57 pmThat totally depends on your preference. If you want stress free travel, go with a packaged tour but if you want to control your itinerary and budget, go DIY. Monique saysJuly 1, 2013 at 9:05 pmWow! Thanks a lot for this! My friends and I are planning to visit Hong Kong this year and we are not really sure about the budget that we need. This is really helpful! Marcos saysAugust 13, 2013 at 3:22 pmYou’re welcome Monique :) GK saysFebruary 12, 2014 at 9:11 amHi! I’m traveling with my sister to HK and we will be arriving as early as 4 in the morning. We’re planning to go directly to Macau from the Airport, but the ferry from HKIA to Macau starts at 10am. Do you have any idea for a cheaper ride/faster route to Sheung Wan Terminal of Turbojet/Cotaijet so that we can get the 7am trip? Thanks! Kindly message me on [email protected] Agness of a TukTuk saysFebruary 18, 2017 at 3:25 pmIt’s wonderful how you included the amounts and prices in HK$. Glad you shared this, this really helps! Posting of new comments is disabled temporarily.Connect with Marcos on:Detourista.comMarcosDetourist.comFacebookInstagramTwitterDetourista.comDiscover more travel guides and blogs about the Philippines and beyond by Marcos DetouristChoose your next destination: Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
chymera00 saysNovember 20, 2009 at 12:53 pmWe didn’t hire a travel agency, we did everything ourselves. The expenses are for 1 person only.
Roanne saysNovember 23, 2009 at 12:27 pmwhat is the philippine travel tax? don’t we just have to pay for the terminal fee?
Roanne saysNovember 23, 2009 at 12:32 pmcan we just take the free shuttle of casinos in macau even if we were not staying even for a night in any hotels in the area. we would just have a whole day tour at macau.
chymera00 saysNovember 23, 2009 at 2:54 pmIf you’re a Philippine resident then most likely, you will have to pay for the Philippine travel tax if you’re leaving the country. You can learn more about the travel tax here:Yes, the shuttles are free even if you’re not staying at the hotel. You just go in the shuttles … no questions asked. That’s one of the best things I like about Macau, transportation (for tourist) can be very cheap … or free, it would just have to take a bit of walking from the hotel to your planned destinations.
gene saysNovember 26, 2009 at 10:36 amWow, this is really a budget trip na you covered everything you would like to do and see. :) GReat job. Basi borrow ko imo itinerary if ever I go to HK and Macau. Thanks for sharing.
chymera00 saysNovember 26, 2009 at 11:58 pmWelcome Gene. Ako, I will visit more places here in the Philippines muna, I still have a lot of places that I’m dying to experience.
gene saysNovember 27, 2009 at 3:48 pmyes, mas damo di interesting and beautiful places sa aton. :D Matupad mo na ah… :) kon kinanlan mo tips on traveling to Palawan on economy budget, basi kabulig ako. More travels for us.
missy saysNovember 29, 2009 at 11:56 amei,m very confuse about the mtr single journey ticket,kindly explain it further,tnx alot =b
missy saysNovember 29, 2009 at 12:03 pmhow much kung admission lng at hnd ride all sa disney? kc u said pambata lng un… tnx
chymera00 saysNovember 29, 2009 at 10:00 pmsige gene thanks gd. Ga explore pa ko subong sang options ko for trips next year. tani maka bisita man ko sa Palawan. Mostly, mga upod lng man kinanglan ko, hehe.Hey missy here was my reply in the other post: Hey missy sorry for the confusion. The airport express line is separate from the MTR lines. The ticket that we bought had a single journey on the airport express, that transports passengers from the airport to the MTR lines, and a 3 days unlimited ride within the MTR train system.For more information about the MTR you can visit their website: https://www.paydollar.com/b2c2/AELControlServlet?action=aelshop&lang=eng&catid=10000I think set rate na yan ang admission sa disneyland. Pareho din sa Enchanted Kingdom. The admission already includes all the rides/attractions inside disneyland.
anisa saysMarch 30, 2010 at 3:17 pmis it safe doing the tour without a guide? im planning to go to HK and macau with my bro… will use your itinerary… is it easy to figure out where to go and explore?
chymera00 saysMarch 30, 2010 at 3:32 pmYes it’s quite safe in Hong Kong and Macau. As with any city, you have to take extra precautions … I found Hong Kong easy to navigate and I guess it depends on how good you are following transport directions and stuff. Macau is a little bit more tricky.With regards to being able to ask for directions, Hong Kongers aren’t the easiest to approach … life there is fast-paced and it’ll be hard to find someone who will take the time to teach you where to go and stuff.I got lost this one time in Central it wasn’t much of a problem since there’s boatloads of Filipinos there … they were very helpful and friendly.
Vertie Netterville saysMay 10, 2010 at 5:32 pmYou should definitely take advantage of the $50 free chip being offered at our new Bet Phoenix Casino. Available now at: Bet Phoenix. Good luck!
Coach Hire saysJune 14, 2010 at 4:34 pmHi, you have explained in details about the place and the budget, this type of tips are very useful for people like me, because in coming days me and my friends are going to travel Asia, our first destination is Hong kong. Thank you so much for your useful tips.
rosebud saysApril 2, 2011 at 4:26 pmhi, your travel tips had helped me a lot, me and my husband had just gone from hk and macau. We also did not take any tour guid because we thought that it will just add pressure to us. Although we didn’t get into places much but experiences such as lost in foreign country couldn’t be avoided but much more it’s so enjoyable having new adventure. We then plan to go back with our kids and hope our travel soon will be smoother than the first that we have. :-)
chymera00 saysMay 5, 2011 at 2:29 amI have the same feelings with traveling without a guide / tour operator. It’s just so much more memorable when the trip feels more like an adventure.
bardz saysMay 8, 2011 at 2:35 pmHi. am planning ill be going to macau. would like a lot of things sana. i booked cebu pacific for my airfare. i am confused if i have to pay for terminal fee in diosdado macapagal airport before leaving. and another thing is, do i have to pay for terminal fee in macau if i am going back to the philippines?
chymera00 saysMay 8, 2011 at 5:08 pmYes you still have to pay the terminal fee, I think its P600, and also the philippine travel tax of P1,620. No more terminal fee in Macau Int. Airport.Generally, almost all airports outside the Philippines, already include the airport/gov’t tax in your airfare. Pilipinas lang talaga meron terminal fee pag check-in mo.
Ayu saysJune 8, 2011 at 5:08 pmhey,thanks for the info! Atleast i have an idea na kun pila mabudget namon per head. Anyway, My friends and I are backpacking to Macau and HongKong this November for my birthday. It’s gonna be for a week. We already bought the ticket from Cebu pacific, what we need now is the hotel accomodation.can you suggest any good “decent” hotels for backpackers like us? also, ano mas convenient, have our money exchaged before the trip or sa airport na lang when we arrive in Macau? btw, great blog! It’s definitely worth the read :)
chymera00 saysJune 23, 2011 at 4:33 pmWe stayed at Wing Sing Hotel in HK, the hotel was decent enough … we didn’t spend the night in Macau, so I don’t have any personal recommendations. Have your PHP exchanged to dollars before the trip. When you arrive at the airport, exchange a little amount just enough to get you to the city center and exchange most of the $ you’ll need. The currency exchange in HK Airport is a bit pricier.
Zsay saysJuly 27, 2011 at 5:27 pmHi, ur flight is from Manila to hongkong Then Macau to Manila right?Di po ba magkakaproblem sa immigration pag ganun din ang pinabook kong ticket. Sa Macau na ung pagbalik ?
Marcos saysAugust 3, 2011 at 8:49 amHindi naman. Just as long as you have a return ticket at hand, ok siya.
Lito saysAugust 18, 2011 at 11:30 pmhi, ask ko lang if may kasama baby ok lang kaya pag di na kami kukuha ng travel agency para sa tour namin? nov 1-4 naman kami flight to hong kong kaya lang 2 days lang tlaga kung tutuusin kc darating pa lang kami ng 6pm sa Hong Kong ng nov 1, then return to manila naman ng nov 4 ng 8am, may baby kc kami kaya ayaw naming gabihin sa plane:) what can u suggest? laking tulong tong blog mo sa pagpaplano, thanks and god bless…
Marcos saysAugust 24, 2011 at 2:42 amI suggest limiting your itinerary to Hong Kong only. Speeding a trip to Macau might be too much to have a packed itinerary with a baby along. Relatively convenient naman because of the convenient MTR in Hong Kong.
DK Ortega saysAugust 25, 2011 at 10:44 pmYour itinerary really helped me in our travel to HK and Macau. :) Can’t wait for your blog about cruise. :)
babs saysOctober 6, 2011 at 4:34 pmis it hard to navigate around the MTR stations? I am asking cuz I have noticed that on some (or maybe all) stations there are numerous exits, (A, A2, B, C1, E, etc). Do I need to include the information in my research (I am trying to make our itinerary…) on where we need to exit on each station depending where we are headed to before we even leave for our trip, or is it fairly easy to figure out where you need to exit when we get there? thanks for your help
Marcos saysOctober 12, 2011 at 8:01 amIf you know the exit code better. If not, no big deal. You can just figure out the right way easily at street level.
reynan saysNovember 7, 2011 at 3:40 pmHi, thanks for these Sample IT and summary of expenses. It’s detailed and helpful! Good job!
irene saysJanuary 20, 2012 at 11:43 amhi there! :) thank you for posting this. it’s really helpful for me. now i know how much to budget on our trip. but i couldn’t find your itenerary. is there another link for this? i clicked the one above, but it says “Page Not Found”. really appreciate if you could share it to me too. thank you a lot! God bless you!
Marcos saysFebruary 2, 2012 at 2:48 amSorry about that, the links are now fixed: https://www.ambot-ah.com/hong-kong-macau-tour/ https://www.ambot-ah.com/hong-kong-macau-itinerary/
Angella saysJanuary 25, 2012 at 6:25 amhi i just wanna ask.. so its not a package right? you can just make your own itinerary? is it much easier for you to do your own itinerary rather than getting the packages? this is really helpful.. i like everything. thanks for posting this and hope you’ll answer my questions. tnx!
Marcos saysFebruary 2, 2012 at 3:14 amYes, I did not take a packaged tour during this trip. It’s definitely much harder to do your own itinerary since you’re basically on your own. The main advantage of do-it-yourself (DIY) travels is the cheaper cost … at the expense of convenience and more often than not, comfort.I remember reading from somewhere that “Traveling on the cheapest packaged tour is always more expensive than a DIY itinerary.” From my experience, it is true most of the time … but not all.
Marcos saysFebruary 7, 2012 at 7:28 pmThere’s no terminal fee in Macau International Airport. All taxes are already paid for when you bought the ticket.
Jason saysFebruary 12, 2012 at 5:06 pmjust wanna ask if there are baggage fee on the ferry going to Macau since our flight are same MNL-HKN and MACAU-MNL …baggage fee for check -in baggage.. thanks
Nikki saysApril 10, 2012 at 10:59 amhello! regarding the hotel booking thru Agoda, is it possible to use someone else’s credit card for booking, one who is not joining the trip? I read that the voucher and the credit card should be presented upon check-in. Thank you! Will appreciate your help.
Marcos saysApril 13, 2012 at 11:05 pmYou have to fax them additional documents such as the photocopy of the credit card used and the ID of the person whose name is on the CC Got this from Agoda’s website: http://www.agoda.com/info/additional-docs-during-payment-process.html
Yam saysMay 12, 2012 at 12:31 pmHI there! Thanks for this helpful blog post! I would like to ask where did you exhange your US DOllar to HKD? Do we have numerous Forex Shop in Manila that can exchange Peso to HK Dollar?Thanks and btw, very good blog!
Kx Esporlas saysMay 18, 2012 at 9:04 pmHey your blog is just amazing. We have an upcoming Macau-HK trip too by me and my sister and we want a DIY one. Im starting to plan things out now as well. This is really cool. For the hotel, did you booked online as well?
zarah cadiz saysMay 19, 2012 at 7:23 pmtnx for the blog. my husband and I plus our two kids, 6&4 yrs old will be in HK this coming may 25..di kmi nag package tour coz we thought it would be tiring on the part of my children to follow the sched itinerary. we also want to do things our own way…glad to see some helpful tips…
Jennifer Chua saysMay 21, 2012 at 2:20 pmhi,your blog is so helpful because i am planning on a DIY trip to Hong Kong and Macau and it will be my first time.can i ask how can i get to Disneyland from Tsim Sha Tsui? and how can i go back from Disneyland to Tsim Sha Tsui? I would prefer to ride the mickey mouse themed MTR to Disneyland.lastly, would it be less expensive to have a DIY tour or avail of a tour package?your help will be very useful for me.thank you very much//Jen
Tan saysJune 24, 2012 at 9:23 amHi Marcos. Read your blog and it’s very helpful to travelers. Btw, if you know someone who is planning to go to HK on Aug 11-13, 2012, and no accomodations booked yet, I’m looking for someone to share the Twin room with (booked it because the Single room is not available) at Golden Crown Tsim Sha Tsui. My contact info is 09053184169. Thanks!
Leah saysJuly 11, 2012 at 10:59 amask lng san pdeng mgpapalit ng peso to HK dollar dto sa manila? thank you..txt me naman 09239279940.
jae saysSeptember 4, 2012 at 8:57 amhello.. paulit-ulit ko pong binabsa ang blog mo about your hong kong- macau trip. So excited na to go to these places with my hubby, sister and 3 children. this is also our first time to travel abroad. ( my husband has been travelling around the world- nature kc ng job nya). thank you so much because I find your blog very helpful. Looking forward to reading more of your travel blogs!
Eric saysSeptember 29, 2012 at 3:15 amSir, ask ko lang kung may binabayaran din ba sa hongkong ng kagaya sa pilipinas (kagaya ng terminal at travel taxes). Aside from that anu pa po ang na-encounter nyo n binabayran. i dont see that in your post.thank you.it will be very helpful to us,were planning to go in december. BTW, how about disneyland?
minnnie saysSeptember 30, 2012 at 9:14 amyour travel blog is very detailed, informative and educational. i and my kids are plannng tao go to hk next year. i will follow ur itinerary and bring wid me printed copy of your blog. thanks a lot.
boy je saysOctober 14, 2012 at 7:11 ami believe ur itinerary is great, will print it and will bring it with me in hk and macau so that i can follow it step by step…..will be going alone and only my back pack and camera with me, with limited budget…is it possible i will book my hotel only upon arrival in hk? will it there be any issue with the hk immigration? anyone travelling this weekend, perhaps i can join you and we can split the budget forhotels?
rome saysNovember 14, 2012 at 2:31 pmthanks! nice and very helpful itinerary, been planning to go to hongkong and macau but i can’t decide if will avail travel agency tour package or will just simply go there on our own. which is better in your opinion? package tour or just go there ourselves? i will appreciate your reply, thanks..=)
Marcos saysDecember 4, 2012 at 6:00 pmIt totally depends on your preferences. If I were to go back to Hong Kong or Macau, I’d travel DIY again.
Raemon27 saysJanuary 17, 2013 at 8:13 pmIm visiting hong kong this september and I wanted to go to the big buddha and disneyland in one day, your blog is helpful! thanks! But I am afraid if we can do macau tour on the 3rd day because our return flight is around 5pm at hongkong intl airport. =(
Marcos saysFebruary 2, 2013 at 9:48 pmYes, that’s a tough schedule for a sidetrip to Macau. I suggest maximizing your time in Hong Kong.
kristine saysFebruary 22, 2013 at 12:32 pmvery informative.will be in hongkong this coming march. just one thing, your conversion from $hk to php is wrong. Your expenses in peso should be higher, right?
chorl saysFebruary 26, 2013 at 12:37 pmwhat about black market? I mean do you need to have it (money) exchange here in our country or there’s a better option in HK? Is it in US dollar or HK dollar? and what about those affordable restaurants which are good and clean? plan to visit HK by March 2013. thank you!
chorl saysFebruary 26, 2013 at 12:41 pmwe also plan to check in at Causeway Hotels, any suggestion much more cheaper and accessible?
Kaycee saysFebruary 28, 2013 at 5:33 pmThis is an amazing blog. I’m scheduled to go by Sept this year and still deciding whether to take group tours from travel agencies. I’m afraid that by doing a DIY tour I might ruin the entire experience at all. Now I know where & how to start my own itinerary and I have the rough estimate as to the expenses I’ll be incurring! You know you’re helping other people (including me) out there! keep it up!
Ella saysMarch 20, 2013 at 9:23 pm“I want to take a trip to HK in the very near future (dates are flexible) and am looking for someone to travel with and share hotel expenses – preference for another girl and best if they have travelled outside Philippine before”
marge saysMarch 23, 2013 at 10:06 amThank you for sharing your tipid tips and escapade during your Macau trip. My family and i will go there this apr 28-may 3 and will allot 1 day tour at macau. your blog will surely be a big help :) God bless and more power!
rex saysMarch 27, 2013 at 4:07 pmi just want to ask do we need visa when we enrty to macau if 3days tour only…or no visa needed?thanks…pls…i need your help…
gynx07 saysMarch 31, 2013 at 6:01 amThat was very nice of you to share it. It would truly help a lot of backpackers. I am just wondering the amounts stated was that from few years back or recent data? If you have 20 thousand pesos as pocket money minus shopping would that be sufficient on a suggested meals?@ella let’s go! When? Holler at me at: [email protected]
Ashly saysMay 14, 2013 at 6:55 amHi macros. We are a family of 4 planning a trip to HK and Macau. Airasia has a promo but Clark to hk only. If ever I will book Macau to Manila thru Cebu pacific, will that be ok with the immigration? I’m really paranoid with the stories of people being offloaded by immigration due to minor issues. BTW, me, my hubby and 2 kids ages 11 and 14 are traveling.
angelie saysMay 26, 2013 at 2:42 pmhi.. what is more advisable… availing package tours to hongkong or DIY? we’re firs timers and i’m planning to travel hongkong with my parents this coming december…. hope i can get great suggestions from you. you can email me. thanks! great blog btw. =)
Marcos saysJune 13, 2013 at 7:57 pmThat totally depends on your preference. If you want stress free travel, go with a packaged tour but if you want to control your itinerary and budget, go DIY.
Monique saysJuly 1, 2013 at 9:05 pmWow! Thanks a lot for this! My friends and I are planning to visit Hong Kong this year and we are not really sure about the budget that we need. This is really helpful!
GK saysFebruary 12, 2014 at 9:11 amHi! I’m traveling with my sister to HK and we will be arriving as early as 4 in the morning. We’re planning to go directly to Macau from the Airport, but the ferry from HKIA to Macau starts at 10am. Do you have any idea for a cheaper ride/faster route to Sheung Wan Terminal of Turbojet/Cotaijet so that we can get the 7am trip? Thanks! Kindly message me on [email protected]
Agness of a TukTuk saysFebruary 18, 2017 at 3:25 pmIt’s wonderful how you included the amounts and prices in HK$. Glad you shared this, this really helps!