Macau (Outer Harbour) - Guangzhou (Nansha)
Ferries to China
Macau (Outer Harbour) - Guangzhou (Nansha)
Ferries to China
Compare live pricing across ferry operators worldwide and find the sailing that fits your trip. Booking sooner rather than later is the simplest way to secure the best fares and the widest choice.
Direct Ferries runs discounts across the calendar year. If your route qualifies for a senior discount, it's applied for you automatically as soon as you choose the correct age bracket in the passenger options when you search.
Students and recent graduates qualify for a 5% saving on their ticket. Register with our partner Student Beans to confirm your eligibility, then apply the discount code you receive at checkout.
A resident discount is also on offer for a number of Spanish and Italian crossings — select the "Residents" option where available and the price will adjust automatically. Make sure you can show proof of address, such as a residency certificate or ID card, when you check in.
Document requirements differ by route, so check what you'll need well before departure. Travelling from Macau (Outer Harbour) to Guangzhou (Nansha) generally calls for a valid passport, plus any visa or national ID your nationality requires. Since rules depend on both your citizenship and your destination's regulations, our Check-in, Travel Documents & Tickets guide is a good place to check the details and avoid delays at check-in.
Getting your tickets is simple — enter your departure port, arrival port, and preferred travel date to see every fare and sailing available. From there, you can compare alternative routes and departure times to land on the best option for your trip.
Watch for early-bird pricing and flexible ticket formats, such as upgrades or flexi-fares that allow later changes or cancellations. Enter your details accurately, including passenger count and vehicle information, to keep your booking process smooth.
A confirmation email lands in your inbox the moment your booking is finalised. How your boarding pass gets issued from there depends on the specific ferry operator.
Certain operators release your boarding pass right after booking; others want you to check in once you reach the port. Where available, the Direct Ferries app lets you check in online ahead of time.
Ticket desks sit near the ferry terminal in most cases. Give yourself extra time before departure to collect your tickets and complete check-in without stress.
You'll need to present your confirmation email plus valid photo ID — a passport or identity card — at check-in. Pet owners should bring vaccination and insurance paperwork, and anyone using a resident discount should have proof of address on hand.
A handful of reasons can explain the lack of departures from Macau (Outer Harbour) to Guangzhou (Nansha) on your selected date — timetable adjustments, sold-out sailings, or a seasonal gap are the usual culprits. Try a different date or browse other routes through our Route & Port finder.
Booking your Macau (Outer Harbour) to Guangzhou (Nansha) ferry early usually pays off, both in terms of price and choice — earlier bookings tend to unlock better fares and more departure and cabin options.
A few weeks' notice is generally enough to catch the best deals, though fares can still move depending on the season and remaining availability.
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Macau borders the city of Zhuhai on the south east coast of China. The port serves passengers with ferry routes to other areas of China, though predominantly it is used to transport passengers to Hong Kong. There are around 77 crossings per day to Hong Kong, typically lasting just under an hour. With a population of just over 650,000 living in an area of 30.5 km2, Macau lies in the most densely populated region in the world. Macau has recently been dubbed as the ‘Las Vegas of China’ due to the abundance of extravagant casinos making it a haven of gambling and glamour. It differs, however, from Las Vegas in its class and diversity; being a Portuguese colony for several hundred years, there is a mix of Asian and Western European culture that is unique to the city. Away from the casinos and restaurants, plenty of history can be enjoyed around the city. St Paul’s ruins are a must-see whilst in the area, especially for a change of scenery from the tall buildings and buzzing streets. For an even greater change in landscape, head to Old Taipa Village for a chance to spend time with the local people and learn about their traditional faith and values. Macau is dense enough that the majority of the major attractions are found in the city centre, therefore are generally within walking distance of each other. For transport to the ferry terminal, there is a bus service that stops directly outside the port, though the lack of English spoken can make it hard for visitors to negotiate with the driver. It may be best advised for tourists to get a taxi on their first visit.
Found within the labyrinth of waterways and inlets that branch away from the Shizi Ocean, a narrow strait that cuts through the centre of Guangzhou city in south-east China, is the port of Nansha. Guangzhou (sometimes called Canton), is the third largest city in the country, just behind the capital of Beijing and Shanghai. It has an extensive history stretching back to the beginning of the 3rd Century when it was established as a military base during the Qin Empire. Today Guangzhou is a sprawling modern metropolis backed by rugged mountains to the north. The cityscape is shaped by soaring skyscrapers, their sleek bodies ablaze with light during the dark hours, and avant-garde architecture including the Liede suspension bridge and the striking hourglass figure of the Canton TV Tower. The port of Nansha in Guangzhou is a facility found in the Nansha residential district by the southern coast. The ferry terminal here is a modern building with a curvaceous roof and a large open-plan lobby designed to accommodate the 1.6 million passengers that pass through each year. Just outside the terminal entrance is a number of stops from which buses embark on a loop around the Nansha peninsula, taking passengers around the verdant expanse of the Huangshanlu Forest Park and to locations including the old town and Jinzhou metro station. Guangzhou is riven by a network of major roads that make travelling to the port easy. A number of highways lead to the central district of the city as well as to the industrial region of Dongguan in the east and the Cantonese cultural hub of Foshan in the west. The nearest underground train line, found a half-hour drive from the port, whisks passengers directly into the vibrant centre of Guangzhou along the Line 4 line. One ferry service currently operates from Nansha port. A fast TurboJet line sails to the airport found on the Lantau Island region of Hong Kong. It’s a short route that takes ferry-goers out from the mouth of the Shizi Ocean strait and through an island peppered pocket of the South China Sea.
