Macau (Outer Harbour) - Guangzhou (Nansha)
Ferry to China
Macau (Outer Harbour) - Guangzhou (Nansha)
Ferry to China
See ferry fares and operators from all over the world in one spot, and find the sailing that fits your trip. Booking early is usually the surest way to get a good price and plenty of choice.
Discounts are available with Direct Ferries all year round. If a senior discount applies to your crossing, it's applied for you automatically once the right age bracket is selected in the passenger options.
Students and recent graduates can claim a 5% saving. Register with our partner Student Beans to verify eligibility, then apply your discount code at checkout.
Resident discounts also apply to a number of Spanish and Italian routes — pick the "Residents" option during search and the fare adjusts automatically. Be ready to show proof of address, such as an ID card or residency certificate, at check-in.
Requirements for travel documents change from route to route, so check what's needed ahead of time. A valid passport is usually required for Macau (Outer Harbour) to Guangzhou (Nansha) travel, plus any visa or national ID relevant to your nationality. Since the rules depend on your citizenship and destination, our Check-in, Travel Documents & Tickets guide is the place to check for the latest guidance and avoid delays at check-in.
To book, just add your departure port, arrival port and preferred date, and you'll see every fare and sailing on offer. You can also compare alternative routes and times to find your best match.
Look out for early-bird pricing and flexible ticket options, such as upgrades or flexi-fares that let you make changes down the line. Entering accurate details — passenger count, vehicle specs and so on — keeps the process running smoothly.
As soon as your booking is confirmed, a confirmation email will land in your inbox. What happens next with your boarding pass depends on the operator you've booked.
Some operators issue boarding passes right away, while others need you to check in at the port itself. Where it's supported, the Direct Ferries app lets you check in online in advance.
You'll usually find ticket desks close to the ferry terminal. Giving yourself a little extra time before departure means you can collect tickets and check in without any stress.
Bring your confirmation email and valid photo ID, such as a passport or identity card, to check in. Pet owners should have vaccination and insurance documents on hand, and anyone with a resident discount should carry proof of address.
There are a few reasons departures from Macau (Outer Harbour) to Guangzhou (Nansha) might not show for your chosen date — a schedule change, sold-out sailings, or a seasonal lull are the most likely. Try another date or check alternative routes through our Route & Port finder.
Booking your Macau (Outer Harbour) to Guangzhou (Nansha) ferry well ahead of time generally works in your favour — you'll usually find better fares and a wider choice of departures and cabins.
A few weeks ahead is usually enough notice to catch the best offers, though fares can still fluctuate with the season and remaining space.
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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.
