Shuttle bus between city of dreams and hotel sintra

Question

Hi, we are planning to go see House of Dancing Water in December and thinking of staying in the Grand Hyatt in CoD.

We are going to take a look around Senado Square area during the day and was wondering if the shuttle bus is still running between CoD and Hotel Sintra?

I only read about it from older posts and it seems like a very handy way to get between the two areas but wasn't sure if this shuttle still runs?

Answer

Hi — good question. Short answer: the free shuttle bus between (CoD) and doesn’t appear to be reliably documented as still running this route in the most recent sources. I’ll break down what I found, what to check, and alternative transport options.

What the sources say:

Some older blog posts and threads say there *was* a free shuttle bus from Hotel Sintra to CoD or via the nearby area — for example one visitor in 2013 wrote: “At Sintra, you can find the free shuttle bus of City of Dreams, so you can take that bus to reach City of Dreams…”
A TripAdvisor thread dated October 2025 states: “The City of Dreams (COD) has free shuttle service to the Historic Centre of Macau but it changed locations from Sintra to Grand Emperor hotel ...”
The official CoD website under “Free Shuttle & Transport Arrangements” mentions that CoD offers free shuttle buses from key entry points (ferry terminals, border, airport) but does *not* clearly list Hotel Sintra as a specific stop.

What this means:

While there was historically a shuttle service linking Hotel Sintra (or nearby) and CoD, more recent accounts suggest the service may have changed its pickup/drop-off point (for example to another hotel like the Grand Emperor) instead of Hotel Sintra.
The lack of a clear listing on the current official CoD site for Hotel Sintra suggests that the route may not be actively maintained, or the stop at Hotel Sintra may not be guaranteed.
Therefore, you cannot assume the free shuttle bus between CoD and Hotel Sintra is still operating exactly as described in older posts — it’s best to check directly with the hotel or CoD shuttle desk ahead of your visit.

What you should do / check before you go:

Contact Hotel Sintra’s front desk (via email or phone) and ask: “Is there a complimentary shuttle bus *from the hotel* (or from the hotel’s vicinity) to City of Dreams resort? If yes: what are the times, frequency and pick-up point?”
Contact CoD’s guest services or the “Free Shuttle & Transport” desk and ask specifically: “Is Hotel Sintra a current stop on your free shuttle route? If yes: how often and what schedule?”
If the shuttle no longer runs from Hotel Sintra – ask alternative complimentary or paid transport options (for example hotel shuttle to ferry/border, then public bus, or a taxi voucher etc).
Look up the public bus route: Between Hotel Sintra (on Macau Peninsula) and CoD (in Cotai) you can use the city public bus (for example Bus 26A from Centro/Infante D. Henrique to Estrada da Baia de Nossa Senhora da Esperança near CoD) which takes about 24–30 minutes and costs a small fare.

Alternative transport option if shuttle is not available:

Public bus: As above, a direct public bus run takes about 25–30 minutes and low cost.
Taxi or ride-share: Quick, convenient especially if you have luggage or travelling in a group — expect roughly 7-15 minutes (depending on traffic) between Coat/Cotai area and the Macau Peninsula.
Hotel-arranged courtesy shuttle (if Hotel Sintra offers one): Many hotels in Macau provide their own shuttle to ferry terminals or main casino resorts — check with your hotel.

My recommendation for your scenario (seeing The House of Dancing Water Show in December and staying at CoD):

Since you’re staying at CoD (and thus already in Cotai) and you’ll be going to Senado Square area in the daytime, it may be more straightforward to travel from CoD to Senado Square using public transport or taxi, rather than relying on a possibly-uncertain hotel shuttle from Hotel Sintra. Alternatively you could stay at or near Hotel Sintra and then make the commute to CoD for the show, but check transport convenience.
If you do stay at Hotel Sintra and want to commute to CoD for the show: plan for either taxi for the return (evening time) or confirm shuttle ahead. Don’t rely solely on older info.
In your pre-trip planning (i.e., now) send a quick email to both hotels: CoD and Hotel Sintra asking about the shuttle, and then make a decision based on their reply. If it’s not operational, book a taxi pick-up through the hotel for convenience.

Bottom line: The shuttle bus linking Hotel Sintra and CoD may have existed historically, but recent reports indicate that the route has likely changed or may no longer include Hotel Sintra as a free stop. It’s best to verify directly. Until then, plan for a fallback (public bus or taxi) so your day out and show night are smooth.

Shuttle bus between city of dreams and hotel sintra

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