The circuit's origins date to 1954, when its route was first used for a treasure hunt around the city streets. Shortly after, the suggestion was made that the same roads could host an amateur motor racing event for local enthusiasts. Racing began on the circuit in the years that followed, and since 1967, when a motorcycle race was introduced, the venue has staged both two-wheeled and four-wheeled competition simultaneously within the same race weekend.
The layout has remained largely unchanged since 1957. The only significant physical alteration came in 1993, when the pit and paddock complex was relocated. As part of that work, a gravel trap near the Reservoir Bend was removed.
The Guia Circuit measures 6.120 km and is defined by the characteristics typical of a street circuit: narrow carriageways, bumpy surfaces, and very limited opportunities for overtaking. Two features distinguish it from most other street circuits. First, an elevation change of more than 30 metres between the circuit's highest and lowest points gives it a dramatic topography. Second, a very long main straight allows Formula Three cars to reach speeds of around 260 km/h. The combination of high-speed sections and extremely tight corners demands a wide range of setup compromises.
The narrowest point on the circuit is the Melco Hairpin, where the track width drops to just 7 metres. The entire circuit is lined with Armco barriers painted in black and yellow stripes, leaving no margin for error. The Lisboa Bend is another iconic section, a slow right-left complex that has been the scene of numerous incidents over the decades.
Two main grandstands serve spectators: one along the pit straight and one at the Lisboa Bend.
The Macau Grand Prix is the circuit's headline event, a unique weekend that combines motorcycle and car racing. For many years the Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix served as an unofficial world championship for Formula 3, attracting the strongest fields in the category and producing results that carried significant weight in the careers of drivers seeking to reach Formula 1.
From 2005 to 2014, the Guia Circuit also hosted rounds of the World Touring Car Championship as part of the Macau Grand Prix weekend's supporting programme. The FIA subsequently brought Formula 4 and GT machinery to Macau under its World Cup banner.
A demonstration event in 2003 marking the Grand Prix's 50th anniversary saw Ralph Firman, winner of the 1996 Formula 3 race, set a lap time of 1:55.714 in a Jordan EJ13 Formula 1 car.
Current annual events at the circuit include the FIA FR World Cup, FIA GT World Cup, FIA F4 World Cup, the TCR World Tour Macau Guia Race, and the Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix.
The Guia Circuit has appeared in multiple racing video games, recognised by developers for the challenge and distinctiveness it presents. Its combination of street-circuit unpredictability, high top speed, extreme narrowness, and notable elevation change makes it a benchmark test of a simulation's handling model and a favourite among competitive sim racers.