Guangzhou
广州 · Guǎngzhōu
Dim sum breakfasts, Cantonese food and Lingnan old streets.
2Days
Oct–DecBest time
80Foreigner-friendliness
Photo: Tim Wu · CC BY-SA 4.0
Second stop or second trip
Best time to visit
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
From the airport or station to the city
Where you land, the ways into the city centre, how long each takes and what it costs.
From Guangzhou Baiyun Airport (CAN)
广州白云国际机场
From Guangzhou South Railway Station
广州南站
From Hong Kong West Kowloon (high-speed rail)
香港西九龙站
Getting around
The metro is fast, cheap (about ¥2–10) and has English signs; pay with Alipay or WeChat transit codes. Bag checks at every station. Taxis and DiDi are plentiful. Guangzhou is hot and humid from May to October, so plan outdoor sights for mornings and evenings.
Book these before you fly
These sights need a reservation with your passport. Walk-ups are usually turned away.
- Chen Clan AcademyReal-name tickets only through the 广东民间工艺博物馆 WeChat service account; there is no ticket window. Foreigners can book with a passport there; if it fails, ask staff at the entrance for help.
- Guangdong MuseumFree timed real-name booking on the 广东省博物馆 WeChat mini-program, which has an English version; slots for the next 7 days open at 22:00. Passport holders who cannot book can call +86 20 3804 6877 or ask at the service window by the west gate.
Top sights
广州塔Canton TowerThe 600 m TV tower on the Pearl River, with observation decks from 428 m to 488 m and a Ferris wheel on top.
陈家祠（广东民间工艺博物馆）Chen Clan AcademyA 19th-century clan hall covered in carved wood, brick, stone and ceramic roof figures; now a folk art museum.
沙面岛Shamian IslandA leafy sandbank island of former British and French concession buildings, churches and banyan-lined avenues.
永庆坊Yongqing Fang and Enning RoadRestored Xiguan lanes with arcaded shophouses, Cantonese opera, craft shops and Bruce Lee’s ancestral home.
越秀公园Yuexiu Park and Zhenhai TowerThe city’s biggest central park, with the Five Rams statue and the Ming-era Zhenhai Tower, home to the Guangzhou Museum.
北京路步行街Beijing Road pedestrian streetThe main shopping street, where glass panels show road surfaces from ten dynasties laid on top of each other.
珠江夜游Pearl River night cruiseAn hour-long boat ride past the lit-up bridges, riverfront and Canton Tower.
石室圣心大教堂Sacred Heart CathedralA twin-spired Gothic cathedral built entirely of granite between 1863 and 1888.
广东省博物馆Guangdong MuseumA striking “treasure box” building with galleries on Guangdong history, Chaozhou woodcarving, ceramics and natural history.
白云山风景名胜区Baiyun MountainForested hills on the city’s northern edge, with views over Guangzhou from Moxing Ridge (382 m).
西汉南越王博物馆（南越王博物院王墓展区）Museum of the Western Han Dynasty Mausoleum of the Nanyue KingThe 2,100-year-old stone tomb of Zhao Mo, second king of Nanyue, found in 1983, with his silk-threaded jade burial suit and other grave goods.
光孝寺Guangxiao TempleGuangzhou’s oldest and largest Buddhist temple, where Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch of Chan (Zen), was ordained under a bodhi tree in 676.
六榕寺Temple of the Six Banyan TreesA Buddhist temple named by the poet Su Dongpo in 1100, known for its tall red-and-white Flower Pagoda.
上下九步行街Shangxiajiu Pedestrian StreetThe old Xiguan shopping street, lined with Guangzhou’s largest surviving run of arcaded qilou shophouses and famous old teahouses.
长隆野生动物世界Chimelong Safari ParkOne of China’s largest wildlife parks, with a safari zone you ride through by train, plus giant pandas, koalas and white tigers.
广州中山纪念堂Sun Yat-sen Memorial HallAn octagonal 1931 hall with a blue-tiled roof, built in memory of Sun Yat-sen by architect Lü Yanzhi, set in gardens with the city’s oldest kapok tree.
华南国家植物园South China National Botanical GardenA huge research garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences with lakes, palm and bamboo collections, magnolias and a glasshouse complex with rainforest, desert and alpine plants.
广州海珠国家湿地公园Haizhu National Wetland ParkGuangzhou’s “green heart”: 1,100 hectares of canals, orchards and marshes in the middle of the city, with birdwatching hides and seasonal flower fields.
南海神庙Temple of the South Sea GodA sea-god temple founded in 594 on the old Pearl River harbour, with imperial stone tablets from the Tang to Qing dynasties and a hilltop pavilion for watching the sunrise over the river.
东山口（新河浦历史文化街区）Dongshankou and Xinhepu historic quarterLeafy streets of more than 400 red-brick villas from the early 20th century, many built by returning overseas Chinese, now filled with cafés, small shops and galleries.
余荫山房Yuyin Shanfang GardenA compact Qing-dynasty private garden in Panyu, one of Guangdong’s four famous gardens, packed with carved brick, stained glass and ponds in a small space.Map
What to eat here
虾饺Shrimp dumplings (har gow)The test of any dim sum kitchen: whole shrimp in thin, translucent wrappers. Dim sum (yum cha) is a morning and lunchtime ritual; tick dishes on the order sheet.肠粉Rice noodle rolls (cheung fun)Silky steamed rice sheets rolled around shrimp, beef or char siu, with sweet soy sauce. A cheap breakfast everywhere.叉烧Char siu (barbecue pork)Honey-glazed roast pork from the siu mei shops, often served over rice with roast goose.白切鸡White-cut chickenGently poached chicken served cool with ginger and spring onion oil; the Cantonese banquet classic.
双皮奶Double-skin milk puddingSilky steamed milk custard from Shunde, served warm or cold; try it at a dessert shop after dinner.
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