The capital of Cantonese cooking where you can eat dim sum all day · the Canton Tower changing colour over the Pearl River · a night cruise past the skyline · leafy, colonial Shamian Island · the finely carved Chen Clan Academy · Baiyun Mountain for a hike in the city · and the Beijing Road pedestrian street
Guangzhou (Canton) is the capital of Guangdong province, the home of Cantonese cooking and of "yum cha" — sipping tea over dim sum, something the whole city does as a matter of course. Honestly, the first thing to do here is grab a morning table at an old teahouse and pile it with har gow, siu mai and char siu bao · stroll Shamian Island (沙面) under big shade trees among its colonial buildings · take in the carved woodwork and stone of the Chen Clan Academy (陈家祠) · climb Baiyun Mountain (白云山) for green air over the city, or walk Yuexiu Park to the Five Rams statue, the city's symbol · shop the Beijing Road pedestrian street (北京路) in the evening · then close the night with a Pearl River (珠江) cruise watching the Canton Tower (广州塔) change colour — and Thai passport holders enter China visa-free.
From the Canton Tower over the Pearl River, Shamian Island and the Chen Clan Academy to the dim sum, Baiyun Mountain and the Beijing Road pedestrian street — this is the atmosphere you'll really find in Guangzhou.
The full Guangzhou travel guide is growing piece by piece · choose a tab below to start planning each part of your trip — Stay · Eat · See · Plan · Prep
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8.3Canton Tower · the Pearl River · Shamian Island · the Chen Clan Academy · Yuexiu Park · Baiyun Mountain · the Beijing Road pedestrian street — see where everything is and plan your route more easily.
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🏆💎💎💎💎💎🦢🏙️⭐🛍️💰🎒A good trip isn't one city — three destinations near Guangzhou you can reach by high-speed rail for a day out, or stay overnight.
Guangzhou (Canton) is the capital of Guangdong province and one of China's oldest trading ports in the south — and its heart is Cantonese food and yum cha (飲茶), sipping tea over dim sum, something the whole city does. Mornings are for har gow, siu mai, char siu bao and congee · stroll Shamian Island (沙面) under big shade trees among the colonial buildings, and step into the carved halls of the Chen Clan Academy (陈家祠) · climb Baiyun Mountain (白云山) or walk Yuexiu Park to the Five Rams statue · shop the Beijing Road (北京路) and Shangxiajiu pedestrian streets · then take a Pearl River (珠江) cruise to watch the Canton Tower (广州塔) change colour.
Guangzhou works on any budget — backpacker ฿1,000–2,000/day · mid-range ฿2,500–4,500/day (excluding flights) · get into the city from Baiyun Airport (CAN) on metro Line 3 and the bus · in town the extensive, cheap metro covers most of it · the most comfortable months are October–December, dry, clear and cool (skip the hot, humid June–August) · Thai passport holders enter China visa-free · and remember to set up a VPN · eSIM · Alipay/WeChat Pay before you go.
The Wherebest team is adding in-depth Guangzhou hotel reviews and travel guides piece by piece — areas to stay · sights · food · day trips to Shenzhen and Hong Kong. Start planning your trip with the complete China travel guide →
Begin with the China travel guide, then explore Guangzhou corner by corner