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Voykit pocket guide · China
Guangzhou
广州
Pick Guangzhou over Shenzhen if food is the priority: it's the historic home of Cantonese cuisine and dim sum, with a high-speed rail link to Hong Kong under an hour; 2 nights is enough for the old town and a few meals.
Guangzhou is the capital of Guangdong province and a trading port with over two thousand years of history. It is the historic centre of Cantonese cuisine and dim sum culture, and it sits an hour from Hong Kong by high-speed rail. Modern towers such as the Canton Tower stand beside Qing-dynasty temples, colonial-era Shamian Island and the wholesale markets that make Guangzhou a manufacturing hub.
- Country
- China
- Local name
- 广州
- Best months
- Oct–Dec: warm days, lower humidity and little rain
- Avoid
- Jun–Sep (heat, high humidity, frequent rain and typhoon risk), Chinese New Year week (markets and many restaurants close)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CNY
- Money
- Alipay and WeChat Pay accept Visa, Mastercard, JCB and Amex cards; single payments over ¥200 carry a fee of about 3% on a foreign card (smaller ones are free), and per-payment and yearly caps apply — check the app. Keep a second way to pay.
- SIM and data
- A roaming eSIM from outside China routes traffic through its home network, so Google, WhatsApp and Instagram work without a VPN — the simplest setup.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Ambulance 120 · Fire 119
- Plugs
- Types A, C, I · 220 V · 50 Hz · Many sockets take flat two-pin (A), round two-pin (C) and angled three-pin (I) plugs; UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: No tip; upmarket hotels add 10–15% service.; Taxis and DiDi: No tip.; Tour guides and drivers: Expected on organised tours: about ¥100–200 a day for a guide, ¥50–100 for a driver.; Hotel porters: Not expected; ¥10–20 in luxury hotels.
- Water
- Not for drinking from the tap; bottled water ¥2–5, and kettles and free bottles in hotel rooms. Restaurants serve hot water or tea.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are frequent and free; squat toilets outside hotels and malls. Carry tissues — many have no paper.
Get in
By air
- CAN · Guangzhou Baiyun
- Metro Line 3 (about 1 hour to the centre) or the airport express bus
Get around
The metro reaches most sights and both rail stations; buy a transit card on arrival. Taxis and ride-hailing (Didi) are cheap but drivers rarely speak English, so have your destination written in Chinese characters.
See and do
Known for
- Dim sum and Cantonese cuisine, especially in Yuexiu's old-town restaurants
- Canton Tower and the Pearl River night cruise
- Shamian Island's colonial-era architecture
- Chen Clan Academy's carved ancestral hall
- Wholesale markets for clothing, fabric and electronics
Sleep
- Tianhe
- Business district with the Guangzhou East rail station and Canton Tower nearby.
- Yuexiu
- Old-town temples, parks and dim sum restaurants, walkable and on the metro.
- Shamian Island
- Quiet colonial-era streets close to Liwan's food scene.
Language
Mandarin is the language of the whole country, written in Simplified characters; Cantonese dominates Guangdong and Hong Kong, and dozens of regional languages survive at home. English is on metro signs, airports and large hotels; elsewhere use a translation app. Pinyin (the romanisation) helps with names but tones change meaning.
- Translation apps: Baidu Translate, Youdao, Microsoft Translator and Apple Translate work without a VPN; Google Translate needs one or a roaming eSIM.
- Show destinations to taxi drivers in characters; copy them from Amap.
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and a nod; use surnames with a title; avoid: Hugs and cheek kisses
- Face: Disagree privately and indirectly; avoid: Correcting or embarrassing someone in front of others
- Gifts: Give with two hands; expect the gift to be refused once or twice and opened later; avoid: Clocks, umbrellas, white flowers, sets of four
- Business cards: Present and receive with both hands, read it, keep it on the table; avoid: Writing on it or pocketing it at once
- Queues and crowds: Hold your ground politely in scrums at buses and lifts; avoid: Taking pushing personally
- Temples: Walk clockwise around Tibetan stupas and prayer wheels; remove hats; avoid: Touching statues or photographing where signs forbid
- Politics: Listen; follow your host's lead; avoid: Raising Tibet, Taiwan, Xinjiang, 1989 or the party leadership
- Numbers and colour: Red and 8 are lucky; red envelopes carry money gifts; avoid: Writing names in red; the number 4
Scams and watch-outs
- Summer heat and humidity make midday sightseeing uncomfortable; plan indoor stops or a siesta.
- Wholesale-market districts are crowded and a common spot for pickpockets; keep bags zipped and in front.
- Foreign visitors need a valid visa or transit exemption; confirm current rules with official sources before booking.
Low risk of violent crime; the main hazards are pickpocketing in crowded markets and summer heat exhaustion.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Guangzhou yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Dim sum and Cantonese cuisine, especially in Yuexiu's old-town restaurants
- Canton Tower and the Pearl River night cruise
- Shamian Island's colonial-era architecture
- Chen Clan Academy's carved ancestral hall
- Wholesale markets for clothing, fabric and electronics
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Guangzhou official portal: www.gz.gov.cn/
- Wikivoyage — Guangzhou: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Guangzhou
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/guangzhou). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.