Guangzhou Private Tours & the Southern Gateway
Guangzhou is the gateway we use for southern routes, and it deserves more than the one night most itineraries give it. It is the home of Cantonese cooking, the city where the Pearl River meets the South China Sea, and the most comfortable introduction to China for anyone arriving from Australia or Southeast Asia on a short flight.
Why we route through Guangzhou
Flying into Guangzhou and out of Shanghai means you cross southern China in one direction and never double back. It is also a shorter flight from Australia, New Zealand and Singapore than Beijing or Shanghai, and the airport is one of the easiest in the country to clear. From here, Guilin is a 2.5-hour high-speed train and Zhangjiajie is a short flight.
What we do in Guangzhou
Shamian Island, the old colonial concession with no cars and banyan-lined boulevards. The Chen Clan Ancestral Hall for the carving and the ceramics. Canton Tower and the Pearl River at night. And dim sum, properly, at a morning teahouse — which is the single best reason to be in this city.
Guangzhou is primarily a gateway on our current routes rather than a destination we build days around. If you want two full days here, tell us — it changes which route we recommend.
Trip facts
| Best months | October to December; March to April. Summer is hot, humid and wet. |
| Getting there | Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN). About 2.5 hours to Guilin by high-speed rail. |
| How long you need | One night as a gateway; two if you want the food properly. |
| Walking load | Light. Shamian is flat and car-free. |
| Altitude | Sea level. |
Guangzhou in pictures
Which of our routes include Guangzhou
Common questions
Why do your southern routes start in Guangzhou?
Is Guangzhou worth an extra day?
Can we combine Guangzhou with Hong Kong?
Building an itinerary around Guangzhou?
Tell us your dates and group size and we will send a written day-by-day plan with a line-by-line price, within 24 hours.
Ask us about Guangzhou
Four fields is enough to get a real answer.