Guangzhou
Guangzhou has been a trading port for 2,200 years without moving: the Nanyue kings' palace lies under Beijing Road, the minaret of the Tang-era mosque once served as the river's lighthouse, and the Canton Fair still fills the city every April and October. For many people it is the first stop in China, and the city most likely to turn breakfast into two hours over a pot of tea — you come here to eat and wander, not to tick off sights.
The Districts
Old Canton: Beijing Road, Yuexiu Park and the Nanyue King
12 placesThe walled-city core: Beijing Road's buried roads, the Nanyue King's tomb and palace, Yuexiu Park's Five Rams and Zhenhai Tower, the Guangxiao and Liurong temples, the Tang mosque and the ram-legend temple in the old foreign quarter, and the granite cathedral.
Xiguan: Shangxiajiu, Chen Clan Academy, Shamian, Lizhiwan and Bai'etan
12 placesThe merchant west end: qilou arcades and the oldest morning-tea houses on Shangxiajiu, the Chen Clan Academy, Yongqingfang and the opera museum's garden, the Lizhiwan canal and Pantang temples, the Thirteen Hongs Museum, Shamian Island's concession villas — and across the water, the Bai'etan art centre and Taikoo Wharf.
Zhujiang New Town and Canton Tower
10 placesThe new axis from Huacheng Square to Canton Tower: opera house, Guangdong Museum, the library, Haixinsha and its bridge, the tower's ticket windows and the night cruise — plus Ersha Island, the Party Pier bars and Liede's rebuilt village halls.
Haizhu East: Huangpu Old Port, Xiaozhou, the Wetland and Pazhou
10 placesThe slow south bank and the river beyond it: the Canton-trade anchorage at Huangpu Old Port and its snack village, Xiaozhou water village, Haizhu Wetland, the Canton Fair rulebook at Pazhou, two quiet Haizhu museums, and a Changzhou Island day of the Whampoa Academy and the 1911 museum with the Nanhai God Temple at the far end.
Baiyun Mountain
12 placesThe city's mountain park north of the centre: cable car, Moxing Ridge view over the whole city, Nengren Temple, the aviary, Yuntai Garden and Luhu Lake at the foot — and a quieter west side for a second visit.
Panyu: Shawan Ancient Town, Yuyin Garden and Chimelong
8 placesA day south: Shawan clan town and Liugengtang, Yuyin Shanfang and Baomo gardens, Chimelong's parks for families, Lianhua Mountain and Daling village on the estuary, and Guangzhou South station.
Browse by theme
🥟 Must-eat Guangzhou
Theme36 dishes by shelf — start with these, the cantonese table, street and breakfast, in season, cha chaan teng, afternoon tea and herbal tea, souvenirs, vegetarian and halal — each with where to get it.
📅 What to eat this month
By monthLychee season in Jun, cantonese mooncake in Aug, cantonese cured sausage and cured meats in Oct, goat-belly clay pot and winter 'da bian lu' in Nov — eat what the season is eating.
⚖️ Which Museum First in Guangzhou?
DecisionChoose your first Guangzhou museum by subject, booking and closing day.
⚖️ Old Xiguan in Half a Day
DecisionBuild an Old Xiguan half-day without racing between Liwan, Yongqingfang, Chen Clan Academy and Shamian.
⚖️ Where to See the Pearl River at Night
DecisionChoose how to see the Pearl River at night: from above, from a boat, from a bridge or on foot.
⚖️ East Haizhu in Half a Day: Huangpu Old Port, Xiaozhou Village and the Wetland
DecisionChoose one East Haizhu outing: Huangpu Old Port, Xiaozhou Village or the wetland.
Getting by in Guangzhou
Tap any line for the details.
Three choices for a first visit: (1) Beijing Road–Gongyuanqian (Metro Lines 1/2/6), the old core, with both Nanyue King Museum sites, the Guangxiao and Liurong temples and the glass floors of Beijing Road inside a walking circle: the 'one day for the history' base, at the price of a chain-store pedestrian street that pulls its shutters after 22:00; (2) Xiguan–Shangxiajiu (Line 1 Changshou Lu / Huangsha), with the old tea houses, the arcades, Chen Clan Academy and Shamian Island; sitting down on Dishifu Road at 8:00 is the reason to sleep here, and at weekends the famous houses queue an hour from the number machine; (3) Zhujiang New Town (Lines 3/5 Zhujiang New Town, the APM), facing Canton Tower, with the Guangdong Museum, the opera house and the library, the newest hotels and the most reliable foreign-card terminals, and Line 3 straight to Guangzhou South station, but none of the old city's streets or evenings. During the Canton Fair (three phases, 15 October-4 November 2026) hotel rates around Pazhou, Tianhe and Haizhu climb steeply. There is no official figure, so book early or sleep in the old city.
