How Many Days in Guangzhou? A 3-Day Route and How to Get Around

The big picture: 3 days for the highlights, 4 to slow down

The Guangzhou guide suggests 3 to 4 days. This route uses the guide's two day plans as Days 1 and 2, then adds Zhujiang New Town and Canton Tower as Day 3 for a 3-day trip. With a fourth day, it adds the tram Haizhu Line 1 and Liwan's old streets.

Each day stays in one part of town. Day 1 is Liwan, home to the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall and Shamian Island; Day 2 is Baiyun Mountain and old Yuexiu (Yuexiu Park, the Sacred Heart Cathedral and Beijing Road); Day 3 is Zhujiang New Town around Huacheng Square. The metro is the easiest way between sights, and the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall stops ticket sales and entry at 17:00, so adjust Day 1 to your arrival time.

The airport is Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN). T1 closed for renovation from 7 May 2026, so first check whether your ticket says T2 or T3. Airport transfers and the high-speed train to Hong Kong are covered in a separate post.

• Full Guangzhou travel guide →
• Incheon → Guangzhou flights →
• Guangzhou airport to the city, and the train to Hong Kong →

Day 1: Chen Clan Ancestral Hall → morning tea on Longjin Road → Shamian Island → Pearl River night cruise

Start in Liwan. The Chen Clan Ancestral Hall was built in 1888-1893 by Chen clan members from 72 counties of Guangdong and is called 'the gem of Lingnan architecture'. Today it houses the Guangdong Folk Arts Museum, a national first-class museum. It is close to Chen Clan Academy station on Lines 1 and 8, open 9:00-17:30 (ticket sales and entry until 17:00), and entry is CNY 10 (per the Guangzhou culture and tourism bureau's January 2025 table; actual price as charged on site).

For lunch, have morning tea and dim sum in a traditional teahouse around Longjin Road near the hall; the street is also known for claypot rice, congee and roast meats. In the afternoon, stroll Shamian Island, a 0.3 sq km island formed from a Pearl River sandbank and held as a British and French concession for about 80 years after the Opium War. Of its 150-plus European-style buildings, 53 are national key protected cultural relics, and 137 ancient trees, 100 to over 300 years old, remain.

In the evening, board a Pearl River night cruise at Tianzi Pier, a main boarding point, to see Canton Tower lit up. According to the Guangzhou Port Authority, it is a top night view, taking in the 30 km Pearl River light belt, Canton Tower and Haixinsha in one trip, and in 2026 new electric cruise boats themed on tea culture, Nanyue culture and more entered service. Check the operator's official information for piers, times and fares.

• Morning: Chen Clan Ancestral Hall (Chen Clan Academy station, Lines 1 and 8; CNY 10; entry until 17:00)
• Lunch: morning tea and dim sum around Longjin Road
• Afternoon: a stroll on Shamian Island
• Evening: Tianzi Pier → Pearl River night cruise (check the operator's official fares)

Day 2: Baiyun Mountain → Yuexiu Park → Sacred Heart Cathedral → Beijing Road

Spend the morning on Baiyun Mountain, a national 5A scenic area in north-east Guangzhou made up of more than 30 peaks over 20.98 sq km. From the main peak, Moxing Ridge (382 m), you can look over the city and the Pearl River. Entry is CNY 5 (per the city's January 2025 table). On the Double Ninth Festival (ninth day of the ninth lunar month) locals traditionally climb Baiyun Mountain and it gets very busy.

In the afternoon, head to Yuexiu Park. Opened in 1927, it spans seven hills and three man-made lakes and holds a 1,100 m stretch of Ming-dynasty city wall and the Five Rams sculpture, the symbol of Guangzhou. The five-storey Zhenhai Tower, built in 1380, now houses Guangzhou Museum exhibits (Guangzhou Museum entry CNY 10, per the city's January 2025 table; check official information for hours). Then visit the Sacred Heart Cathedral, built entirely of granite, completed in 1888 and rising 58.5 m to the spire. Be quiet during Mass.

In the evening, walk Beijing Road, the city's central axis, which has never shifted or been broken in more than 2,200 years. Its highlights are the 11-layer 'thousand-year ancient road' site and the arcade-style qilou buildings along the street. For dinner, go to the Dezheng Middle Road area, near Peasant Movement Institute station on Line 1, for wonton noodles and tong sui. Dessert shops cluster where Dezheng Middle Road meets Wenming Road, earning it the nickname 'Sweet Corner'.

Day 3 and an extra day: finish in Zhujiang New Town, or add the tram and old streets

On the last day of a 3-day trip, stay around Zhujiang New Town and Canton Tower. Huacheng Square on the city's central axis is the classic spot for a photo with Canton Tower, and from there you can easily walk to Guangzhou Library, Guangdong Museum and Haixinsha Asian Games Park. Check Canton Tower's official website for observation-deck fees and hours, then head to the airport.

With 4 days, take Day 3 at an easier pace and ride the tram Haizhu Line 1. It runs 7.7 km between Canton Tower and Wanshengwei, passing the Guangzhou Opera House and Huangpu Ancient Port, and is billed as Guangzhou's 'most beautiful 7.7 km'. Check official information for fares and hours.

On Day 4, go back to Liwan and walk the Yongqingfang and Lychee Bay area, the most typical old-Guangzhou streetscape. On food streets such as Tongfu Road and Xihua Road, rice noodle rolls (cheung fun) are a favourite, often eaten with congee, and you can also find tong sui on Tongfu Road. If a late arrival meant skipping the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall on Day 1, fit it into this morning.

• 3 days: Day 1 Liwan → Day 2 Baiyun Mountain and old Yuexiu → Day 3 Zhujiang New Town, then the airport
• 4 days: Day 3 Zhujiang New Town + tram Haizhu Line 1 → Day 4 Yongqingfang and Lychee Bay, food on Tongfu Road and Xihua Road, then the airport

Where to stay and how to get around

Choose your base from three areas. For a first visit, old streets and food, stay in Liwan (Xiguan and Shamian), near the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall and Shamian Island; for history walks, shopping and old-school eateries, old Yuexiu around Beijing Road and Yuexiu Park; for night views, riverside walks and museums, Zhujiang New Town and the Canton Tower area.

The metro is the easiest way between sights. You can ride with a QR code in the 'Guangzhou Metro' app, which also works on Foshan's metro and in other cities such as Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen. Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay before you travel and carry a little cash too. Taxis are metered and ride-hailing apps are available; showing your destination in Chinese helps.

• T2: served by Metro Line 3's Airport North station
• T3: Metro Line 3 or Line 9 to Gaozeng station, Exit B → 'Konggang Line 2 Branch' connecting bus (about 12-15 minutes, every 5-10 minutes, CNY 2, Yangchengtong card accepted)
• T3: Baiyun Airport East station (Guangzhou East Ring Intercity) on level B2 of the transport centre, trains on average every 14 minutes (check official timetables and fares)
• Airport buses: eight city routes from T3 to eight districts, from CNY 19.9
• Taxis: 24 hours from Door 75 on the T3 arrivals level; ride-hailing pick-up points on levels 2 and 1M of the P12 car park building
• T1 closed for renovation from 7 May 2026, so Airport South metro station is temporarily out of use

Budget, when to go and final checks

Budget with the guide's own figures. On a budget trip with cheap lodging, local eateries and the metro, entry fees are CNY 5 for Baiyun Mountain, CNY 10 for the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall and CNY 10 for Guangzhou Museum (per the city's January 2025 table), and the T3-Gaozeng connecting bus is CNY 2. On a trip with a city hotel, restaurants and taxis, airport buses start at CNY 19.9; check official prices for Pearl River cruises and Canton Tower. For an upscale hotel, banquet-style meals and a car with driver, check prices with providers.

Flowers bloom all year round, so every season has something in bloom. Baiyun Mountain gets very busy on the Double Ninth Festival, and sights are packed during big holidays such as National Day and Spring Festival, so avoid those if you can. Check official weather and typhoon forecasts before you go.

The figures below are 1991–2020 normals for Guangzhou station from the China Meteorological Administration submission · WMO normals collection (NOAA NCEI). April to September brings a lot of rain, 194-365 mm a month, with highs of 26-33°C. October to December gets little rain (67, 37 and 33 mm) with highs of 29, 25 and 21°C, and January to March has highs of 19-22°C and lows of 11-16°C.

• Entry and visas: rules, including visa-free entry, change often, so check official information before you travel
• Connectivity: some foreign apps and services may be restricted in China, so sort out roaming or an eSIM and a Chinese map app before you go
• Terminal: check T2 or T3 on your ticket; if you go to the wrong one, call the airport hotline 020-96158
• The T2-T3 shuttle bus (about 25 minutes) is for transfer passengers only

• Full Guangzhou travel guide →
• Guangzhou airport to the city, and the train to Hong Kong →

FAQ

Related reading

Tips · ChinaGuangzhou airport to the city, and the train to Hong KongWith T1 closed, how to get from Guangzhou Baiyun T2 and T3 into the city by metro,…Itinerary · Hong KongHong Kong in 3 Days: Central, Tsim Sha Tsui, Mong Kok, the Peak and LantauA 3-day Hong Kong plan: Central, Kowloon, Star Ferry, the Peak, Octopus card, dim sum,…Comparison · ChinaChina's Cities Compared: Beijing, Shanghai or Qingdao?Beijing for history, Shanghai for skylines and food, or seaside Qingdao for beer and…

All articles →