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Home/Destinations/Guangzhou & Shenzhen
Guangzhou & Shenzhen
Greater Bay Area

Guangzhou & Shenzhen Tours & Travel Guide

Cantonese food and the southern gateway

2 daysRecommended
October&ndashBest season
6Signature sights
Price on requestQuoted per itinerary
Why come here

Guangzhou is where Cantonese cooking comes from, and it is the reason to come. Morning dim sum in a hall of two hundred tables, roast goose carved at the table, congee at midnight — this is the most consistently delicious city in China and, for many Southeast Asian travellers, the most immediately familiar.

It is also the busiest southern gateway: direct flights from Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bangkok and Jakarta, high-speed rail to Guilin, Hong Kong, China and beyond, and one of the largest mosques in the country.

Shenzhen, 30 minutes away by train, is the opposite: a 40-year-old megacity of 17 million built entirely in the modern era, with the best museums about contemporary China and the tech markets of Huaqiangbei.

Best seasonOctober–December; March–April also good
Time needed2–3 days
Gateway airportGuangzhou Baiyun (CAN); Shenzhen Bao'an (SZX)
Getting thereDirect flights from KL, Singapore, Bangkok, Jakarta
Great forFood, soft landings, onward rail connections
Halal foodExcellent — a large Muslim community and many halal Cantonese restaurants
Guangzhou & Shenzhen
Guangzhou & Shenzhen
What to see

The sights worth your time

Tap any one open for the practical detail — how long to allow, and how we work it into your day.

Cantonese dim sum
The definitive Guangzhou experience: a teahouse hall, trolleys or a paper menu, and dozens of small dishes over two unhurried hours. We book the old houses rather than hotel restaurants.
Our tip: Go at 08:00. By 10:00 the atmosphere has gone.
Canton Tower and the Pearl River
A 600-metre tower with a glass observation deck and a river cruise below it. The whole Zhujiang New Town skyline lights up at dusk.
Our tip: The night river cruise is about 90 minutes and worth doing once.
Shamian Island and the colonial waterfront
A small island of 19th-century European trading houses and banyan trees, quiet and walkable, ten minutes from the city's main streets.
Our tip: Good for a slow morning, especially with children.
Guangzhou Mosque and the Muslim district
The Huaisheng Mosque is one of the oldest in China, founded in the 7th century and traditionally associated with the Prophet's uncle. The surrounding streets have halal restaurants, butchers and bakeries.
Our tip: Combine with a halal Cantonese dinner nearby.
Chen Clan Ancestral Hall
A spectacular 19th-century family temple of carved wood, stone and brick, now a folk art museum. Dense, intricate and one of the best examples of southern Chinese craft.
Our tip: Allow 90 minutes. Mostly at ground level.
Shenzhen, by high-speed rail
Thirty minutes from Guangzhou: the Museum of Contemporary Art, the OCT Loft design district, and Huaqiangbei — the electronics market that supplies most of the world's phone parts.
Our tip: We build it as a day trip, with a guide who can navigate the markets.
Halal & Muslim-friendly dining

Eating well in Guangzhou & Shenzhen

Guangzhou is one of the best cities in China for halal eating. The city has a large and longstanding Muslim community, several historic mosques, and halal Cantonese restaurants where the full dim sum menu is qingzhen. We can book a halal Cantonese banquet, which is a rare pleasure and a very good introduction for anyone new to the cuisine. Every restaurant we use is confirmed in advance, and we note prayer times and mosque locations on your itinerary.

When to go

Guangzhou & Shenzhen, season by season

Oct–DecDry, clear and comfortable. The best window by a distance.
Jan–MarMild, occasionally cool. Spring Festival in January or February is spectacular but crowded.
Apr–JunWarm and very wet. Rain almost daily, often heavy.
Jul–SepHot, humid, 33–35°C, and typhoon season on the coast.
Routes that include Guangzhou & Shenzhen

Sample itineraries

Each of these is a starting point. We reshape every one around your dates, your group and your pace.

All routes →
How our pricing works. We do not publish fixed prices, because a fixed price would either overcharge a couple or underdeliver for a group of nine. Every itinerary is quoted individually against your dates, hotel standard and group size, with everything itemised in writing. Send us your travel window and we will come back within 24 hours with a full quotation and no obligation.
Questions

Guangzhou & Shenzhen — frequently asked

Is Guangzhou a good first stop in China?
For Southeast Asian travellers it is arguably the best. Direct flights, a large Muslim community, familiar Cantonese food, and it is a high-speed rail hub for Guilin, Hong Kong, China and Shanghai. Many of our guests land here rather than Beijing.
How do we get from Guangzhou to Guilin?
High-speed rail, about 2.5 hours, with frequent departures. We book the seats and meet you in Guilin. It is far easier than flying.
Is Shenzhen worth a day?
If you are interested in modern China, yes. It is the only Chinese megacity with almost no imperial history, which makes it a useful counterpoint to Beijing and Xi'an. The markets and museums are the draw.
Close by

Destinations that pair well with Guangzhou & Shenzhen

Guilin & YangshuoGuilin & YangshuoGuangxi ProvinceHong Kong, ChinaHong Kong, ChinaGreater Bay AreaShanghaiShanghaiEast China
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