The most practical Guangzhou city travel guide, welcome to Guangzhou

Of course! As a travel blogger deeply rooted in Lingnan culture and the city's vibrant life, I have carefully crafted a 6-day, 5-night in-depth slow travel itinerary for Guangzhou, with a budget controlled within 5000 RMB. In 6 days, you will explore the century-old commercial city’s arcade streets, enjoy over 20 authentic dim sum places, check out the Pearl River night view, discover the Xiguan mansions, taste desserts and street food in Shamian and urban villages, experiencing a "Lingnan journey on the tip of your tongue." 🌟Highlights: Free dim sum + local life atmosphere + arcade stroll + Nanyang style + intangible cultural heritage** ✅ Suitable for: foodies, family trips, couples, photography enthusiasts?
📍Travel Overview
- Travel time: Suitable all year round, best from March to May (spring tea season) or September to November (cool autumn)
- Total budget: 5000 RMB (including round-trip transportation, accommodation, meals, tickets, local transport)
- Travel style: Cantonese culture + dim sum exploration + old city stroll + food street tour + light leisure?
- Route: Yuexiu Old Town → Shamian Xiguan → Beijing Road → Pearl River night view → Chen Clan Ancestral Hall → Tianhe New City → Urban village food
💰Budget allocation (Total: 5000 RMB) | Item | Budget | Description
Round-trip transportation | 1500 RMB | Mainly high-speed rail/train (from Changsha/Nanning/Fuzhou) or discounted air tickets
Accommodation (5 nights) | 1500 RMB | Average 300 RMB/night, selected comfortable hotels or boutique homestays near Beijing Road/Shangxiajiu
Meals (6 days) | 1400 RMB | Average 230 RMB/day, covering dim sum, street stalls, desserts, roast meats, Chaoshan cuisine
Tickets + experiences | 300 RMB | Museums, Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, Pearl River night cruise, etc.
Local transport | 300 RMB | Metro + bus + some taxis, Guangzhou metro is very convenient
📌Travel tips
- Download the "Guangzhou Metro" app or use Alipay "Travel Code" to swipe the metro
- Guangzhou is humid and hot, bring sunscreen, umbrella, mosquito repellent, and comfortable shoes
- Language: Mainly Cantonese, but Mandarin is fully accessible
- Dim sum is recommended before 10:00 AM to avoid peak hours
- Payment: WeChat/Alipay widely accepted, no cash needed
📅Daily itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Guangzhou + Beijing Road Pedestrian Street + Pearl River night view
- Afternoon: Arrive at Guangzhou South Station/East Station/Baiyun Airport → metro to hotel
- Recommended stay: Hotels near Beijing Road (e.g., "All Seasons Beijing Road" or "7 Days Premium," about 300 RMB/night)
- Evening: Walk to Beijing Road Pedestrian Street
- Check out the millennium-old glass road and ancient building ruins
- Stroll the arcade street, feel the southern commercial vibe
- Dinner: Tao Tao Ju (Beijing Road branch) to experience authentic Cantonese dim sum (shrimp dumplings, chicken feet, rice rolls, about 80 RMB per person)
- Night tour: Walk to Tianzi Wharf to take the Pearl River night cruise (ticket 60 RMB, enjoy the light show on both banks)
✅ Estimated cost: Transportation 1500 (round-trip included) + accommodation 300 + meals 80 + local transport + night cruise 100 = 1980 RMB
Day 2: Deep tour of Old Xiguan (Shangxiajiu + Shamian Island + Liwan Lake)
- Morning:
- Stroll Shangxiajiu Road arcade street
- Check in at Tao Tao Ju main store (established 1880), Lian Xiang Lou
- Photograph colorful Manchu windows and arcade corridors
- Noon: Panxi Restaurant (garden-style, about 90 RMB per person) or street-side Yin Ji rice rolls (10 RMB/portion)
- Afternoon:
- Walk to Shamian Island (free)
- European-style buildings, former concession area, great for photos
- Recommended spots: Our Lady of Lourdes Chapel, Red House Café
- Visit Liwan Lake Park (free, local leisure spot)
- Dinner: Liwan boat congee + Nanxin double-skin milk (must-try! about 50 RMB per person)
✅ Estimated cost: Accommodation 300 + meals 150 + tickets 0 + transport 30 = 480 RMB
Day 3: Chen Clan Ancestral Hall + Yongqingfang + Cantonese Opera Art Museum
- Morning: Visit Chen Clan Ancestral Hall (ticket 10 RMB, pinnacle of Lingnan architecture)
- Three carvings (wood, stone, brick), two sculptures (ceramic, gray), one painting (color)
- Photograph the rooftop "Immortal Group" ceramic sculptures
- Noon: Nearby Panxi Restaurant or Xiguan Shijia (about 80 RMB per person)
- Afternoon:
- Yongqingfang (free, Litchi Bay cultural and creative area)
- Check in at "Cantonese Opera Art Museum" (free, reservation required, architecture as beautiful as Suzhou gardens)
- Visit Bruce Lee’s ancestral home, Zhongshu Bookstore
- Have a special drink at Starbucks Intangible Cultural Heritage store
- Dinner: Enning Road old brand → Kai Ji Desserts (vanilla dried tangerine peel mung bean soup) + Chen Tian Ji fish skin (about 60 RMB per person)
✅ Estimated cost: Accommodation 300 + meals 140 + tickets 10 + transport 30 = 480 RMB
Day 4: Free dim sum day + Yuexiu Park + Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall
- Morning:
- Visit White Swan Hotel’s Yutang Chun Nuan (Michelin one-star dim sum, about 150 RMB per person)
- Guangzhou’s only five-star hotel dim sum, river view + intangible cultural heritage skills
- Must order: honey-glazed char siu, honeycomb taro dumplings, swan pastries
- Or choose Panxi Restaurant garden dim sum (about 100 RMB per person)
- Afternoon:
- Yuexiu Park (free)
- Climb the Five Rams Statue (Guangzhou city emblem)
- Visit Guangzhou Museum (inside Zhenhai Tower, ticket 10 RMB)
- Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall (ticket 10 RMB, memorial building for Sun Yat-sen)
- Dinner: Bing Sheng Pin Wei or Hui Shi Jia (famous Cantonese restaurants, about 120 RMB per person)
✅ Estimated cost: Accommodation 300 + meals 270 + tickets 30 + transport 30 = 630 RMB
Day 5: Tianhe New City + Urban village food exploration
- Morning:
- Metro to Tianhe CBD
- Check in Guangzhou East Tower (Chow Tai Fook Finance Center), Taikoo Hui, K11 Art Mall
- Photograph city skyline
- Noon: Taikoo Hui Bing Sheng Mansion or Tao Tao Ju Taikoo Hui branch (about 100 RMB per person)
- Afternoon:
- Explore Liede Village or Yangji Village urban village food
- Recommended:
- Ah Bo Beef Offal (15 RMB/portion)
- Chaoshan A Long Pig’s Trotter Rice (25 RMB)
- Fang Ji Rice Rolls (12 RMB)
- Si Hai Wei Jia desserts (double-skin milk + mango pomelo sago, 20 RMB)
- Dinner: Hui Shi Jia (Binjiang Dagongguan) clay pot (Michelin recommended, about 120 RMB per person)
✅ Estimated cost: Accommodation 300 + meals 235 + transport 40 = 575 RMB
Day 6: Return + souvenir shopping
- Morning:
- Go to Shangxiajiu or Beijing Road for souvenirs:
- Lian Xiang Lou/Tao Tao Ju: chicken biscuits, almond biscuits, wife cakes (gift boxes 80-150 RMB)
- Huang Shang Huang: sausages, cured meats (vacuum packed, easy to carry)
- Zhi Mei Zhai: Cantonese sauces (garlic chili sauce, seafood sauce)
- Lunch: Last meal at Yin Ji rice rolls + Shun Ji Ice Room coconut ice cream (about 40 RMB per person)
- Afternoon: Head to station/airport for return
✅ Estimated cost: Meals 40 + transport 50 + souvenirs 200 = 290 RMB
🎯Total estimated expenses | Item | Amount
Round-trip transportation | 1500 RMB
Accommodation (5 nights) | 1500 RMB
Meals (6 days) | 1400 RMB
Tickets + experiences | 150 RMB (Chen Clan Ancestral Hall 10 + museum 10 + Pearl River night cruise 60 + others)
Local transport | 300 RMB
Souvenirs | 200 RMB
Emergency reserve | 50 RMB (unused)
✅ Total: 4900 RMB (perfectly controlled within 5000 RMB!)
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📷Must-visit photo spots recommended
- Beijing Road millennium-old glass road
- Shangxiajiu arcade street panorama
- Shamian Island European-style buildings (best at dusk)
- Chen Clan Ancestral Hall rooftop ceramic sculptures "Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea"
- Yongqingfang Cantonese Opera Museum water courtyard
- White Swan Hotel Yutang Chun Nuan river view window
- Pearl River night cruise light show on both banks
🥟Unmissable authentic food list | Name | Recommended shops | Per person
Dim sum | Tao Tao Ju, Panxi, White Swan | 80-150 RMB
Rice rolls | Yin Ji, Fang Ji, Yuan Ji | 10-20 RMB
Double-skin milk | Nanxin, Renxin, Baifenbai | 15 RMB
Boat congee | Liwan Ming Ji, Wu Wen Ji | 20 RMB
Roast meats | Huang Shang Huang, Li Bao Ge | 60 RMB
Desserts | Kai Ji, Si Hai Wei Jia | 20 RMB
Beef offal | Ah Bo, Ah Po Beef Offal | 15 RMB
Clay pot | Hui Shi Jia, Bing Sheng | 120 RMB
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✨Conclusion
In these 6 days, you will start with a morning dim sum and end with a late-night bowl of dessert; walk from the bluestone streets of Xiguan to the modern skyline of Tianhe. Guangzhou is not just a "food capital," but a city that writes poetry with flavors. 5000 RMB brings you a Lingnan feast from the tongue to the soul. If you need me to generate:
✅ PDF itinerary (including daily metro routes + food map)
✅ Guangzhou dim sum top restaurant list (including reservation methods)
✅ Quick Cantonese ordering guide (must-have to avoid pitfalls)
Feel free to tell me anytime! May you eat to your heart’s content, stroll leisurely, and remember to come home. 🍜🌆 — Your travel blogger ChatGP