Guangzhou Transportation: How to get to/from Guangzhou

Transportation in Guangzhou is mainly divided into 2 types. One is for traveling between Guangzhou and other cities, which mainly includes trains, planes, and cruises. The other is for daily commuting within Guangzhou, which mainly consists of subways, buses, taxis, and ride-hailing.

Train

Guangzhou has 4 main railway stations: Guangzhou South Railway Station, Guangzhou Railway Station, Guangzhou Railway East Station, and Guangzhou Baiyun Railway Station. 

Whether you are leaving Guangzhou or arriving in Guangzhou, it is recommended that you board or get off at Guangzhou South Railway Station. This railway station has many high-speed trains, and most trains either terminate at Guangzhou South Railway Station or depart from this station.

When traveling to or from Guangzhou, you can choose between high-speed trains or regular-speed trains. However, in most cases, it is recommended that you take a high-speed train because it is fast and its departure and arrival times are punctual.

Thanks to the high-speed rail network, you can easily travel between Guangzhou and most cities in China, such as Hong Kong, Guilin, Zhangjiajie, and Foshan.

Guangzhou to Hong Kong

Trains from Guangzhou to Hong Kong depart from Guangzhou South Railway Station or Guangzhou East Railway Station and arrive at Hong Kong West Kowloon Railway Station. The journey takes 1 hour, and a second-class seat costs USD37/CNY215.

Hong Kong to Guangzhou

Trains from Hong Kong to Guangzhou depart from Hong Kong West Kowloon Railway Station and arrive at Guangzhou South  Station or Guangzhou East Railway Station. The journey takes 1 hour, and a second-class seat costs USD31/CNY215.

Guangzhou to Guilin

Trains from Guangzhou to Guilin depart from Guangzhou South Railway Station, Guangzhou Railway Station, Guangzhou East  Station, or Guangzhou Baiyun Railway Station, and arrive at Guilin Railway Station, Guilin North Railway Station, or Guilin West Railway Station. The journey takes about 3 hours, and a second-class seat costs USD31/CNY213.

Guilin to Guangzhou

Trains from Guilin to Guangzhou depart from Guilin Railway Station, Guilin North Railway Station, or Guilin West Railway Station, and arrive at Guangzhou South Railway Station, Guangzhou East Railway Station, or Guangzhou Railway Station. The journey takes about 3 hours, and a second-class seat costs USD31/CNY 213.

Guangzhou to Zhangjiajie

Trains from Guangzhou to Zhangjiajie depart from Guangzhou South Railway Station, Guangzhou Railway Station, or Guangzhou Baiyun Railway Station, and arrive at Zhangjiajie West Railway Station. The journey takes about 6 hours, and a second-class seat costs USD81/CNY554.

Zhangjiajie to Guangzhou

Trains from Zhangjiajie to Guangzhou depart from Zhangjiajie West Railway Station and arrive at Guangzhou South  Station, Guangzhou  Station, or Guangzhou East Railway Station. The journey takes about 6 hours, and a second-class seat costs USD81/CNY554.

Guangzhou to Foshan

Trains from Guangzhou to Foshan depart from Guangzhou Railway Station, Guangzhou Railway South Station, or Guangzhou East Railway Station and arrive at Foshan West Station. The journey takes about 20 minutes, and a second-class seat costs USD2/CNY15.

Foshan to Guangzhou

Trains from Foshan to Guangzhou depart from Foshan West Railway Station and arrive at Guangzhou Railway Station or Guangzhou South Railway Station. The journey takes about 20 minutes, and a second-class seat costs USD2/CNY15.

The train schedule above is for reference only. You can check more train options on China Train Booking.

Plane

Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport is the only civil airport in Guangzhou. It is located in Baiyun District, about 30 kilometers from the city center. As the first civil airport in Guangzhou, it is also one of China's three major international hub airports.

Domestic Flight

You can fly from Guangzhou to 144 cities in China.

International Flight

You can fly from Guangzhou to 84 cities outside of China.

Cruise

Guangzhou's cruise has sightseeing cruises and passenger ferries. Taking a sightseeing cruise lets you sail the Pearl River and enjoy the scenery along both banks. Taking a passenger ferry allows you to travel to Hong Kong China Ferry Terminal or Hong Kong Airport.

Sightseeing Cruise

You can take a Pearl River Night Cruise from one of nine piers, such as Tianzi Pier or Canton Tower Pier.

Passenger Cruise

To take a passenger ferry, you need to board at Guangzhou Nansha Passenger Port or Pazhou Ferry Port.

Subway

Guangzhou has 19 subway lines in operation, making it easy to reach many places such as Guangzhou South Station, Guangzhou Station, Guangzhou East Station, Baiyun Airport, Beijing Road Pedestrian Street, and Canton Tower.

You can buy tickets at ticket vending machines inside the station, or use a QR code payment on Alipay to scan and ride, or go to the passenger service counter to buy a day pass.

Among these, using the QR code is the most convenient. You only need to bring a mobile phone that can connect to the internet, and you don't need to carry cash.

Tram

Guangzhou has 4 tram lines. No matter how many stops you ride or how long the ride takes, the price is always CNY2.

Tram Haizhu Line 1: runs from Canton Tower Station to Wanshengwei Station

Tram Huangpu Line 1: runs from Xiangxue Metro Station to Xinfeng Road Station

Tram Huangpu Line 2: runs between Xiangxue Metro Station and Kaiyuan Avenue Station

Bus

Guangzhou has 2 types of buses. One is the long-distance bus, which mainly runs between Guangzhou and other cities in China. The other is the public bus, which runs within Guangzhou city proper.

Long-distance Bus

Guangzhou has 4 main long-distance bus stations: Guangdong Provincial Bus Station, Tianhe Bus Station, Guangzhou East Station Bus Station, and Guangzhou Baiyun Bus Station. You can take a bus to nearby cities such as Foshan, Qingyuan, and Jieyang.

However, it is not recommended to take interprovincial buses because the journey is very long and many drivers do not speak Mandarin.

For tickets, you can either search for the bus station's mini program on WeChat to buy tickets online, or go to the station ticket window to buy tickets in person up to three days before departure.

Public Bus

Guangzhou's public buses, like the subway, can reach various railway stations and scenic spots. When you are far from a subway station or when your destination can only be reached by bus, taking a city bus is a good option.

Guangzhou South Railway Station: Take bus 5, 52, 93, 176, 210, 211, 254, 273, 523A, 524, 803, 807A, 807, 862, B2A, B2, Night 11, Night 14, Night 25, Night 41, Night 55, Night 79, Night 7, Night 88, Night 8, or Night 96 to get off at Guangzhou South Station Bus Stop.

Guangzhou East Railway Station: Take bus 11, 41, 45, 59, 122, 137, 175, 183, 195, 209, 214, 233, 246, 263, 280, 302A, 302, 508, 810, 841, B17, B19, B20, Guang 283, Night15, Night17, Night28, Night74, or Night77 to get off at Guangzhou East Station Bus Stop.

Guangzhou Tower: Take the New City Central Axis sightseeing bus and get off at Canton Tower Subway Station Exit A Bus Stop.

Yuexiu Park: Take bus routes 36, 66, 76A, 76, 93, 184, 185, 220, 297, 864, Tourist Bus Line 1, Night121, Night32, Night4, Night56, Night5, Night89, or Night9 to get off at Xiaobei Huachang Station 1.

It has different fare standards depending on the route type.

Taxi

You can hail a taxi by raising your hand on the street. However, since most taxi drivers do not speak English, you need to have the Chinese name of your destination ready on your phone in advance. After getting in the taxi, simply show the name to the driver.

 

The following Chinese names of commonly visited destinations may be helpful for you.

• In Chinese: 请带我去广州南站
• In English: Please take me to Guangzhou South Railway Station.
• In Chinese: 请带我去广州白云国际机场T1/T2
• In English: Please take me to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport Terminal 1 or Terminal 2
• In Chinese: 请带我去广州站
• In English: Please take me to Guangzhou Railway Station.
• In Chinese:请带我去广交会场馆
• In English: Please take me to the Canton Fair Complex.
• In Chinese: 请带我去广州塔
• In English: Please take me to the Guangzhou Tower.

The basic fare for a Guangzhou taxi is CNY12 for the first 3 kilometers. After that, an additional CNY2.6 is charged for each extra kilometer. The actual price may vary during off-peak hours, peak hours, and public holidays, so please refer to the amount shown on the meter when you take the taxi. You can pay either with cash or by mobile payment.

Ride-hailing

Ride-hailing is a new type of transportation. You first need to download the DiDi app (similar to Uber) on your phone and register using a Chinese mobile phone number, then you can start hailing a car.

Compared to taxis, ride-hailing is cheaper. However, it can often be difficult to get a car on rainy days or during peak hours.

Related Reading: How to Use Didi Ride

Private Transfer

Private transfer is a more convenient transportation option, specially designed for travelers and business visitors to Guangzhou, especially foreigners. It is a point-to-point service.

You just need to tell the driver your destination, and he will take you there safely and smoothly. We also provide a guide in the vehicle, so you never have to worry about language barriers.

Booking Your Guangzhou Tour

Although the Guangzhou subway is very well developed, dragging luggage while transferring or waiting for a taxi in the summer heat can still take a lot of energy. The Guangzhou tours offered by China Travel include private transfer: the driver will wait for you on time at the hotel exit, providing seamless connections between attractions, and will take you directly back to your hotel at the end of the day's tour.

You don't need to figure out subway transfer routes on your own, repeatedly confirm your location with the driver, or worry about not being able to find a taxi during peak hours. The time and energy you save will be enough for you to enjoy two more servings of dim sum or explore more of Shamian Island. Just focus on enjoying your trip, and leave the rest to us.

5-day Shenzhen and Guangzhou Tour

4-Day Guangzhou & Shenzhen Express Tour

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