Guangzhou: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Guangzhou is a city of 18.7 million people in China (Guangdong), 15 m (49 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN), 31 km (19 mi) from the centre. It has a dozen or more railway stations on record, including Guangzhoubaiyun Railway Station. It is a port city: Port of Guangzhou. Our booking partner lists 1,455+ places to stay.
Key facts
Daylight in Guangzhou runs from about 10 h 45 min a day in late December to 13 h 36 min in late June (computed for 23.12° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Guangzhou is served by 3 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN), 31 km (19 mi) from the centre, whose 12,467-ft runway is long enough for long-haul wide-body aircraft. The alternatives are Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport (SZX, 78 km), Foshan Shadi Airport (FUO, 19 km).
Flights to Guangzhou: every airport, routes and times
By rail: stations on record include Guangzhoubaiyun Railway Station, Xiaoping Station, Shangbu Station, Huangbei station, Hengsha station, Tianpingjia station. Trains to Guangzhou
Buses to Guangzhou · Driving and car hire · Ferries
Where to stay
Our booking partner lists 1,455+ places to stay in Guangzhou (statistics below are from the first 1,000). Of the 971 with a star rating, the largest group is 3-star (442), and 92 are five-star. Across 248 properties with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 8.3 out of 10. Guests have left 94,254 reviews in total.
Hotels in Guangzhou: the full picture, and book
What people come for
| Sight | Visitors a year | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Chimelong Paradise | 4,100,000 | 2024 |
| Chimelong Waterpark | 2,810,000 | 2024 |
The busiest is Chimelong Paradise at 4,100,000 visitors in 2024. At that volume, anything with a gate is worth a timed ticket or an early start.
Tours, tickets and day trips from Guangzhou
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Shenzhen, 105 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Dongguan, 52 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Foshan, 16 km — tours
- Hong Kong, 133 km (Hong Kong)
- Bao'an, 90 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Zhongshan, 67 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Shantou, 351 km — flights · trains · buses · car rental
- Huizhou, 119 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Yunfu, 126 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Zhuhai, 99 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
Twin towns and sister cities: Prague, Frankfurt, Vilnius, Istanbul, Sydney, Bari, Gwangju, Fukuoka, Ōita-shi, Viña del Mar, Durban, Arequipa, Surabaya, Recife.
Common questions
Which airport serves Guangzhou?
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN), 31 km (19 mi) from the centre, plus 2 other airports with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Guangzhou?
About 18.7 million people live in Guangzhou, across 7,249 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Guangzhou in?
Asia/Shanghai, currently UTC+8.
What currency is used in Guangzhou?
The Yuan Renminbi (CNY). Traffic drives on the right.
How many hotels are there in Guangzhou?
Our booking partner lists 1,455 or more places to stay in Guangzhou, bookable on this site.
Which cities are near Guangzhou?
Shenzhen (105 km), Dongguan (52 km), Foshan (16 km), Hong Kong (133 km), Bao'an (90 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.