Guangzhou

13 – 17 Nov 2026 · Guangdong, China

Guangzhou is the capital of Guangdong province and one of China's largest cities, home to about 18.7 million people. It sits on the Pearl River, at the top of the Pearl River Delta.

Guangzhou tips

Friday, Nov 13

We Made It To China!

Shenzhen, China

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A very easy flight across the Pacific. I pretty much slept, watched a few movies and zoned out for hours upon hours listening to Taylor Swift. It was glorious.

Hong Kong airport was a breeze to get through. We had a driver waiting to take us the three hours into mainland China. We are currently at the border crossing. I love a mini van and we are in a fancy Toyota in comfortable reclining chairs. Our driver doesn’t speak English but he handed Brad a headset so they could speak freely with translation. Very handy!

We were able to see a taste of mainland… and the lights and building are what I expected. We cross at Shenzhen but won’t be visiting the city until the end of the trip. First stop Guangzhou.

We are using our roaming that is included with our Rogers and a quick speed test shows that our traffic is routing through Shaw Vancouver. Hopefully that stays that way!

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Boa’an

Bao’an

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This is just outside of Shenzhen.

✨ Found online

Bao'an is an administrative district located in northwestern Shenzhen along the Pearl River estuary in Guangdong, China. A major economic and transportation hub, it encompasses a blend of historic settlements, modern industrial zones, and waterfront commercial developments.

Address: Bao'an District, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China

Website: www.baoan.gov.cn

What To Know: It is home to Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport (SZX) as well as the OH Bay waterfront park featuring the Bay Glory Ferris wheel.

Conrad Guanzhou

Guangzhou

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We are nicely settled into the Conrad Ghanzhou. Our room is quite lovely and thanks to Brad (and the rate he got that is only available through travel agents, which he now is) we got upgraded and free breakfast everyday. I’m excited about that!

We also learned that water in China isn’t potable in most locations due to underlying old pipes, even in the newer buildings. We would probably be fine since the hotel does filter, but we aren’t going to risk a Charlotte in the shower situation and will use bottled water to brush our teeth.

✨ Found online

Tap water across mainland China is not considered safe to drink straight from the tap due to secondary contamination and aging distribution infrastructure. Travelers should rely strictly on factory-sealed bottled water, properly boiled water, or certified filtration systems.

What To Know: Do not drink unboiled tap water or use it for brushing teeth; luxury hotels in Guangzhou provide complimentary bottled water and in-room kettles for boiling.

Guangzhou Library

Guangzhou Library, Guangzhou, China

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At the Guangzhou library they have book sanitizing machines. Something blows through the pages cleaning them.

we actually happen upon an interesting exhibit they had running from some sort of emergency crew. She pulled us in and gave us a little English tour and showed us some really cool drone equipment that allows them to find bodies at the bottom of rivers. Sounds mundane, but it was actually very cool, even these things that drag along the bottom and catch bodies along the bottom of the rivers and drones that can fly through forests at night to detect heat waves.

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Senses Breakfast at Conrad

Liked It Sense, Ghanzhou

First time at the buffet and the selection was great. Even better cause it was included in our hotel stay! Omelette, noodles, made to order. And a person to make you fresh juice on demand, although I opted for Cantaloupe juice. Some dim sum, and of course a hash brown wedge that I will get at any buffet when available.

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Sense is the all-day dining restaurant situated on the second floor of the Conrad Guangzhou, offering international and Cantonese buffet spreads alongside live cooking stations.

Hours: Daily 6:30 AM – 10:00 PM (Breakfast: Mon–Fri 6:30 AM – 10:30 AM, Sat–Sun 6:30 AM – 11:00 AM)

Address: 2nd Floor, Conrad Guangzhou, 222 Xingmin Road, Zhujiang New Town, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510623, China

Website: www.hilton.com

Price Range: $$$

What To Know: Breakfast features made-to-order egg and noodle stations alongside fresh juice, and weekday mornings tend to be busiest between 7:00 AM and 8:00 AM.

Saturday, Nov 14

Guangzhou Subway Station

Baiyun District, Guangzhou

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On our way to food tour!

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The Guangzhou Metro is an extensive rapid transit network serving Guangzhou and neighboring Foshan, consistently ranking among the busiest subway systems in the world.

Hours: Approx. 6:00 AM – 11:30 PM daily (varies by line)

Website: www.gzmtr.com

Price Range: $

What To Know: All station entrances have mandatory security and baggage checks, and riders can tap in directly using WeChat Pay, Alipay ride codes, or contactless international credit cards.

Egg Fried Rice

Favourite Din Tai Fung, Guangzhou

Something so simple but something so good.

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Din Tai Fung is an internationally renowned Taiwanese restaurant chain celebrated for its delicate xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) and Shanghainese-style dim sum. In Guangzhou, it operates popular branches located in premier shopping destinations such as Taikoo Hui and igc mall.

Hours: Mon-Sun 10:00 AM - 9:30 PM

Address: Unit MU19, Level MU, Taikoo Hui, 383 Tianhe Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

Website: www.dintaifung.com.tw

Price Range: $$

What To Know: Signature items like the classic pork xiaolongbao and pork chop fried rice draw consistent queues during peak dining hours, so taking a waitlist number in advance is recommended.

Spicy Wontons with Noodles

Favourite Din Tai Fung, Guangzhou

You can order both separately but why not order them together? Love the spice level of this dish.

✨ Found online

Din Tai Fung is an internationally recognized Taiwanese restaurant chain acclaimed for its precise 18-fold xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) and Huaiyang-style dishes. In Guangzhou, its prominent branches include the location within the Taikoo Hui shopping center in Tianhe District.

Hours: Daily 10:00 AM – 9:30 PM

Address: Shop MU19, Level MU, Taikoo Hui, No. 383 Tianhe Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

Website: www.dintaifung.com.tw

Price Range: $$

What To Know: A favorite order pairing is combining the spicy shrimp and pork wontons with egg fried rice, using the extra chili oil sauce mixed into the rice.

Sticky Rice and Pork Shao Mai

Liked It Din Tai Fung, Guangzhou

Normally my favourite but these had a strong flavour that I wasn’t quite used to. Maybe a bit heavy handed with the fish sauce. Good, but normally these would be my favourite.

✨ Found online

Din Tai Fung is an internationally acclaimed Taiwanese restaurant chain celebrated for its delicate, paper-thin xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) and classic dim sum dishes. In Guangzhou, the brand operates locations in premier shopping destinations including Taikoo Hui and IGC Mall.

Address: MU19, Level MU, Taikoo Hui, No. 383 Tianhe Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, China (Branch also at IGC Mall)

Website: www.dintaifung.com.tw

Price Range: $$

What To Know: Xiao long bao are crafted with a signature 18-fold technique viewable through an open kitchen; expect peak-hour queues at Guangzhou's mall locations.

Coconut Chicken Soup 椰子炖乌鸡汤 (yēzi dùn wūjī tāng)

Liked It Guangzhou

First stop on the food tour. Apparently a staple for locals as a healthy broth. It’s coconut water and black chicken which actually is black. I really enjoyed the sweetness of the broth and the chicken was tasty but I had time finding the fleshy part since it was chopped bones and all into the soup. It is steamed in the coconut for 4 hours!

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A classic Cantonese double-boiled soup made by steaming black-boned Silkie chicken and traditional Chinese herbs directly inside a whole coconut using its natural water. It is prized in Lingnan dietary culture for its delicate, naturally sweet flavor and yin-nourishing medicinal properties.

What To Know: It is traditionally served steaming hot right inside the carved coconut shell at specialty double-boiled soup (炖品) shops, where diners eat the chicken and scrape out the tender coconut flesh along with the broth.

Steamed Rice Noodle Rolls

Favourite Guangzhou

I haven had this at dim sum before but never like this. We watched her make the noodles on a wicker basket, add the fillings and stick the basket into a steamer. They shoes this place to highlight because it has been around for years. We got to try different varieties..

Pork, vegetable, shrimps and pork, egg, and pork liver. Pork liver was good but I still can’t stomach the texture.

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Known locally as woven-basket rice rolls (窝篮拉肠, wōlán lācháng), a thin stone-ground rice slurry is poured over a flat wicker or bamboo tray, layered with fillings like minced beef, pork, shrimp, or egg, and steamed rapidly. The porous basket lets steam circulate while shedding excess water, creating an ultra-thin, elastic noodle with a distinct woven imprint that is scraped, rolled, and served in seasoned sweet soy sauce.

Price Range: ¥7–¥20 per plate (~$1–$3 USD)

What To Know: This traditional Lingnan technique is far more labor-intensive and rare than standard metal-drawer or cloth-pulled changfen; it is cooked to order and traditionally enjoyed as a morning breakfast dish alongside congee.

Deep Fried Eel

Did Not Like It Gaungzhou

I didn’t even eat this, but I’m giving it a thumbs down anyway. I don’t like eel sauce. I don’t like eel in my sushi, and I definitely don’t like deep-fried eel with its head and all. But surprisingly, Brad did like it, and he ate it.

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Deep-fried eel is a Cantonese specialty where freshwater or swamp eel is dredged and fried until crisp, frequently served whole with the head and spine intact. It is commonly seasoned with spiced salt and pepper or tossed with aromatics like garlic and scallions.

What To Know: When made with smaller swamp eels and fried thoroughly, the bones and head become brittle and crunchy, making the entire fish edible.

Typhoon Shelter Style Seafood (避风塘, bì fēng táng)

Liked It

Mussels and crab and shrimp all deep fried and under crispy garlic. I had a mussel and it was quite good… I tried taking one bite and that was a mistake, that guy has gotten down in one swallow.

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Typhoon shelter style (避风塘) is a classic Hong Kong culinary preparation that originated among boat-dwelling fishermen in coastal storm shelters. It is best known for seafood dishes stir-fried with an abundant topping of golden, crispy minced garlic, red chilies, scallions, and fermented black beans.

What To Know: Typhoon shelter crab (避風塘炒蟹) is the most iconic dish in this style, typically prepared using whole mud crabs deep-fried and buried under a mound of aromatic fried garlic crumble.

Cantonese raw fish salad

Favourite Guangzhou

Now I’m not overly a fan of fish, especially when I detect it could be a fishy fish. but I’m one of the few that went back and had multiple servings of this. It was a whitefish, and it came on a bed of ice on top of saran wrap to keep it cold, and the preparation of it takes some time because they have to remove the flesh and all the bones from the fish and slice it very thinly. The fish is actually an unalived just before for it ends up on our icy plate. There was a multi-divided plate that had various accoutrements that you would top your fish with. So I took a few slices of fish, put it into a bowl, grabbed things like these little mini hot peppers, lime, grass, deep fried taro, ginger, and other various things. You put it in your bowl, drizzle some soy sauce, and the magical ingredient of peanut oil. You have just made yourself a delicious one little bite of deliciousness, and it was so good. And if it wasn’t good, it’s your own fault for picking bad ingredients to put on top of it.

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Cantonese raw fish salad, traditionally known as Shunde yusheng, consists of paper-thin, translucent slices of freshwater whitefish served chilled over ice. The fish is tossed table-side with peanut oil, salt, and a wide array of finely julienned aromatics, pickled vegetables, and roasted peanuts.

What To Know: Diners traditionally coat the fish slices with peanut oil and salt first to lock in moisture and crispness before mixing in pungent toppings like ginger, lemongrass, garlic, and chilies.

Cantonese Shrimp Wonton Noodle Soup

Favourite Guangzhou

This is one of the restaurants that I would never think to go through as a tourist, because everything is in Chinese and it is just a barren room with harsh white lighting and a few tables. So this is the kind of experience we were definitely looking for. These noodles are made fresh with duck egg and flour. There is no water in the noodles. And the won ton dumplings were delicious with shrimp.

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Cantonese shrimp wonton noodle soup is a staple dish originating in Guangzhou, featuring thin, springy egg noodles and shrimp-and-pork wontons served in a clear broth simmered with pork bones and dried flounder.

Price Range: $

What To Know: Bowls are traditionally assembled with the wontons placed at the bottom beneath the noodles to keep the noodles elevated and prevent them from becoming soggy in the hot broth.

So simple but so good. Ginger Milk

Favourite Guangzhou

The final stop on our food tour was, of course, a sweet, but as she explained it, it was also a bit spicy. It was at a 20-year-old place that has been in business forever, and we were served in a bowl what looked like white pudding, maybe a custard. And it was delicious. I am a fan of ginger and all it was was warm ginger and buffalo milk, and it was delicious and we slurped it all up.

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Ginger milk curd (jiang zhuang nai) is a traditional Cantonese dessert originating from the Guangzhou region, made by pouring hot sweetened milk over fresh ginger juice. The natural enzymes in the ginger cause the milk to set into a silky custard that blends rich sweetness with a sharp, warming spice.

Price Range: $

What To Know: The dessert sets via an enzymatic reaction from ginger protease (zingibain) without any eggs or gelatin, and it is traditionally made with fresh water buffalo milk and served warm.