Guangzhou is the sprawling capital of Guangdong Province and the historic heart of Cantonese culture, sitting on the Pearl River in southern China. For more than 2,000 years it has been one of China's great trading ports — the starting point of the ancient Maritime Silk Road and, in later centuries, the only Chinese port legally open to Western trade. Today it is a hypermodern megacity of glass towers along the Pearl River, wrapped around an old town of Lingnan-style ancestral halls, colonial-era Shamian Island, and some of the best Cantonese food anywhere on earth, from dim sum teahouses to street stalls serving wonton noodles and roast goose.
Top food tours
Guided experiences that show you Guangzhou through its food.
Sai Kwan Walking Tour with Local Food Tasting
Includes: Guided dim sum lunch at a traditional Xiguan Cantonese restaurant · Walking route through the historic Shamian Island concession district · Visit to a working traditional Chinese medicine market · Covers Shangxiajiu pedestrian street and Liwan Lake Park in one guided route
Guangzhou Dried Seafood Market & Yum Cha Experience
Includes: Access to one of southeast China's largest dried seafood wholesale markets · Guided explanation of how to judge seafood quality and negotiate prices · A full yum cha meal with dim sum at a local tea house · Introduction to traditional Cantonese tea-drinking etiquette
Guangzhou Full-Day Tour with Dim Sum Lunch & Pearl River Cruise
Includes: Combines major sightseeing with a full sit-down dim sum lunch · Includes the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, one of Guangdong's finest Lingnan architecture examples · Covers Shamian Island and the Shangxijiu pedestrian street on foot · Ends with an evening Pearl River cruise past the illuminated skyline
Beijing Road Street Food Walk
Includes: Snack stalls serving rice noodle rolls, beef offal and wonton noodles along a historic pedestrian street · Exposed Song-, Ming- and Qing-dynasty road relics visible through glass flooring sections · No booking required, allowing a flexible, self-paced grazing route · Centrally located near other Yuexiu District sightseeing stops
Shamian Island Colonial Food Walk
Includes: Self-guided route through car-free, tree-lined colonial-era streets · Coffee and dim sum stops inside restored European-style buildings · Views of former consulate buildings and a Gothic-style Catholic church · Riverside promenade stop with views across the Pearl River
Lychee Bay (Lizhiwan) Noodle and Snack Trail
Includes: Bamboo-pressed noodles at a working noodle shop that also supplies restaurants wholesale · Walk along the restored Lizhiwan canals past traditional qilou arcade buildings · Optional stop at Panxi Restaurant, a large lakeside garden restaurant · Compact two-hour route suited to combining with nearby Shangxiajiu sightseeing
Yong Qing Fang and Shangxiajiu Snack Street Route
Includes: Double-skin milk at a dessert shop operating since 1934 · Restored Yong Qing Fang shophouse block with galleries and craft shops · Covered arcade shopping and snacking along the historic Shangxiajiu street · Easy to extend with a formal dim sum stop at Guangzhou Restaurant's Wenchang branch
Foodie tips
Get more out of every meal.
Book tours and cooking classes at least a few days in advance — small-group experiences sell out quickly.
Come hungry — most food tours include 5-8 tastings.
Bring cash for unscheduled stops the guide may recommend.