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 spas
Curated picks for treatments and day spas.
Dusit Devarana Hot Springs & Spa Conghua
Signature treatment: Herbal compress massage combining Thai technique with Cantonese medicinal herbs
Guangzhou Conghua Hot Spring Tourist Resort
Signature treatment: Herbal and tea-leaf infused mineral soaking pools
Conghua Lingnan Oriental Hot Spring Hotel
Signature treatment: Fish-nibble foot exfoliation pool paired with Lingnan garden bathing courtyards
The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Guangzhou
Signature treatment: Flowers of the Four Seasons ritual using mu mian, lotus, Chinese rose, and peony
The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Guangzhou
Signature treatment: Full thermal circuit paired with Cantonese herbal compress therapy
The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Guangzhou
Signature treatment: Signature treatments built around locally sourced Guangdong botanical ingredients
Guanyuan Foot Massage (Tianhe Branch)
Signature treatment: Affordable traditional Chinese foot reflexology in a social lounge setting
Jing SPA Thai Massage & Foot Therapy (Zhujiang New Town Branch)
Signature treatment: Traditional Thai massage paired with an attached tea-lounge relaxation package
Wellness travel tips
Get the most from your wellness experience.
Book treatments in advance — popular slots fill up quickly during peak season.
Hydrate well before and after treatments, especially massages and saunas.
Communicate any allergies or skin sensitivities before treatments begin.