Serica Journeys Day journeys in China
South China · 广州

Guangzhou

Two thousand years of trade, and the food that came out of it.

Typical day
6–9 hours
Party size
1–6 guests
Guiding
English
Pick-up
Guangzhou hotels

Canton was the port through which China traded with the world for centuries before any other was opened, and the city still feels commercial in a way Beijing and Xi'an do not. Its architecture is a layered record of that: clan halls, arcaded shophouses, an island of European consulates.

And its food is the reason a great many people come. Cantonese cooking is precise, seasonal and extremely hard to order well without help.

Journeys

2 private day journeys in Guangzhou.

Prices are quoted per party once we know your dates and numbers. Every itinerary below can be adjusted — they are how we run the day by default, not a fixed menu.

7 hours Private departureEnglish guide

Old Canton: Shamian Island and the Chen Clan Hall

Shamian · Chen Clan Ancestral Hall · Shophouse arcades · Temple

Itinerary
08:30
Pick-up. Shamian Island on foot.
10:00
Chen Clan Ancestral Hall.
11:30
Lunch — dim sum, ordered properly.
13:30
Shophouse arcades and Beijing Road's excavated street layers.
15:00
Temple of the Six Banyan Trees.
16:00
Back at your hotel.
Highlights
  • The consular island, walked before the wedding photographers take it over
  • The Chen Clan Ancestral Hall's roof ridges — the best Lingnan craftwork in the city
  • Qilou arcade streets, and why the ground floor is public
  • The Temple of the Six Banyan Trees and its pagoda
Included
  • Private vehicle and driver
  • English-speaking guide
  • Site entries
  • Dim sum lunch
  • Bottled water
Not included
  • Personal spending
  • Gratuities

Know before you go. Guangzhou is hot and humid from May to September. We shift this day earlier in summer.

6 hours Private departureEnglish guide

Cantonese Food, Morning to Night

Yum cha · Wet market · Roast meats · Soup and dessert

Itinerary
09:00
Meet for yum cha. Ordering, etiquette, and what to actually ask for.
11:00
Wet market walk.
12:30
Roast meats.
14:00
Soup house, then dessert.
15:00
Finish in the centre.
Highlights
  • Yum cha in a proper tea house, with a trolley and a stamp card
  • A wet market where the seafood is still arguing
  • Roast goose and char siu from a shop that only does that
  • Old-fire soup and a double-boiled dessert to finish
Included
  • English-speaking guide
  • All dishes and tastings listed
  • Tea
  • Transport between stops
Not included
  • Hotel pick-up by private vehicle (on request)
  • Alcohol
  • Gratuities

Know before you go. Tell us about allergies and dietary restrictions when you enquire. Cantonese kitchens use shellfish and peanut widely.

Other cities
Beijing
Shanghai
Xi'an
Chengdu
Hangzhou
Guilin & Yangshuo