How to get to Guangzhou from Hong Kong

A sprawling port city northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is known for its Spring Festival Flower Fair when streets are awash in colour – so much that this provincial capital has earned the nickname the “City of Flowers”. As one of China’s biggest cities, it’s not only known for its famous Cantonese cuisine staples like stir fries and dim sum, but it’s also home to the dizzying 600m-tall Canton Tower – once the tallest in the world. Its other architectural feats – though less substantial in size – are impressive all the same, such as Zaha Hadid’s Guangzhou Opera House and the carved box-shaped Guangdong Museum.  

Connecting the 170km between Hong Kong and Guangzhou are ample travel options in plane, train, cross-boundary coach or car. Take your pick!  

Via Hong Kong International Airport 

Perhaps the easiest way for inbound travellers from Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) to reach Guangzhou – and the rest of the Greater Bay Area is the wide selection of daily Cathay Pacific flights that only take an hour.  

Don’t fancy connecting flights? You can also book Cathay Pacific's Direct Air+Sea flight and ferry ticket to Pazhou Ferry Terminal, part of Guangzhou’s downtown, a new feature since April of this year.* Simply type in “Guangzhou, Pazhou Ferry Terminal (PFT)” as your final destination when you book your flights, and your luggage will be checked through to your final destination, as if you’re embarking on a connecting plane.  

Once you’ve arrived at HKIA, head to Transfer Area E2 to collect your ferry ticket and present your baggage tags to our staff to ensure your luggage has been checked through. You can then simply board the vessel at SkyPier, without the need to even enter Hong Kong borders. The journey runs four times a day from 8am to 3pm and takes a bit more than two hours. Remember to arrive at the ferry terminal at least 30 minutes prior to departure.  

Another seamless Cathay Pacific air-to-sea route, the HKIA to Nansha ferry connection, is set to open in the near future. 

Another popular option from the airport – though admittedly more convoluted – is embarking on the 24-minute Airport Express train to Kowloon Station for HK$105, and then hopping on one of the many highspeed railway routes to Guangzhou as listed below. 

From the city by highspeed railway 

You can choose from almost 30 trains going from Hong Kong West Kowloon Station to Guangzhounan (Guangzhou South) starting from 8.28am to 10.39pm; or 10 trains going to Guangzhoudong (Guangzhou East) starting from 8.06am to 9pm. Travelling times range from just over an hour to an hour and 40 minutes, respectively. Be sure to check the short-haul train timetable here ahead of time. 

Fares cost the same regardless, and start at about HK$234 for second class, or triple that for business class, which offers more leg room, free meals, amenities like slippers and earplugs, as well as seats that can swivel and fully recline.  

Those with a Mainland Chinese phone number can pre-purchase tickets via the Railway 12306 website or app, available on iOS and Android . Both the English booking site and app welcome visitors with foreign passports. Otherwise, you can also buy tickets in-person at West Kowloon station with identity verification.  

From the city by ferry 

If you’re travelling from the city, head to Tsim Sha Tsui’s China Ferry Terminal and hop on one of three daily sailings from Hong Kong to Nansha, one of the southernmost districts of Guangzhou, or two daily sailings to Pazhou. The former takes an hour and a half while the latter takes just under three hours. Passengers can choose from three classes with varying degrees of comfort, space and privacy. Fares generally range from HK$220 to HK$320.  

From the city by private pick-up  

Dotted around Hong Kong are private bus services that bridge the city and Guangzhou in approximately an hour and within HK$200. Eternal East Tours Company and Kwoon Chung Trans-Island Bus , for example, link populous Hong Kong neighbourhoods like Prince Edward, Kwun Tong, Tung Chung, Tsim Sha Tsui, Sha Tin and more to Guangzhou landmarks like Grandview Mall, Guangzhou Hotel and Chuangzhan Centre, to name but a few.  

For more exclusive travel, opt for private hire with SkyLimo ’s deluxe service from HKIA, where you can opt for an English-speaking chauffeur. Its affiliated service providers around town, such as S.T. Travel Service Co. Ltd , offer a range of private pick-up transport options, whether you’re looking for a tour bus or five- and seven-seater cars that take you cross the border from Shenzhen Bay, Huanggang, Man Kam To, Sha Tau Kok and Heung Yuen Wai Control Ports.  

For Hong Kong residents, driving across the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge has been an option since 2023, provided that they are registered owners of a non-commercial private car with eight or fewer seats – including the driver’s. The vehicle must also be shorter than six metres in length and have licences and permits for both Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland to be eligible to stay for 30 consecutive days upon entry – capped at 180 days within a calendar year. 

*Direct Air+Sea is available for selected routes on our website. For regions where this service is unavailable, please book via a travel agent. If you're departing from Taiwan China, please purchase your ferry tickets separately. We’ll arrange your bags to be checked through when you check in at your departing airport.