2-Day Guangzhou Excursion: Kaiping Diaolou & Xiguan Old Town

Overview

A two-day private excursion that combines the distinctive countryside of Kaiping with Guangzhou's own historic quarter. Day one goes west to the UNESCO-listed diaolou towers and walks one of the village clusters; day two returns to the city for the Chen Clan Academy and the arcaded streets of Xiguan. One hotel night included.

Highlights

Day one: Kaiping Diaolou and a village walk, UNESCO listed since 2007
Day two: Chen Clan Academy and the Xiguan arcades
Qilou shophouses and the old merchant quarter
One night in a 4-star Guangzhou hotel with breakfast
Private vehicle and guide for both days
Order can be reversed to suit your arrival time

Itinerary

Day 1Guangzhou Excursion: Kaiping Diaolou and Villages

Morning - Drive west to Kaiping (depart 08:00)
Leave Guangzhou and drive about two hours west into the Pearl River delta's hinterland. Kaiping was a source of emigration to Southeast Asia, the Americas and Australia, and the money sent home before the Second World War was spent on houses of a kind found nowhere else in China.

Late morning - The diaolou
The diaolou are multi-storey towers that combine Chinese domestic planning with European decorative detail - Roman columns, Islamic domes, Gothic arches - built as fortified homes during a period of banditry in the 1920s and 1930s. More than 1,800 survive across the county, and the four clusters inscribed by UNESCO in 2007 (Zili, Majianglong, Jinjiangli and Sanmenli) are the ones to see, along with the Li Garden.

Lunch
A local restaurant serving Kaiping dishes, including claypot rice and the region's preserved vegetables.

Afternoon - Villages and return
Walk one of the village clusters at a slow pace, then drive back to Guangzhou, arriving in the early evening.

Meals
Lunch

Accommodation
Day tour - no hotel night included.

Transport: Guangzhou to Kaiping and back (about 130 km each way)

Meals: Lunch

Day 2Guangzhou Half-Day: Chen Clan Academy and Xiguan Old Town

Morning or afternoon - Chen Clan Academy
The Chen Clan Academy was built between 1888 and 1894 as a hostel and examination hall for students from the Chen surname, and it is the best place in the province to see Cantonese decorative arts in one building: wood carving, stone carving, brick carving, plasterwork, ceramics and ironwork all on the same facade. The layout follows the traditional three-hall, six-courtyard plan, and the ridge figures alone take twenty minutes to read properly.

Continued - Xiguan arcades
Walk from the academy into Xiguan, the old merchant district, along streets of qilou shophouses with their covered arcades. Your guide explains the annual flower market that fills these streets before Lunar New Year, and points out the ancestral halls and temples that survived the rebuilding.

Meal stop
A Cantonese lunch or an afternoon tea stop, depending on the time you choose.

Meals
Lunch

Accommodation
Half-day tour - no hotel night included.

Transport: Guangzhou city centre (hotel pick-up and drop-off)

Meals: Lunch

Booking Price

Group Size	Adult(Age:8-80) Price/p.p	Child(Age:4-7) Price/p.p	Infant(Age:0-3) Price/p.p
2 PAX	from $624	/	/
4 PAX	from $458	/	/
6 PAX	from $406	/	/
8 PAX	from $378	/	/
10 PAX	from $334	/	/
20 PAX	from $294	/	/
30 PAX	from $280	/	/

Includes

Meals as listed in the daily itinerary (breakfasts and lunches as shown)
Private air-conditioned vehicle with professional driver throughout
English-speaking local guide (Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian or Japanese on request)
All entrance fees for the sites listed, including shuttle buses, eco-buses and cable cars where the site requires them
Local handling and coordination service throughout the programme
Bottled water (2 bottles per person per day) and audio headsets where group size requires them
Travel accident insurance for the duration of the tour

Excludes

International air tickets and any domestic flights not listed in the itinerary
China visa or visa-free entry documentation fees
Meals not specified in the daily itinerary and all beverages/alcohol
Tips for guides, drivers and hotel staff (suggested USD 8-12 per person per day)
Personal expenses: laundry, telephone, minibar, shopping
Optional activities and any item not listed under Price Includes
Single-room supplement if a traveller requires a room alone

Trip Notes

Please read the notes below before you book. They cover entry formalities, pace, weather and what to bring.

Q: Is this tour private or shared?
A: It is a private tour. Only your own party travels with the guide and vehicle, so the pace and the order of stops can be adjusted on the day.

Q: What is the best season for this itinerary?
A: April to June and September to November bring the mildest weather and clearest light. The programme runs year round, and we adjust the daily timings in mid-summer and winter.

Q: Can you handle dietary requirements and accessibility needs?
A: Yes. Vegetarian, halal, gluten-free and allergy-aware menus are arranged when you tell us in advance. Step-free and low-mobility versions of the route can also be planned.

Q: How do we book and pay?
A: Send us your travel dates and group size for a same-day quotation. A deposit confirms the booking, the balance is due before arrival, and prices are guaranteed for 7 days.

Popular China Destinations

China Travel Guide