A one-day private tour covering the city's classic sights in a single loop, with an English-speaking guide and private vehicle. Entrance tickets payable locally.
How old is the Nanyue King's tomb?
The king was buried in the second century BC and the tomb was excavated in 1983, which is why the finds are so well documented. The Museum of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King sits over the excavation, so you see the tomb structure and the grave goods together. It is the best single introduction to the city's two thousand years of continuous settlement.
Do we go down into the tomb itself?
Yes. The tomb chamber is below ground level and reached by a short flight of steps inside the museum. It is cool, low-ceilinged and not large, so it suits most visitors, though anyone claustrophobic can stay on the museum floor with the jade and bronze galleries while the rest of the party goes down.
What is the Five Rams statue?
It is the emblem of Guangzhou, made in 1959 by Yin Jichang, Chen Benzong and Kong Fanwei: eleven metres high and carved from 130 blocks of granite. It stands on Yuexiu Hill and refers to the legend of the immortals who brought rice to the city. The park around it holds a surviving stretch of the Ming city wall.
Is the Chen Clan Academy a temple?
No. It is an ancestral hall and clan academy, built so that Chen men from across Guangdong could study and sit the imperial examinations. That distinction matters: the carving is competitive display between lineages rather than religious imagery. The building is now a museum of Cantonese decorative craft and folk art.
Can we see the Ming city wall?
Yes. A surviving stretch runs through Yuexiu Park and we walk it as part of the morning. It is the only above-ground remnant of the walled city at this scale, and it sits a few minutes from the Five Rams. Zhenhai Tower of 1380, the Five-Storey Building, stands nearby when it is open.
Is the Canton Tower included at the end of the day?
The tower, 600 metres, is the last stop on the river, and we take you there for the view as the light goes. Going up is an extra ticket bought locally, so if your party would rather stay on the ground we extend the time at Shangxiajiu instead. Tell us your preference when you book.
How long is the whole day?
A full day, normally from mid-morning hotel pick-up to early evening drop-off. The loop is designed so nothing is rushed, but it is a genuinely full programme of five stops. If you want a slower day, drop the Canton Tower or the shopping street and tell us which.
