Come between October and December, and check which station your train uses

Summer here is long, wet and typhoon-prone from July into September. October to December is dry, mild and made for walking the old lanes.

When you book, look at the station name: Guangzhou South is the high-speed hub far to the south on metro lines 2 and 7 — Hong Kong West Kowloon under an hour, Guilin about two and a half — while the old Guangzhou station in the centre serves slower services. Allow an extra 45 minutes to reach South, and more at a holiday.