Guiyang
Save23 hand-picked places in 8 lists. Tick the categories you want to see on the map.
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Tips
8 places on the map
Nature
- 1
Forested hill park with monkeys and lakes
- Tip: Go early
2 tips
- Keep food away from monkeys
- Allow half a day
📷 Photos
- 2
Large scenic lake with islands west of the city
3 tips
- Best on a sunny day
- Allow half a day
- Boat rides available
📷 Photos
- 3
Scenic lakeside park south of the city
3 tips
- Take the bus or metro from centre
- Good for cycling
- Best in spring and autumn
📷 Photos
- 4
Riverside promenades running through the city centre
- Tip: At night
3 tips
- Great for an evening stroll
- Lit up at night
- Bridges give good photo angles
📷 Photos
- 5
Karst scenic area with caves, waterfalls and streams south of the city.
📷 Photos
- 6
- 7
- 8
China's largest waterfall, a day trip from the city
- Tip: Allow a few hours
2 tips
- Take the high-speed train to Anshun
- Bring a rain jacket
📷 Photos
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Before you go: Guiyang tips
Transportation
- Ride the Guiyang Metro: lines connect the old centre around Penshuichi with Guanshanhu and the North and East railway stations; scan in with Alipay or WeChat transit codes.
- Use high-speed rail for day trips: Guiyang North and Guiyang East stations have fast trains to Kaili for Miao villages, Anshun for Huangguoshu Falls, and on to Chongqing and Kunming.
- Book DiDi for taxis: the DiDi app inside Alipay has an English interface and shows your destination in Chinese, which avoids language mix-ups with drivers on Guiyang's hilly roads.
Security
- Keep your passport handy: hotels, train stations and some attractions check ID, and you need your passport number to buy rail tickets on 12306 or Trip.com.
- Watch your phone at night markets: busy food streets such as Qingyun Road night market get crowded, so keep your phone and wallet zipped away while you queue for snacks.
- Drink boiled or bottled water: tap water is not for drinking; hotels provide kettles and bottled water, and busy food stalls with high turnover are the safest bet for street food.
Saving
- Eat Guiyang snacks: a bowl of changwang noodles for breakfast or siwawa, wrapped pancakes you fill yourself with pickled vegetables, cost little and fill you up.
- Set up mobile payment: link a foreign card to Alipay or WeChat Pay before you arrive, since many stalls rarely take cash and paying by QR code avoids change and card issues.
- Enjoy free parks: Qianling Park offers forest trails, Hongfu Temple and resident macaques for free, and the riverside walk past Jiaxiu Pavilion is also free to stroll.
Weather/Clothing
- Enjoy cool summers: thanks to its altitude on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, Guiyang stays pleasantly mild in summer, so light layers and a thin jacket are usually enough.
- Always pack rain gear: locals say the sky is never clear for three days in a row, and drizzle and grey skies are common in every season, so bring a light umbrella or rain jacket.
- Layer up in winter: winters are damp and chilly, and many older buildings have limited heating, so bring a warm sweater, thermal layers and a waterproof coat.
Cultural
- Taste sour soup fish: Guizhou suantangyu is a tangy red soup with tomato and chilli; it originates with the Miao people around Kaili and is a favourite for group dinners.
- Learn about minority cultures: Guizhou is home to Miao, Buyi and Dong peoples; the Guizhou Provincial Museum explains their silver, costumes and festivals well.
- Be patient and polite: English is limited, so use a translation app, keep a calm tone and accept that shared dishes and loud, lively meals are normal in local restaurants.
Local Hacks
- See Jiaxiu Pavilion at night: this Ming-era tower on the Nanming River is lit up after dark, and the riverside promenade around it is one of Guiyang's nicest evening walks.
- Day trip to Qingyan Ancient Town: south of the city, Qingyan has stone walls, temples and snack streets; try its famous braised pig trotters and rose sugar treats.
- Book Huangguoshu early: the big waterfall near Anshun gets packed on weekends and holidays, so go on a weekday and buy tickets online in advance via the official channels.
1-day itineraries in Guiyang
Only have a day? Each one keeps you in one area, from morning to late afternoon, with lunch nearby.