Overview
The Guangzhou Metro (Chinese: 广州地铁; pinyin: Guǎngzhōu Dìtiě; Jyutping: Gwong2zau1 Dei6tit3) is the rapid transit system of Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province. It is operated by the state-owned Guangzhou Metro Corporation and was the fourth metro system built in China, after Beijing, Tianjin and Shanghai. Line 1 opened in 1997, and the network has expanded at breakneck pace ever since.
For a visitor, the metro is usually the fastest and cheapest way to get around. Most places in Guangzhou of interest to travellers sit within walking distance of a metro stop, and the system is widely considered more foreigner-friendly than the buses: signage is in both Chinese and English, and announcements are generally trilingual in Mandarin, Cantonese and English. Lines are identified by number and colour, and trains are air-conditioned.
Riding end to end is straightforward. Work out your route and fare from a map or app, enter the station through a security check (bags are screened at all stations), then either scan a transport QR code from Alipay or WeChat, tap a contactless bank card, or buy a single-trip ticket from a vending machine. At the gate, scan or tap to enter; keep your ticket if you hold a single-trip one, because it is collected by the gate when you exit. Follow the English signs to your platform, check the direction of travel, and ride to your interchange or destination. On exit, scan or tap again, or feed your ticket into the gate. Daily service runs from about 6:00 am until midnight, with trains typically every 4–7 minutes and no more than 10 minutes apart; at peak hours (roughly 07:00–09:00 and 17:00–19:00) the busiest lines run every 2.5–3 minutes.
The network
As of 29 June 2025, Guangzhou Metro has 19 lines in operation: Line 1, Line 2, Line 3, Line 4, Line 5, Line 6, Line 7, Line 8, Line 9, Line 10, Line 11, Line 12, Line 13, Line 14, Line 18, Line 21, Line 22, the Guangfo Line, and the Zhujiang New Town APM. Together they reach both the urban core and the surrounding suburbs, with 399 stations and 779.9 km (484.6 mi) of lines. Daily ridership averages over 7 million, making it one of the busiest and largest metro systems in the world. Extensive development is planned for the next decade, including Line 24 (under construction), pre-construction work on Line 28, and extensions of Lines 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 18 and 22.
Some lines were designed to run much faster than traditional metro lines, with widely spaced stations and trainsets regularly running at 160 km/h (99 mph). Lines 18 and 22 are the fastest metro lines in China.
- Line 1 (yellow) — east–west through the old city; serves Chen Clan Academy, Beijing Road and Shangxiajiu Street, and connects to Guangzhou East Railway Station.
- Line 2 (blue) — north–south; serves Yuexiu Park and Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, and links Guangzhou South Railway Station (with Line 7) and Guangzhou Railway Station (with Line 5).
- Line 3 (orange) — includes the airport link to Baiyun International Airport via its North Extension, with Airport South (Terminal 1) and Airport North (Terminal 2); also serves Canton Tower, Tianhe Sports Center and Guangzhou East Railway Station.
- Line 4 — runs far to the south, ending at Nansha Passenger Port.
- Line 5 — serves Guangzhou Railway Station.
- Line 6 — serves the old town and Haizhu Square area.
- Line 7 — serves Guangzhou South Railway Station and Chimelong Tourist Resort (with Line 3).
- Line 8 — serves Pazhou for the Canton Fair Complex, and connects with Lines 2 and 3.
- Line 9 — serves Guangzhou North Railway Station.
- Lines 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 21 and 22 — newer lines completing the grid; Line 11 is a loop line, Line 12 serves Guangzhou Baiyun Railway Station, and Lines 14 and 18 are part of the ongoing expansion.
- Guangfo Line — connects Guangzhou and Foshan, the first metro line between two cities in China.
- Zhujiang New Town APM (Automated People Mover) — a short, fully automated driverless line serving the Zhujiang New Town CBD, oriented to local commuting and sightseeing rather than city-wide transit.
Beyond the metro, three tram lines supplement the network, mainly in Haizhu and Huangpu Districts, and are sightseeing-oriented. City buses fill in the gaps the rails do not reach, and coach terminals at Provincial Station (省汽车客运站), Liuhua (流花站), Tianhe (天河客运站), Haizhu (海珠客运站), Fangcun (芳村客运站), Yuexiu Nan (越秀南汽车站) and Guangzhou South (广州南汽车客运站) handle longer-distance services. On the water, the two major passenger ports are Nansha Port Passenger Terminal (南沙港客运码头), at the end of Metro Line 4, and Lianhuashan Port (莲花山港) in Panyu District, near Metro Line 4's Shiqi station with a free shuttle to the port; both run ferries to Hong Kong, Hong Kong International Airport and Macau.
Tickets & fares
Metro fares are tiered by distance, except on the APM, which has a flat fare. The first 4 km cost ¥2; from 4–12 km you add ¥1 per additional 4 km; from 12–24 km, ¥1 per additional 6 km; and beyond 24 km, ¥1 per additional 8 km. In practice most trips cost roughly ¥2–¥14. Sample fares include Baiyun Airport to Guangzhou South Railway Station at ¥10, Baiyun Airport to the Canton Fair Complex at ¥8, Guangzhou South to the Canton Fair Complex at ¥6, Guangzhou South to Shangxiajiu at ¥5, Canton Tower to Chen Clan Academy at ¥4, and Canton Tower to the Canton Fair Complex at ¥3. The APM costs a flat ¥2. All prices are approximate and subject to change.
Your ticket options are:
- Alipay / WeChat transport QR code — the most commonly used method; scan at the gate and no physical ticket is needed.
- Single-trip ticket — good for one or two rides; buy it from vending machines with an English interface. Machines accept only ¥5 and ¥10 banknotes and coins, or cashless payment. The ticket is collected by the gate when you exit.
- One-day pass — ¥20, unlimited rides within 24 hours from first entry.
- Three-day pass — ¥50, unlimited rides within 72 hours from first entry. Both passes are valid on all metro lines including the Guangfo Line, the APM and the trams, but not on buses or ferries, and they are non-refundable; you keep the card as a souvenir. Buy them from vending machines at most stations, or from the customer service centre if they are out of stock.
- Contactless bank cards — Mastercard, American Express, Visa and JCB are accepted at gates marked with card logos, though not all gates have them.
- Lingnan Pass – Yang Cheng Tong (岭南通–羊城通) — a stored-value card similar to Hong Kong's Octopus, best for long stays or repeat visits. It can be used on public transport (bus, subway, parking meters and some taxis) as well as public phones, designated shops, places of interest and some vending machines, and it works in most metro areas in Guangdong province (but not Shenzhen). The card costs ¥50, including an ¥18 deposit and a starting balance of ¥32, or ¥20 for the non-refundable version. You can buy and recharge it at many places, such as some 7-Elevens, Metro customer service counters and Tiantian Laundry. It gives you 20% off monthly cumulative public transport spending over ¥80, and 50% off over ¥200. The China T-Union version works in more than 330 Chinese cities, including Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Xi'an, Chengdu, Shenzhen and Hangzhou. Refund your balance only at designated Yangchengtong service centres, such as Exit E of Grand Opera House APM station, Exit E of Dongshankou (Lines 1 & 6), Exit E of Fangcun (Line 1), or the Liurong Street Community Service Center on Sixth Zhongshan Road in Yuexiu District.
Most transfers between lines are free and internal, but there are two exceptions with no internal passage: Line 8 ↔ Line 11 at Pazhou Station, and Line 5 ↔ Line 10 at Wuyangcun Station. At these stations you must exit through designated exits with blue checking gates and re-enter through the assigned entrance with blue gates within 30 minutes; using the regular grey gates or exceeding 30 minutes results in two separate fares. At Pazhou, walk from Exit F (Line 11) to Exit A (Line 8), about 220 m or 6–8 minutes; at Wuyangcun, walk from Exit A (Line 5) to Exit F (Line 10), about 270 m or 7–10 minutes. Internal transfer passages at both stations are under construction. If you hold a single-trip ticket, do not insert the token into the recycling box at the blue exit gates during the transfer.
From the airport
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (广州白云国际机场, CAN) lies about 28 km north of the city and is one of China's main intercontinental hubs, as well as the main hub of China Southern Airlines. The most convenient public-transport option into town is the metro: Line 3's North Extension serves the airport at Airport South (Terminal 1) and Airport North (Terminal 2), so you can ride directly from your terminal into the city centre. A taxi is the other straightforward option. For reference, the metro fare from Baiyun Airport to Guangzhou South Railway Station is about ¥10, and to the Canton Fair Complex about ¥8; fares are approximate and change.
If you are arriving via Hong Kong instead, Hong Kong International Airport has direct ferries to Guangzhou that let you bypass Hong Kong immigration, and cross-boundary buses run direct to Guangzhou and other Guangdong cities (you do need to clear Hong Kong immigration for these; companies include China Travel Service, Trans-Island Chinalink and Eternal East, with fares around HK$220–250 one way). At Kowloon station of the Airport Express, next to West Kowloon Railway Station, you can transfer to high-speed trains bound for Guangzhou. Citizens of 54 countries may obtain a visa waiver to visit Guangdong province for up to 240 hours (10 days) if they are in transit to a third country.
Etiquette & customs
Guangzhou's metro is busy and orderly, and a few local habits will make your ride smoother.
- Queuing — passengers queue at the platform markings beside the doors and let exiting passengers off before boarding. Stand to the sides of the doorway rather than directly in front of it.
- Escalators — as in most Chinese cities, stand on the right and leave the left side clear for people walking past.
- Priority seating — seats near the doors are reserved for the elderly, pregnant passengers, parents with small children and passengers with disabilities. Give them up if you are occupying one.
- Eating and drinking — eating and drinking on trains is discouraged and can attract a fine; finish snacks and drinks before you board.
- Rush hour — expect crowding on Lines 1, 2, 3 and 5 during the 07:00–09:00 and 17:00–19:00 peaks, when trains run every 2.5–3 minutes. Keep your bag in front of you, move down the carriage rather than blocking the doors, and let passengers off before you push on.
- Security — every station has a security check; place bags on the scanner and cooperate with staff.
- Noise — keep phone calls and music volume low, and use headphones.
Official links
Survival terms
- 地铁 (dìtiě) — subway / metro
- 车票 (chēpiào) — ticket
- 线路 (xiànlù) — line
- 入口 (rùkǒu) — entrance
- 出口 (chūkǒu) — exit
- 换乘 (huànchéng) — transfer
- 单程票 (dānchéng piào) — single fare / single-trip ticket
- 一日票 (yīrì piào) — day pass
Before you travel, download a metro map or app and check the fare for your route, then top up a Yang Cheng Tong card or set up an Alipay or WeChat QR code so you can walk straight through the gates without queueing at a ticket machine.