The Canton Fair happens Guangzhou, which is known in Finnish as Canton, in southern China. Guangzhou is the capital of Guangdong Province and one of the country's most densely populated areas.

Flights and connections
I recommend booking flights Shanghai Thai Hong Kong. There were no direct flights in autumn 2024, and as far as I know, the situation is the same in spring 2025. I flew via Shanghai, including a transfer at the airport. Shanghai Pudong International Airport Shanghai Pudong International Airport Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA) and vice versa on the way back. I compared flight options using Skyscanner.

The layover on my trip was about 12 hours. I intentionally booked plenty of transfer time to avoid stress in covering the 58-kilometer distance between airports. In hindsight, this was unnecessary – everything went surprisingly smoothly, and I had ample time to explore the city. There are several transfer options available, such as buses, the metro, and the Maglev train. As of December 2024, a direct airport connection has also commenced operations, which is likely the best option nowadays, although it was not yet available during my trip. The China Airlines Travel The website has an excellent overview of all the options.

I wanted to test out different options myself. For the first transfer, I took the airport bus from Pudong to Hongqiao, stored my luggage at the airport, and continued by metro towards Yu Garden I liked it so much that on my way back I stayed nearby, had dinner there, and bought souvenirs from the bazaar. For my final transfer to the airport, I used the metro and the Maglev train. All options were easy, took about the same amount of time, and cost about the same – the choice really comes down to personal preference.

The Yu Garden Bazaar is absolutely magical when lit up at night – beautiful, historic, traditional Chinese architecture. Even though the area is lively, it never feels crowded. A perfect stop – highly recommended.

Accommodation in Guangzhou

Accommodation near the exhibition center ranges from approximately 120 EUR – 500 EUR per night, including hotels and serviced apartments. Not all accommodations accept international guests, so this is something to keep in mind when booking. I found Agoda a very useful tool for finding accommodation.

I chose a more budget-friendly serviced apartment at Pazhou Poly World Center, about a 10-minute walk from the exhibition center. The reception and lobby areas were pretty basic, but the room itself was perfectly fine. The only minor challenge was the arrival. I landed from Shanghai late at night, around 11 PM, and the complex consists of several massive buildings. The taxi driver didn't know the place and almost left me in the dark at the wrong building. After asking at reception, we found the correct entrance – it wasn't as straightforward as in large international hotels. However, this is typical for budget travel – everything you need is close to the fairgrounds.

Nevertheless, it was an excellent choice. I wanted to minimize the time spent arranging transportation to and from the fair, and this location worked perfectly. On my upcoming spring trip, I plan to stay somewhere along the metro lines, which I became very familiar with during my last visit. More insights will follow once I have more experience.

If comfort is a priority and your accommodation budget is flexible, the best options are the following: Westin Pazhou, which is part of the Marriott group. It offers direct access Exhibition Area C via the skybridge for pedestrians – and it is the most expensive. However, the skybridge is also available to non-hotel guests. My accommodation was only two blocks away, and I used the bridge regularly to easily get to the exhibition area.

EDIT Fall 2025: I booked accommodation this time Booking.com and chose Yibo Hotel Pazhou Convention and Exhibition Center Canton Town Branch, which was advertised as being within walking distance of the exhibition center.

In reality, the walk took about 20 minutes at a brisk pace – which is far from attractive +30°C heat. The hotel only offered two morning shuttles to the fair (8:30 AM and 9:00 AM) and one return shuttle at 6:00 PM. As a result, I ended up using taxis almost exclusively for transportation.

The room price was around 145 EUR per night for a seven-night stay. Unfortunately, the hotel did not offer good value for money. The first room was very small due to a large load-bearing beam running through the middle of the space. The second room had a considerable Homey scent.

For these reasons, I cannot recommend this hotel.

This was a clear reminder that proximity alone isn't enough – convenience, condition, and reliable transportation are equally important, especially during an intense trade show week.