Guangzhou Metro Guide (2026): Lines, Fares & Tips

Guangzhou has one of China’s best metros for international visitors — and it’s one of the few where you can tap a foreign bank card right at the gate. This guide covers paying, fares, the lines to the sights and the practical details, from the security check to scanning out.

How to pay

Guangzhou gives you more ways to pay than almost anywhere else in China.

• Alipay / WeChat QR code (easiest): open the Guangzhou metro code and scan at the gates — the fare is deducted on exit. Set up Alipay with an international card before you go.
• Foreign bank card (unique to Guangzhou): tap a Visa, Mastercard, JCB or Amex card directly at the gates. No app needed — genuinely the fastest option if your card is contactless.
• Yangchengtong card: a reloadable transit card (¥20 deposit, refundable) that also works on buses and ferries — handy if you’re staying a while or riding the cross-river ferries.
• Day passes: ¥20 for one day / ¥50 for three days of unlimited metro rides — good value for a busy sightseeing day.

Whichever you choose, you’ll scan or tap on the way in and again on the way out, and the fare is worked out by distance. Tapping a foreign card is the standout perk — no app, no top-ups, just contactless payment at the gate.

Fares

• Fares are by distance: ¥2 for the first 4km, ¥3–4 up to 12km, ¥5–6 up to 24km, ¥8+ beyond. The APM line is a flat ¥2.
• Most city rides run ¥3–6, so even a full day of sightseeing stays cheap. Transfers are included in the single fare as long as you stay inside the gates, and the APM’s flat ¥2 makes the CBD loop the cheapest tourist ride in town.

The lines you’ll actually use

Step by step: from the entrance to the exit

1. Enter and pass security. Every Guangzhou station screens your bags before the gates. Put backpacks and shopping through the X-ray machine and walk through the metal detector; staff may ask to test a water bottle. It’s routine and quick, even in busy stations like Tiyu Xilu.
2. Scan or tap in. Hold your Alipay/WeChat QR to the reader, or simply tap your foreign card on the gate’s contactless pad. A green light and the gate opening means you’re through.
3. Ride. Check the line number and direction on the platform signs, then board. Let passengers off first, hold a handrail, and keep luggage clear of the doors — eating and drinking are not allowed on the train.
4. Transfer. Follow the bilingual transfer (换乘) signs to change lines. You stay inside the paid area, so the whole journey is one fare, and you don’t scan again until you exit.
5. Scan or tap out. At your destination, scan your QR or tap your card again at the exit gate — the fare is charged then. Use the exit letter (A, B, C, D) your map app recommends to come out on the right side of the street.

Practical tips

• Hours: most lines run 6am–11:30pm; the APM runs 7am–11:30pm. Last trains leave the city center around 11pm, so plan late dinners accordingly.
• Avoid peak: 7:30–9:30am and 5:30–7:30pm are busy, especially at the interchange stations.
• Old town: sights around Yuexiu and Liwan are close together — combine metro with walking or a shared bike, which is often faster than a metro ride for short hops between lanes.
• Payment and data: set up Alipay and an eSIM before you arrive, so your transit code and maps work on the street.
• Luggage: suitcases are allowed but go through the X-ray at every station — avoid peak hours with big bags and keep them clear of the doors.
• Navigation: Amap or Baidu Maps are more reliable than Google Maps in Guangzhou — download offline packs and screenshot your route before heading underground.
• Getting to/from the airport: Line 3 to Baiyun — see our airport guide for the new T3.

English signage

Guangzhou is one of the easiest Chinese metros for English speakers. Every station has bilingual signs, announcements run in Chinese and English, and the ticket machines and apps offer English interfaces. Still, save the Chinese name of your destination in a translation app as a backup — a little insurance for the one time a platform changes on you. Announcements run in both languages on every line, so you’ll always hear the next stop clearly.

Getting to and from the airport

Baiyun Airport is served by Line 3’s north extension, with stations at T1 and T2 right inside the terminals. For the new T3, take the ¥2 shuttle from Gaozeng or check the intercity link — see the airport guide for details. If you land after the last train, taxis and ride-hailing are the fallback, so note the last-train time for your line. The high-speed rail hub at Guangzhou South is also metro-connected, making onward trips to Hong Kong or Shenzhen straightforward. Allow extra time on arrival: security checks and the walk between platforms can eat 10–20 minutes when you’re rushing a train.

Etiquette and common mistakes

• Let passengers off before boarding, and stand on the right of escalators to leave the left free.
• Give up the priority seats near the doors to the elderly, parents with children and pregnant travellers.
• Don’t eat or drink on the train, and keep your voice down on phone calls.
• Have your QR code or card ready before the gate — fumbling at the barrier while a queue forms behind you is the classic first-ride slip.
• Don’t ride with big luggage at peak — a suitcase in the 7:30–9:30am rush is misery for everyone. Take a taxi or ride outside the rush.
• Check the last train if you’re out late; most lines stop around 11:30pm.

If something goes wrong

If your QR code fails to scan or your card won’t tap, head to the staff booth near the gates — station staff are used to helping visitors and the gates won’t trap you. Lost your exit ticket? You can usually pay the maximum fare for your line and leave. If you take the wrong direction, ride to the next stop, cross the platform and come back — the fare adjusts at exit, not at the gate, so a wrong turn costs you nothing extra.

Where this fits

Guangzhou anchors the Greater Bay Area route, which strings together the metro networks of the whole Pearl River Delta. For the city’s food and sights, see the Guangzhou guide, and for the system-wide basics our China metro guide.

Fares and hours as of August 2026 — confirm current schedules in a maps app before you travel.