10 Best Things to Do in the Greater Bay Area 2024/2025

1. Ascend Victoria Peak to Catch Hong Kong Skyline

Appreciate Hong Kong Skyline at Victoria Peak

The No.1 must do activity in Hong Kong and the whole Greater Bay Area is the Victoria Peak without any denying! Hong Kong with most international flights among all other cities within the area is the landing start for most visitors. So, you are extremely, absolutely recommended to get up to the Victoria Peak by the over one century old Peak Tram to witness all modern and shining towering buildings in front of you, when you can easily see the Bank of China Tower, Hong Kong IFC, Sky 100 Tower, etc. rising among the towers forest. No matter when you visit the peak, you can catch an excellent panorama of the city, harbor, islands, mountains, etc. of Hong Kong. However, the best sightseeing time begins at the dust, when the rosy and orange sunset ignites the sky above HK and its reflective building facades, which looks really charming! And as the sun gradually hides beneath with the urban lightings and neon turning on, the whole metropolis of Hong Kong shows up completely! And you will savor one of the three best night views in the world! At this moment, just let the time go, enjoy the breeze from the sea, and appreciate the colorful “galaxy” of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, Victoria Harbor, New Territory, etc. twinkling and twinkling!

Type: Sights & Landmarks, Observation Decks & Towers

Opening Hours: 07:00-24:00; 08:00-23:00 on Sat. Sun. and public holidays, and 10:00-23:00 on Mon-Fri. for Sky Terrace 428; 07:00-24:00 every day for Peak Tram

Tickets: Sky Terrace 428 is the special viewing point for panoramic view which needs HK$52/person. HK$37/person for Peak Tram

Recommended Trip Length: 2-3 Hours

Get There:
① By Peak Tram: Peak Tram Station is about 700 meters from the Central Station and needs 10 minutes by walking. It runs between 07:00 - 24:00.
② By Bus: No.X15 bus runs between Admiralty and the Peak; No.X15R bus runs between the Central (Pier 5) to the Peak.
③ By Taxi: It can get to the Peak directly and most conveniently.
④ By Walking: Travelers can walk from Statue Square to the Peak which needs about 1-1.5 hours.

Learn More About: Victoria Peak in Hong Kong

Recommended Trips:

◇ 1 Day Hong Kong Culture Tour with A Savory of Victoria Harbor

◇ 2 Days Essence of Hong Kong Tour (Hong Kong Island + Lantau Island)

2. Taste Authentic Cantonese Dim Sum

Various Kinds of Cantonese Dim Sum

It cannot be called a trip to Greater Bay Area if you fail to taste the Cantonese food, since that area belongs to Cantonese region including Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou, Foshan, etc. And Dim Sum, the classic breakfast for Cantonese people, as the essence of Cantonese food surely is your must-try gourmet there. Get well prepared to make hard decision of which one(s) to order among the hundreds to over one thousand choices of Dim Sum bites, all which are exquisitely prepared with fresh materials and great skills, either sweet, or salty. No worry! Just choose the most classic ordering Shrimp Dumplings, Steamed Buns Stuffed with BBQ Roast Pork, Siu Mai, Rice Noodle Roll, etc. and go with a refreshing bottle of tea, your morning time will be highly pleasing and just like that of many local Cantonese people, especially in Guangzhou and Hong Kong.

Type: Cantonese food, breakfast, morning tea, pastries, steamed meats

Popular Restaurants:Pan Xi Restaurant (泮溪酒家), Dian Dou De (Ju Fu Lou Branch 点都德聚福楼店), Lian Xiang Lou (莲香楼), etc. in Guangzhou; Tim Ho Wan (添好运), Lin Heung Tea House (莲香楼), Luk Yu Tea House (陆羽茶室), etc. in Hong Kong;

Price: Around CNY50-200/person according to different level of restaurants

Learn More About: Cantonese Food in Guangzhou | Hong Kong Food Guide

Recommended Trips:

◇ 2 Days Guangzhou Best Essence Savory Tour

◇ 3 Days Guangzhou Short Stay with All Highlights

◇ 4 Days Hong Kong Guangzhou Sightseeing & Food Tour (By Bullet Train)

3. Admire Cantonese Decorative Art at Chen Clan Ancestral Hall

Outstanding Decorations at Chan Clan Ancestral Hall in Guangzhou

Chen Clan Ancestral Hall is praised as one of the three best diamonds of Lingnan architectures. Completed for more than 120 years, this compound collects numerous outstanding artistic forms, including wood carving, stone carving, brick carving, pottery, stucco relief, iron and copper casting and colored drawing, which stand for the extremely high skill of decoration of the whole Lingnan area. Take a relaxing roam along the corridors and courtyard and you will see those bright and colorful decorations of figures, birds and beasts, flowers and clouds, etc. telling the typical folk stories and legends. Every step in this artistic museum of decoration is a superb enjoyment. While your appreciation of the carvings and colors, take your time to make some awesome instagrammable photos and learn more about the great historical story of this ancestral hall also been used as an academic temple.

Type: Historical Sites, Architectural Buildings, Museum, Cultural Relics

Opening Hours: 08:30-17:30 Everyday

Tickets: CNY10/person

Recommended Trip Length: 1-3 Hours

Get There:
① By Metro: Take Guangzhou Metro Line 1 to Chen Clan Academy station, and walk out from the Exit D
② By Taxi: it needs about 15 minutes from Yuexiu Park, about 35-40 minutes from Canton Tower, and about 50-60 minutes from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport

Learn More About: Chen Clan Ancestral Hall in Guangzhou

Recommended Trips:

◇ 2 Days Guangzhou Best Essence Savory Tour

◇ 3 Days Guangzhou Short Stay Tour

4. Soak in Blending Architectural Heritages at Historic Centre of Macau

Contrast Architectures and Culture at Historical Center of Macao

The Historical Center of Macao has been listed as a World Cultural Heritage, which is the oldest, largest, best-preserved, most concentrated historic district with coexisting Chinese and Western characteristic architectures. For more than 400 years, this center becomes the perfect result of the cultural communication of China and the Western world, and also the harmonious coresidency of multiple cultures. The 22 historical buildings connected by the Squares is the core place to seek the history of Macau, especially its change after being a Portuguese colony during mid-16th Century - 1999. Those bright-colored architectures in different styles from Portugal, Spain, Netherlands, UK, France, Italy, Malaysia, etc., including churches, theater, libraries, and so on, narrate perfectly the well embracement of various countries in Macau. Furthermore, the traditional Chinese styled temples, shrine, folk house, etc. proves the well preservation of local culture of this Southern Chinese city. Within this very large building cluster, you are not missing the Ruins of St. Paul Cathedral, A Ma Temple, Senado Square, etc.

Type: Historical Architecture, World Cultural Heritage Site, Chinese and Western Buildings

Opening Hours: 24 hours, every day (Except some museums)

Tickets: Free (Except some museums)

Recommended Trip Length: About 3-4 hours

Get There: It needs about 15 minutes (8 km) from Macau International Airport by car; Bus MT4 (Macau Airport Station to A-ma Temple Station) and Bus No.26 (Av. Son On Station) are available. You can take a ferry from Hong Kong to Macau for 40-60 minutes and then take a taxi there for about 15-20 minutes.

Recommended Trips:

◇ 2 Days Hong Kong & Macau Highlights Tour (by Ferry)

◇ 3 Days Hong Kong & Macau In-depth Cultural Tour

5. Visit Shenzhen Museum to Analyze Shenzhen Past and Present

Shenzhen Museum - Best Place to Seek the Giant Change of the Legendary City

Shenzhen, this “Silicon Valley of China” is actually very young and has been a city for only 40 years. And Shenzhen Museum, national first class type, will give you interesting and comprehensive of this miracle city from its remote era, modern times, changing under the powerful Reform and Opening up Policy, prosperous development till the 21st century. Vivid modes, scene imitations and precious historical and cultural relics will take you back to the previous centuries and decades to know how local people live off the sea, do daily chores, make a living on the street shops, struggle against foreign forces under opium wars and colonial periods, and how people there thrive up during the very hard years to transform into a competitive world cosmopolitan city at present. To know about Shenzhen very well, this museum is a must-go place to discover the process and reason of Shenzhen changing from a common fishing village to the major gathering of business, trading, innovation, technology, etc. and also why it takes as one of the four core cities of the Greater Bay Area in China!

Type: Museum, Comprehensive Museum, Historical & Cultural Site

Opening Hours: 10:00-18:00, close on Mondays

Tickets: Free

Recommended Trip Length: About 1.5-2.5 hours

Get There:
① By Metro: Take Shenzhen Metro Line 4 to Civil Center and walk out from Exit C.
② By Taxi: It needs about 50 minutes from Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport, about 20 minutes from downtown in Luohu District

Recommended Trips:

◇ 2 Days Shenzhen Short Stay Tour with All Essences

◇ 4 Days Guangzhou Shenzhen Explorer Tour by Bullet Train

6. See “Whole” Impressive China in Splendid China Folk Village

Shenzhen Splendid China Folk Village to Experience China in One Day

Splendid China Folk Village in fact consists of two parts, the Splendid China Miniature Park and China Folk Culture Village, aiming to show you the “splendid China”. In this terrifically large miniature park globally, 82 miniatures of top tourist attractions about places of interests, landscapes, and folk dwellings and custom in China are gathered in this park to let you experience the wonderful land of the country, including the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Warriors, Li River, Leshan Giant Buddha, etc., which is just like the slogan of the park as “One step to learn China history, one day to visit all in China”. Moreover, 27 ethnic villages are arranged there with the portion of 1:1 to make you feel the authentic life style, featured ethnic buildings, beautiful ethnic costumes, songs and dances of the multiple ethnic minorities in the vast China, inclding Tibetan, Bai, Miao, Dong, Dai, etc. Take a leisure visit there, and then you will never regret to see the harmonious co-living of the diverse ethnic culture in one country. And that also represents the high inclusiveness of Shenzhen to its millions of immigrations from so other cities in China.

Type: Theme Parks, Amusement Parks, Performances

Opening Hours: 9:00-21:30 everyday

Tickets: ¥100~¥225/person

Recommended Trip Length: About 3-5 hours

Get There:
① By Metro: Take Shenzhen Metro Line 1 to get off at the Overseas China Town Station and walk out from Exit D
② By Taxi: It needs about 30 minutes from Luohu downtown, about 15 minutes from Futian downtown and about 40 minutes from Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport

Learn More About: Splendid China Folk Village in Shenzhen

Recommended Trips:

◇ Shenzhen Day Tour from Guangzhou

◇ 2 Days Shenzhen Short Stay Tour with All Essences

◇ 3 Days Classic Shenzhen Tour

7. Seek Overseas Chinese Culture at Kaiping Diaolou & Villages

Precious Relics of Overseas Chinese - Kaiping Diaolou and Villages in Jiangmen

Kaiping Diaolou and Villages was announced as the World Cultural Heritage Site in 2007 and since then, it became the first world heritage item about overseas Chinese. Thus, this architecture cluster in Kaiping, Jiangmen is a top must-visit site to know and explore the legendary developing stories of the great overseas Chinese in the 18-19th centuries for the first aspect. Why? Large groups of Chinese went far away to foreign countries to make a living during those times, and after they got their first fortune, they returned their hometown in and around Kaiping to build the more solid watchtower-like buildings to protect their family members and also show their success overseas. The present more than 1800 diaolou buildings are all delicate with rich exotic features from America, Canada, Italy, France, Greece, etc. from the exterior to the interior, and also combining harmoniously the Western fresh elements with the classic and traditional Chinese decoration and layouts, which is the best demonstration of the very early cultural communication of China and Western countries and also the initiative accept of foreign culture in China. While there are so many marvelous watchtowers and villages, you are highly recommended to go to Zili Village and Li Garden to see the very well layout of every room and the high pursuit of life quality of the owner, where pleasant rural sceneries are really impressive for a nice Facebook post.

Type: World Cultural Heritage, Architectural Buildings, Historical Sites, Lingnan Villages

Opening Hours: around 08:30-17:30

Tickets: CNY5-100 for different single spot; CNY180 for ticket package; CNY150 for Zili Village and Li Garden

Recommended Trip Length: 1-2 days

Get There: It needs about 1.5-2 hours (70 kilometers) from Jiangmen downtown, about 2-2.5 hours (135-160 kilometers) from Guangzhou downtown, and about 3.5 hours (215-220 kilometers) from Shenzhen downtown.

Learn More About: Kaiping Diaolou & Villages in Jiangmen

Recommended Trip:

◇ 4 Days Kaiping Diaolou and Villages Admiration Tour with Guangzhou Bests

8. Enjoy Lifetime Sweet Family Time at Hong Kong Disneyland

Enjoy Family Hours at Hong Kong Disneyland

Disneyland is always an ideal land for a very large number of people around the world to feel the sweet, romantic and utopian world in those good fairytales, and Hong Kong Disneyland as the world 5th one and China’s 1st Disneyland theme park is the No.1 recommendation for family trips with kids and other people wanting a wonderful, exiting and dreamy fairytale coming true memory! Created with 7 large lands, namely Adventureland, Grizzly Gulch, Mystic Point, Toy Story Land, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland and Main Street, U.S.A., Hong Kong Disneyland innovates rich Disney features and a full series of castles, activities, events, performances to impress you the most fun, wonderful and memorable entertaining hours for both you and your innocent kids in your life. Just take your children’s hands and say “hi” to Mickey, Minnie, Winnie, Donald, Goofy and all your Disney friends on the streets and whole park, have photos with Snow White, Cinderella and other ladies in your fairytale books, sit in the honey jar of Winnie to revive your childlike heart and happiness, etc. And do not miss the terrifically gorgeous finale of the “Disney in the Stars” firework show at night!

Type: Theme Park, Disney Park, Amusement Park, Places for Family

Opening Hours: around 10:00- 21:00

Ticket: HK$639/person (aged 12-64), HK$475/child (aged 3-11) and HK$100/elder (aged 65 and over) for 1 day; HK$825/person (aged 12-64), HK$609/child (aged 3-11) and HK$170/elder (aged 65 and over)for 2 days;

Recommended Trip Length: 1-2 days

Get There:
① By Metro: take Hong Kong MTR Disneyland Line to Disneyland. If you depart from Central, it usually needs about 50 minutes.
② By Taxi: it needs about 30 minutes from Central for about 27 kilometers.

Recommended Trip:

◇ 3 Days Hong Kong Disneyland Tour for Family with Kids

9. Immerse into the Best Shopping Paradise in Hong Kong

Hong Kong - Shopping Paradise for Everyone

The Greater Bay Area treasures some top best shopping wonderlands in China, and Hong Kong being the world top best shopping paradise is surely your best field for an unforgettable shopping fun once your visit this nice and great area. As the favorite place for ladies, Hong Kong offers miscellaneous commodities for an utmost purchasing experience, from luxury bags, shoes, dressings, to well-known brand cosmetics, perfumes, jewelries, etc. Also, for gentlemen, you will also feel so excited with the dazzling digital cameras, mobile phones, computers, trainers, and so many kinds in your mind. Big discounts are often offered in big shopping malls, DFS, smaller shops and so forth. Also local special street markets like Temple Street Night Market, Stanley Market, Ngong Ping Market usually are top favorite places to seek some interesting things and souvenirs with very good prices. No matter how long you stay in Hong Kong, just enjoy your relaxing and unforgettable buying in this cool shopping heaven!

Popular Shopping Places: Causeway Bay, Tsim Sha Tsui, Central, Temple Street, Stanley Market, Ngong Ping Market, Hong Kong Airport, etc.

Recommended Trip:

◇ 2 Days Essence of Hong Kong Tour (Hong Kong Island + Lantau Island)

10. Explore Rich Old Cantonese Culture in Foshan City

Rich Lingnan Culture in Foshan City

To discover the local culture of the Greater Bay Area, you should visit Foshan City which is the hometown of Lingnan culture and one of the famous cultural and historic cities in China. You are going to savor much, experience in rich and learn a lot in Foshan, since it is known as the hometown of ceramics, martial arts and Cantonese Opera, and also the key original and developing area of the real Cantonese culture. Foshan as the hometown of the great masters, Bruce Lee, Yip Man and Wong Fei Hung is absolutely the top best place to chase the origin, spreading and blooming of the world influential Kung Fu martial arts. And every year, countless visitors and fans go to the Ancestral Temple in Foshan to pay respect to those masters and that form of art and spirit. Also, the daily performance of lion dance presents the high wisdom of Foshan people combing martial arts, dance and music together and also the hope for prosperity and peace of all Cantonese residents. More than that, you shall not miss the excellent decorations on the roofs, pillars, houses of the Ancestral Temple, which is reputed as the gems of Lingnan architecture, matching Chen Clan Ancestral Hall in Guangzhou. Furthermore, Foshan as the “thousand-year-old capital of ceramics” houses the over 400-year historic kiln at Ancient Nanfeng Kiln site and tells all its visitors about the glorious history and prominent strength being an expert of ceramic manufacturing. Now, you can still feel its excellence and see its rich array of artistic ceramic works in the site and along the nearby streets. Apart from that, you are also advised to wander at ease at Lingnan Tiandi street block where stands a series of precious and delicate old buildings restored with rich Lingnan architectural styles and shows the leisure life style of locals.

Type: Cultural City, Temple, Kiln, Historical Streets, Artistic Shows.

Opening Hours: 08:30-18:00 for Ancestral Temple; 10:00-10:40, 14:15-14:55 and 15:30-16:10 for lion dance and martial art performance; 08:30-17:00 for Ancient Nanfeng Kiln; 24 hours for Lingnan Tiandi

Ticket: CNY20/person for Ancestral Hall; CNY25/person for Ancient Nanfeng Kiln; free for Lingnan Tiandi

Recommended Trip Length: 1 day

Get There: Take Guangzhou Foshan Metro Line from Guangzhou to Ancestral Hall Station to get to Foshan Ancestral Hall and Foshan City Center. Then, you can visit Lingnan Tiandi next to Ancestral Hall, and go to Ancient Nanfeng Kiln for about 20 minutes by taxi.

Recommended Trips

◇ Foshan Day Tour from Guangzhou

◇ 4 Days Foshan Culture Seeking with Guangzhou Must-sees

◇ 5 Days Brilliant Lingnan Culture & Food Tour (Guangzhou, Foshan & Shunde)

How to Plan a Trip to Greater Bay Area in China

Although Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is really very large, it is not a complicated matter for a trip planning. Usually, you can start from Hong Kong and spend 6-7 days to discover the best highlights of Hong Kong, Macau, and Shenzhen (or Guangzhou) to witness the two great SARs and one of the 4 best megacities in China and also their well-preserved authentic life style and cultural relics, including Hong Kong Victoria Peak, skyline, Macau historical architecture clusters, Ping’an Finance Center and Splendid China Folk Village (or Guangzhou Chen Clan Ancestral Hall and Huacheng Square), mouth-watering Cantonese food including Dim Sum, etc. And if you want to visit Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou and Shenzhen all together, it will take about 7-9 days. To explore deeper, you can spend 1 more day to Hong Kong Disneyland, 1 more day to savor Cantonese culture and arts in Foshan, 1 more day to see watchtowers in Kaiping, 1 day to enjoy pleasant coastline in Zhuhai, and so on.

Besides, if you have a long vacation, you are highly recommended to have a great China tour beyond the Greater Bay Area to discover more amazing destinations, such as Guilin with incredible Karst landform, Guizhou with fantastic ethnic culture, Beijing with grand royal building heritages, Shanghai with awesome cityscape and modern culture, Xian with impressive Terracotta Warriors and Tang Dynasty history, Chengdu with adorable giant pandas and delicious Sichuan cuisines, just to name a few.

Recommended Greater Bay Area Tour:

◇ 8 Days Hong Kong Macau Shenzhen Guangzhou Tour

Learn More About:

◇ How to Plan a Trip to Hong Kong

◇ How to Plan a Trip to Guangzhou

◇ How to Plan a Trip to Shenzhen

Travel Greater Bay Area with China Discovery

To help you enjoy a worry free and unbelievably wonderful trip to the Greater Bay Area and the whole China, you can travel with us China Discovery. Our professional travel expert will help you plan your trip from every step and arrange everything very well. Our local guide and drive in each destination will escort you with comfortable private car from your hotel to each tourist attraction and the guide will give interesting introduction of all the essences to enrich your traveling experience. You can choose your interested tour at below to star your wonderful trip to the Greater Bay Area. Furthermore, since all our trips are customizable, you can contact us for a tailor-made tour based on your interests, needs and budgets!