The lines in the budget
| Line | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Flights, return, economy | India US$450 to 750 · Gulf US$400 to 700 · UK and Europe US$700 to 1,200 · Australia US$650 to 1,000 · US east coast US$1,100 to 1,800 | Booked 8 to 12 weeks out. Direct flights to Guangzhou exist from most hubs; Hong Kong is often cheaper and an hour away by train. |
| Visa | US$0 to 140 | Zero for most Europeans, Britons, Canadians, Australians and Gulf nationals; US$140 for a US citizen’s M visa (or zero on the transit exemption); about US$60 for an Indian citizen including the centre fee. See the visa guide. |
| Hotel, per night, fair week | US$55 to 105 budget · US$100 to 230 mid-range · US$350 to 650 five-star in Pazhou | Breakfast usually included. Six nights for one phase. Rates halve on the break days. See where to stay. |
| Meals | US$25 to 90 a day | Local restaurants and the food courts at the low end; hotel dining and client dinners at the high end. |
| Local transport | US$2 a day by metro · US$15 to 25 a day with taxis · US$100 to 150 a day for a car and driver | A car and driver makes sense only on factory-visit days, and a supplier often sends one. |
| Interpreter | US$60 to 115 a day | RMB 400 to 800 for English, plus RMB 300 a day for a Chinese national’s badge unless they hold one. Most buyers need one only for factory visits. See interpreters and agents. |
| Samples | US$100 to 800 | Display samples on the last day are cheap; sample orders cost two to three times the unit price, often refunded against the order. |
| Courier for samples | US$50 to 400 | Depends on weight and whether there are batteries. SF Express and DHL collect from hotels. |
| eSIM and VPN | US$20 to 40 | See staying connected. |
| Registration and badge | US$0 | Free when done online in advance. |
| Incidentals | US$100 to 400 | Business cards, the extra suitcase, laundry, the gift for the factory owner’s office, the coffee you buy every rep who sits down with you. |
Three example trips
One phase, five days in the halls, six nights. All figures US dollars, rounded.
| Line | Lean: from India, budget hotel on Line 8, metro, no interpreter | Typical: from the UK, four-star near Guangzhou East, taxis, interpreter for two factory days | Comfortable: from the US, five-star in Pazhou, car and driver, interpreter all week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flights | 550 | 900 | 1,500 |
| Visa | 60 | 0 | 140 |
| Hotel, 6 nights | 360 | 900 | 2,700 |
| Meals | 150 | 300 | 540 |
| Transport | 15 | 120 | 600 |
| Interpreter | 0 | 160 | 550 |
| Samples and courier | 150 | 450 | 1,200 |
| eSIM, incidentals | 120 | 230 | 430 |
| Total | about 1,400 | about 3,100 | about 7,700 |
Add the days out of the office, which for most buyers is the largest number on the sheet and the one nobody writes down.
If you do two phases
Two phases with the break days between them is 14 nights and 10 hall days. The flights stay the same, hotel and meals roughly double (with cheaper break-day nights), and the samples grow. Reckon on 1.7 to 1.9 times the one-phase figure: about US$2,500 lean, US$5,500 typical, US$14,000 comfortable. It is still cheaper than two separate trips, and the break days are when the factory visits happen, which is the argument for staying.
Where the money goes, and where it comes back
Hotel is the line to manage. The difference between Pazhou and a Line 11 hotel twenty minutes away is US$200 a night, US$1,200 for the phase, for a shorter walk in the morning. Flights are the line to book early. Everything else is small.
Where it comes back: on the order. A buyer who leaves the fair with three comparable quotes and a factory visit behind them typically settles 5 to 15% below the first quote. On a US$40,000 container that is US$2,000 to 6,000, which is the trip. The trips that do not pay for themselves are the ones taken without a booth list, without a spec sheet, and without following up in the week after; the first-timer guide is about not being that trip.
Questions we get asked
Is food expensive in Guangzhou?
No. A meal in a local restaurant is RMB 30 to 60 (US$4 to 8), a good dinner for two RMB 300, and the hotel breakfast is usually included. The complex food courts charge RMB 30 to 50 for a set meal. Western-style dining in Zhujiang New Town is priced like London or Sydney.
What does the Canton Fair itself cost to attend?
Nothing. Registration and the buyer badge are free for overseas buyers who pre-register online. The only fair-related charges are avoidable: on-site registration without pre-registering (about RMB 100), a replacement badge (RMB 200), and accompanying-person badges for Chinese nationals (RMB 300 a day).
When should I book flights?
Eight to twelve weeks ahead. Fares to Guangzhou and Hong Kong rise sharply in the two weeks before each phase and drop again on the break days, so a buyer who lands on a change-over day often pays less. Flying out on the last day of a phase is the most expensive choice.
How much cash should I bring?
RMB 500 to 1,000 from an ATM on arrival, and a card linked to Alipay or WeChat Pay for everything else. Do not bring a wad of dollars; there is little to do with them.