Chaozhou-Shantou

4-Day Chaozhou & Shantou Food & Heritage Tour: The Flavors of Eastern Guangdong

Designed for American Travelers · 5-Star & Boutique Hotels · Meals Included · Private Transportation · Dedicated English-Speaking Guide

Watch a thousand-year-old floating bridge uncouple its eighteen boats at dusk, sit down to beef hot pot so fresh the slices cook in ten seconds, and drift through a sunlit island of lighthouses, windmills and empty beaches. The Chaoshan region — the twin cities of Chaozhou and Shantou on Guangdong's eastern coast — is quietly China's most beloved food destination, an old homeland of overseas Chinese where Tang-dynasty temples, 1930s arcade streets, gongfu tea ceremony and the cooking style that Cantonese chefs revere all come together on one short, delicious journey.

Tour Highlights

• Guangji Bridge — A Bridge That Opens and Closes Every Day Walk the 518-meter Xiangzi Bridge over the Han River, whose central span is made of eighteen linked wooden boats. Begun in the Song Dynasty and praised as the world's earliest opening-and-closing bridge, it is ceremonially disconnected each evening — a living piece of medieval engineering — followed by a free riverbank light show.
• Chaozhou Ancient City — Archways, Temples & Gongs-and-Drums Wander Paifang Street's 23 restored Ming–Qing stone archways, the tranquil Tang-dynasty Kaiyuan Temple, and the old lanes of Jiadi Alley, then visit the hilltop Han Yu Shrine above the river in the hometown of China's greatest literary memorial.
• Shantou Small Park — The Arcade City of the Overseas Chinese Explore mainland China's only radially planned qilou (arcade) district, a beautifully restored 1930s merchant quarter of verandahed shophouses, the old post office, the Mazu temple and the free Qiaopi Museum of overseas-Chinese remittance letters.
• Nan'ao Island — Lighthouses, Beaches & the Coast Road Cross the 11-kilometer sea bridge to Guangdong's only island county for the red Changshanwei lighthouse, the windswept ring road past windmills, the crescent beach of Qing'ao Bay and the "Gate of Nature" on the Tropic of Cancer.
• The Finest Regional Cooking in China Eat your way through the cuisine that tops Chinese food-lovers' lists: hand-cut Chaoshan beef hot pot with shacha sauce, springy beef balls, brined goose, oyster omelet, fish balls, clay-pot congee and delicate Chaozhou rice cakes, paired with the ritual of Phoenix Dancong gongfu tea.
• Exceptional Value, All-Inclusive Premium Tour Your package covers all private transfers including the Nan'ao bridge day, hand-picked 5-star and boutique hotels, an expert English-speaking guide, every entrance fee, and a curated tasting journey of signature meals and street snacks — no shopping stops, ever.

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Day 1 | Arrival in Shantou · The Arcade Old City

• Meals: Dinner
• Overnight: Shantou, 5-star or best-available comfort hotel

Full day: Private pickup at Jieyang Chaoshan International Airport (SWA) or Chaoshan High-Speed Railway Station and transfer to your hotel in central Shantou.

• Late afternoon: Explore the Small Park (Xiaogongyuan) Historic Quarter — the nation's only fan-shaped arcade district, radiating from the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Pavilion past the 1932 Nansheng Department Store, the old General Post Office and the Mazu (Laoma) Temple. Visit the free Qiaopi Museum to learn how overseas Chinese sent remittance letters home a century ago.
• Evening: Graze Zhenbang Food Street and the old-town lanes, then a classic first dinner of Chaoshan beef hot pot — paper-thin fresh cuts swished for seconds in clear broth and dipped in shacha sauce. Optional sunset walk along the Seaside Promenade with its red-headed-boat monument.

Day 2 | Nan'ao Island Day Trip

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
• Overnight: Shantou

Full day: Drive across the spectacular Nan'ao Bridge (about 11 km over the sea; roughly 1–1.5 hours to the island) for a scenic private circuit of Guangdong's only coastal island county. Highlights: Photograph the bright-red Changshanwei Lighthouse with the bridge behind it, follow the island ring road along the "rainbow sea" and windmill-covered hills, visit the historic General's Mansion and old fishing village, and stand at the Gate of Nature, China's island marker for the Tropic of Cancer.

• Afternoon: Relax on the crescent sand of Qing'ao Bay, known locally as the "Oriental Hawaii," with time for a beachside tea or a gentle seafood lunch of just-caught fish, squid and seaweed.
• Evening: Return to Shantou for a free evening — perhaps late-night raw-marinated seafood (a celebrated local specialty; chosen at reputable stalls) or soothing clay-pot congee.

Day 3 | Shantou → Chaozhou · The Ancient City & the Floating Bridge

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Overnight: Chaozhou, boutique heritage inn in the ancient city
• Morning: Drive about one hour to Chaozhou, a national historic and cultural city. Check in to a boutique inn inside the old city.
• Afternoon: Enter the living Chaozhou Ancient City along Paifang Street, lined with 23 Ming–Qing stone archways. Visit Kaiyuan Temple, founded in the Tang Dynasty and one of China's four great Kaiyuan monasteries, and the carved old mansions of Jiadi Lane, with time to watch wood carving, embroidery and hand-pulled clay teapots and taste gongfu tea.
• Late afternoon: Walk across Guangji Bridge (Xiangzi Bridge) across the Han River and watch the celebrated 17:30 floating-bridge opening as the eighteen boats are uncoupled — the real-life "crossing the river and dismantling the bridge." A modest ticket applies; entry is currently from the east/Han Yu Shrine side during maintenance — your guide handles the routing.
• Evening: Watch the free 20:00 light and music show over the river and illuminated bridge, then a Chaozhou dinner of brined goose, fish rice and sweet taro.

Day 4 | Han Yu Shrine · West Lake & Departure

• Meals: Breakfast
• Morning: Cross the river to the wooded Han Yu Shrine (Hanwen Gong Ci), the country's best-preserved memorial to the great Tang scholar-official, with terraced halls and a sweeping view over the Han River (free; closed Mondays — your guide adjusts if needed). Return through Chaozhou West Lake Park for a last quiet stroll.
• Late morning: Time for souvenirs — Phoenix Dancong oolong tea, the "three aged preserves" (old citron, aged tangerine peel, old Buddha's hand), and handcrafted tea ware.
• Afternoon: Private transfer to Chaoshan High-Speed Railway Station or Jieyang Chaoshan Airport (about 30–45 minutes) for your onward journey, with easy connections to Shenzhen, Guangzhou or Xiamen.We recommend a train or flight after 14:30; please share your departure details when booking.

From the clink of tiny gongfu-tea cups to the glow of lanterns over a bridge of boats, the Chaoshan is China at its warmest and most unhurried — a short trip that lingers long after the last cup of tea.

What's Included

• Private air-conditioned vehicle with an experienced driver throughout, including airport/station pickup, the Chaozhou–Shantou transfer and the full Nan'ao Island day (bridge tolls included)
• Dedicated English-speaking guide for the whole journey, with specialist context on Chaoshan history, overseas-Chinese culture and cuisine
• 3 nights' accommodation: 2 nights at a 5-star or best-available comfort hotel in Shantou and 1 night at a boutique heritage inn inside Chaozhou Ancient City (daily breakfast included)
• All entrance tickets and activities: Guangji Bridge, the Nan'ao Island circuit (General's Mansion and Song Well), Kaiyuan Temple, the Qiaopi Museum, the Han Yu Shrine and the old-city sites
• Curated meals: 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 2 dinners, including a signature Shantou beef-hot-pot dinner, a Nan'ao seafood lunch and a Chaozhou brined-goose dinner, plus a guided street-snack and gongfu-tea tasting
• Bottled water in the vehicle and 24/7 on-trip assistance
• No shopping stops — a pure, privately escorted food-and-heritage experience

What to Know

• Heritage status: The Chaoshan region has no UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Guangji Bridge is a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level and one of China's four famous ancient bridges; Chaozhou is a designated national historic and cultural city; Kaiyuan Temple and the Han Yu Shrine are protected national heritage. We describe them by their genuine distinctions rather than overstating them.
• Route & pacing: A relaxed one-way short break — arrive in Shantou and depart from Chaozhou, which sits about 30–45 minutes from the same airport/station, so there is no backtracking. The intercity drive is only about an hour, and Day 2's Nan'ao round trip is the longest drive. Add a night on Nan'ao for a slower beach pace.
• Guangji Bridge hours: Generally Monday–Friday 10:00–17:30 and weekends/holidays 9:00–17:30 (last entry 17:00), with the floating section ceremonially opened around 17:30 and the free riverside light show at about 20:00. Hours and the entrance can change with river works; we confirm the current routing and time the visit for both the crossing and the evening show. A small admission (about ¥20) applies; the light show is free.
• Museum closures: The Qiaopi Museum and Han Yu Shrine are free; the shrine is normally closed on Mondays. Kaiyuan Temple is free and active — please dress modestly and keep voices low. If your dates include a Monday, we swap the shrine with the West Lake, old-mansion lanes or an extended food walk.
• Best seasons: October–December and March–May are ideal — warm, dry and pleasant for the island and old lanes; kapok blooms in early spring. Summers (June–September) are hot, humid and busy on Nan'ao, with occasional typhoons; check weather if traveling then. Winters are mild and quiet.
• Walking level: Easy. Days are unhurried with short transfers; expect leisurely walking on old flagstones and arcade streets, light beach walking, and a few steps at the bridge and shrine. Comfortable shoes, sun protection and a hat are recommended for Nan'ao.
• Food & dietary notes: Chaoshan cooking prizes freshness and clarity — light, savory and not spicy — built around beef, seafood, rice noodles and tea. Raw-marinated seafood is a local favorite but carries the usual raw-food considerations; we guide you to reputable, high-turnover stalls and offer cooked alternatives. Please advise allergies (especially shellfish), gluten-free or vegetarian needs in advance, and note that halal options are limited in this pork-and-seafood region.
• Getting there: Most international travelers connect through Guangzhou, Shenzhen or Hong Kong, then fly to Jieyang Chaoshan Airport or take high-speed rail (about 1–1.5 h from Xiamen, ~2 h from Shenzhen, ~2.5–3 h from Guangzhou). We're glad to extend your trip with Xiamen and the Fujian tulou earthen buildings, or with Guangzhou and the Kaiping diaolou.