Avoid These Spots in Guiyang | A 3-Day 2-Night Classic Itinerary Broken Down, with a Local's Optimized Checklist to Avoid Common Mistakes

Having lived in Guiyang for seven years, what I dread most is a friend sending me a so-called "3-day, 2-night classic itinerary"—people who follow it either end up stuck in traffic at Jiaxiu Tower or waiting in line for pig's trotters in Qingyan Ancient Town until they question their existence. This itinerary template has been popular for who knows how long, and every version is pretty much the same: Day 1: Jiaxiu Tower and Erqi Road; Day 2: Qingyan Ancient Town, Huaxi Park, and Tianhetan Park; Day 3: Qianling Mountain Park and the Provincial Museum. It sounds smooth, but locals who see it just think: you're not here for tourism, you're here to experience the city's morning rush hour.

The biggest problem with this route isn't the quality of the attractions, but rather that it treats Guiyang as a city situated on a flat plain. Jiaxiu Tower is in the city center, Erqi Road is near the train station, Qingyan Ancient Town is over 20 kilometers south of the city, and Huaxi and Tianhetan are at another end, all while traversing some of the most congested roads in the old city. Following this route, you'll spend at least two hours a day in the car and another hour looking for parking.

First, dismantle that "classic route": it wastes all the time on traffic jams and queues.

The biggest problem with this route isn't the quality of the attractions, but rather that it treats Guiyang as a city situated on a flat plain. Jiaxiu Tower is in the city center, Erqi Road is near the train station, Qingyan Ancient Town is over 20 kilometers south of the city, and Huaxi and Tianhetan are at another end, all while traversing some of the most congested roads in the old city. Following this route, you'll spend at least two hours a day in the car and another hour looking for parking.

Worse still, it treats a "stopover" as a "destination." Jiaxiu Tower really is just a stopover, a 20-minute stop during the day and a half-hour stop for nighttime views, but travel guides will schedule it for 6 pm, right in the middle of rush hour. You think you can get nighttime photos, but you can't even squeeze in through the stone railings by the river.

Locals taking friends to explore the old town usually avoid the peak hours of the day, either going early in the morning or late at night. It's not that Jiaxiu Tower is bad, it's just that it's not worth sacrificing dinner time to get stuck in traffic.

Jiaxiu Tower, Erqi Road, Qingyun Road: These locations are more worthwhile to delete than to keep.

Let's start with Jiaxiu Tower. It is indeed a landmark of Guiyang, but it's more suitable to pass by than to dedicate a whole period of time to it. The right way to experience it is to take a walk along the Nanming River during the day and glance at it, which should take no more than 30 minutes. In the evening, I recommend going to Dongshan Mountain Park or Guanshanhu Park to see the city skyline. There are fewer people, the view is better, and you can also feel the evening breeze of Guiyang.

Erqi Road Snack Street is a place that locals almost never go to. While it seems to offer a wide variety of snacks, many shops offer mass-produced, tourist-oriented flavors. If you want to try roasted pig brains, crispy duck, or ice jelly, head towards Huguo Road, Caijia Street, or Humen Lane; those streets have a high density of established shops, and you won't have to stand next to trash cans to order skewers.

Qingyun Road is indeed cleaner after the renovation, but it's also become more expensive, and it's still crowded after 10 pm. It's more suitable for strolling around and enjoying the atmosphere than for a proper meal. If you really want to sit down and have a late-night snack that locals often eat, you can go to Yanwu Street or Shaanxi Road, where there are still many stalls that have been open for more than ten years.

Qingyan Ancient Town, Huaxi Park, and Tianhetan: touted as must-sees in travel guides, but actually turned out to be disappointing.

Qingyan Ancient Town itself is not bad, but it can't withstand "all-day check-in". If it's a weekend or holiday, the highway exit from the city can be so congested that you'll question your existence. Once you're in the ancient town, if you try to queue for those famous pig's trotter restaurants, it will take at least two hours. After eating, you'll find that the most comfortable part of the ancient town is actually the quiet stone-paved streets deep in the alleys, which you simply don't have time to explore.

My suggestion is to only allocate half a day for Qingyan, choosing a weekday morning to go and leaving before noon. Use the saved time to visit Gaopo or Zhenshan Village. Gaopo meadows offer views of the sea of clouds and sunsets, while Zhenshan Village is an old Buyi ethnic village by the water; both are more worthwhile than squeezing through crowds in the ancient town.

Huaxi Park is a severely overrated spot in many travel guides. It's just an ordinary city park; you can walk through it in 30 minutes to an hour. The real must-see is the Huaxi Ten-Mile River Beach, where you can cycle or stroll along the river—it's free, spacious, and you can even walk all the way to the Confucius Temple. Tianhetan's caves and waterfalls are decent, but queuing for boats during peak season is too tedious; it's better to spend your time at Nanjiang Grand Canyon or Taoyuan River.

Qianling Mountain and the Provincial Museum: It's not that you can't go, it's that you'll miss out if you go at the wrong time.

Qianling Mountain Park is a daily destination for Guiyang residents, but out-of-towners often prefer to go at midday, resulting in more monkeys than people and intense sun. The best time to visit is between 7:00 and 9:00 AM, or after 5:30 PM, when it's cooler and the monkeys are less aggressive. Remember not to carry plastic bags or snacks in your hands, as the monkeys will immediately try to snatch them.

The Guizhou Provincial Museum is definitely worth visiting, but it's closed on Mondays, so you'll have to make a wasted trip without a reservation. Many people schedule it for the morning of their last day, only to find themselves stuck at the entrance with their luggage. It's best to visit the museum on the afternoon of the second or third day, taking your time for a couple of hours and avoiding the midday sun.

If you're bringing children, the ethnic minority exhibition hall at the Provincial Museum is much more child-friendly than Qingyan Ancient Town; if you're just looking for a photo opportunity, you might as well go to the Guiyang Municipal Museum or simply visit a park, there's no need to make a special trip just for a picture of the entrance.

Indigenous Optimized Version: 3 Days 2 Nights plus 1 Day Flexible Alternative

Upon arrival on the first day, stay overnight in the old city area around the fountain and the Grand Cross. After dropping off your luggage, head to Huguo Road for either Changwang noodles or Hunan noodles. In the afternoon, hike up Dongshan Mountain Park for a panoramic view of Guiyang's old city from the summit. In the evening, go to Humen Lane or Shaanxi Road for hot pot and barbecue; avoid Erqi Road.

The next morning, head to Qianling Mountain and leave before 9:00 AM. Then, go to the Provincial Museum to reserve a showtime. Have lunch of sour soup beef near Guanshanhu. In the afternoon, take a walk along Guanshanhu Park or the Yueshanhu Trail. In the evening, have a coffee on Taiping Road. If you want some snacks, stroll around Qingyun Road, but just browsing without eating is the most reasonable option.

On the third day, head towards Huaxi. In the morning, cycle along Shilihetan to the Confucius Temple. Have beef noodles for lunch near Huaxi. In the afternoon, spend half a day at Qingyan Ancient Town, keeping it to one to two hours. If you're not particularly interested in ancient towns, go directly to Gaopo or Zhenshan Village, and return in the evening.

If you have an extra day, in summer you can go rafting in the Kaiyang Nanjiang Grand Canyon or Taoyuan River, in autumn you can enjoy the lake scenery at Hongfeng Lake, in spring you can see the cherry blossoms in Gui'an, and in winter you can stay in the city to soak in hot springs and eat hot pot. The way to enjoy Guiyang is not to rush, but to follow the weather and your appetite.

10 Things You Shouldn't Do

1. Don't go to Jiaxiu Tower in the midday sun during the summer, and don't drive there in the evening either; the parking lots along the river will keep you circling three times. 2. Don't go specifically to Erqi Road to eat the so-called "Guiyang snacks"; the local population there is pitifully small. 3. Don't go to Qingyan Ancient Town on weekends or holidays to queue for pig's trotters; the queue starts at two hours, and the taste isn't as amazing as you expect. 4. Don't plan more than three cross-district attractions in one day; Guiyang's traffic jams will thoroughly disrupt your plans.

5. Don't underestimate the monkeys of Qianling Mountain. Keep your plastic bags, snacks, and beverage bottles safe; getting scratched is no joke. 6. Avoid visiting the Provincial Museum or Municipal Museum on Mondays; going on a closed day will ruin your mood. 7. Don't think Guiyang only has the night view from Jiaxiu Tower; Dongshan Mountain Park, Guanshanhu Park, and Huaguoyuan White House are all more beautiful. 8. Don't wear high heels or thin-soled shoes to Huaxi and Qingyan; the cobblestone streets will teach you a lesson.

9. Don't just focus on sour fish soup; local favorites like Changwang noodles, beef rice noodles, Siwawa (a type of steamed bun), hot pot, and crispy duck are the real staples. 10. Don't decide whether to bring an umbrella based on the weather forecast; Guiyang rarely has three consecutive sunny days, so it's always a good idea to carry a folding umbrella.

In closing: Don't ask the locals if I didn't tell you.

When choosing accommodation, try to select areas near fountains, major intersections, or minor intersections, but avoid low-rise buildings facing the street as they can be noisy at night. During peak travel times, avoid taking taxis; public transportation, subways, and walking are often faster options.

Not everyone can tolerate houttuynia cordata, so ask before you eat it to avoid regretting it later; the "mild" spiciness of Guiyang chili peppers may be stronger than you imagine, so order carefully.

In conclusion, Guiyang is best enjoyed at a leisurely pace, eating and exploring at your own pace. Don't plan your itinerary as a checklist of must-see attractions, otherwise you'll only experience traffic jams and long queues, and miss out on the true character of this city.