Guangzhou to Shenzhen by Train: Stations, Prices, Times

How do I get from Guangzhou to Shenzhen?

Take the train. Our data, from a China Railway 12306 sample of trains for October 25, 2026, shows four departure stations in Guangzhou. Fares are second class and vary by train.

The sample did not include trains to Futian, so check 12306 if Futian is your destination. The “best for” column comes from our data’s notes on each station.

Shenzhen is in mainland China, so there is no border crossing or immigration check. Your passport is still your ticket: show it at the manual channel at the gate (most foreign passports do not open the self-service gates, per Travel China), and keep it on you, as staff may check tickets on board.

iPhoto: LN9267 · CC BY-SA 4.0 Details

Which station should I choose?

Choose by where you start and where you stay, not just by speed. South is the fastest and has the most trains. The other three stations are slower, but each can save a metro ride across the city:

• Panyu or the south of the city: Guangzhou South. Metro Lines 2, 7 and 22 stop there, per our data and the Guangzhou government.
• Tianhe: Guangzhou East, with intercity trains to Shenzhen station.
• Yuexiu, Liwan or the railway-station markets: Guangzhou Station.
• Baiyun District: Guangzhou Baiyun, which opened in December 2023 and was reached by Metro Line 12 on June 29, 2025, according to the Baiyun District government and our station guide.

In Shenzhen, North (深圳北站) is the high-speed station and Shenzhen station (深圳站) is the intercity terminus, in Luohu. They are different places, so check which is nearer your hotel before you pay. The MTR High Speed Rail site lists a metro connection at Shenzhen North, run by Shenzhen Metro, and says travellers can change to local metro there. We did not verify onward metro fares or routes, so check your journey in Amap before you book.

Tencent’s TenPayGo app, launched on September 24, 2026, offers a Shenzhen bus and metro ride code that needs no phone number, according to Bernama and Xinhua reports. Those reports do not cover fees or limits. See Alipay and WeChat Pay for foreigners for the payment apps.

For help with the Guangzhou stations see Guangzhou South Railway Station, which also describes the other three. The metro link is in the metro guide.

How do I book?

1. Check the booking window. Tickets generally go on sale up to 15 days ahead, according to Travel China, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s site.
2. Book on the 12306 app or website with your passport, or on Trip.com. The train ticket guide gives the steps and the payment options. The MTR says foreign passport holders can register on the English version of 12306 with an email address, and that 12306 sells and changes tickets from 05:00 to 01:00 the next day (05:00 to 24:00 on Tuesdays).
3. Enter your name and passport number as in your passport, with no spaces or hyphens.
4. Check the station on your ticket. Guangzhou South, East, Station and Baiyun all have Shenzhen trains.
5. On the day, arrive at least 30 minutes before departure. Gates usually close 3 to 5 minutes before the train leaves (Travel China); 12306 says the exact time is in the station announcement.

A Reddit thread from October 26, 2025 asked how to book after the poster found “all trains had been fully booked for the month of Nov!” The replies pointed out that tickets were not yet on sale. If you cannot find a seat, check again when the window opens.

If 12306 will not accept your phone number, see no Chinese phone number for the workarounds travellers report.

Do I need my passport on the train?

Yes. There is no border check, but your passport is your ticket. The real-name rule means the passport you used to buy is your proof of travel, and the MTR says railway staff may ask to see it during the journey to check ticket validity. Keep it in a pocket, not in a bag in the luggage rack.

Which trains run and when?

We could not verify a full timetable or the number of trains a day beyond the counts in the sample above. Times in the table are the shortest and longest on the sample. Search 12306 for your date. The 12306 FAQ says ticket sales and changes run from 05:00 to 01:00 the next day, and from 05:00 to 23:30 on Tuesday.

Going on to Hong Kong?

The trains from Guangzhou South to Hong Kong West Kowloon take 47 to 77 minutes. See Guangzhou to Hong Kong.