Sleeping in Guangzhou Airport

Whether your situation calls for a short nap or an overnight slumber, this sleep guide will give you the essential information needed to prepare you for sleeping in Guangzhou Airport.

Our guide is updated with the help of airport sleepers who tell us about their experiences at Guangzhou Airport. If you have a tip to share, write a review to help us keep this sleep guide up-to-date!

Covid-19 Update: This sleep guide was written before Covid-19, so the information may have changed. In October 2021, we will be starting our first guide update since March 2020. A lot has changed, so it’s going to be a massive update. If you are interested in helping, click here to add or update information or write a review to add tips or share photos to help future travellers .

This guide was last updated: 02 October 2019. Read the latest traveller reviews.

Sleeping in Guangzhou Airport

Locations & Seating

Guangzhou Airport sleeper — (Photo courtesy of XiaoHei / 06Oct2014)

Expect a decent amount of seating, including armrest-free options scattered throughout the airport. Because the airport operates around-the-clock, there are plenty of overnight sleepers. Arrive early for your pick of sleeping spots. If you wind up sleeping on the cold floor, an extra layer or two provides much-needed warmth and added softness.

Here are good sleep spots that travellers have reported:

The Departure Hall near the H and J counters.
The restaurant level, one level below Departures, seems to have a fair share of good seating, and it quiets down at night when most eateries close. Try the escalator near Gates 11-12.

Rest Zones

At the time of this update, there are no designated rest zones within the airport.

Temperature

Expect the airport to cool down at night, as air conditioning continues to run and fewer people are inside. Arrive prepared with a blanket or even a sleeping bag. A hoodie provides extra warmth if the terminal gets even colder.

Lighting

At the time of this update, we have not received reports from travellers related to terminal brightness. Come prepared with eyeshades or something else to cover your eyes, such as a shirt or towel.

Noise

A few travellers mention high levels of noise. The airport does operate 24-hours, so don’t expect it to get much quieter overnight. As a precaution, come prepared with earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones.

Pro-tip: If you chose a spot near any eateries, keep in mind that the staff arrive early and they can get pretty loud in the kitchen.

Showers

Freshen up (and loosen those stiff muscles) with a shower before your flight. Head to the pay-to-use Premium Lounge in the International Terminal. See our Guangzhou Airport Guide for details.

Food & Drink

When you get the midnight munchies or give up trying to sleep and need a coffee to stay awake, 24-hour food concessions are available. Check out these vendors:

KFC (1/F, West Connecting Concourse Arrival W1)
McDonalds (1/F, East Connecting Concourse Arrival E3)
Japan Fusion (1/F, Main Terminal Northeast Region)
Oak Tree (1/F, Main Terminal Northeast Region)
Porcelain Noodles (1/F, Main Terminal South Atrium)

Hotels

Prefer some privacy and comfort? If you would like a good solid sleep between flights without the stress of leaving the airport, you have have a few hotel options to choose from. The Aerotel is located in the transit area of Terminal 2. In Terminal 1,the Hourly Passenger Lounge has 70 guest rooms, each equipped with a single or double bed, desk, WiFi and TV, and shower facilities. Rent a room by the overnight, day, or hour; rates change accordingly. The Pullman Guangzhou Baiyun Airport Hotel is connected to the airport on the public side of the terminal. Additional hotels are located within a 5-minute drive of the airport. See the hotel section in our Airport Guide for locations or visit Tripadvisor to find hotels deals at Guangzhou Airport.

Lounges

Guangzhou Airport has many lounges. Unfortunately, none have designated sleep rooms or rest areas. If you just want to relax in a comfortable seat, check out this list of lounges in our Guangzhou Airport Guide that you can pay to access.

Security & Safety

At the time of this update, we have no reports from travellers commenting on safety issues at Guangzhou Airport. As a precaution, here are a few tips to ensure you have a safe airport sleeping experience:

Know Where Security is Located. Whether you are sleeping in the airport by yourself or with friends, it is good to know where security is. Know where their office is located and look for video cameras in the spot you decide to stay the night. Ask security where it is safe to spend the night. They’ve probably seen many airport sleepers before you and they will direct you to a safe spot.
Don’t Seclude Yourself. If you are travelling alone we recommend that you sleep near other travellers or close to security.
Hide Your Valuables. Don’t leave all your mobile devices out in plain view. We have received reports from people who woke up with earphones and no ipod and a laptop bag strap and no laptop bag (or laptop). Same goes with important documents and money. Keep these secure on your body, so that no one can get them without waking you up.
Secure Your Bags. If you are a deep sleeper, you may want to padlock your bag to something. If your bags have zippers turn the bag upside down (zippers to the floor) or sleep with your bag up against the wall, so that it would be hard for someone to access.
Choose to Stay Alert. If you don’t feel safe, drink coffee and stay awake and be alert. You can always sleep on the plane!

Pro-tip: If you are sleeping in the public zone, don’t be surprised if you receive an early morning wake-up call. Security is known to make the rounds waking people up as travellers begin to arrive for morning flights.