Canton Fair 2026 + Company Visits: How to Combine the Fair with Factory Tours

A Canton Fair factory visit works best on the days when the fair halls are closed. The 140th Canton Fair runs from October 15 to November 4, 2026, in three five-day phases. Between the phases, there are two three-day breaks, and the fair also leaves free days after it closes. On those days, your suppliers are back at their plants, and the big companies of Guangdong Province are a short train ride away. This guide shows how to use those days, which routes work, and how much lead time each company needs.

Canton Fair 2026 at a Glance: Dates, Phases and Scale

The Canton Fair (the China Import and Export Fair) is China's largest trade fair. The autumn 2026 edition is the 140th session. It takes place at the China Import and Export Fair Complex, 382 Yuejiang Middle Road, Haizhu District, Guangzhou. The fair is far too big to see in one trip. So the smart plan is to choose one or two phases, and then use the free days for visits outside the halls.

As of October 2026, the organizer's official site is cantonfair.org.cn. Check it for the final hall plan for your products. For registration, hall maps and travel inside Guangzhou, read the complete guide to Canton Fair 2026. The fair keeps growing. For example, the 139th session in spring 2026 drew about 314,000 overseas buyers from 220 countries and regions, a record for the fair.

Why Pair the Fair With Company Visits

Buying teams and leadership delegations come to the fair for different reasons. Buying teams want to shortlist suppliers, agree on minimum order quantities and place orders. Leadership delegations want the bigger picture: where the supply chain is moving, who is investing, and what the next few years may look like. However, both groups need something the fair cannot give them, and that is a look at real production.

Thirty minutes at a booth shows what a supplier wants you to see. Two hours on a factory floor shows how the company really works. Also, the person you met at the booth is usually back at the plant during the break. So a factory visit becomes your natural second meeting, without a second trip.

China Study Tour (CST) has arranged company visits in China since 2013. From that work, three shapes fit the fair best:

• Phase 1 plus Shenzhen. EV, drone, robotics and electronics companies, all reachable as day visits.
• Phase 2 plus Foshan and Zhongshan. Furniture, ceramics and lighting makers, about one hour from the fair.
• Fair plus a few days after it. One phase at the fair, then a short program after November 4 when the whole region is quieter.

When to Plan a Canton Fair Factory Visit: Three Windows

The fair does not run without a stop. Each phase ends, the booths come down, and the next set goes up. Many buyers simply wait in their Guangzhou hotel during these days, because their flights are booked around the phases. That is a missed chance. Three days is exactly the right length for a short factory route in the Pearl River Delta.

The window after the fair is often overlooked. Hotel prices in Guangzhou drop once the fair closes, and company hosts are less busy than during fair weeks. For groups that care more about learning than about buying, this is often the calmest time for a visit.

Three Canton Fair Tour Routes With Company Visits

These three routes work for the 2026 session and for future sessions. The right one depends on your phase and on what your group needs to learn.

Route A: Phase 1 plus Shenzhen technology (October 20 to 22)

This route is for Phase 1 buyers. Stay at the fair until October 19, then take the high-speed train to Shenzhen. Day 1 covers an EV company and a battery or electronics supplier. Day 2 covers a drone or robotics company and an electronics assembly plant. On Day 3, you visit Huawei's campus in Dongguan or a carmaker plant in Guangzhou. Then you return to Guangzhou on the evening of October 22, ready for Phase 2 if you need it.

Route B: Phase 2 plus Foshan furniture and Zhongshan lighting (October 28 to 30)

This route is for Phase 2 buyers. The showroom districts of Foshan and Zhongshan are about one hour from the fair complex. In practice, they work like an extension of the Phase 2 halls. Day 1 is in Foshan for furniture factories and materials. Day 2 is in Zhongshan for lighting and hardware. Day 3 is in Guangzhou for supplier meetings, before Phase 3 opens on October 31.

Route C: After the fair (from November 5)

This route suits Phase 3 buyers and groups that come mainly to learn, because a Canton Fair factory visit after the fair has no time pressure. After the fair closes on November 4, move to Shenzhen for two or three days of company visits. Then you can fly home from Shenzhen or continue to Shanghai or Beijing. Individuals and small teams can also join a fixed-departure monthly group tour. For example, the November 2026 departure (Manufacturing and Innovation, November 2 to 8) overlaps the last days of Phase 3.

What You Can See at Each Company

Each company visit follows a similar shape: a company overview, a guided tour, and time for questions. However, each company decides what guests may see. It helps to know the limits before you plan.

BYD headquarters, Shenzhen

BYD's headquarters is in Pingshan District. As of September 2026, BYD opens two areas to visitors: the technology exhibition hall (about 2 hours) and the company museum (about 1 hour). Production workshops are closed, so there is no factory floor at the headquarters. The hall includes live battery safety tests behind glass and BYD's flash charging technology. BYD approves every visitor in advance, and names must match passports. Test drives need a Chinese driver's license. For the full route, see our BYD headquarters tour report.

GAC Group plant, Guangzhou

If your group wants to see a real car assembly line, CST adds GAC Group, the carmaker based in Guangzhou. Its plant in Panyu District is about 40 minutes by car from the fair complex. So a Canton Fair factory visit to GAC fits into a fair day or a break day without a hotel change.

Huawei Ox Horn campus, Dongguan

This is Huawei's research and development (R&D) campus, about one hour from Shenzhen. Most groups walk the campus, see a product area, and join a briefing on a chosen topic, such as smart manufacturing or digital change. More details are on our Huawei company visit page.

DJI, Shenzhen

DJI is the world's best-known drone maker. A visit covers drone use in farming, logistics, inspection and public safety, often with a flight demo.

For the wider picture of China's electric car industry, read our China EV industry overview.

How CST Builds a Combined Program

CST runs two kinds of combined programs. Private programs suit groups of 10 or more with a clear list of companies. Fixed-departure group tours suit individuals and small teams. In both cases, we book the company visits first and then fit the fair days around them, because company approval takes the longest.

International flights are not included. Prices depend on group size, hotel level and the companies you choose, so we quote each program. To see which companies and cities we cover, visit our China factory tours page. To compare our program structure with other providers, see the CST program guide.

Lead Times, and What Is Still Possible for This Session

Lead time is the factor that most often changes a Canton Fair factory visit plan. As a guide, standard programs need 8 to 12 weeks. BYD headquarters needs 30 to 45 days for approval. Huawei campus visits need about 4 to 6 weeks.

If you are reading this in October 2026, the first break is only days away. So, for the 140th session, we work with companies that can confirm quickly, such as supplier factories you met at the fair. The window after November 4 gives a little more time. For BYD, Huawei and similar companies, the realistic target is the 141st session in spring 2027. The organizer usually holds the spring session from mid-April to early May, but the official dates are not yet published. Even so, starting now gives you the full lead time.

Fair Paperwork: Badge, Visa and Hotels

This guide covers the company visits. For the fair itself, these are the three points to start early:

• Buyer badge. You need a Canton Fair buyer badge, which you apply for on the official platform. Company visits run through a separate process.
• Visa. As of October 2026, citizens of 48 countries, including the UK, Canada, most of Europe, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Brazil and Argentina, can enter China without a visa for up to 30 days. The policy runs until December 31, 2026. Some other countries have mutual visa exemption. US and Indian citizens still need a visa for a normal visit. See our China visa and timing guide.
• Hotels. Hotel prices near the Pazhou complex often rise to two or three times normal levels during fair weeks. Book as soon as your dates are fixed. Many groups stay in Shenzhen and take the train to the fair.

For badge registration, hotels near the fair and transport between the halls, see this complete Canton Fair 2026 guide for overseas buyers.

Frequently Asked Questions