guilin & yangshuo
桂林 · 阳朔
karst peaks, bamboo rafts, and bike rides through a painting.
the scenery on the ¥20 note is real. you can stand in it.
- stay in yangshuo, not guilin. guilin is the gateway, yangshuo is where the karst peaks and the fun live.
- the li river cruise from guilin to yangshuo is around $30+ and real-name. book ahead with your passport.
- the yulong river bamboo raft is the chill, scenic one. around $30 per two-person raft.
- rent an e-bike in yangshuo and ride the yulong river villages. it's the best day of the trip.
- yangshuo station is near xingping, not in town. budget 30–60 min to get to west street.
if you’ve ever seen a chinese painting with misty green peaks rising out of a river, that’s guilin and yangshuo. it’s real. thousands of limestone karst towers, rice paddies, water buffalo, and a river that winds through all of it. it’s on the ¥20 note.
this is china’s best region for slowing down outside. you cruise, you raft, you bike between peaks, and you eat beer fish at night. here’s how to plan it.
guilin and yangshuo quick facts
| airport | guilin liangjiang (kwl), about 30km southwest of guilin |
| train stations | guilin north and guilin (most high-speed) · guilin west · yangshuo (near xingping, ~35km from yangshuo town) |
| best months | april–may, september–october. the river is fullest april–october |
| days you need | 3–4, plus 1–2 for the rice terraces |
| food | guilin rice noodles, beer fish, stuffed dishes (niang) |
| weather | hot, humid summers with heavy rain. mild, misty winters |
how many days in guilin and yangshuo?
- 2 days: li river cruise from guilin to yangshuo on day 1. bike the yulong river and bamboo raft on day 2. tight but beautiful.
- 3–4 days (the move): add a slow day around xingping, a sunrise hike, and maybe an evening show or a cooking class.
- 5–6 days: add the longji rice terraces with a night in a village up on the terraces.
guilin is 2.5–3 hours from guangzhou and shenzhen by high-speed train, so it pairs well with hong kong or a south china loop. see the first-time china itinerary.
where to stay: yangshuo vs guilin
the short answer: base yourself in yangshuo. guilin city is fine for one night if your train or flight is awkward, but the scenery and the vibe are an hour south.
| area | vibe | good for |
|---|---|---|
| yangshuo west street area | lively, bars, food, a bit touristy | first-timers, nightlife, easy logistics |
| yangshuo countryside (yulong river / shiban bridge) | boutique guesthouses among the peaks, quiet | the actual dream, cycling, couples |
| xingping | old village on the li river, slower | the ¥20 note view, photographers |
| guilin center (zhengyang / two rivers and four lakes) | city, walkable, river lights | one night in transit |
our pick: a guesthouse in the countryside just outside yangshuo town. you wake up to karst peaks out the window, and town is 10–15 min away by e-bike or didi. if you want bars and convenience, stay near west street but a few streets back from the noise.
the li river cruise: what you need to know
the classic is the li river cruise from guilin (mopanshan pier) to yangshuo, about 60km of river with peaks on both sides. it’s the most famous scenery in china for a reason.
- tickets: around $30 for a 3-star boat, around $55 for 4-star, as of late 2026. 4-star gets you a nicer deck and usually a better lunch. the view is the same.
- time: about 3.5–5 hours depending on the water level, plus transfers to the pier.
- booking: real-name, book ahead with your passport. bring the physical passport on the day.
- ending: boats arrive in yangshuo, so it doubles as your transfer. most packages include the bus from your guilin hotel to the pier.
the best stretch is between yangdi and xingping, including the “nine horses fresco hill” and the ¥20 note view.
cruise vs bamboo raft
| li river cruise | li river raft (yangdi–xingping) | yulong river bamboo raft | |
|---|---|---|---|
| what it is | big boat, guilin → yangshuo | small motorized “bamboo” raft (it’s pvc) | a real bamboo raft, poled by hand |
| price | ~$30–55 per person | ~$15–40 depending on route | ~$30 per two-person raft |
| vibe | classic, social, long | closer to the water, the best scenery | quiet, slow, lowkey romantic |
| best for | transfer + first big view | photographers | a lazy afternoon |
if you only do one: the yangdi → xingping raft gets you the most dramatic scenery for less time. the yulong river raft is the most peaceful thing you’ll do in china. ideally do the li river once and the yulong once.
cycling yangshuo (the best day of the trip)
yangshuo’s countryside is flat, threaded with small roads, and surrounded by karst peaks. biking it is the whole point.
- rent: bikes and e-bikes are all over town. figure around $5–9 per day for an e-bike, and your hotel can usually set one up. take a photo of the bike before you leave.
- the route: head out toward the yulong river, ride along the river past jiuxian village, down to yulong bridge (dragon bridge), a 600-year-old stone bridge. loop back via shiban bridge.
- moon hill: a peak with a giant natural arch, south of town. climb the steps for the view (it’s sweaty).
- ten-mile gallery: the main road toward moon hill. scenic but has traffic. side roads are better.
other things to do in yangshuo and guilin
- xianggong hill sunrise: a viewpoint above the li river near xingping. the bend of the river at sunrise, with mist on the peaks, is unreal. go early, it’s busy with photographers.
- xingping old town: quiet, pretty, and right by the ¥20 note view.
- impression liu sanjie: a huge night show on the li river by zhang yimou, with the real karst peaks lit up as the backdrop. touristy, but genuinely impressive.
- rock climbing: yangshuo is one of asia’s best climbing spots. lots of outfitters run beginner sessions.
- cooking class: learn to make beer fish and stuffed dishes, usually with a market visit first.
- elephant trunk hill + reed flute cave (guilin): if you have a few hours in guilin, these are the two classic sights.
longji rice terraces (dragon’s backbone)
about 2–2.5 hours north of guilin, the longji rice terraces cover whole mountainsides in carved, curving rice fields, farmed by zhuang and yao villages for centuries.
- ticket: around $12, valid for 3 days.
- two main areas:
- ping’an: easier, smaller, good viewpoints (seven stars with moon, nine dragons and five tigers). best for a day trip.
- dazhai / jinkeng: bigger and more dramatic. there’s a cable car (around $8 one way) if you don’t want to climb.
- getting there: direct buses run from guilin to the scenic area for around $7.50, or book a day tour.
- when: may–june (water-filled, mirror-like), july–august (green), late september–october (golden harvest). winter is brown and grey.
stay one night in a village guesthouse up on the terraces. sunset and sunrise there, after the day-trippers leave, are the best part. also: there’s a lot of stairs. pack light, or pay a porter.
what to eat in guilin and yangshuo
- guilin rice noodles (guilin mifen). the local breakfast. round rice noodles with braised meat, peanuts, pickles and chili. cheap, around $1.50, and you add your own toppings. the legend behind it is in our china noodle atlas.
- beer fish (pijiu yu). yangshuo’s signature. river fish braised with beer, tomatoes and peppers. priced by weight, so check before they cook it.
- stuffed dishes (yangshuo niang). tofu, eggplant, peppers, snails or bitter melon stuffed with pork.
- li river snails. spicy, garlicky, a bit of work to eat.
- oil tea (youcha). a bitter, savory tea soup with puffed rice. weird at first, then you get it.
- luosifen. the famously smelly snail-broth rice noodle from nearby liuzhou. it’s a whole thing online. try it once.
more dishes to know: chinese food guide.
getting around guilin and yangshuo
- e-bike: the best way to see yangshuo’s countryside. see above.
- didi: works in both guilin and yangshuo. reasonable prices for town ↔ countryside and town ↔ xingping.
- local buses: yangshuo ↔ xingping buses are frequent and cheap.
- guilin ↔ yangshuo: the li river cruise is the scenic way. otherwise high-speed train to yangshuo station (about 25–30 min from guilin) or a bus (about 1.5 hours).
set up payments first: alipay & wechat pay. and grab an esim before you go, because you’ll be on maps all day.
getting in and out of guilin and yangshuo by high-speed rail
the station situation (read this)
- guilin north and guilin station: most high-speed trains to guangzhou, shenzhen and yangshuo.
- guilin west: some trains to guiyang and hong kong. far from the center.
- yangshuo station: not in yangshuo town. it’s near xingping, about 35km away. from there it’s about 30–40 min by taxi/didi (often $12–15) or around an hour by shuttle bus (around $3) to the tourist center, then a short hop to west street.
train times
- guilin → yangshuo: about 25–30 min.
- guangzhou south → guilin / yangshuo: about 2.5–3 hours.
- shenzhen → guilin / yangshuo: about 3 hours.
- hong kong west kowloon → guilin: about 3–3.5 hours, with some direct trains. check the schedule, they don’t run often.
- guilin → chengdu / chongqing / beijing / shanghai: long. flying is usually easier for these.
full breakdown in the china train guide.
from the airport
- guilin liangjiang airport: airport buses go to guilin city in about 40 min. there are also direct buses to yangshuo (about 1.5 hours). a didi to yangshuo is about 1.5 hours.
coming from far away (beijing, shanghai, xi’an)? a domestic flight to guilin is usually the move.
guilin and yangshuo insider tips
- skip guilin as your base. one night max. yangshuo is where you want to be.
- book the li river cruise ahead and bring your passport. it’s real-name, and peak season fills up.
- check the river level. in very dry months (usually winter) the boats sometimes run shorter routes. ask when you book.
- bring rain gear april–august. it pours. but the misty days are when the peaks look the most like a painting.
- avoid national day week (oct 1–7). the river, west street and xingping get completely packed.
- check prices before you eat. beer fish and river food are sold by weight. ask for the price per jin (500g) first.
the vibe check
guilin and yangshuo is china’s landscape in its most dreamy form. cruise the li river in, rent an e-bike, float down the yulong on a bamboo raft, watch sunrise over the peaks, and eat beer fish every night. add the rice terraces if you have time. it’s the reset button in the middle of a big china trip, and you will not stop taking photos. trust.
the kit for this trip
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