How to Plan a Guilin Tour - Guilin Trip Planner 2025

Guilin Downtown Area - Transfer Center & Symbol of Guilin

No matter where you come, you should arrive in Guilin downtown area first. This is the transfer center and from here you can head north to Longsheng and transfer south to Yangshuo.

Short on time? Spending about half day exploring this beautiful city center is enough. Visit the hot spots of Guilin and its magical surroundings that include Elephant Trunk Hill (symbol of Guilin and its shape resembles an elephant drinking water through its trunk) and Reed Flute Cave (impressive natural beauty of its stalactite and stalagmite formations), and if you like, enjoy the sparking night view by taking the Two Rivers and Four Lakes cruise.

Yangshuo Town - Heaven for Natural Lovers

Yangshuo is as popular as Guilin, well-known for its karst peaks, rivers, caves and villages, as well as its laid back cafes and bars. Cruising leisurely along Li River from Guilin to Yangshuo is the best way to appreciate karst mountains, winding river and beautiful rural scenery.

Slow down your pace and mind to indulge in the visiting no matter which style you choose - walking, hiking, cycling, bamboo rafting or kayaking, you will enjoy yourselves to the fullest. The must-see sites include West Street, Yulong River, Moon Hill and Big Banyan Tree.

Longsheng County - Capture the Finest Rice Terrace Scenery

The reason to come to Longsheng is mainly for Longji Rice Terraces. (In English it's called Dragon's Back Rice Terraces. They're also known as Longsheng Rice Terraces.)

The 600+ year-old terraces are still very much in use and feed the local Yao and Zhuang communities. This large area is divided three scenic spots - Ping'an Rice Terrace, Jinkeng Rice Terrace and Longji Ancient Zhuang Rice Terrace. The terraced fields are built along the slope winding from the riverside up to the mountain top, with an altitude rising from 300 meters to 1100 meters.The rice terrace is layer upon layer, like the changing ladder created by nature leading to the blue sky, forming a majestic painting between Heaven and Earth.

No matter when you come, you can take an enjoyable walk through the fields, shoot hundreds of beautiful pictures, as well as have in-depth understanding about the locals - Zhuang and Yao ethnic groups.

Activity 1: Cruising along Li River from Guilin to Yangshuo

Reputed as "Hundreds miles of Li River, hundreds miles of art gallery", Li River flows 83 kilometers from Guilin to Yangshuo. It was selected as one of the world's top 10 watery wonders by America's National Geographic magazine. Almost every traveler who come to Guilin will take the 4-hour Li River cruise. These boats departs in the morning from Guilin Mopanshan Pier and arrives at Yangshuo Longtoushan Dock. You won't miss the marvelous scene of the Nine-Horse Fresco, image on back of the 20 RMB note at the Yellow Cloth Shoal.

Activity 2: Biking/Cycling in the Idyllic Yangshuo Countryside

Hop on a bicycle and head towards to the Yangshuo countryside with breathtaking karst landscape passing by! The biking distance ranges from 15 kilometers to 30 kilometers, taking around 2~6 hours in total. There are four biking routes to suit different travelers no matter you want classic route or in-depth discovery.

Activity 3: Bamboo Rafting on Yulong River & Li River

Taking a bamboo raft is truly a highly recommended way to have a real close-up to the hills and waterscape. Usually, travelers choose to float along Yulong River and Li River. You can enjoy 50-90 minutes' bamboo rafting on Yulong River and appreciate the comparatively more serene countryside view and authentic lifestyle of local residents. Bamboo rafting brings more fun, joy and excitement on Li River and slow your pace on viewing the well-known Xingping Town, Nine Horses Fresco Hill, Yangdi and other karst mountains. Time ranges from 50 minutes to 2 hours in total.

Activity 4: Hiking along Yulong River & Longji Rice Terraces

Hiking is regarded as the best way to link yourselves with the local land. Hiking chances are a lot when traveling in Guilin. In Yangshuo countryside, enjoy hiking time along Yulong River. It is a good opportunity to see some old and peaceful villages along the river. The hike usually starts from Yulong Bridge or Jinlong Bridge, following the downstream of the river and ends at Gongnong Bridge. In Longji Rice Terraces, seize the moments to do some light hiking in Ping'an Rice Terrace to “Seven Star around the Moon” and “Nine Dragons and Five Tigers” and do some in-depth hiking to Jinkeng Rice Terrace which is less commercial at present.

Activity 5: Doing Meaningful Cooking Class

Engage in an authentic cooking class in Yangshuo cooking school and you'll learn how to make traditional Chinese cuisine on your own hands. The morning class is available from 9:30 to 12:30 and the afternoon class starts from 15:30 to 18:30. The whole class lasts for 3 hours including visiting local market to learn about ingredients and local life, preparing, cooking under the guidance of professional chef. Of course, enjoy your dishes with your family and friends.

Activity 6: Watching Amazing Shows at Night

To enrich your nightlife in Guilin, you can kill your time in bar and cafe', and how about watching a large-scale open-air show on the shores of the Li River with stunning backdrop of mountains and rivers? This enchanting performance is called "Impression Liu Sanjie", directed by famous Chinese director - Zhang Yimou. It lasts about 1 hour usually performed at 20:00 every night. Just about 1.9 kilometers away from West Street.

Activity 7: Encountering Yao & Zhuang Ethnic Groups

Guangxi and Guilin are home to 12 different ethnic minorities besides the Han Chinese. To deeply encounter with Yao and Zhuang ethnic groups, the first choice is Longji Rice Terraces. Reach Huangluo Yao Village see the Guinness long hair women, with the longest of about 1.7 meters. When hiking among rice paddies, you have the chance to meet Yao and Zhuang local people and they would like to share stories with you. If you like, come to one local resident's house to learn how to make traditional bamboo rice. Interesting, isn't it???

Activity 8: Photography

Guilin is the darling paradise for photographers. The subjects are a lot, and you can shoot Karst landscape, Nine Horses Fresco Hill, Yellow Cloth Shoal, buffalos, old villages, old bridges, countryside view, farmland, sea of clouds, mist Li River, sunrise and sunset, ethnic minorities and their villages, rice terraces paddies in four seasons... Don't worry about the best locations and best time to shoot, just check our Guilin Photography Guide and you can get professional ideas.

Accommodation in Guilin:

Hotels range from luxury 5 star to budget ones, mainly situated along the Li River. You can choose to stay in Shangri-La Hotel Guilin, Sheraton Guilin Hotel and etc., where you can overlook the downtown area from your hotels and transfer to the iconic site - Elephant Trunk Hill easily. It is about 28 kilometers from Guilin Lijiang Airport within 1 hour's drive.

Accommodation in Longji Rice Terraces:

It is highly recommended to stay one night in Ping'an Zhuang Village of this area. You can capture superlative terrace scenery when open your window and do dome walking just step out of your hotel and hostel. Also, it brings great convenience for travelers who want to shoot sunrise and sunset.

Accommodation in Yangshuo:

You have three major areas to choose from, including the West Street at the center of Yangshuo, Yulong River a little far away from the center, and the nearby villages. Meanwhile, from the high-end luxury resorts, deluxe international brands, mid-end comfortable hotels, featured boutique hotels, to common budget hostels and warm homestays, you can find what you want in Yangshuo.