Room view from the Yangshuo Zen Garden Resort
The limestone mountains and winding rivers of Yangshuo create one of China's most iconic landscapes.
While Yangshuo is a popular day trip from Guilin, we highly recommend staying for a few nights to fully appreciate its incredible scenery and peaceful atmosphere. Choosing the right accommodation can make your visit even more memorable.
We've researched the best hotels in Yangshuo, from boutique retreats surrounded by rice fields to luxury stays with panoramic views of the karst mountains.
This guide also includes everything you need to know to plan your visit.
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Quickly compare the best hotels in Yangshuo
We’ve included more information about the best hotels in Yangshuo below, but here is a quick overview. Prices vary depending on the season, but we’ve included a range for easy comparison:
Yangshuo Zen Garden Resort: A tranquil boutique retreat offering peaceful surroundings, beautiful mountain views from many rooms, and a relaxing atmosphere just outside the centre of Yangshuo.
Prices from AUD $120
LS Hotel Liangsu Yangshuo 桂林阳朔良宿: One of the most talked about hotel options. Rooms have 270° panoramic floor-to-ceiling views over rice paddies and karst peaks.
Prices from AUD $250
Banyan Tree Yangshuo Hotel: A luxurious riverside resort with elegant villas and suites, world-class spa facilities, and spectacular karst mountain scenery.
Prices from AUD $380
Yangshuo Sugar House Hotel: A restored sugar mill that has been converted into a luxury hotel. It's a great choice for lovers of contemporary design, with an impressive outdoor pool surrounded by mountains.
Prices from AUD $500
Riverside Paradise Hotel (Lijiang River Branch): The ideal choice for enjoying uninterrupted views of the Li River, with spacious rooms and a stunning infinity pool overlooking the water and surrounding peaks.
Prices from AUD $400
Voco Guilin Yangshuo: A contemporary upscale hotel with spacious, modern rooms and a convenient location.
Prices from AUD $400
How to book the best hotel in Yangshuo
Yangshuo is a popular destination in China, and hotels with views of the karst mountains can book out well in advance. We'd recommend comparing the hotels in this guide and checking availability for your travel dates as early as possible.
If you book through Agoda or Trip.com, many hotels also offer free cancellation within a specified period, giving you some flexibility if your plans change. We'd also recommend using Agoda's search filters if you're looking for specific features, such as private balconies or river views.
Note: this post includes affiliate links. If you decide to have a similar stay in Yangshuo, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for visiting Yangshuo, China
Why Yangshuo is the best place to see Mountain scenery
We've visited a lot of places in China with striking scenery, but Yangshuo's karst landscape is something else. The ancient limestone peaks look like something out of a classical Chinese painting.
Staying at a hotel with mountain views means you can enjoy the scenery from your room, balcony or pool before crowds arrive on day trips from Guilin.
How to get to Yangshuo from Guilin
The most convenient way to get from Guilin to Yangshuo is by private transfer, which you can arrange in advance from any hotel in Guilin to any hotel in Yangshuo in advance here.
Otherwise, high-speed rail is the easiest way to get around China in general. We always book our tickets ahead as most train routes fill up quickly. You can use Trip.com to purchase e-tickets here for the high speed railway in advance. With e-tickets, you’ll only need to show your passport at railway stations to enter.
By car or public bus, Yangshuo is around 1.5 hours from Guilin. Buses run from Guilin Qintan bus station to Yangshuo and cost around CN￥28. You can find more information about the stations and bus route on this China Bus Guide.
The best time of year to visit Yangshuo
If you want to see the Li River, the best time to visit is between May and October. The low water season is from November to February when the river is not as full.
This area has long, hot and humid summers, and mild winters. Although the water lilies start to bloom in summer, we’d recommend avoiding travelling in the middle of summer as the heat can be quite intense. If possible, it’s also best to avoid the national holidays when there are major crowds (just check the dates for Lunar New Year, National Day and Golden Week before booking your trip).
How long to stay in Yangshuo
We have a full list of things to do in the Guangxi region here and would recommend spending a few nights at one of the hotels in Yangshuo to fully explore the area.
We personally stayed in the Yangshuo Zen Garden Resort for a few nights to make the most of all of the activities that the accommodation offers (like qigong at sunrise and lantern making at night). We also visited places like the Yulong River and Ruyi Peak in the mornings, then booked afternoon parasailing flights over the river.
VPN and Mobile Data in China
We use Holafly’s eSIM for China. It offers unlimited data and comes with a VPN so you can use apps like Instagram/WhatsApp and search engines like Google without any restrictions. It’s also quick and easy to set up (by email), and you can keep your original number and SIM. If you’re looking for a data plan and VPN, you can use our code ‘LINGANDJACE’ for 5% off Holafly’s eSIM for China with this link.
It’s important that whatever mobile plan you choose includes a VPN, as otherwise you’ll find your apps and search engines will not work (even Bing, which is permitted to operate in China, has its search results heavily limited, so you won’t be able to find much helpful information while travelling without a VPN).
Making payments in China
China is basically a cashless society. Visa and Mastercard are generally not accepted in China, except for at some hotels. Virtually everyone uses either WeChat or AliPay for payments, meaning all travellers should have both of these apps.
Since 2025, the international versions of both WeChat and AliPay now allow foreign travellers to connect international bank cards to the apps and make payments without issue (although you may be asked to verify transactions through your bank app). The apps will automatically detect whether you are an international user, but if not, you can manually change that in-app.
We would recommend connecting both a travel debit card with Chinese Yuan (like WISE, which you can instantly sign up for here) and a credit card to the apps just in case one doesn’t work.
Maps in China
We found Apple maps to be the most reliable English-language map app in China.
One-day tours to Yangshuo mountains
If you’re short on time and can only do one thing, we’d recommend seeing the sunrise from one of the most incredible viewpoints on Xianggong Mountain.
This sunrise tour can be booked from either Guilin or Yangshuo and is the perfect way to see a few destinations in our Guilin scenic guide. When you select your tour date, you can choose to take a half or full day trip, or to add places like the Yulong River or Ruyi Peak, depending on how much you can fit in.
The best hotels in Yangshuo, China
Yangshuo Zen Garden Resort
We stayed in the Yangshuo Zen Garden Resort for a few nights and it was the most serene, boutique retreat. The main highlight was the choice of rooms with mountain views, which blended modern amenities with traditional Chinese aesthetics. The resort also has beautifully designed communal spaces like lounges, gardens and lotus ponds, as well as activities like a calligraphy table, lantern making classes and morning qigong sessions.
There is a restaurant onsite which is also open for breakfast and afternoon tea, or room service is available 24/7. It is located about 5km from the Yangshuo town centre in the Jiwodu Village area of the Yulong River Scenery Zone.
We’d pick this stay if you want to be in the main scenic area of Yangshuo.
LS Hotel Liangsu Yangshuo
LS Hotel Liangsu Yangshuo 桂林阳朔良宿 is one of the most talked-about stays in Yangshuo right now (especially on Instagram) and it's easy to see why. The rooms have 270° panoramic floor-to-ceiling views over rice paddies and misty karst peaks. Some rooms also include a rotating bed so you can adjust the angle to follow the light outside.
This boutique is one of the most modern designs in the area. It also has two outdoor pools, an on-site restaurant, and easy access to nearby walk and cycling trails, bamboo rafting, and scenic areas like the Ten-Mile Gallery.
We’d recommend LS Hotel Liangsu Yangshuo 桂林阳朔良宿 if you’re after a very modern, stylish stay.
Banyan Tree Yangshuo Hotel
Banyan Tree Yangshuo Hotel is a luxury resort directly on the Li River with its own jetty and bamboo rafts. One of the most beautiful parts of the hotel is the pool which is surrounded by Chinese architecture and impressive mountain and river views. The hotel also offers a spa, sauna and fitness centre, as well as an infinity pool and garden area.
Its location in Fuli Town makes it feel more like a retreat, as it is around 20 minutes from Yangshuo town centre and designed for slow travel, stillness and immersion in the landscape. There are a range of rooms to choose from, including lake or mountain view suites, private villas with garden or river views, and wellbeing retreat villas. There are also a few food options on site, including a restaurant with both local and international dishes, a Cantonese-style restaurant, and a poolside bar and lounge.
We’d recommend Banyan Tree Yangshuo Hotel for a quieter, wellness focused stay in Yangshuo.
Yangshuo Sugar House Hotel
Yangshuo Sugar House Hotel is a restored sugar mill that has been converted into a luxury hotel with a sleek, modern design. It is located just outside Yangshuo, in a surreal area between the mountains. There are a range of rooms to choose from including villas, townhouses, heritage suites, deluxe rooms and themed suites. In general, the rooms are spacious with floor-to-ceiling windows which offer panoramic views. Some rooms and higher-end villas also private terraces or balconies.
It has been featured in the MICHELIN Guide with a One MICHELIN Key distinction, highlighting its standout design and hospitality. It has a restaurant, café, spa, outdoor swimming pool (including a children’s pool) and offers curated activities in the area as well.
Yangshuo Sugar House Hotel is the best choice for anyone interested in unique design in Yangshuo.
Riverside Paradise Hotel (Lijiang River Branch)
Riverside Paradise Hotel (Lijiang River Branch) is a new, holiday-style property which is the best option on this list for views of the Li River. The hotel sits directly on the riverbank in the Shili Gallery Scenic Area, and the infinity pool overlooking it is one of the most spectacular spots in Yangshuo.
Rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows and private balconies or terraces facing the river. The interior design follows a neo-Chinese aesthetic with white walls, grey tiles and clean lines.
The hotel is also in a good area for activities like bamboo rafting, cycling to Moon Hill and the Big Banyan Tree, and walking paths along the Li River are all easily accessible from the door. The onsite restaurant serves both Chinese and Western dishes using fresh local ingredients, with Yangshuo specialties like beer fish and bamboo rice.
We’d recommend Riverside Paradise Hotel (Lijiang River Branch) if you want to have views for the river.
Voco Guilin Yangshuo
Voco Guilin Yangshuo is has incredible floor-to-ceiling views over the rice paddies. It opened in 2025 with a very modern and sleek design, and features an outdoor pool, fitness centre, garden, restaurant and spa. There are over 70 rooms in this hotel, ranging from suites with balconies to private infinity pools.
It is around 10 minutes’ drive from Yangshuo town centre, near the Yulong River and Ten Mile Gallery.
Voco Guilin Yangshuo is the best choice for travellers prioritising modern amenities and comfort.