11 Best things to do in Guilin, China: Food, sites and day trips
by ling and jace
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Bank of the Li River near the 20 RMB Scenic Area
Guangxi is one of the most beautiful regions to visit in China, with thousands of karst peaks and ancient rice terraces. The best part about travelling to Guangxi is that it’s very easy to get to through the city of Guilin, which can be reached by both plane and high speed rail.
We’ve put together this post with the best things to do in Guilin, including food, sites and day trips. For the more remote areas that aren’t connected by public transport, like Xiaggong Mountain and the Longji Rice Terraces, we’ve found the best tour options and routes to make the journey as easy as possible.
We loved capturing this trip and if you like any of these photos, you can find us on Instagram here:
Contents
Getting to Guilin
Tips for foreigners travelling in China
VPN and mobile data
High speed railway tickets
Payments
Maps
The best things to do in Guilin
Note: we paid for all of our experiences in China, but this post contains some affiliate links. If you decide to book a similar experience, we might make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
TIPS FOR FOREIGNERS TRAVELLING TO CHINA
VPN and mobile data: We used 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).
High speed railway tickets: High-speed rail is by far the most convenient way to get to China’s scenic spots. We always booked 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.
Payments: We’d recommend carrying cash in China because Visa and Mastercard aren’t accepted anywhere except for some hotels. You should also be able to withdraw cash from ATMs with no issue. We were able to withdraw 5,000CNY at a time from the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) using our Visa (through WISE) that was loaded with Chinese Yuan.
If you want to try cashless payments, you’ll need to use either WeChat or Alipay, through which you can also access other services like booking taxis through DiDi, the Chinese ride-hailing app. While both WeChat and Alipay can be set up with a foreign-bank issued card like WISE, they are still pretty inconsistent when paying with them. We recommend also setting up a Bank of Shanghai’s ‘Tour Card’ through WeChat and Alipay’s mini-program, which is a Chinese bank card for foreigners. It’ll make some (but not all) payments easier.
Maps: We found Apple maps to be the most reliable English-language map app in China.
We’ve posted a more detailed guide with everything you need to know as a foreigner travelling to China this year here:
HOW TO GET TO GUILIN
How to get to Guilin
Guilin has an international airport if you’re looking to fly into the Guangxi region.
Guilin can also be reached by high speed train from many other cities, including on direct train lines from Guangzhou and Hong Kong. It is located on the Guiyang–Guangzhou railway line (also known as the Guiguang HSR).
We used Trip.com to book e-tickets for the high speed railway in advance here. With the e-tickets, you only need to show your passport at railway stations to enter.
To get between the railway station and accommodation in Guilin, we’d recommend booking a transfer in advance so you don’t need to haggle with anyone when you arrive.
THE BEST TIME OF YEAR TO VISIT GUILIN
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.
Guilin has long, hot and humid summers, and very 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).
If you want to visit the Longji Rice Terraces, there are two ideal times of year. They are most beautiful when the fields are either filled with water (usually towards the end of May and beginning of June), or when the rice has fully grown and is ready to be harvested (usually just before the middle to end of October).
HOW LONG TO SPEND IN GUILIN
The Guangxi region can easily be explored from Guilin, as the city is close enough to some of the most beautiful mountains, rivers and rice terraces. Depending on how much time you have, we’d recommend spending two to five days in the area.
If you’d like to see most places on this list without needing to organise anything except for accommodation (in either Guilin or Yangshuo), we’d recommend taking a private tour. It is by far the easiest way to get around as there aren’t many rental car companies and the roads are very windy. The distances between destinations can also be quite long (sometimes we spent up to four hours in the car) and it really helps to have someone else guiding the trip. All of the tours we’ve listed below are private, so you can have more flexibility and customisation. That way, it is just like hiring a car or driver in one place.
THE BEST ONE-DAY TOUR FROM GUILIN
Xianggong Mountain and the Yulong River
If you’re very short on time and can only do one thing, we’d recommend seeing the most mystical sunrise from Xianggong Mountain. It is the most iconic view in the area. This sunrise tour can be booked from either Guilin or Yangshuo and is the perfect way to see a few destinations we’ve listed below. Once you select the 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.
ALL-INCLUSIVE CHINA TOURS TO GUILIN
If you are interested in a relaxing trip where everything is organised, we’d recommend looking into tours on Tour Radar because they are all-inclusive and cover meals, accommodation and internal transport. If you have one week in the area, there is a seven day tour of Guilin which includes Yangshuo and the Longji Rice Terraces by Silk Road Trips.
If you’d like to cover more of China, we’d recommend this two week trip with Realistic Asia which includes Guilin and Yangshuo. It is the best route that we’ve seen for China’s highlights because it also takes you to Beijing and the Great Wall, Xi’an and the Terracotta Warriors, Zhangjiajie (our favourite mountains) and Shanghai.
WHERE TO STAY IN GUILIN
We’d recommend booking accommodation in China ahead on Trip.com, Booking.com or Agoda and including your WeChat ID in your booking form so the accommodation provider can contact you. They are usually very responsive on WeChat (which includes an in-app translator).
We stayed at the Atour Hotel Guilin West Yangshuo Street which is within walking distance of the city’s attractions like night markets, Elephant Trunk Hill and the Sun and Moon Pagodas. It’s also about 15-20 minutes’ drive away from the high-speed railway station. To get to our accomodation in Guilin, we booked a private transfer from the train station here.
If you want to travel further into the region, we also decided to stay in:
Xingping: Xingping Town VALLEY Resort (only available to book here on Trip.com, just copy the full name over).
Yangshuo: Yangshuo Zen Garden Resort
Longji Rice Terraces: Xia Tiruijing Homestay (Longji Jinkeng Daguzhai Terrace Observation Deck) (only available to book here on Trip.com, just copy the full name over).
THE BEST THINGS TO DO AROUND GUILIN
This isn’t meant to be a strict itinerary for the Guangxi region, but we’ve put together a list of the most beautiful places that you can travel to from Guilin. To get out of the city, we’d recommend booking a driver or guide instead of hiring a car because the roads are very windy. We’ve also researched every tour and listed the best ones below which will make each destination a lot easier to reach.
1. ELEPHANT TRUNK HILL AND REED FLUTE CAVE
The Li River winds through the city of Guilin and there is a unique rock called Elephant Trunk Hill (象鼻山) which looks like an elephant drinking from the water. There is also a cave system nearby called Reed Flute Cave. If you’re interested in a day tour of the city and surrounding attractions, we’d recommend this private tour of Guilin which can be fully customised to visit this natural landscapes.
2. FOUR LAKES AND NIGHT MARKETS
The most beautiful buildings in Guilin are the sun Sun and Moon Pagodas (日月双塔). The best time to see them is at night, when the city is lit up. If you have a spare evening in Guilin, we’d recommend taking this night cruise across the Four Lakes of Guilin to see the waterways that run through the city.
Zhengyang Street is the main pedestrian street near the pagodas with many restaurants. We decided to stay in the city of Guilin for just one night at the Atour Hotel Guilin West Yangshuo Street, which was within walking distance of many stalls.
In the very centre of the city, you can also visit the Xicheng Night Market. These areas had some of our favourite street food and stlls, where we bought jade, artworks and custom carvings. Guilin means ‘sweet osmanthus forest’ and the flower is fragrant throughout the whole region. We tried it in osmanthus tea and picked it up in perfumes while we were there.
3. LI RIVER SCENIC CRUISE
One of the most popular ways to travel in the Guangxi region is by boat, either on a larger cruise on the Li River or on a bamboo raft on the smaller waterways that run from it.
It is possible to take a Li River scenic river cruise in a day trip from Guilin. There are two options that we’d recommend for this: either this tour that goes to a village called Yangdi after the river, or this tour which goes to Yangshuo and the famous West Street (that has been used for 1400 years). Both options include transfers to and from Guilin and lunch on board the scenic cruise.
Another way to experience the Li River is by kayaking near Guilin. This half day tour includes pick up from the city and then follows a 9km kayaking route down the river (in calm water).
Li River near Xingping
4. XIANGGONG MOUNTAIN
Xianggong Mountain: 相公山
The iconic photo of the Li River snaking through the Guangxi karst landscape is taken from the top of Xianggong Mountain (also called Xianggong Hill). It’s a 10-15 minute climb up stairs to several levels of viewing platforms from which you can see the entire landscape. If you only do one day trip from Guilin, we’d highly recommend going here.
If you’re up for an early start, Xianggong Mountain is unreal at sunrise because the platform faces the rising sun, and you’ll be able to watch the sunlight fill each small valley. By public transport, the route to Xianggong Hill involves a river-crossing ferry and a driver or cart on the other side, so the most convenient way to get there early for the sunrise is by taking this early morning tour to Xianggong Mountain which organises all transport from either Guilin or Yangshuo.
Alternatively, if you don’t want an early start, you can also easily reach Xianggong Mountain on this day trip from Guilin. This tour starts a bit later and goes to Xingping Ancient Town, Fuli Bridge (our favourite ancient bridge, listed below), and ends at sunset on the Li River, where you can see fishermen with their cormorants.
The view from Xiaggong Mountain lookout
getting to Xianggong Mountain by public transport
You can also get to Xianggong Mountain independently by taking a river-crossing ferry and a golf-cart ride to the start of the climb which also come at a small cost. If you’re driving there yourself, the wharf is at the end of the only road in Xingping which follows the river once you cross the bridge in Xingpingzhen (the main town) to the river bank scenic area.
Xianggong Mountain has an entry fee of around CN ¥60 (at October 2023) per person (this will sometimes be included in the tour price if you join one, otherwise there is a ticket gate if you travel there independently).
Xiaggong Mountain lookout platforms
5. XINGPING ANCIENT TOWNT
The Li River is famous for cormorant fishing, which has been practiced for over one thousand years in the area. The fisherman go out on thin bamboo rafts at dawn or dusk and the birds are trained to catch fish.
How to get to Xingping from Guilin
If you’re planning a day trip yourself, Xingping is located around 1 hours’ drive from Guilin. Buses also run from Guilin Qintan bus station and can find more information about the stations and bus route on this China Bus Guide. If you’d like a private transfer, you can book reliable options from any Guilin hotel to Xingping hotel or from any Xingping hotel back to Guilin railway station. Return trips can also be booked back to Guilin international airport here.
Day tours from Guiling to Xinping
If you’d find it more convenient to take a tour, we’d recommend this day trip from Guilin to Xingping Ancient Town, which also goes to the viewpoint at Xianggong Hill, Fuli Bridge and sunset with fishermen on the Li River. It includes all transport by car.
The best time of day to see fishermen in Xingping is at sunrise or sunset. At sunrise, there are more people along the river going about their daily life, either travelling down the river at the start of the day or washing their clothes. At sunset, some areas of the Xingping fishing villages are set up for photography. If you’re interested in taking scenic photos of fishermen on their boats, we’d recommend taking this sunset tour from either Guilin or Yangshuo as it can get you to the best areas.
Fisherman with cormorants outside the Xingping Town VALLEY Hotel
6. TIANXIN VILLAGE
There is a very picturesque area called Tianxi Village around 30km away from Guilin. In the village, there is another photography opportunity with famers and their water buffalo surrounded by mountains.
We’d recommend joining this tour if you’re interested in photography in the area, as the guide will help to organise the opportunity at sunrise or sunset. The tour also includes transport to and from any accommodation in Guilin or Yangshuo.
Li River
7. YANGSHUO HOT AIR BALLOON
Yangshuo has one of the most unique landscapes that we’ve seen, with thousands of mountain peaks around the rivers. One of the best ways to take in the landscape is by seeing it from above, and there are a number of day tours to do this, including by parasailing and hot air balloon.
Parasailing trips in Yangshuo run from the Yansha Paragliding and Flying Base, Shanshui Roade, Yangshuo County. Each parasailing trip is led by a pilot and takes one passenger. They take off from a high mountain top and fly over the river, which is particularly beautiful in the late afternoon. You can book tickets to go parasailing in advance here. Depending on availability, you can also buy tickets at the Yansha Paragliding and Flying Base (where tickets start at around CN ¥400 per person/flight), but allow a time for the queues—we waited around 2 hours for a spot as we didn’t book ahead.
The easiest way to arrange a hot air balloon ride in Yangshuo is to book online. This sunrise tour on Viator includes hot air balloon tickets and private transfer from any hotel in Guilin, Xingping or Yangshuo. It is a popular experience in the area, so we’d recommend booking your spot in advance and if the weather isn’t good on the day it will be fully refunded.
Aerial view of the Guangxi limestone, taken with a DJI Mavic Mini 3 Pro
How to get to Yangshuo from Guilin
By car or 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.
It is also possible to book a private transfer in advance from any hotel in Guilin to any hotel in Yangshuo in advance here. If you’d like to stay in Yangshuo for one night, we’d recommend this self guided tour that explores Yangshuo over two days. Just note you’ll need to book accommodation separately on this two day trip. We found the most incredible place to stay at the Yangshuo Zen Garden Resort which we can’t recommend enough.
8. YULONG RIVER
Yulong River: 遇龙河
If you have time, we’d recommend taking short day trips to other waterways that flow from the Li River. Our favourite was the Yulong River—its name in Mandarin means meeting a dragon. The whole area has a very mystical feel, with ancient bridges and bamboo rafts that have been used as daily transportation for hundreds of years.
A bamboo boat is still the best way to see the Yulong River. We’d recommend taking this sunrise tour to Xianggong Mountain from either Guilin or Yangshuo and adding the option to visit the Yulong River with a bamboo boat ride (it will come up in the menu after selecting the date).
There are three famous stone bridges over the Yulong River that we’d recommend seeing. Xiangui Bridge is the oldest bridge in the Guangxi area, built in the Song Dynasty AD 1123. After 800 years, the 281 pieces of stone are in good condition. Yulong Bridge is 60 metres long and covered with ivy.
Fuli Bridge was our favourite one because its reflection creates a perfect circle. It was built in the Ming Dynasty over 500 years ago and is still completely intact. If you’d like to see it, this day trip specifically includes Fuli Bridge in the itinerary, and also goes to Xianggong Mountain, Xingping Ancient Town, and ends at sunset on the Li River, where you can see fishermen with their cormorants.
Bridge over the Yulong River, taken with a DJI Mavic Mini 3 Pro
9. RUYI PEAK
We went further up into the mountains of Yangshuo by visiting Ruyi Peak, which is a huge scenic walkway between the mountains peaks. There are huge suspension bridges, lookouts and platforms which give panoramic views of the whole area. We weren’t sure what to expect before visiting Ruyi Peak, but it ended up being an amazing place to visit. The bridges and platforms are extremely high up and give panoramic views of the whole landscape.
You can buy tickets to Ruyi peak (including a return tickets for the cable car) in advance here, and there is transport to and from any hotel if needed. If you travel to Ruyi Peak independently, the entry cost is CN ￥260 (at October 2023).
Viewing it platform on the top of Ruyi Peak, taken with a DJI Mavic Mini 3 Pro
10. CUIPING HILL
Cuiping Hill (also called Wuzhi Hill) is one of the best places to see the sunset in Guangxi as it overlooks the Tortoise River and Cuiping Village. There is an entry fee of CN ¥60 and it takes around 40 minutes to hike to the top of the hill. Some people prefer to visit Cuiping Hill over other lookouts in the area as it usually isn’t too crowded.
To get there, this private half-day tour from either Guilin or Yangshuo can be customised to include sunrise at Xianggong Mountain, transport back to your accommodation during the day, and then transport to Cuiping Hill for the sunset. If you’re interested in photography, this package is perfect because Xianggong Mountain and Cuiping Hill are both incredible vantage points which get you high above the landscape. The tour takes away the need to worry about organising transport or finding drivers very early and late in the day.
Aerial view of Xingping and mountains, taken with a DJI Mavic Mini 3 Pro
11. THE LONGJI RICE TERRACES
Longji Rice Terraces: 龙脊梯田
The Longji Rice Terraces (龙脊梯田) are called the ‘Dragon’s Backbone’. They are a mountainous area with over 15,000 terraces that have been used for over 700 years. The Longji Rice Terraces can only really be reached by car, so we’d recommend either hiring a car, booking a private driver, or taking a tour.
They can easily be reached on a day tour from Guilin or Yangshuo. If you don’t have much time in the region, we recommend this day trip which starts at Xianggong Mountain and then to the Longji Rice Terraces. Once you select your travel date, the Longji Rice Terrace tour option will appear in the menu.
Aerial view of the Longji Rice Terraces, taken with a DJI Mavic Mini 3 Pro near the Golden Buddha Peak
If you have a full day just to explore the rice terraces, we’d recommend taking a full day private tour from Guilin because you can fully customise the experience. After selecting the date, you can choose to add experiences like the cable car to the top of Golden Buddha Peak where you can get fantastic views of the Longji Rice Terraces from the top of the valley. Adding these experiences to your tour package is a good option as the tour guides can get tickets for you faster (they have a separate line at ticket booths). There are also options in the tour to include hiking in Ping’an Zhuang Village or Dazhai Village, and one option that stops at Cuiping Hill on the way back to Guilin for an amazing sunset view of the limestone mountains.
We decided to spend more time in the Longji rice terraces at the end of our trip, and have included everything that you need to know to visit here:
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