Guilin: the Li River, and a city of small hills
Two or three days for the four-hour Li River cruise to Yangshuo, karst hills and the Longji rice terraces, with easy rail links to Guangzhou.
The short answer
Guilin needs two to three days. The centre is half a day — Elephant Trunk Hill, the Sun and Moon Pagodas, the two rivers and four lakes — so the real reasons to come are the four-hour Li River cruise to Yangshuo and the Longji rice terraces, two hours north.
- The Li River cruise runs 4 hours from Zhujiang Pier to Yangshuo; book a boat with an open deck.
- Stay two nights in Guilin and two in Yangshuo, not the other way round.
- Guilin to Guangzhou is 2 hours 30 by high-speed rail, to Guiyang 2 hours.
- The Longji terraces need a full day; entry ¥80 plus the cable car.
The province around it
Guilin is where the Li River cruises begin and the base most travellers use for the karst, the terraces and the day trip down to Yangshuo. Guangxi →
A small city inside the karst
Guilin is a city of 5 million wrapped around the Li River, but the reason people come is the landscape: limestone towers rising straight from flat fields, the shape printed on the back of the ¥20 note. The centre is compact and walkable in a day — Elephant Trunk Hill (¥55), Fubo Hill (¥25) and the Sun and Moon Pagodas on Shanhu Lake, which light up after dark. A two-rivers-and-four-lakes night cruise threads through the middle, ¥180–210.
The Li River and Yangshuo
The classic route is the four-hour cruise from Zhujiang Pier to Yangshuo, 83 km (52 miles) downstream, past Nine Horse Fresco Hill and the 20-yuan note viewpoint. A 4-star boat with lunch is ¥270; 3-star is ¥215. Boats leave between 09:00 and 11:00 only, and the pier is 40 minutes by shuttle from the city. Yangshuo is 10 minutes from the dock and is where most travellers stay to cycle the Yulong River valley — bikes are ¥30–50 a day.
Beyond the river
Two hours north, the Longji rice terraces at Longsheng climb 800 m (2,600 ft) up the hillside in ribbons; entry is ¥80 and the Ping'an village walk takes two to three hours. Inside Guilin, the Reed Flute Cave (¥90, an hour) is worth an afternoon if it rains, and the night market on Zhengyang Pedestrian Street runs until 23:00. Eat Guilin rice noodles for breakfast — ¥8–15 with pickles and braised meat — and Yangshuo beer fish for dinner at about ¥80 a fish.
Li River cruise to Yangshuo
Four hours and 83 km past the 20-yuan note scenery. ¥215 for 3-star, ¥270 for 4-star; mornings only.
Yangshuo and the Yulong River
Bamboo rafts, rice paddies and village lanes. Bikes ¥30–50 a day; stay two nights.
Longji rice terraces
Terraces climbing 800 m (2,600 ft) above Longsheng. Entry ¥80 plus cable car; a full day.
Sun and Moon Pagodas
Twin pagodas on Shanhu Lake, the older in bronze. ¥40 to climb; the shore view is free.
Practical
| Province | Guangxi |
|---|---|
| Airport code | KWL (Guilin Liangjiang International) |
| Direct flights from the UK | None — one stop via Guangzhou, Shanghai or Hong Kong, 14–18 hours |
| High-speed rail connections | Guangzhou 2h30 · Guiyang 2h · Nanning 2h · Shenzhen 3h |
| Days needed | 2–3 |
| Best months | April–October, best in September–October |
| Local food to try | Guilin rice noodles, Yangshuo beer fish, Lipu taro |
| Li River cruise | 4 hours, ¥215–360, morning departures |
| Longji terraces | 2 hours north, ¥80 entry |
| Summer / winter temperature | 32°C (90°F) in July · 9°C (48°F) in January |
Getting there from the UK
No UK airport flies non-stop to Guilin (KWL); fly one stop via Guangzhou, Shanghai or Hong Kong, in 14 to 18 hours. Liangjiang International is 30 km (19 miles) west: the airport bus to the Aviation Hotel takes 40 minutes for ¥20, and a taxi is ¥100–120. Better, arrive by rail — Guilin is 2 hours 30 from Guangzhou (¥150).
How many days
Three days is the comfortable answer: one in Guilin for the pagodas and a night cruise, one for the Li River to Yangshuo, and one for the Longji terraces or cycling the Yulong valley.
Worth knowing if you're travelling from the UK
Two notes for British travellers. The Li River boats sail only in the morning and only with full loads, so do not plan a same-day arrival; we book a boat with an open upper deck. And the ¥20 note is a real guide — the viewpoint at Xingping is the exact note image.