There are some places that stay with you, quietly lodged in your memory. For me, that place was Guilin. If you're planning a trip to Guilin and Yangshuo, this is a fast-paced 4-day itinerary based on my own experiences exploring the region.
Day 1: Arrival in Guilin and Iconic Landmarks
Where to stay: Zen Tea House, Xiangshan District
Transport: make your way to Guilin via your preferred mode of transport - Guilin is also serviced by an airport (Guilin Liangjiang International Airport)
I arrived in Guilin via Guilin North Station, on a high-speed train from my hometown of Shenzhen. Guilin is serviced by three train stations with Guilin Station being the closest to the downtown area and Guilin West Station being the furthest. You can check which trains will work best for your schedule and book your tickets all through Trip.com:
Where to stay
In Guilin, most of the attractions are located within walking distance. I recommend staying in a hotel in Xiangshan District for convenience. The exact hotel I chose was Zen Tea House which was a ten minute stroll from my first stop of the day. The hotel lobby is adjoined to a Guilin rice noodle shop which was also perfect for early starts and late arrivals back to the hotel.
Elephant Trunk Hill (象鼻山)
Entry: free (QR code reservation required using either WeChat or Alipay)
Opening hours: 6:00-19:30 (April 1 to October 31); 6:30-19:00 (November 1 to March 31)
Approx. time: 0.5 hours
The iconic hill is exactly what its name suggests - a limestone formation that resembles an elephant drinking from the river. There are plenty of local photographers here and you can also rent traditional ethnic minority clothing if you're after some more memorable photos. There are also bamboo rafts available throughout this park, but I would recommend saving this experience for the Li River or the Yulong River. There are a few walking/hiking paths throughout the park as well which you may choose to explore.
Sun & Moon Pagodas (日月双塔)
Entry: free to walk around the surrounding paths leading up to the pagodas
Opening hours: 8:00-22:00 (though I recommend visiting at night to see the pagodas lit up)
Approx. time: 0.5 hours
The Sun & Moon Pagodas are super close to Elephant Trunk Hill so I quickly swung by to get a glimpse of these pagodas in the afternoon. They look much more stunning when lit up so I made a mental note to revisit later.
Lunch:
Sticky rice (糯米饭) for 5 RMB
Coffee stop at McMellow Coffee
Reed Flute Cave (芦笛岩)
Entry: 90 RMB for adults (there is usually a discount on Trip.com for this attraction!)
Opening hours: 8:00-17:30 (July 1 to April 30); 9:00-17:00 (May 1 to June 30)
Approx. time: 2 hours
Reed Flute Cave is named for the reeds that grow around the cave's entrance. There are many of these formations to explore in Guilin, though Reed Flute Cave is arguably one of the most famous and accessible. A Chinese guide will take you as part of a small tour through these caverns filled with psychedelically-lit up stalactites and stalagmites. The cave can get quite stuffy especially with all the crowds so I recommend lingering towards the back of the group for better views.
Jingjiang Prince's Palace (靖江王府)
Entry: 100 RMB for adults
Opening hours: 8:00-18:00 (October 8 to April 30); 7:30-18:30 (May 1 to October 7)
Approx. time: 3 hours
Once the seat of the Ming Dynasty princes for centuries, this palace complex is sometimes called the Forbidden City of the South. The tour is highly structured, taking you through one building where you can try your hand at rubbing/stamping, into a cave under Solitary Beauty Peak and through the Imperial Examination Hall where you can experience what it was like to be a test-taker. After the guided portion, I climbed Solitary Beauty Peak for a 360-degree, panoramic view of Guilin's endless limestone peaks.
As the experience is conducted entirely in Chinese, I would recommend non-speakers to either skip this or contact the scenic area beforehand to see whether an English tour is available (they do offer this though you may have to book in advance or in a larger group). Otherwise, my vlog also covers my experience :)
East West Street (东西巷)
Entry: free
Opening hours: always
Approx. time: 0.5 hours
This is Guilin's sole preserved historical street from the Ming and Qing dynasties. The area is quite commercialised so there was not too much for me to see but I would recommend trying some snacks here such as osmanthus flavoured ice cream from Osmanthus Commune (桂花公社).
Day 2: Longji Rice Terraces
Black Mountain Market (黑山早市)
Entry: free
Opening hours: best from 6:30-11:00
Approx. time: 1 hour
Morning markets offer a genuine taste of local life and Black Mountain Market seems to be the go to for Guilin residents. There is a rice noodle shop here right near the entrance which was delicious. Each vendor's brine recipe is going to be different so flavours vary from stall to stall and I recommend trying different ones if you've got space for it! This is also an excellent spot to pick up fruit and snacks for the day ahead at remarkably low prices. Some of the fruits in season while I was visiting included persimmons, passionfruit (though these are a light green colour) and green dates which were super crunchy.
This is the rice noodle stall which came highly recommended:
Jinkeng Rice Terraces (金坑梯田)
Entry: 80 RMB (additional 50 RMB per ride for the cable car up to Golden Buddha Top)
Opening hours: 24/7
Approx. time: 2.5 hours
One of three major rice terraces located within the Longji Scenic Area (龙脊梯田), the Jinkeng Rice Terraces are the largest and most popular for day trippers.
Getting there via public transport can be complicated and information even in Chinese was sparse so I decided to book a day trip via Trip.com. The tour price included transport to and from the scenic area, as well as my ticket for the Longji Scenic Area. However, I did have to pay separately for a cable car ticket. If you are travelling in a group, hiring a car or a driver would likely make more sense and give you more flexibility (I found the tour group to be quite rushed).
I timed my visit right before the autumn harvests so I was greeted by terraces rippling with gold. After viewing the rice terraces from the top, you can choose to take the cable car down or hike your way back to the car park. Allow 1-1.5 hours if you go for the latter option.
We also had a quick stop in the Huangluo Hong Yao Village which is famous for its Yao ethnic minority women who keep their hair incredibly long. We arrived at a random time in the afternoon so were unable to see any of the performances and instead spent around 20 minutes walking around the village. This was pretty lackluster.
Day 3: Li River Cruise & Yangshuo
Where to stay: Mirror of the Sky Hotel
Li River Cruise (漓江游船)
Entry: Approx. 300-400 RMB for three-star cruise; 400-500 RMB for four-star cruise
Departure times: 8:30-9:30
Approx. time: 4 hours (Guilin to Yangshuo)
The 83km stretch from Guilin to Yangshuo is one of the most scenic sections of the Li River and a journey to Guilin isn't really complete without it. If you're short on time, you can sign up for a day tour version that takes you through the cruise and a short trip in Yangshuo before ending your day back in Guilin. I had a little bit more time so packed up my luggage and headed to Yangshuo for one night.
The cruises can be booked directly through a WeChat mini program (which was a little confusing to navigate), through Trip.com or via your hotel directly. I went with the latter option. You can also choose between a three-star or four-star option - the main difference is going to be comfort as well as the food options available onboard with four-star cruises offering a buffet. I was also upsold a ticket for the upper deck for an extra 50 RMB. The cruise package included bus pick up from my hotel to Mopanshan Pier, where the three-star cruise departs.
The cruises come with English audio as well, pointing out various scenery along the way. The most iconic view, which is also located on the 20 RMB note, can be seen about 20 minutes before docking and there will be plenty of onboard announcements to let you know.
Ten Mile Gallery (十里画廊)
Entry: free (individual attractions along the route will charge separate entry)
Opening hours: 24/7
Approx. time: 3 hours
Ten Mile Gallery is a scenic stretch of road along the Yulong River (遇龙河), lined with karst peaks, rice paddies and various attractions including Moon Hill and a old banyan tree. The area is best explored slowly and there are various transport options:
Bicycle
E-scooter
Car hire
For dinner, I had some local delicacies including bamboo tube chicken at a nearby restaurant.
As this was my second visit to Yangshuo, I skipped West Street and also the Yulong River bamboo cruise which I would recommend.
Day 4: Xianggong Hill & Departure
Xianggong Hill (相公山)
Entry: 50 RMB
Opening hours: 5:00-18:00 (hours will vary depending on season if you're there to catch the sunrise)
Approx. time: 2 hours
Located about 50 minutes from Yangshuo, most visitors will arrange a private driver the night before. As I was staying within Ten Mile Gallery, I booked a taxi to the entrance of Ten Mile Gallery where I then took another shuttle bus to the base of Xianggong Hill. The full price paid for this experience was 200 RMB which included entry. This experience was also arranged with the help of my hotel in Yangshuo.
Xianggong Hill is arguably one of the most photographed views in all of Guangxi (perhaps rivalled by the newly-developed 千里江山图 viewing spots), offering the quintessential Li River panorama view where the river makes a dramatic bend through a sea of karst peaks. This is a decent climb that wasn't too steep and took about 20 minutes in the dark. There are several platforms as well but for the best view I recommend just going to whichever platform is less crowded so that you can get an unobstructed view.
I was dropped off back at the entrance of Ten Mile Gallery to end this sunrise experience. From there, I picked up my luggage from my hotel and made my way to Guilin North Station where I was heading off to my next destination: Zhangjiajie!
Practical Information
Getting to Guilin: Guilin has three train stations - Guilin North, Guilin Station and Guilin West. Guilin is also serviced by an airport.
Getting around within Guilin: The city has no metro system; taxis and Didis are your best bet for transport options, though you can also brave it on an e-scooter.
Where to stay:
Guilin: Xiangshan District will put you within walking distance of most downtown attractions.
Yangshuo: West Street for better dining and nightlife options, or Ten Mile Gallery for more peaceful surroundings and spectacular views. It is slightly more bothersome to get to and from the latter.
Best time to visit: mid-October onwards will offer golden rice terraces and comfortable temperatures as well as allowing you to miss China's Golden Week in the first week of October.
Foods to try:
Guilin rice noodles 桂林米粉 - 5-10 RMB (anything more expensive than this is usually targeted specifically at tourists)
Steamed sticky rice 糯米饭 - available at various street stalls, 5-10 RMB
Osmanthus cake 桂花糕
Beer fish 啤酒鱼
Bamboo tube chicken 竹筒鸡
You can watch my vlog of my time here: