4 Days Guilin Highlights Tour (Li River, Yangshuo & Longji Terraces)
Guilin Short Vacation But Cover All the Highlights
Guilin Short Vacation But Cover All the Highlights
The Chinese primary school textbook says: "Guilin’s landscape is the best under heaven". You will find that's exactly true after taking this trip to Li River, Yangshuo and Longsheng, the three most classic and popular places in Guilin. Only 4 days are needed to get them all in a single trip. As long as you arrive at Guilin a little earlier, you will even stay an interesting night and day at Longji Rice Terraces which is an ideal place for experiencing ethnic culture, hiking and photography. You will also enjoy a relaxing cruise along Li River to Yangshuo, and have a pleasant time of countryside exploration.
Day 1 Guilin Arrival - Longji Rice Terrace
Pick up in Guilin and transfer 2.5 hours to Longji Rice Terrace
Welcome to Guilin, the most scenic city in China. Upon your arrival at airport (railway station), our local guide and driver will pick you up and then transfer you to Ping'an Village at Longji Rice Terrace. Check in your hotel. The rest of today is free for you to explore beautiful surroundings.
Good to Know:
1. Accommodating idea: The driving from Guilin to Ping'an is about 1.5 hours. If your flight or train arrives at Guilin after 5pm, we suggest you spend a night at Guilin, then transfer to Ping'an on the next day.
2. Walking: When arriving at Ping’an Village, you can only be dropped at Ping’an Village Tourist Center parking lot from where you need to walk about 900 steps to your hotel. Comfortable shoes are highly recommended;
3. Luggage carrying: For the aged or travelers who are lack of physical strength, you’d better hire a local porter to help carry your heavy luggage to the hotel (pay extra expense on your own).
Longji Rice Terraces View, Taken by Santos from Canada in 2018
Day 2 Longsheng to Guilin (B, L)
Today's highlights: Sunrise, Longji Rice Terrace
When you wake up in the fresh air of peaceful morning, you may forget where you are. Try to watch the magnificent sunrise from a great location on the terraces if you don't mind getting up very early. After breakfast, your guide will take you to explore the breathtaking views of Longji Rice Terrace leisurely. 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. From Pingan, you can hike on the cobbled paths built among terraces to catch the best landscape. Climb up to the great lookouts at Seven Stars with Moon and Nine Dragons and Five Tigers from which you can get superlative views of terraces and villages.
Different seasons will show you the different views. From mid-April to Mid-June, local people will release water into the terraced fields. Patches of patches watery terraced fields will reflect its beauty in the sun shine. While during mid-June to mid-September, the glossy and green rice terraces wave with summer breeze, and you can also see the curves of the terraced fields. The months from late September to early October are the mature time of the rice when the whole terraced fields will become golden and local farmers will start to harvest.
Hike half day around, then back to Pingan. Then transfer back to Guilin City. Check in at your hotel. The rest time is free on your own to have fun in Guilin - strolling, hunting food...
Good to Know:
1. Weather: The temperatures of Longsheng are normally lower 2℃ to 3℃ than Guilin City (28.3℃ in July and 7.9℃ in January), while the mountain tops temperature is lower than the mountain foot, so please take some warm clothes with you.
2. Walking: When arriving at Pingan Village, you can only be dropped at Pingan Village Tourist Center parking lot that you need to walk about 900 steps to your hotel. Comfortable shoes are highly recommended!
Day 3 Guilin - Li River Cruise - Yangshuo (B, L)
Today's highlight: Li River Cruise, Yangshuo Yulong River, West Street
As the declaration in Chinese textbook "Guilin's landscape is the best under heaven", today you will explore this best landscape starting with a relaxing sightseeing cruise along the Li River from Mopanshan Pier to Yangshuo Town. Along the 84-kilometer cruise, dazzling scenery overwhelms your eyes like a vast endless Chinese painting of winding river, green limestone karst mountains, fascinating countryside views, amazing scene of A Painting of Nine Horses, and notable view printed on the back of the 20 RMB note. (Please note: Lunch is served by the cruise with simple local Chinese cuisine. And you can take some snacks when getting on board.)
After about 4 hours's cruise, disembark in Yangshuo Town, and check into your hotel.
After a short break, start your impressive exploration of the best charming sightseeing and ideal countryside ease at Yulong River. Let all the refreshing scenes please your eyes and souls to the utmost. Just enjoy every moment with the Karst hills dotted around, chatting stream, rippling mountain reflection, swaying floras, patches of vivid crops, comfortable breeze... There are diverse kinds of ways for your enjoyment of the fun and beauty, including biking, hiking, bamboo rafting and scooter. You can easily choose and combine your ideal way(s) and part of Yulong River. (Please tell your likes to your travel consultants before booking the tour, as the final prices will differ by activities you choose).
Biking (some physically demanding & sightseeing by the river) - Ride to enjoy the river view and the real fields (route: Yangshuo - Jima - Shuiedi Dock - Gongnong Bridge - West Street; for 1.5-2 hours).
Bamboo Rafting (relaxing and interesting & sightseeing on the river) - have fun with the classic bamboo rafting (Route A: Shuiedi Dock - Gongnong Bridge for 40-50 minutes; Route B: Jima Dock - Gongnong Bridge for 1.5 hours) to see the more serene view like pieces of traditional Chinese landscape ink paintings.
Driving (most leisurable and comfortable & sightseeing on the road) - drive and travel from Jima to Gongnong Bridge to appreciate the lovely countryside view (about 0.5 hour). You can get off and on anywhere on the middle way to explore more about your interested place.
After that, walk leisurely on the ancient West Street to witness how the western culture and Chinese culture perfectly and peacefully coexist here. Whether you want to enjoy a cup of drink in bar, taste some local food, or just experience the relaxing atmosphere, you get it here.
Note: according to the regulations of Yulong River Tourism, children less than 1 meter high and elders over 70 years old are not allowed to take the bamboo rafting.
Optional evening activity:
Watch the splendid evening performance of Impression Liu Sanjie with the Li River itself as the stage, which was directed by famous director - Zhang Yimou (usually performs for an hour between around 19:45 and 22:20).
Day 4 Yangshuo - Guilin Departure (B, L)
Today's highlight: Elephant Trunk Hill, Reed Flute Cave
After breakfast, transfer back to Guilin in a comfortable vehicle (1.5~2hrs). Then make a visit to the symbol of Guilin landscape - Elephant Trunk Hill. A giant rock hill vividly shapes like an elephant which is drinking water. Besides, there are many historical sites here for you to explore, such as stone carving, Buddhist temple, relic exhibition, etc. Then, drive about 7 kilometers to next attraction - Reed Flute Cave, a majestic underground palace with sparkling different colors. The magical Mother Nature condenses millions years of natural efforts to form the incredible stalactite, stalagmite, stone shield and stone waterfall of different sizes and shapes.
Lastly, your tour guide will take you to catch your flight / train to your next destination. Tour ends!
1. This price is for one person, based on a group of 2 adults sharing one standard double-bed room in a 4-star hotel and traveling with our private tour in low seasons. It will drop greatly if your group has 4 or more members.
2. This price is subject to change according to your traveling season, month and date. There may be huge price increasing during public Chinese holidays, school summer vacations, tourism peak seasons or some special dates. (China Public Holiday 2024 Schedule Released)
3. Other factors that may change the final tour price include group size, hotel class, tour activities, fluctuation of currency exchange rate, etc.
4. This price is based on exchange rate USD 1=RMB 7.00. The final price will be based on the exchange rate in effect at the time of agreement with our quotation.
5. This price is only valid to March 31, 2025.
6. This price is not the final prices until the Confirmation Letter is sent.
7. The items included and excluded in this price are for reference only. The final services included, please refer to the confirmation letter sent to you by the travel consultant.
Dear Rita,
I am very satisfied with tour arrangements. I have recommended your company to many friends/relatives.
Overall, we are very happy with the trip. Our driver Ms Liu was a very pleasant & careful driver. I highly recommend her.
Mona
Hi Rita,
As my trip is coming to an end tomorrow, I would like to express my appreciations to the following individuals who had made my trip possible and memorable.
1) Ms Rita Jiang for helping me to plan my itinerary from scratch and in my budgeting.
2) Mr Wine Wang for being a friendly driver-cum-tour guide in Kunming.
3) Mr Andy Wang for his untiring driving from Dali to Lijiang and Shangri-La for sightseeings.
Both Wine and Wang speak good English and are knowledgeable about sightseeing attractions and local authentic food outlets. I would definitely recommend them to any of my friends and travel buddies from around the world who speak only English.
Last but not least, thanks to the Government of China for granting 15-days visa free entry to China for tourists who hold Australian passports, among many other countries. It’s timely to open up China to the world to see for themselves a modern China blended in with history-rich ancient cities, towns and villages in multi-minority communities of Yunnan Province from a tourist perspective.
Once again, thanks to Rita and her team.
Best regards,
Ping
Dear Rita,
My husband and I were on the 13-Day Beijing/Xian/Guilin/Zhangjiajie/Shanghai Tour with China Discovery from 15-27 May 2024.
Overall, we had a wonderful time on our trip.
Organisation
Everything went very smoothly, just like clockwork.
Guides
In each city, on our arrival we were met by our guide who took very good care of us.
Our guides were: Beijing- Andy; Xian - Grace; Guilin - Peter; Zhangjiajie - Nina; Shanghai - Jeff.
All the guides we had were knowledgeable about their city, its history, and culture. They were also friendly, and flexible in accommodating our requests and also showed their professionalism by always being on time in the morning and during our time with them, they were always helpful, patient and understanding.
I would like to mention that 2 of our guides (Andy in Beijing and Peter in Guilin) were excellent. Their English was fluent. It was also obvious that both took great pride in their work.
Peter was very earnest, and very clear and systematic in his explanation of what we would see and do in the places we visited and he was also extremely helpful.
Andy was the best guide we have ever had. In addition to the qualities mentioned above, we found him very energetic, enthusiastic, lively and with an amazing sense of humour. He was very flexible and really went out of his way to accommodate our requests, for example, to visit a place which was not on our itinerary, but which both of us wanted to see - a Catholic Church associated with Matteo Ricci. He knew interesting little areas and eating places to which he took us for local food and snacks. He even got us some snacks when he thought we might need some sustenance. We had interesting conversations with him and it seemed more like we were spending time with a friend rather than with a guide we had just met.
Nina, our guide in Zhangjiajie, was very sweet. Her English was not as fluent, but she was very caring, helpful, very patient and kind especially when we had to negotiate all the steps up and downhill in the mountains. She was always very concerned about how we were faring, even in the type of food we enjoyed when we told her we just wanted to try the local food.
Transportation
The cars we travelled in were very nice, clean and comfortable. All the drivers, besides being very helpful, especially with our luggage, were also skilful drivers who conveyed us safely through, often, very heavy traffic.
The express speed train from Beijing to Xian was an enjoyable experience. The train was very comfortable, and the toilets were very clean.
But the 7-hour journey on the high speed train which stopped at all the stations between Guilin and Zhnagjiajie was less comfortable.
The train itself was fine although the journey was long.
For one thing, there was a man just behind me who talked very loudly for hours on his mobile phone. I could not change seats because the train was quite full.
Then, there were 2 people quarrelling at the entrance of our compartment when we were trying to board the train. They blocked the entrance and refused to move until someone in charge of the compartment screamed (right next to my ear) for the security guard. We had to literally bulldoze our way into the train which was about to leave.
Hotels
The hotels, besides being grand, were clean, comfortable and had all the amenities we needed. The one in Guilin had a fantastic view.
In general the breakfasts provided by the hotels were also excellent.
Sights
We think China is a very beautiful country with so much history, culture and nature to enjoy. Being on a guided tour, we had less contact with the ordinary people than we would normally have when we do a free-and-easy trip. But, all in all, we had a great trip and we would like to visit China again.
So we are thinking of going to the following places sometime in October 2024, after the Chinese National Holiday in early October.
Thank you.
Loh
Hello Rita,
Some of the most incredible sights I have ever seen are on Day1 & Day2.
Nothing was too much trouble for Bree. She took us to quiet places when we needed a rest from the noise.
We only ever waited a few minutes for our driver. He was good.
Jones
Hi Rita,
So sorry for the long delay, I am still travelling and haven’t been on the laptop so much.
Very good tour, very happy with all arrangements. I am willing to recommend your service to my friends who also have an interest to visit China.
Thanks
George
We are one of the few China travel agencies who have kept active and received lots of feedbacks and reviews during pandemic years
"Highest Standards of Quality and Honesty" is the core value of each specialized team at China Discovery.
Eveyone in our company is working hard for only one goal, which is to ensure the highest level of service, luxury, and attention to detail from the minute you begin planning your trip, to the day you return home.
Our travel consultants are professional, experienced and responsible, helping you from the very beginning to the end of your China trip!
After sending us an inquiry, one of our travel consultants will get back to you within 0.5~23.5 hrs. In the next few days, he/she will be working closely with you to formulate a customized tour plan, as well as providing professional suggestions based on your travel interests, time, and budget.
Beside, he/she will keep in contact with you during your entire tour in China, continually checking if everything is going well as planned.
We're working at Chengdu Bamboo International Tours, local based in Chengdu.
Our local guide in every destination is not only very friendly, enthusiastic but also very informative and knowledgeable.
Once you arrive in the destination, the patient and punctual guides will pick you up and take you to get under skin of the city at your own pace. By in-depth discovery and explanation, they’ll show you more about the history, culture, customs and authentic local life. Throughout the journey, they're not only expert guides who take care of all the details but also fellow travelers who are dedicated to help you explore in comfort and style.
Our guides are passionate about what they do, and it shows all the way!
Using our private transfer service makes you comfortable, relaxed and worry free all the way!
Our private service includes licensed drivers with many years’ driving experience and air-conditioned, non-smoking, clean and well-maintained cars/vans. Drivers are local, polite, friendly and helpful, taking you to your tourist sites, hotels, airport/train stations in safety. All kinds of vehicle are offered, and yours depends on the size of your group. Usually, we offer sedan cars, SUVs, business vans (MPV) and different types of buses, all with extra space for your luggage.
Our private transfer service guarantees you the highest comfort!
In each destination, you’ll enjoy a comfortable stay in a great location!
The hotels we choose are based on star rating, great locations, well-equipped facilities, cozy bed, high quality service and guests’ feedbacks. Choices are a lot ranging from luxury 5 star, comfortable 4 star to budget 3 star. You could decide where to stay to best suit for your budget and likes. Generally, the hotels have both Western and Chinese breakfast with a wide choices.
If you have already got an ideal hotel, please feel free to tell our travel consultants and they'll book the hotel for you.
Have good sleep in our well-selected hotels in all the destinations of China.
We can satisfy all the dietary requirements no matter you want Chinese local food, western food, vegetarian food or muslin food.
The restaurants we will take you for lunch or dinner are all designated tourist restaurants approved by local tourist administration bureau. They have very good sanitary conditions and the food is prepared fresh and clean.
There will be some meals excluded in your itinerary as you like, and your private guide will be delighted to give you some suggestions and take you to the local restaurants to taste like Beijing Roast Duck, Xian Dumpling Dinner, Sichuan Hotpot, etc., if you are interested in local food tasting.
All the dining options will satisfy your stomach!
Santos from Canada - Longji Rice Terraces, Guilin
Longji Rice Terraces (Pingan, Nice Dragons and Five Tigers, Autumn), Guilin
Claire from UK - Longji Rice Terraces (Pingan, Seven Stars with Moon), Guilin
Santos from Canada - Longji Rice Terraces (Pingan, Nine Dragons and Five Tigers), Guilin
Steven - Longji Rice Terraces (Pingan, Nice Dragons and Five Tigers, Spring), Guilin
Claire from UK - 20 RMB Note View, Li River, Guilin
Josh's Group from USA - Yulong River Cycling, Yangshuo, Guilin
Christina's Group from Denmark - Yulong River Bamboo Rafting, Yangshuo, Guilin
Santos from Canada - Li River Cruise, Guilin
Giorgia's Group from Italy - Yulong River, Yangshuo, Guilin
Chusi's Family from USA - West Street, Yangshuo, Guilin
Santos from Canada - Elephant Trunk Hill, Guilin
Delma from Ireland - Reed Flute Cave, Guilin
Guilin as one of the top tourist destinations in China is well linked with other gateway cities and tourist places with flights, bullet trains, distance buses, etc. So far, you can get to Guilin Liangjiang International Airport by flight from Hong Kong (1.5 hours), Beijing (3 hours), Shanghai (3 hours), Xian (2 hours), Chengdu (1 hour & 40 minutes), Chongqing (1.5 hours), etc. Besides, there are fast high speed trains from Hong Kong (3 hours & 20 minutes), Guangzhou (2.5 hours), Chongqing (5 hours), Chengdu (7-7.5 hours), Guiyang (2-3 hours), Kunming (4.5 hours), Shenzhen (3.5 hours), Changsha (3.5 hours), Wuhan (5 hours), etc.
In this tour, you will stay a night at Guilin and a night at Yangshuo. Both Guilin and Yangshuo offers various hotels and hostels of different standards and levels. As an international tourist hot spot, almost accommodations provide great facilities and equipment for your comfortable stay in Guilin and Yangshuo. While at Longji Rice Terrace, you will stay a night at a local guest house. Though it is not as good as in the downtown area, but necessary items are provided, such as hot water, air condition, TV, private washroom, free Wi-Fi, etc. Some types of rooms there even have private viewing balcony that facing the marvelous rice terraces. Since the houses are mainly made with wood, so please be careful with the use of fire.
Guilin situated in southern China is a hot destination to explore its special Karst landscape view. It is suitable to visit all year round due to its ever green plants and its warm temperature. April to October is the best time to appreciate the sightseeing of Guilin and Yangshuo. Spring (April-June) is best to enjoy the cozy weather and the vigorous scene of multiple flowers and the crops cultivated by local farmers. Autumn is also very good to enjoy the clear river view and clear sky. However, as it often rains, particularly during April to July, when you can see the misty beauty of the hills and water, you are advised to prepare your rain gears.
For biking: we suggest you wear comfortable and quick-drying clothes and trainers to enjoy a better biking experience and protect yourself from catching a cold after sweating. During summer time, it may be a little hot for biking for a long time, so you can tell how much time you want to bike along the Yulong River to your guide. Also, you are highly suggested to prepare your hat, sunglasses and sun cream for UV protection.
For bamboo rafting: bamboo rafting is a classic activity to enjoy the fun and beauty of Yulong River. However, one raft can only hold 2 people, and children more than 1 meter high are required to take the raft together with adults. Besides, as the raft is slippery, it is better to sit on your chair for the sightseeing and avoid standing or walking in case of falling into the river. Furthermore, it would arouse some waves when passing weirs, so remember to lift your feet and protect your belongings especially mobiles and cameras.
In Yangshuo - to explore the natural scenery and fun of Yangshuo, you will have many kinds of activities and ways to choose. We can take you to enjoy bamboo rafting at Yulong River, biking at any region in Yangshuo, hiking along Yulong River or other places, cultural experience of Chinese cooking, Taichi, and calligraphy classes, photographing, and so forth.
In-depth Longji Rice Terrace Tour - if time and energy allow, you can hike from Ping'an Rice Terrace to Jinkeng Rice Terrace, which is a popular wild hiking route among hikers, and takes about 4-4.5 hours to finish. Jinkeng Rice Terrac, as a part of Longji Rice Terraces like Ping'an, has the largest amount of Rice Terraces. It is a Yao minority inhabited area. Many of the gorgeous photos about Longji Rice Terraces published on the website were shot here.
Please feel free to tell us about your ideal activities, route, time, period, etc., to tailor your special activity experience.
We have rich experience for providing Guilin tour packages and customization service for global visitors, and our professional travel expert will sincerely help to design your Guilin tour if you are interested to extend your tour for more in-depth experiences, such as hiking, photography, family holiday, food tour, etc. Just feel free to let us know your idea.
Guilin / Yangshuo
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