Guilin & Yangshuo Travel Guide: Li River Cruise Tickets, Days and Rice Terraces

Plan three to four days for Guilin and Yangshuo: one day in Guilin city, one day on the Li River (漓江, Lí Jiāng) cruising south to Yangshuo, and one or two days in the Yangshuo countryside, with a fourth or fifth day if you want the Longji rice terraces. The cruise is the part to book first. It is a one-way trip from a pier south of Guilin to Yangshuo, tickets are real-name, and the ticket office asks you to buy at least a day ahead; around holidays such as May Day, sales open ten days ahead, so book as soon as they do. Base yourself in Guilin for arriving and leaving, and in Yangshuo for the scenery.

How many days, when to go, and how Guilin, Yangshuo and Longji fit together

Three days covers the essentials without rushing: a day for Guilin city, a day for the river, and a day for cycling and rafting around Yangshuo. Four days lets you add either a slower second day in Yangshuo or the Longji rice terraces. Five days lets you do both and sleep one night in a terrace village, which is the better way to see Longji. Two days is possible if you only want the river and one evening in Yangshuo, but you will spend much of it on boats and buses.

Guilin city is in the north. The Li River flows south out of Guilin through limestone peaks to Yangshuo, a county town with its own countryside of rivers and rice fields. Longji is in the mountains north of Guilin, in the opposite direction from Yangshuo, so you cannot combine Longji and Yangshuo in one easy day. Guilin is the hub in the middle: the airport, the train stations and the buses to Longji all start there.

On seasons, there is no bad month, only different trade-offs. Spring and early summer are wet, but the peaks and fields are at their greenest, and low cloud on the peaks is part of the classic look. Autumn is usually the clearest and most comfortable time to walk and cycle. The Li River runs low from September to March, and when the water drops too far the maritime authority can shorten the cruise route or stop the cruise boats altogether — in March 2023 the tourist boats were suspended while the bamboo rafts kept running. Very high water in the rainy season can also stop boats: on 19–20 June 2026 the Yangshuo–Yangdi route was closed and all Li River rafts were paused after heavy rain. If you travel in winter, plan for the cruise to start further downstream, and check the scenic area's notices a few days before your date.

The terraces change with the farming year. Fields are flooded and planted in late spring and early summer, green in mid-summer, and golden before the harvest in autumn. Winter is quiet and brown; go then only if you enjoy village walks for their own sake, because the fields themselves are bare.

On entry: Guilin Liangjiang International Airport is one of the 65 ports where travelers from eligible countries can use China's 240-hour visa-free transit. Guilin is one of the 12 Guangxi cities inside the permitted stay area, so you can spend your transit days here; check the list before side trips elsewhere in Guangxi. Citizens of 50 countries can also enter for up to 30 days without a visa, and for most of them that policy currently runs to 31 December 2026. The details, including the onward ticket you need for transit, are in our 240-hour visa-free transit guide and visa check by nationality. The National Immigration Administration keeps the official list of ports and areas.

Getting there: the airport, three Guilin stations, and Yangshuo Station

By air: Guilin Liangjiang International Airport (KWL)

Most international travelers fly into a bigger hub and connect to Guilin, or arrive by high-speed train. Guilin's own international routes are mainly to Southeast Asia, South Korea and Hong Kong, and there is no direct flight to Japan. The airport is west of the city, and you have three useful bus options from Terminal 2:

• Airport Bus Line 1 to the city and the sights. It runs from the airport past a stop about 150 m from Guilin Railway Station, then on to Elephant Trunk Hill and the Two Rivers and Four Lakes area, Central Square and Seven Star Park, leaving every 30 minutes from 09:00 to 15:30 and then after arriving flights until the last one; the fare is 20 yuan to the Civil Aviation Building and 25 yuan to the scenic stops, after a trial discount that ended in August 2026. The line started as a trial in June 2026, so confirm the timetable on the airport bus ticket page.
• Airport Bus Line 2 to the high-speed stations. It goes to Guilin West and Guilin North stations, roughly hourly from the airport, for 30 yuan. Use it if you are catching a train straight away.
• Direct coach to Yangshuo. There are 16 departures a day and a one-way ticket costs 50 yuan, sold in the 桂林机场 (Guilin Airport) WeChat mini program or at the ticket counter on the ground floor of Terminal 2. If you land in the afternoon and want to wake up in Yangshuo, this is the simplest choice.

A WeChat mini program (小程序) is a small app that runs inside WeChat, and an official account (公众号) is a WeChat channel with a booking menu; you find both by searching the Chinese name in WeChat. You will use them for several bookings in this guide, so set up WeChat before you arrive with our WeChat setup guide.

The airport also runs coaches to Longsheng, the county where the Longji terraces are, though you still need to change for the terrace villages. Taxis and DiDi wait outside arrivals; agree that the meter or the app price is used. The bus timetables give departure times only and journeys depend on traffic, so leave a generous margin if you have a train or boat to catch. For a taxi or DiDi to the city or to Yangshuo, the DiDi app shows the fare and estimated time before you confirm, which is the easiest way to compare it with the bus.

By high-speed train: which Guilin station

Guilin has three stations you might use, and the ticket will tell you which one:

• Guilin Station (桂林站) is in the city center, close to the hotels and the sights. If your train stops here, it is the easiest arrival.
• Guilin North (桂林北站) is on the northern edge of the city and handles a mix of conventional and high-speed trains. It is a taxi or bus ride to the center.
• Guilin West (桂林西站) is about 10 km outside the city, and it is the only one of the three on the Guiyang–Guangzhou high-speed line, which is why through trains to and from Hong Kong use it.

From Guangzhou, the fastest trains reach Guilin North in 1 hour 59 minutes. Most trains take longer, so expect two to three hours. From Hong Kong West Kowloon, through trains take a little over three hours and mostly stop at Guilin West; since April 2025 there have also been tourist trains from West Kowloon to Guilin North. From Shenzhen there are direct trains as well; journey times vary a lot by train, so check the timetable on 12306.

Yangshuo Station is not in Yangshuo town

Yangshuo high-speed station sits near Xingping, about 34 km from Yangshuo town. Trains from Guangzhou can reach it in as little as 1 hour 49 minutes. Outside the station, Yangshuo Rail Shuttle Line 1 goes to the Fengming tourist center in Yangshuo town, Line 2 goes to Xingping bus station, and a tourist bus runs straight to Xingping old town. If you are going to Yangshuo from Guangzhou or Hong Kong, a train to Yangshuo Station plus the shuttle often beats going to Guilin first.

You can buy train tickets with your passport on the official 12306 website and app, which list foreign passports among the accepted ID types. Our train booking guide compares 12306 with agency apps.

Where to stay: Guilin, Yangshuo town, the Yangshuo countryside, or Longji

Split your nights by what you are doing the next morning. Most people do two bases: Guilin for the first and last night, and Yangshuo for the middle.

• Guilin city center. Stay here on the night before the cruise and the night before you leave. The center, around the lakes and Zhengyang pedestrian street, is walkable, close to Guilin Station, and the start point for the evening lake cruise. It is also the right base for a Longji day trip.
• Yangshuo town, near West Street (西街, Xī Jiē). Lively, full of restaurants and bars, and handy for buses and the evening show. It is loud at night; ask for a room away from the street.
• Yangshuo countryside, along the Yulong River (遇龙河, Yùlóng Hé) and the Ten-Mile Gallery. Quiet guesthouses among the rice fields and peaks, a few kilometers outside town. In our view this is the best way to experience the area, as long as you are happy to rely on the guesthouse, a bike or DiDi to get around. Most will arrange transfers if you ask.
• Xingping. A smaller river town near Yangshuo Station and the bamboo-raft pier. Good for photographers who want the river at sunrise.
• Longji villages, Ping'an or Dazhai. Simple wooden guesthouses on the terraces. Sleep one night here if you want sunrise over the fields and a walk without day-trip crowds.

A practical tip: the cruise boats have no luggage storage. On cruise day, either travel with a small bag and leave the big one at your Guilin hotel, or ask your hotel how to send it ahead by road. Hotels in China register your passport at check-in; our hotel booking and registration guide explains what that means. You can compare Guilin city hotels and Yangshuo countryside guesthouses on Booking.com, and filter by area once you have picked your base.

The Li River: cruise boats, bamboo rafts, and how to book

There are two different ways to see the Li River, and people often confuse them. The cruise is a large boat on the main scenic stretch from south of Guilin to Yangshuo, about four hours, one way. The bamboo raft is a small electric raft on a shorter stretch between Yangdi and Xingping, closer to the water. Both are good. The cruise suits you if you want the whole stretch in comfort, and you are going to Yangshuo anyway. The raft suits you if you are already staying in Yangshuo or Xingping, want to sit low on the water, and do not mind a shorter trip.

The Guilin–Yangshuo cruise: boat classes and what each includes

Prices above are the scenic area's recent figures; the 桂林漓江商城 (Guilin Li River Mall) mini program shows the current price for your date when you book. There is also a shorter three-star trip from Yangshuo to Fuli for 120 yuan, which is a reasonable choice only if you are already in Yangshuo and short on time.

Which class to choose comes down to lunch and comfort. The three-star boat is the better value if you are happy to buy a simple set lunch on board or bring snacks. The four-star boat costs more but includes the buffet and is usually more comfortable. The scenery is the same river either way, and on either boat you can usually go outside on deck for the best stretches.

How long it takes, and the one-way problem

The cruise is one way only. You board south of Guilin and get off at Longtoushan Pier in Yangshuo; the ticket office describes the route as about 60 km and about four hours. Departures are typically in the morning, such as 09:00 or 09:30, with some later boats, and the exact times show on the booking page.

Two things about this trip need planning. First, the piers are not in central Guilin. Both Mopanshan and Zhujiang are south of the city, away from the downtown riverbank. When you book the cruise you can add a transfer: either a hotel pickup in set areas of the city, or a shuttle bus from four fixed stops including Guilin Railway Station; both are run by a third-party company and have to be booked with the ticket. Be at the shuttle stop at least ten minutes early.

Second, you end up in Yangshuo. If you are staying in Yangshuo, that is perfect: walk or take a short ride to your guesthouse. If you are going back to Guilin the same day, book a return bus. The scenic area offers three return options, all booked in advance: a bus back to the boarding pier for people who drove, a direct bus A from Longtoushan Pier to Guilin Station that includes the electric cart from the boat, and a direct bus B from the Yangshuo county tourist car park to Guilin Station. Doing the whole loop in one day is a long day; we recommend staying at least one night in Yangshuo instead.

How to book with a foreign passport

Cruise tickets are real-name: you book with your ID, and at boarding staff check that the ticket, the person and the ID document all match. The official online channels are the 桂林漓江商城 (Guilin Li River Mall) WeChat mini program and the 漓江售票处 (Li River Ticket Office) WeChat official account; new users verify their name, ID type, ID number and phone number first, and the piers keep only a few same-day tickets. The verification screen offers a choice of ID types; check whether the passport option is available to you when you sign up. If it is not, call the scenic area's enquiry line, +86 773 899 6303, and ask for the foreigner ticket service. You can also buy in person at the two ticket shops in the city, the Dashijie flagship store on Zhengyang West Lane and the Gaoxin flagship store in Qixing district.

If you would rather book in English, agency listings such as Klook sell the Guilin–Yangshuo cruise, often with the pier transfer included. Check that the listing names the boat class, the pier and whether lunch is included before you pay, and enter your name exactly as it is in your passport.

On the day, get to the pier at least 40 minutes before departure. You collect a paper ticket from a self-service machine at the pier, pass a security check, then board with the paper ticket and your original ID. Tickets cannot be changed to another date, and if you have already printed your paper ticket, a refund has to be handled at a flagship store or the pier at least ten minutes before departure, with a fee that depends on timing. So pick your date carefully, and in the low-water months check the route notice before you pay.

Children on the cruise

Each adult can bring two children aged 6 or under, or up to 1.2 m tall, free without a seat; children aged over 6 up to 14, or between 1.2 m and 1.5 m, need a child ticket, which is 108 yuan on the three-star route. A child without their own ID number can be booked using the accompanying guardian's details. Our guide to traveling with kids in China covers the rest of the trip.

The bamboo raft between Yangdi and Xingping

The rafts here are not traditional bamboo any more. The scenic area switched them from petrol to electric motors, a change completed in 2024, and about 500 electric rafts now work from the two Xingping piers. The main route runs one way from Yangdi Pier to Chaobanshan Pier in Xingping, and covers some of the best-known views on the river, including Nine Horses Fresco Hill (九马画山, Jiǔmǎ Huàshān). The view printed on the back of China's 20-yuan banknote is on this part of the river, near Xingping.

Each raft carries up to four people. If your group is smaller, you share a raft with other travelers or pay for the empty seats. You buy raft tickets at the ticket windows at Yangdi Pier and Xingping's Chaobanshan Pier, and sales stop at 16:00 at both, so go in the morning or early afternoon. Shorter loops, such as Xingping to Nine Horses Fresco Hill and back, also run and cost less; check the current list at the pier or on the booking page.

The safety rules are stricter than many people expect. Everyone wears a life jacket the whole time; children under 0.9 m should not ride; and people over 70, pregnant women, and anyone with limited mobility are not allowed on the rafts. Valuable electronics cannot go on the raft and must be left in storage first. Ask at the pier whether phones and cameras are allowed, and bring a waterproof pouch if they are. If you are traveling with grandparents, book them on the cruise boat instead; our senior travel guide has more ideas.

What to do in Yangshuo

The town itself is small and busy, but the real reason to stay is the flat countryside around it: rice fields, small rivers and village lanes between steep limestone peaks. Give it at least one full day, and plan it around a Yulong River raft in the morning and a bike ride in the afternoon, or the other way round.

Yulong River rafts

The Yulong River is a narrow, shallow tributary west of town, and rafting it is a different experience from the Li River: smaller water, closer to the fields, and quieter. Rafts are priced per raft by route, for example 180 yuan for a two-person return trip from Yulong Bridge Pier to Xiniutan, 200 yuan for a two-person return from Fuli Bridge Pier to Niujinwai, and 358 yuan for a four-person return from Fuli Bridge Pier to Sanchakou. Routes and prices change, so check the current list when you book.

Book online in the 遇龙河 (Yulong River) WeChat official account or the 「i游阳朔」 (i-Yangshuo) mini program, where tickets for the next day open at 20:00 each evening; same-day tickets are sold at the pier windows. Bring your original ID to check in. The booking rules mention the Chinese ID card, so check that your passport is accepted when you book, or buy at the pier window. Most piers open at 08:00, and early rafts are the quietest. Whether your raft is poled by a raftsman or moved another way depends on the route, so ask when you book if this matters to you.

Cycling the Ten-Mile Gallery and Moon Hill

The Ten-Mile Gallery (十里画廊, Shílǐ Huàláng) is a stretch of road south of Yangshuo town lined with peaks and fields. The road itself is free and open all year, and about two hours by bike is enough. The sights along it, such as Butterfly Spring, the Big Banyan Tree and Moon Hill, each charge separately; Moon Hill, at the far end, is a peak with a large natural stone arch you can climb up to. You can combine the ride with a Yulong River raft near Gongnong Bridge.

The main road has a lot of tour buses and scooters, so for a calmer ride turn off onto the village lanes that run beside the Yulong River. Bike rental shops are all over town and many guesthouses lend bikes. Electric scooters are popular too. Rules on who may ride them, and whether a foreign licence is accepted, are not clearly published in English, so ask the rental shop and your travel insurer before you ride one; an ordinary bicycle avoids the question.

West Street, the evening show, climbing and balloons

West Street is the old main street of Yangshuo town, now lined with restaurants, bars and shops. It is worth an evening walk; it is loud and crowded at weekends, and it is not where the scenery is.

Impression Sanjie Liu (印象·刘三姐, Yìnxiàng Liú Sānjiě) is a large outdoor night show staged on the Li River near Yangshuo, using the river and the surrounding peaks as its stage; it first opened in March 2004 and was still running every evening over the October 2026 holiday. It is a spectacle of lighting and a large cast more than a story, and the seat area matters, so compare seat sections on the official booking page before buying. Showtimes and prices change by season, so check them for your date.

Yangshuo is also one of the best-known rock-climbing areas in Asia, with many bolted routes and local climbing outfitters offering guided half-days for beginners. Hot-air balloon flights operate over the countryside at sunrise when the weather allows; book with an operator that shows you its licence and safety briefing, and expect cancellations in wind or rain.

The Longji rice terraces

The Longji rice terraces (龙脊梯田, Lóngjǐ Tītián), also called the Dragon's Backbone, cover whole mountainsides in Longsheng county, north of Guilin. Villages of the Zhuang and Yao ethnic groups sit among the fields. It is worth a long day trip, and better with a night in a village.

Ping'an, Dazhai and the Ancient Zhuang Village

The scenic area has three main entrances and viewing areas: Ping'an Zhuang Village, Jinkeng Dazhai, and the Longji Ancient Zhuang Village, plus the smaller Huangluo Yao Village. They are far apart on foot: about two hours of mountain path from the Ancient Zhuang Village to Ping'an, and about four and a half hours from Ping'an to Dazhai. So pick one area per day.

• Ping'an (平安寨) is the easiest for a first visit. It is the most developed, with many guesthouses, and its viewpoints are a fairly short uphill walk from the village.
• Jinkeng Dazhai (金坑大寨) has the biggest, most dramatic terraces and is home to Red Yao villagers. It is quieter at night, and it is the only area with a cable car.
• The Ancient Zhuang Village (龙脊古壮寨) is a working village with old wooden houses, fewer visitors and a good walk to Ping'an if you have the legs for it.

Tickets and the cable car

One ticket covers all the areas for three days: 80 yuan for adults aged 18–59, 40 yuan for seniors aged 60–64 and students under 18, and free for those 65 and over and children under 1.2 m; confirm at the ticket office whether your passport qualifies for an age discount. It does not include the shuttle buses inside the scenic area, the cable car or shows, and you buy it in the 龙脊梯田景区 (Longji Rice Terraces) mini program or at the ticket office.

The cable car is only in Jinkeng Dazhai. It runs from the Dazhai car park straight up to the Golden Buddha Peak viewpoint (viewpoint No. 3), costs 100 yuan return or 70 yuan one way, and takes about 20 minutes, against about two hours on foot. It does not reach the other Dazhai viewpoints, Ping'an or the Ancient Zhuang Village; for those you walk or use the sightseeing buses. A good plan in Dazhai is to ride up one way and walk down through the terraces and villages.

Getting there

Longji is a couple of hours' drive north of Guilin on mountain roads. The easiest way is a private car with a driver, which your hotel can arrange, or a small-group day tour. By public transport, you take a bus to Longsheng county and then change for the terrace villages; one option is the coach from Guilin airport to Longsheng. Departure points and times from the city change, so ask your hotel to check the current buses the day before. If you go by bus, start early, because the last buses back leave in the afternoon.

Which season shows what

The scenic area's 2026 calendar follows the farming year: a ploughing festival in early May, rice transplanting in Ping'an in the second half of June, and the Red Yao clothes-drying festival in Dazhai in July. That gives you the rough pattern. In May and June the fields are flooded and planted, and the water reflects the sky. In summer they turn green. In autumn they turn golden before harvest, which is the busiest time to visit. The last event of the 2026 calendar is a torch-lit "Night Longji" show at Ping'an on 31 December.

Sights in Guilin city: what is worth your time

Guilin city has a few good sights, and none of them needs a full day. Here is what to pick.

• Elephant Trunk Hill (象鼻山, Xiàngbí Shān) is the city's symbol, a rock arch over the river that looks like an elephant drinking. Entry has been free since January 2022, and since 25 July 2024 there is no timed reservation; you scan a code at the gate and walk in unless the daily limit is reached. Opening hours were 7:00–21:30 in the 2024 notice; check the gate signs, as hours can differ by gate. Worth an hour, ideally in the early morning or evening.
• Reed Flute Cave (芦笛岩, Lúdí Yán) is a large limestone cave with colored lighting, a short taxi ride from the center. Standard hours are 9:00–17:00 from January to June and 8:00–17:30 from July to December. Children aged 6 and under or 1.2 m and under go free. Check the current ticket price at the gate or on the cave's booking page. It is a good choice for a rainy afternoon.
• The Two Rivers and Four Lakes night cruise (两江四湖, Liǎng Jiāng Sì Hú) is a boat trip through the lit-up lakes and rivers of the city center, past the Sun and Moon Pagodas. The standard night cruise was listed at 200 yuan for adults and 100 yuan for children in 2025, with a day cruise at 90 yuan; prices change, so check at the pier. Boats board at Wenchangqiao Pier or Xiangshan Fisherman's Pier and run in the evening, every 10–30 minutes. Walking the lakeside paths at night is free and gets you much of the same view.
• Solitary Beauty Peak and the Jingjiang Princes' City (独秀峰·王城) is a Ming-dynasty princes' palace complex with a steep peak you can climb for a view over the city. The ticket is 100 yuan. Worth it if you like history; skip it if you are only here for the scenery.
• Seven Star Park (七星公园) is a large park with peaks, caves and walking paths, a quieter morning stroll. The 2023 adult ticket was 50 yuan and opening hours 8:00–18:00; check at the gate, as other attractions inside charge extra.

If you have only one day, do Elephant Trunk Hill in the morning, Reed Flute Cave or Solitary Beauty Peak after lunch, and the lakes in the evening.

Getting around Guilin and between Guilin and Yangshuo

Inside Guilin, taxis and DiDi are the easiest way to move; the city is not large and most rides are short. City buses work too, but you need a payment app or change. Our DiDi guide shows how to set it up with a foreign phone number and card.

Guilin to Yangshuo is about 65 km by road, around an hour and a half by car, and a taxi was about 130 yuan in a 2023 estimate. Your options, apart from the cruise:

• DiDi station bus. Since April 2026, DiDi has sold seats on a scheduled bus between Guilin and Yangshuo for 29.9 yuan, starting mainly from Guilin North Station and West Street in Yangshuo, with stops including Guilin Station and Central Square; you choose 站点巴士 (station bus) in the app, can book 14 days ahead and scan a code to board. Open the 站点巴士 option in the app to see whether your account can book it; if not, use the coach or a private car.
• Coaches and custom shuttles. The Junda bus company has sold a Guilin–Yangshuo custom shuttle for 45 yuan in its WeChat official account, with pickups at Guilin bus and train stations; this was a 2023 price, so check the current fare. Ordinary coaches also run from Guilin's bus stations; ask your hotel for the current departure point.
• High-speed train to Yangshuo Station. Fast, but the station is about 34 km from Yangshuo town, so add the shuttle bus ride. It makes most sense if you are heading to Xingping.
• Private car. Hotels and guesthouses arrange cars, which is the easy option with luggage or a group.

Inside Yangshuo, the town is walkable, and a bike, e-scooter or DiDi gets you to the countryside. Many countryside guesthouses will collect you from town.

A 3–4 day plan

Day 1, Guilin. Arrive, check in, and see Elephant Trunk Hill. After lunch, visit Reed Flute Cave or Solitary Beauty Peak. In the evening, walk the lakes or take the night cruise. Make sure your cruise ticket and pier transfer are booked for the next morning.

Day 2, the Li River to Yangshuo. Pickup or shuttle to the pier in the morning, about four hours on the river, then get off in Yangshuo and check in. Spend the evening on West Street or at the show.

Day 3, the Yangshuo countryside. An early Yulong River raft, then a bike ride along the Ten-Mile Gallery and the village lanes to Moon Hill. If you skipped the cruise, swap in the Yangdi–Xingping bamboo raft and an afternoon in Xingping.

Day 4, Longji or onward. Either go back to Guilin and on to Longji, ideally with a night there, or take the train from Yangshuo Station toward Guangzhou or Hong Kong. A fifth day makes the Longji trip relaxed instead of rushed.

What to eat

Start with Guilin rice noodles (桂林米粉, Guìlín mǐfěn): round rice noodles with braised meat, pickles, peanuts and a ladle of rich sauce, eaten for breakfast all over the city. In Yangshuo, the dish to try is beer fish (啤酒鱼, píjiǔ yú), river fish cooked with beer, tomato and chili, sold by weight, so ask the price before they cook it. Stuffed river snails (田螺酿, tiánluó niàng) and other stuffed dishes are a local specialty, and in the Longji villages try the bamboo-tube rice and the savory oil tea (油茶, yóuchá). If you do not read Chinese, see our guide to ordering food with zero Chinese.

Money and internet

Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay before you arrive; Alipay accepts foreign Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Diners Club and Discover cards, though you should check the card list in the app when you add yours. It works for noodle shops, buses and most ticket counters, and our Alipay setup guide walks through it. Raft piers and boat counters may not accept foreign cards directly, so pay through Alipay or carry some cash, which also helps in the villages and at small stalls. For mobile data, an eSIM is the easiest option; our SIM and eSIM guide and internet and VPN guide explain the choices, and you can buy a China data plan before you fly from Airalo.

Where to go next

Guangzhou is the most common next stop, two to three hours away by high-speed train, and Shenzhen is on the same line; see our Guangzhou and Shenzhen guide. Hong Kong is a little over three hours by through train from Guilin West, and our Hong Kong and Macau guide covers what to do there. You can book these onward trains on 12306 with your passport, or in English on Trip.com. For more landscapes like this one, see our roundup of China's natural wonders.

FAQ

If something goes wrong

Call 110 for the police and 120 for an ambulance; both are free and work from any phone without an area code. For an accident on the river, 12395 is the national water rescue number, and the Li River scenic area lists it as its water rescue line. Wear the life jacket on rafts the whole time. Our emergency numbers guide explains what to say and which lines have English.

Last updated: October 2026