Getting around
Guilin is compact; buses, Didi, and taxis cover the city. The classic move is a Li River cruise to Yangshuo, then explore by bike. High-speed rail connects Guangzhou and Guiyang.
Updated Apr 2026 All cities
The home of China’s iconic karst scenery — the Li River, rice terraces, and Yangshuo, the landscape printed on the ¥20 note.
⏱️ First 24 hours
- Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay and add a foreign card.
- Buy a local SIM or activate an eSIM (signal is patchy in the countryside).
- Plan your Li River cruise and Yangshuo nights.
- Save a hospital contact and your hotel address in Chinese.
Explore the guide
Connectivity
Fine in the cities; weaker in the terraces and on the river. Get a local SIM for the best rural coverage; download offline maps.
Updated Apr 2026Where to stay
Stay in Guilin city for transit, or base in Yangshuo among the peaks for the scenery and nightlife; a night at the Longji terraces is worth it.
Updated Apr 2026Eat & drink
Try Guilin rice noodles (mǐfěn), beer fish in Yangshuo, and Zhuang minority dishes near the terraces.
Updated Apr 2026Etiquette
Ask before photographing minority villagers; small tips or purchases are appreciated. Bargain politely in tourist markets.
Updated Apr 2026Safety
Very safe. Take care on wet terrace paths and karst trails; weather changes fast in the hills.
Updated Apr 2026📜 History
For centuries, Guilin’s karst peaks and rivers have been the very image of Chinese landscape painting.
214 BCE
The Qin dig the Lingqu Canal nearby, linking the Yangtze and Pearl systems.
Ming dynasty
Seat of the Jingjiang princes, whose walled city still stands.
Centuries
Its scenery inspires generations of poets and painters.
Today
The icon of Chinese landscape, printed on the ¥20 note.
Top attractions
Li River 漓江
Líjiāng
The dreamlike karst-peak river cruise between Guilin and Yangshuo.
Why it matters
The landscape on the ¥20 note and a thousand ink paintings — mist-wrapped limestone peaks that define how China pictures natural beauty.
Good to know
- ✓Cruise Guilin → Yangshuo (4–5 hrs).
- ✓Sit on the upper deck.
- ✓Hazy days are the most atmospheric.
Show to driver: 漓江
Elephant Trunk Hill 象鼻山
Xiàngbíshān
Guilin's emblem — a riverside hill shaped like an elephant dipping its trunk.
Why it matters
The city's natural mascot, where the karst landscape meets the town. A short visit that explains why Guilin grew where it did.
Good to know
- ✓Best photographed from the riverbank.
- ✓Lit up at night.
- ✓Small — under an hour.
Show to driver: 象鼻山
Reed Flute Cave 芦笛岩
Lúdí Yán
A vast cave of stalactites lit in vivid colors — a "natural art palace."
Why it matters
Inked-poem inscriptions inside go back over a thousand years; today colored lighting turns the formations into a surreal underground show.
Good to know
- ✓Bring a light jacket — it's cool inside.
- ✓Allow ~1 hour.
- ✓A bit out of town; combine with a taxi/Didi.
Show to driver: 芦笛岩
Longji Rice Terraces 龙脊梯田
Lóngjǐ Tītián
Mountainsides sculpted into shimmering rice terraces by Zhuang and Yao farmers.
Why it matters
Seven centuries of human landscaping — "Dragon's Backbone" terraces that mirror the sky when flooded. A living minority-culture landscape.
Good to know
- ✓~2 hrs from Guilin; stay overnight if you can.
- ✓Spring (flooded) and autumn (gold) are best.
- ✓Visit a Zhuang/Yao village.
Show to driver: 龙脊梯田
Yangshuo & West Street 阳朔西街
Yángshuò Xījiē
A backpacker town among the peaks, with a famous café-and-bar street and cycling countryside.
Why it matters
Where the karst scenery becomes a lifestyle — bike the Yulong River, watch the Liu Sanjie light show, and feel small-town China gone global.
Good to know
- ✓Rent a bike or e-bike for the countryside.
- ✓See the Impression Liu Sanjie night show.
- ✓Base here for a couple of nights.
Show to driver: 阳朔西街
Sun and Moon Pagodas 日月双塔
Rì-Yuè Shuāng Tǎ
Twin lakeside pagodas — one golden, one silver — glowing over Guilin's city lakes.
Why it matters
The centerpiece of the Two-Rivers-Four-Lakes night scene, the gold pagoda is among the world's tallest bronze towers. Guilin's prettiest evening stroll.
Good to know
- ✓Come after dark when they're lit.
- ✓Walk the connected lakes.
- ✓You can go inside the gold pagoda.
Show to driver: 日月双塔
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All itineraries🍜 Must-eat dishes
What to eat in Guilin
Guilin Rice Noodles 桂林米粉
Guìlín mǐfěn
Smooth rice noodles with savory braised-pork "marinade", pickles and crisp peanuts you mix together.
💡The local breakfast — add broth yourself; found on every corner.
Order this: 桂林米粉
Yangshuo Beer Fish 啤酒鱼
Píjiǔ yú
Fresh river fish braised with beer, tomato, chili and peppers — Yangshuo’s signature.
💡Eaten with the crispy skin on; a must in Yangshuo.
Order this: 啤酒鱼
Stuffed River Snails 酿田螺
Niàng tiánluó
River snails stuffed with minced pork and herbs in a spicy broth — you suck the meat out.
💡A local night-market favorite; messy and fun.
Order this: 酿田螺
🏛️ Museums
Top museums in Guilin
Guilin Museum 桂林博物馆
FreeGuìlín Bówùguǎn
Regional history and a noted collection of Ming-dynasty plum-blossom porcelain, plus the cultures of Guangxi’s ethnic minorities.
💡Free; a cool, quiet stop between karst sightseeing.
Search this: 桂林博物馆
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