As a world-famous tourist city, Guilin is famous for its picturesque mountain and river landscapes. The typical "karst" landform has bestowed Guilin with a lot of unique tour resources like hills, caves, and stone sights.

Best Time to Visit Guilin

The period between September and November is the best time to visit Guilin as the weather is more pleasant and the Li River has a moderate volume of water for boating.

What to Wear

Guilin is located at a relatively low latitude, and it has a subtropical monsoon climate, featuring mild climate all year round, abundant rainfall, rich sunlight, long Summer, and short Winter. July and August are the hottest seasons in Guilin, and the average temperature during this period is 28 centigrade. In contrast, January and February are the coldest seasons, with an average temperature of 9 centigrade.
The average temperature in the spring is 18 centigrade. Therefore, thin jackets are necessary.
The mean temperature in Summer is 28 centigrade, and the air is humid and sweltering. Thus, some thin and cool T-shirts or dresses are in need.
The medial temperature in Autumn is about 16 centigrade, which means you might need some warm clothes like wind coats, jackets, sweaters.
The mean temperature in winter is 11 centigrade, you need to prepare some down jackets.

Tips:

1. Traveling to Guilin involves a lot of hiking and boating; we recommend you wear comfortable shoes.
2. The rainy seasons (April - September) of Guilin is quite long; you need to prepare umbrellas and raincoats.

What to See - Must-see Sights in Guilin

1.Li River

Located in Guilin City of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Li River is the pearl and essential soul of Guilin. The 83-km-long waterway meandering from Guilin to Yangshuo can be divided into three parts, namely, Guilin to Ox Gorge, Ox Gorge to Water-Dropping Village, and Water-Dropping Village to Yangshuo. Sprawling karstic hills and mountains tower on both sides.  Ancient caves and little streams tell the historical stories. Boundless rice paddies lay on the earth. Vast bamboo groves and forests form green shadows on the river; leisure water buffaloes stroll around; fishermen and their cormorants float on the water, and ancient villages create an atmosphere of tranquility; you will find much peace here.

2.Reed Flute Cave

Situated five kilometers away from the center of the city, the enigmatic Reed Flute Cave is a well-known scenic spot full of stalactites, stalagmites, stone columns, and curtains created by carbonate deposition. In this 240-meter-long cave, you will have a visual feast of ever-changing spots in the glittering of various lights and an auditive feast of intriguing tales.

3.Elephant Trunk Hill

As a scenic icon of Guilin, Elephant Trunk Hill is situated in Elephant

Hill Scenic Area (Xiangshan Park) - the junction of Taohua River and Li River. The hill resembles an elephant sucking his trunk into the pristine Li River, hence the name. The beautiful scenery had attracted a lot of ancient poets and scholars, who left us tons of inscriptions on the walls of Water-moon cave, both inside and outside. Besides the Water-moon cave, Elephant Hill also prides itself with Elephant's Eye Stone, Pagoda for Puxian, and Yunfeng Temple. In the daytime, you can enjoy the beautiful landscape. While at night, with the lights coming from nearby Guilin downtown, the Hill becomes more charming.

4. Longji Rice Terraces

There is a vast region of rice terraces stretching layer upon layer in Longsheng County, among which Longji Rice Terraces (Dragon Backbone’s Rice Terraces) is one of the best. It shows the different landscapes and scenery in different seasons, displaying the grandeur of great nature. In spring, with water irrigation, the terrace presents a picture of chains or ribbons hung on the hillsides. During Summer, massive green shadows cast upon the rice paddies from heaven. In Autumn, ripened ears of rice blend the stems, giving people hope of harvest. In winter, all terraces are covered with white snow like a playful dragon.

Wondering on the terrace, you can not only enjoy the natural beauty but also experience the unique culture of ethnic minorities. There are several minorities, including Zhuang, Miao, and Yao. You can visit their wooden buildings, learn their beautiful dances, and appreciate their costumes and Longji tea.

5. Fubo Hill

Standing alone in the northeast of Guilin city, beside the west bank of Li River, the Fubo (Wave-subduing Hill) is honored as the "Wonderland on Wave" with its high peak rising to the sky. Since the Hill can block and eddy the water flowing by, it is considered as a Hill that can subdue waves. Walking into the Fubo Hill, an ancient temple bell will be seen at first sight, within which a series of exquisite inscriptions are attached. In the cave walls, you will encounter many Buddhist carvings, and enjoying them is like walking through a great time of the Tang Dynasty.

6.Yangshuo

Yangshuo is a county under the jurisdiction of Guilin. It’s where the Li River ends. Therefore, Yangshuo also has one of the best landscapes in China. West Street is a place to explore local bars and restaurants. Yulong River is where you can ride a bamboo raft. Besides, there are Antique Xingping Old Town, a thousand-year-old Banyan tree, ever-changing Moon Hill, and the idyllic and peaceful countryside.

7.West Street

West Street is the oldest and most prosperous street in Yangshuo. This less than 1km street is made of stone slabs and shaped like a crawling S. There are many simple but elegant stores on both sides of the streets selling all kinds of souvenirs. All the signs of the restaurants, cafes, bars, and shops are bilingual with both Chinese and English. Even in the smallest store, the servant can also speak English. Many visitors often feel a sense of belonging in West Street.

How to get to Yangshuo from Guilin?

1. Li River Cruise (recommended)
Starting from the Mopanshan port in Guilin, you can take the 4-star Li River Cruise to go to Yangshuo while enjoying the beautiful Li River.

2. Bus
Both Guilin Bus Terminal and the Guilin South Railway Station have buses that are bound for Yangshuo. The downside is that those buses only leave once all the seats are occupied.

3. Taxi
Yangshuo is about 80km from Guilin. The fare for a cab may costs you about 200 RMB per way.

4. Private transfer
If you find the above ways troublesome, please contact us. We can offer you a private car in different sizes.

Transportation System of Guilin

Airport

Guilin Liangjiang International Airport is one of the most important transportation forms that connects Guilin and outside world. There are airport buses that can transfer you between the airport and the downtown Guilin with a charge of 30 RMB/ticket. By taxi, it’s about 100 RMB.

Airport Shuttle Bus Timetable

Depart From	Liangjiang Airport	Minhang Building
Passing By	Xichenglukou - Vienna Hotel (Rongshanlu) - Jinshuiwan - Guilin Xiangjiang Hotel	Vienna Hotel (Rongshanlu)
Arrive At	Minhang Building	Airport
Schedule	On basis of flight info.	6:00 - 21:30; 30min/run
Fare	15RMB/pax	20 RMB/pax; 15 RMB/pax if starting from Vienna Hotel
Duration	50min	50min
Tel.	0773-2845355

Depart From	Liangjiang Airport	Yangshuo Bus Terminal
Arrive At	Yangshuo Bus Terminal	Liangjiang Airport
Schedule	09:30, 11:30, 13:30, 15:30, 17:00, 18:30, 20:00, 22:30	08:00, 10:00, 12:00, 13:30, 15:30, 17:30, 19:30, 20:30
Fare	50 RMB/pax	50 RMB/pax
Duration	1.5 h	1.5 h
Tel.	0773-8881002

Depart From	Airport	Guilin North Railway Station
Passing By	Guilin West Railway Station	Guilin West Railway Station
Arrive At	Guilin North Railway Station	Airport
Schedule	Hourly run from 09:00 to 21:00	07:30, 08:30, 09:30, 10:30, 11:30, 13:00, 14:30, 15:30, 16:30, 17:30, 18:30, 19:30
Fare	20 RMB/pax	20 RMB/pax
Duration	50min	50min
Tel.	0773-2672777	0773-2681111 (Xingfuting Hotel nearby the Guilin North Railway Station)

Depart From	Airport	Wanfu Square (Vienna Hotel)
Passing By	Four Points by Sheraton Guilin	Four Points by Sheraton Guilin
Arrive At	Wanfu Square (Vienna Hotel)	Airport
Schedule	10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 17:00, 19:00	08:00, 10:00, 12:00, 15:00, 17:00
Fare	20 RMB/pax	20 RMB/pax
Duration	1h	1h
Tel.	0773-3843955 (Wanfu Square)	0773-3843955 (Wanfu Square); 0773-2308369, 0773-2218227 (Four Points by Sheraton Guilin)

Railway Stations

There are two main railway stations in Guilin, Guilin North Railway Station and Guilin South Railway Station, respectively.
Guilin South Railway Station is currently the major station to receive most regular trains and some high-speed trains from all over China. While the Guilin North Railway Station is dedicated to hosting bullet trains.

Guilin Buses

Guilin has a developed bus system, and many buses here are double-decker buses. You can go anywhere by bus. There are regular buses and free buses (starting with number 5) two kinds of buses in Guilin. Many people tend to take the free buses, which means you have to wait longer for such buses. It’s not recommended if you are in a rush.
Sightseeing Line 1 is a double-decker bus with an air conditioner. It starts from Tian'etang and passes Elephant Trunk Hill, Fubo Hill, Tiecai Hill, Zhongshan Road, Binjiang Toad, Jiefang Road, and many prosperous commercial areas. There is also a tour guide on the bus who can give you an introduction to the city.
Operating hours: 7:00 - 22:00; 15min/run.
Fare: 2RMB.

Free Sight Shuttle Bus

There is a free shuttle bus that goes between 4A scenic spots in Guilin city. You just need to purchase all the entrance tickets for the 4A sights you visit and then take the shuttle bus to get around for free. It starts from Seven Star Park every 15min and stops at each attraction for 3min. The bus also has a full-time guide.
Schedule: early shift (Seven Star Park: 8:15 a.m; Reed Flute Cave: 9:15 a.m); last shift (Seven Star Park: 16:20; Reed Flute Cave: 17:20)

Taxi

The flag-down fare for Guilin taxi is 9 RMB/2km in the day time and 11RMB/2km at night (23:00-6:00). For a journey exceeding 2 kilos, it's 1.9RMB/km in the day time and 2RMB/km at night.
Tip: try to avoid taking the cab near the railway station. There may be some illegal taxis misleading or overcharging you.

Bicycle

The attractions in Guilin city are not far away from each other. In most cases, a bicycle can take you to many places. There are many bike rental choices, but in general, it’s 30RMB/day.

Travel to Guilin with Lilysun China Tours

4 Days Li River and Terraces Tour