Guilin Itinerary 2026: The Ultimate 3–5 Day Travel Guide
How many days do you need?
Guilin is a must-visit destination for many international travelers to China, known for its iconic karst landscapes, winding rivers, and dramatic mountain scenery. While many travelers choose to spend three days here to visit the main highlights, in my opinion, 4–5 days is a more comfortable length for experiencing Guilin at a relaxed pace. This gives you enough time to enjoy the classic landscapes of Yangshuo, explore the Longji Rice Terraces, and discover the local culture beyond the famous sights.
Understand Guilin’s Layout Before Planning Your Trip
Guilin’s attractions are spread across three main areas: Guilin City, Yangshuo, and Longji Rice Terraces. These areas are relatively separated from each other, so it is better to plan your itinerary by region and choose accommodation based on your route.
Guilin City
Best for: City attractions and convenient transportation
Time needed: 1 day
Highlights:
- Elephant Trunk Hill
- Two Rivers and Four Lakes
- Sun and Moon Pagodas
- Dongxi Lane
- Fubo Hill
Where to stay:
The city center, especially around Elephant Trunk Hill and the Two Rivers and Four Lakes area, is the most convenient choice.
How to get there:
- Guilin Liangjiang International Airport: about 40 minutes by car from the city center, with airport shuttle buses available.
- Guilin Railway Station: located in the city center and the most convenient option for reaching downtown attractions.
- Guilin North Railway Station: has more train services but is farther from the city center.
Yangshuo
Best for: Karst scenery, river activities, and countryside attractions
Time needed: 2–3 days
Highlights:
- Yulong River
- Ten-Mile Gallery
- Moon Hill
- Ruyi Peak
- Xianggong Hill
- West Street
- Xingping Ancient Town
Where to stay:
- West Street area: the most convenient choice, with restaurants, shops, and nightlife nearby.
- Near Ten-Mile Gallery or Yulong River: better for travelers looking for scenic countryside accommodation.
- Xingping Ancient Town: convenient for travelers taking the high-speed train, as Yangshuo Railway Station is located nearby.
How to get there:
- From Guilin City to Yangshuo: around 1.5 hours by car or bus.
- Yangshuo Railway Station is located near Xingping Ancient Town, about 40 minutes from Yangshuo town.
- The Li River cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo is another popular option, taking around 4 hours.
Longji Rice Terraces
Best for: Rice terraces, hiking, and ethnic villages
Time needed: 1–2 days
Highlights:
- Jinkeng Dazhai
- Ping’an Village
- Longji Ancient Zhuang Village
Where to stay:
Most travelers stay in Jinkeng Dazhai, especially near Viewing Platform No. 1 and No. 2 for better views. Many guesthouses require walking up stairs, so avoid bringing large suitcases if possible.
How to get there:
- From Guilin City: around 2 hours by car or bus.
- From Yangshuo: around 3–4 hours, so it is generally not recommended to combine Yangshuo and Longji in a tight itinerary.
3-Day Itinerary
Covering the essential highlights of Guilin City and Yangshuo, this route follows a comfortable pace with enough flexibility to adjust based on your interests and energy level. Guilin’s city attractions are relatively close together, so taking taxis is the most convenient and affordable way to get around. In Yangshuo, attractions are more spread out and public transportation can be less convenient, so renting an electric scooter is recommended for getting around, while hiring a private car is a better option for more remote attractions.
Day 1 Explore Guilin City
Timing: Start the itinerary after lunch and hotel check-in. Visit Chuanshan Park around 4:00 PM for sunset; the rest of the day is flexible.
route: Arrival → Local lunch → Elephant Trunk Hill → Chuanshan Park (sunset) → Shijiayuan dinner → Two Rivers and Four Lakes & Sun and Moon Pagodas (night view)
Day 2: Li River &Yangshuo’s Countryside
Timing: Take a 9:00–9:30 AM Li River cruise, leaving Guilin around 7:30–8:00 AM to reach the pier in time. After arriving in Yangshuo, spend the afternoon cycling through the Ten-Mile Gallery, then choose between West Street or Impression Liu San Jie in the evening.
Route: Li River Cruise → Ten-Mile Gallery Cycling → West Street or Impression Liu San Jie
Day 3: Yulong River, Jiuxian Village & Xianggong Mountain
Timing: Take a morning Yulong River bamboo raft around 9:00 AM, then explore Jiuxian Village and have lunch there before heading to Xianggong Mountain in the afternoon. Overnight in Yangshuo is recommended; if you’re leaving on Day 3, skip Xianggong Mountain to avoid rushing.
Route: Yulong River Bamboo Rafting → Jiuxian Village → Xianggong Mountain
4-Day Itinerary
If you have four days in Guilin, this itinerary gives you more flexibility and a wider range of experiences. Alongside the main highlights, I’ve included a few alternative options so you can choose the experiences that suit you best, while keeping a similar overall pace to the 3-day itinerary.This itinerary also adds Longji Rice Terraces, a beautiful mountain area north of Guilin known for its dramatic terraced landscapes.
Day1 guilin city
Timing: Arrive in Guilin around noon and start the itinerary after lunch. There are no strict time constraints for the individual stops, so you can adjust the pace to suit you.
Route: Reed Flute Cave → Elephant Trunk Hill → East-West Alley & Zhengyang Pedestrian Street → Two Rivers and Four Lakes & Sun and Moon Pagodas (night view)
Day2 Xingping Ancient Town & Surroundings, Yangshuo
Timing: Take a high-speed train to Yangshuo around 9:00 AM, then take a bus to Xingping Ancient Town. The journey takes about 1.5 hours in total. Explore Xingping Ancient Town and have lunch before starting the rest of the day’s itinerary.
Route: Yangshuo Station → Xingping Ancient Town → 20 RMB Note Viewpoint → Nine Horses Fresco Hill → Laozhai Mountain
Day3 Yulong River & Surroundings
Timing: Start with Yulong River bamboo rafting around 8:00–9:00 AM. After off-road mountain biking and lunch, spend the afternoon cycling through the Ten-Mile Gallery. Finish by around 4:00 PM, return to West Street to collect your luggage, and allow at least 2 hours to reach Yangshuo Railway Station and catch an evening train back to Guilin.
Route: Yulong River Bamboo Rafting →Off-road mountain biking→ Lunch → Ten-Mile Gallery cycling-back to guilin
Day4 longji rice terraces
Timing: Leave Guilin around 8:00 AM and arrive at Longji Rice Terraces around 10:00 AM. Have lunch at Huangluo Yao Village before exploring Jinkeng Dazhai. Take the cable car to Golden Buddha Peak and hike through the terraces. Start heading down around 4:00 PM to catch the direct bus back to Guilin. The last bus is usually around 4:00 PM, but confirm the schedule with the scenic area in advance.
Route: Arrive at Longji Rice Terraces → Lunch at Huangluo Yao Village → Jinkeng Dazhai (Cable Car to Golden Buddha Peak ,Hiking) → Descend
5-Day itinerary
Five days is enough to experience the highlights of Guilin and Yangshuo at a comfortable pace, while also giving you time to explore the spectacular Longji Rice Terraces. This itinerary covers the region’s main highlights without rushing, with enough time to enjoy each destination at your own pace.
DAY1 Guilin city
Timing: Start exploring Diecai Hill around 4:00 PM to catch the sunset, then have dinner at East-West Alley. The rest of the schedule is flexible and can be adjusted to your preference.
Route: Shijiayuan lunch → Elephant Trunk Hill → Diecai Hill → East-West Alley → Two Rivers and Four Lakes & Sun and Moon Pagodas (night view)
DAY2 Jinkeng Dazhai, longji rice terraces
Timing: Leave Guilin around 8:00 AM and head to Longji Rice Terraces. After arriving, take the cable car to Golden Buddha Peak (Viewpoint 3), have lunch, then explore Viewpoint 2 before staying overnight in Jinkeng Dazhai.
Route: Longji Rice Terraces → Jinkeng Dazhai (Golden Buddha Peak金佛顶 / Viewpoint 3) → Lunch → Viewpoint 2 → Stay overnight in Jinkeng
DAY3 Ping’an village,longji rice terraces
Timing: Arrive at the viewpoint 20–30 minutes before sunrise to watch the changing colors of the sky. After sunrise, have breakfast before heading to Ping’an Village.Have lunch around noon, then start heading to Yangshuo around 1:00–2:00 PM. The journey takes around 3 hours.
Route: Sunrise → Ping’an Village (Nine Dragons and Five Tigers 九龙五虎 → Seven Stars Accompanying the Moon 七星伴月) → Lunch → Descend → Head to Yangshuo
DAY4 Caves, Villages & the Yulong River
Timing: Start the underground cave exploration around 10:00 AM, then visit Jiuxian Village and have lunch before heading to the Yulong River for a late-afternoon bamboo rafting trip. Check the available rafting times in advance and allow enough time to get to the pier.
Route: Moxia Village Underground Cave Exploration → Jiuxian Village → Yulong River Bamboo Rafting
DAY5 Yangshuo Countryside & Xingping
Timing: Start cycling through the Ten-Mile Gallery around 8:00–8:30 AM. After lunch, head to Xingping Ancient Town and explore the 20 RMB Note Viewpoint and Nine Horses Fresco Hill（九马画山）. Leave Xingping around 4:30–5:00 PM for an evening high-speed train from Yangshuo Railway Station
Route: Ten-Mile Gallery Cycling → Xingping Ancient Town (20 RMB Note Viewpoint + Nine Horses Fresco Hill 九马画山) → Yangshuo Railway Station → Departure
What to Know Before Visiting China
Set Up Your eSIM & VPN Before You Go
Set up your internet access before arriving in China. A travel data eSIM is a convenient way to stay connected without needing a physical SIM card. You can find China travel eSIMs on Klook and Trip.com. Look for a plan that offers international routing if you want to access services such as Google, WhatsApp, and Instagram without a VPN.
If you prefer to use a VPN, install and test it before your trip. VPN reliability can change, so having a backup is a good idea. Common options used by travelers include Proton VPN and Astrill VPN. Don’t wait until you arrive in China to download or set up your VPN.
Essential Apps to Download
- Alipay is the most useful app for everyday services in China. You can use it to pay at shops and restaurants, order food delivery, book tickets, and call a Didi ride. International visitors need to link a credit card to use Alipay for payments.
- WeChat is mainly useful for payments, booking tickets, scanning QR codes to order at restaurants, and communicating with local businesses. Many hotels, restaurants, tour operators, and activity providers use WeChat to communicate with customers, so it’s worth setting up before your trip.
- For navigation, download Amap (Gaode Maps). Google Maps is often unreliable in China, so Amap is the better choice for finding attractions, checking routes, and getting around Guilin and Yangshuo.
- com is useful for booking hotels and train tickets, and you can also use it to book some attractions and activities.
Language & Safety
- The language barrier can be significant in many parts of China, but Yangshuo has welcomed international travelers for many years, so English is generally more accessible here than in less-visited destinations.
- China is one of the safest countries to travel in, including for solo female travelers. As anywhere else, simply keep an eye on your belongings and valuables, especially in crowded places.
Small Things to Keep in Mind
Always carry your passport with you — you may need it for tickets, transportation, or hotel check-in.
Carry some toilet paper — not all public toilets provide it.
If a local booking platform requires a Chinese phone number—— check Trip.com for tickets instead. Many attractions and activities are available there.