Mountains & Hiking
Guilin is surrounded by mountains, with plenty of scenic spots, hiking routes, and outdoor activities to explore. This guide covers the main mountain attractions and related activities, with practical details such as time needed, how to get there, and useful tips for making the most of your visit.
Main attractions
Elephant Trunk Hill
Elephant Trunk Hill is one of Guilin’s most iconic landmarks and a must-visit stop for first-time visitors. As the symbol of the city, it is almost always included in classic Guilin itineraries, which also means it can get quite crowded, especially during peak seasons. The main highlight of the park is the iconic view of the hill resembling an elephant drinking water from the Li River. Beyond this famous viewpoint, the attraction itself is a relatively compact urban park. Visiting on a weekday is ideal if you want a more relaxed experience.
Suggested time: Around 1 hour
Tips:
- The entrance is free, but real-name reservation is required. You can make a booking through the Liangjiang Sihu Elephant Trunk Hill official WeChat account, the Guilin All-Region Tourism mini program, or Amap (Gaode Map).
- Enter through Gate 3, which is closer to the Love Island viewing platform, one of the recommended viewpoints for photographing Elephant Trunk Hill.
Chuanshan Park
Unlike Elephant Trunk Hill, Chuanshan Park is a lesser-known attraction in Guilin. However, it has recently gained more attention among travelers through social media thanks to its beautiful sunset views. From the top of the hill, visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of Guilin’s cityscape.
Suggested time: 1.5–2 hours
Tips:
- Visit around 4 PM and enter through the North Gate. The climb to the top takes around 20 minutes, allowing you to arrive in time to enjoy the sunset.
- The main park area is free to enter and does not require reservations. There is also a separate cave area with a ticket price of 30 RMB, featuring karst caves and a café inside.
- Wild monkeys may occasionally be seen around the park. Keep food inside your bag and avoid carrying it openly.
Xianggong Mountain
The viewpoint of Xianggong mountain offers a panoramic view of the Li River and the surrounding karst peaks, making it a great place to end the day. Xianggong Mountain is famous for its spectacular sunrise, and many visitors come specifically for this experience, making sunrise the busiest time of day. However, the panoramic views of Yangshuo are beautiful throughout the day, and watching the sunset here is also a great option. Whether you choose sunrise, sunset, or simply visit during the day is ultimately up to you.
Suggested time: Allow around 1.5–2 hours for the visit, including approximately 20 minutes to reach the summit.
Tips
- Getting to Xianggong Mountain can be difficult by taxi because of the winding roads and limited transportation. From West Street, you can either hire a private car, which usually costs around RMB 180–260 per car for a round trip (4–6 people), or take a dedicated shuttle bus, which costs around RMB 75–85 per person for a round trip.
- Wear comfortable, non-slip sports shoes. Some of the steps are steep and can become especially slippery after rain. Bring your own water and snacks, as there are no shops at the summit.
Laozhai Mountain
Laozhai Mountain is one of the best places in Yangshuo to watch the sunset and is located just a short distance from Xingping Ancient Town. It is an undeveloped mountain trail. Although the mountain itself is not very high, the climb can be challenging, especially the final section, where you may need to use both your hands and feet. Navigate to Wuqi cafe (屋企咖啡), where you’ll find signs pointing to the trail.
Suggested time: Allow around 40–50 minutes to climb up, 30–40 minutes at the summit, and 20–30 minutes to descend.
Tips:
- Start heading down as soon as the sun begins to disappear behind the mountains. There is no lighting on the trail, and it gets dark quickly after sunset.
- Do not climb in the rain or immediately after rainfall. Moss on the trail can make the path extremely slippery.
Diecai Hill
Diecai Hill is a scenic spot in downtown Guilin and a great place to get a panoramic view of the city from above. Tickets cost RMB 25 per person.The scenic area mainly consists of Wind Cave and Mingyue Peak. Wind Cave is a naturally formed cave halfway up the mountain, with historic murals and inscriptions inside. Mingyue Peak is the summit, which takes only about 20 minutes to reach. It’s especially popular around sunset, when visitors come to enjoy the panoramic views as the city lights begin to come on. On the way down, you can also choose to take the mountain slide.
Suggested time: Allow around 2 hours.
Recommended route: Enter through the South Gate and exit through the East Gate
Longji Rice Terraces
The Longji Rice Terraces consist mainly of three villages: Dazhai in Jinkeng, Ping’an, and the Zhuang ancient Village. The best way to explore the area is to walk through the terraces, enjoy the views from the various viewpoints, and explore the surrounding villages. If you stay overnight, catching the sunrise over the terraces is well worth getting up early for.If you only have one day, I recommend staying around Jinkeng Dazhai, where you can spend the day exploring the terraces without trying to cover too much ground. Tickets cost RMB 80 per adult, with eligible visitors paying RMB 40. The ticket is valid for three days.
Huangluo Yao Village: Huangluo Yao Village is about a 20-minute drive from the main entrance and is a convenient stop if you want to have a local farmhouse meal before taking a stroll around the village and along the river. The main tourist shuttle buses do not stop at Huangluo Yao Village, but it is usually included in private-car tours and small-group day trips.
Jinkeng Dazhai: Jinkeng Dazhai is about a 20-minute drive from Huangluo Yao Village and 1-hour drive from the entrance. There are three main viewpoints:
Viewpoint 1: Take a sightseeing shuttle and then walk for about 30 minutes. It is a good spot for sunrise.
Viewpoint 2: Take the sightseeing shuttle directly to the viewpoint. This is where you can see the most dramatic layers of the rice terraces.
Viewpoint 3: Take the cable car directly to the viewpoint for a panoramic view of the terraces, and it is a good place to watch the sunset.
If you only have one day, Viewpoint 3 is the best choice. Take the cable car up, enjoy the panoramic views and take some photos, then head back down.
Pingan village: Hiking up to Ping’an Village takes around 40 minutes, but I recommend taking the sightseeing shuttle to Nine Dragons and Five Tigers (九龙五虎) Viewpoint, then walking for about 30 minutes to Seven Stars Accompanying the Moon (七星伴月). The trail is relatively flat and offers beautiful views along the way.From Seven Stars Accompanying the Moon, it takes another 30–40 minutes to walk back to the parking area. Plus, The sightseeing shuttle does not go directly to Seven Stars Accompanying the Moon, so don’t buy a round-trip ticket.
Suggested time: huangluoyao village for 2-2.5h; for jinkeng dazhai allow 2.5–3 hours if visiting only Viewpoint 3, or around 4 hours if visiting both Viewpoints 2 and 3;pingan village for 2.5-3h
Tips:
- If you’re traveling from Guilin or Yangshuo by bus, make sure to book a ticket all the way to Jinkeng Dazhai. The main entrance is about 17 km from Jinkeng Dazhai, so don’t get off at the entrance.
- You need to take a minibus between them for around RMB 20 per trip, but buses run only about once an hour. If you plan to stay overnight in one of the villages, your guesthouse host can usually help arrange transportation between villages and back to the main entrance.
More mountain experiences
Ruyi Peak
Ruyi Peak is the highest scenic area in Yangshuo and one of the best places to see Guilin’s karst landscape from above. From the top, layers of dramatic peaks stretch across the landscape, creating a wide panoramic view that is especially impressive on a clear day. You can take a cable car up instead of hiking, then explore the suspension bridge, glass skywalk, and forest trails around the mountain.
If you prefer enjoying mountain scenery without a long or strenuous hike, Ruyi Peak is a good choice. You can take in the views, walk along the trails, and try the attractions at your own pace.
It’s about a 20-minute drive from West Street, and taxis are generally easy to find. If you’re visiting in the afternoon, avoid leaving too late, as it can be harder to find a taxi after dark.
Yongfu Tiankeng
A tiankeng is a distinctive type of karst landform and one of the natural features that make Guangxi so unique. Yongfu Tiankeng（永福天坑）, located within Jinzhongshan Scenic Area（金钟山景区）, is the only tiankeng in the area that visitors can enter on foot from the bottom.
Once inside, you’ll find yourself surrounded by towering rock walls, with dense greenery covering parts of the cliffs. On sunny days, sunlight pours through the opening above, forming beams of light that reach down into the depths of the tiankeng. The combination of the enclosed cliffs, lush vegetation, and changing light makes the scenery especially striking.
The scenic area also includes caves, golf, and hot springs, so you can combine your visit with other activities. A sunny day is recommended, and driving yourself or hiring a private car is the easiest way to get there. It’s about an hour’s drive from Guilin city center.
Rock Climbing
For outdoor and climbing enthusiasts, Yangshuo is a world-class rock climbing destination, with a huge variety of climbing areas set among its distinctive karst peaks. Swiss Cheese Cave, Bottle Mountain, and Bamboo Curtain Cave are three of the most representative crags, each offering different routes and scenery.
You don’t need to be an experienced climber to give it a try. Yangshuo has a well-established climbing community, with professional guides and climbing schools offering courses and guided climbs for different experience levels. Beginners can join a guided session and learn the basics while climbing on the limestone cliffs, while more experienced climbers have plenty of routes to explore.
If you’re looking for something new and a little more challenging outdoors, rock climbing is worth a try. Just make sure to book through a professional climbing club and climb with a qualified guide or instructor.
Mao'er Mountain
Mao’er Mountain（猫儿山） is the highest peak in South China, rising to 2,141.5 meters above sea level, and it is also the source of the Li River and two other major rivers in the region. With large areas of original forest and abundant mountain streams, the water here is exceptionally clear, giving rise to the nickname “jelly water”（果冻水）. In summer, you can experience the mountain from the water with activities such as paddleboarding and “Wo Nang Piao”（窝囊漂）, a gentle form of floating where you simply relax and let the current carry you downstream rather than rushing through rapids. On clear days, the mountain is also known for its sea of clouds, while staying overnight offers the chance to see a star-filled night sky away from the city.
Despite its height, you don’t need to take on a strenuous hike to reach the summit. The scenic area has shuttle buses that take visitors up the mountain, and the easier route from the Research Center to the summit viewing platform is about 3 km and takes around 1.5 hours one way. For a more challenging hike, longer routes through the forest can take around 5–6 hours one way. From Guilin, Mao’er Mountain is about a two-hour drive, and another option is to take a direct bus from Guilin North Railway Station（桂林北站） to the scenic area.