Yangshuo, sitting in the southeast part of Guilin City, about 65 kilometers away from the city center, is a little old county more than 1,400 years old from Sui Dynasty and has received the fame as the “heavenly hometown of travel on earth”. There is an old saying goes, “Guilin’s scenery is peerless in the world, and Yangshuo’s scenery is the best in Guilin”, thus, the fascinating Yangshuo has been unceasingly attracting innumerable travelers from all around the globe. Once you step there, its characteristic idyllic emerald countryside view, lovely rising Karst landform hills here and there, peaceful landscape at Li River like the traditional Chinese ink painting, diverse fun outdoor activity experiences, flavored culture of both ancient Chinese connotation and international vigor, etc. will tell you why it keeps ranking so high on the traveling list for visitors to China every year!
Yangshuo Moon Hill & Big Banyan Tree UNAVAILABLE: The Moon Hill Scenic Spot and Big Banyan Tree Scenic Spot are not available for visiting since October 8th 2024 due to official upgrading and renovation. But tourists can still have a distant look at the Moon Hill hole from the countryside field. We will keep updating the information based on official announcement!
Travel News: 72 hours visa-free travel in Guilin (Yangshuo within its administrative region) was made possible from July 28th, 2014 for 51 countries, including US, UK, Germany, France, Russia, Japan, Australia… >> Learn More about Guilin 72-Hour Visa-Free Transit
For a classic Yangshuo tour, you can plan 2-3 days to explore the top highlights of Yangshuo’s Karst sceneries, culture and ethnic minority essences, such as Yulong River, Li River, Ten-mile Gallery, West Street, Impression Sanjie Liu, its countryside, and so on. And if you want a deeper discovery, you can spend 2 to more days to visit Xingping and shoot fabulous pictures at Xianggong Hill, Cuiping Five Fingers Mountain, Moon Hill, etc.
Furthermore, you can also plan your Yangshuo tour like most travelers there, which is to combine Yangshuo with the visit to Guilin City and Longsheng in about 5 to 7 days to appreciate more natural splendors including Elephant Trunk Hill, Reed Flute Cave, Longji Rice Terraces, ethnic dwellings in Ping’an and Jinkeng Villages, and so forth.
As transportation to Guilin and Yangshuo is getting more convenient, you can plan your Yangshuo tour from Hong Kong or with other hot destinations in China, such as Zhangjiajie, Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, Guangzhou, etc.
You will never fail to find satisfying places to see in Yangshuo. From the classic attraction, to natural wonderland, from the famous sites for photography, to wonderful shows, ancient cultural sites, etc., you will get what you expect, such as Li River, Yulong River, Xianggong Hill, West Street, and Impression Sanjie Liu... Please check all things to do in Yangshuo.
Regarded as the most famous and classic scenic belt to see the typical Karst landscape of various shaped mountains on both sides.
It is praised as the essence of Yangshuo to admire the enchanting Karst mountains, bamboo groves and reflection on the crystal-clear chanting stream.
Site of the Bronze Prize of the 10th International Photography Festival and the superb spot for fabulous sunrise, sunglow, sea of clouds and Yangshuo Karst panorama.
Domestically famous shooting destination to have the full appreciation of Yangshuo countryside view and unbelievable sunset scenery.
World well known picturesque way enables you to enjoy rolling mountains surrounding and visit a series of interesting scenic spots.
Its hole on top of the mountain seems the moon hanging high in the sky with different looks based on viewing points, attracting visitors for photographing.
Known as the “Global Village” with harmonious mixed culture of people from diverse countries, this 1,400 years old street is nice to seek snack, drinks and nightlife.
One of the top ancient towns to seek authentic ancient and tranquil charm of China among interlaced streets and lanes, once visited by President Clinton.
Applausive live landscape performance by Director Zhang Yimou to admire ethnic minority and scenic show with Li River Karst mountains as background.
Besides the enchanting sceneries to appreciate, your Yangshuo exploration will also be fun a lot with its rich kinds of activities to enjoy from morning to night hours, including the exciting bamboo rafting, leisure biking or scooting, photographing, and so forth. Please check all activities in Yangshuo.
One of the best outdoor activities to feel the essences of Yulong River and Li River with great landscape enjoyment and fun of water.
A fashionable way quite a large number of Yangshuo visitors have chosen to experience both Yangshuo views and countryside life.
Visiting Yangshuo on foot enables a random stop anywhere and anytime you are interested without the limitation of vehicles and routes.
A can't-missing experience for shutter bugs to record the fabulous rising mountains, rivers, sunrise, sunset, sunglows and other natural splendors in Yangshuo.
Know Chinese food materials and learn how to cook the classic Chinese dishes and local Yangshuo food under the friendly guidance of local English chef.
Adventure to conquer the characteristic Karst mountains on your hands and feet to sweat and get the amazingYangshuo panorama.
Yangshuo belongs to the subtropical monsoon climate with plenty rainfalls and sunshine, which has four distinct but comfortable four seasons. Travelers can go there any month of a year, among all, April to November are the best months to visit. During May and June, it is very suitable to enjoy bamboo rafting with enough water in the river, however, it is not so good to admire the mountain reflections with rapid flows, especially in late May, water level of Li River ascents, however, it is very cool during rainy days, and is appropriate to see the dream mists of Li River. In July and August, the river becomes clear and temperature gets higher to reach an average indication of 28℃, when there are also many travelers.
Warm Dressing Tips: waterproof jackets are suggested in April when belongs to early spring to beak the wind and keep warm. Cool clothes are top recommendation for visiting in May and June due to the high humidity and stuffiness, and umbrellas are necessary for the frequent rains. And if you go to Yangshuo in July and August, sun scream, sunglasses, hats and mosquito-repellent are not to forget. Learn more about Yangshuo Weather & Best Time to Go.
Get to Yangshuo
By Flight: there is currently no airport in Yangshuo County, and the nearest airport - Guilin Liangjiang International Airport is about 28km from Guilin downtown and about km from Yangshuo County, which needs about 1.5 hours to transfer to Yangshuo by car. Nowadays, there are over 60 domestic and international airlines with 30 major cities in China (including Hong Kong and Macau) and some international cities including Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Jeju Island, Fukuoka, etc. Besides, there are airport buses launching to Yangshuo, usually at 09:30, 11:30, 13:30, 15:30, 17:00, 18:30, 20:00 and 22:30.
By Bullet Train: high speed trains are available in Yangshuo. Travelers from Guilin (0.5 hour), Guangzhou (2.5 hours), Shenzhen (2.5 hours), Chongqing (5hours), Guiyang (2.5 hours), Nanning (3-3.5 hours), etc. can reach Yangshuo Train Station by the fast bullet train. The station is built in Xingping Town, which needs about 1 hour to reach Yangshuo downtown by car.
By Li River Cruise: for people have already reached Guilin, you can also take the classic Li River cruise from Guilin down to Yangshuo directly, which takes 4-5 hours.
By Car: it usually needs about 1.5-2 hours to arrive at Yangshuo West Street area by car.
By Coach: there are many daily distance buses from Guilin stations, which take about 2-2.5 hours. Also, people from Nanning can take coaches to Yangshuo.
Getting Around
In Yangshuo, buses and sightseeing buses are more common than taxies for public transfer. Besides, most people would like to hire a bike or scooter to get around among Yangshuo’s highlights. However, if you are planning to extend to other famous places a little far from Yangshuo center, it usually needs to hire a car or minibus. If you are interested, you can choose our private transfer service to travel with comfortable vehicle and great guide service.
Learn more about How to Get to Yangshuo | From Guilin to Yangshuo.
You don’t need to worry about accommodations in Yangshuo, as there are lots of options from best luxury resorts, 5-star hotels, to budget hostels and exquisite homestays in and around West Street, along Yulong River, around Yangshuo villages and in Xingping Town region. Banyan Tree Yangshuo is a top choice for living in a global branded resort. Green Lotus International Hotel is a highly praised 5-star hotel. And Alila Yangshuo and Secret Garden Yangshuo are two complimentary boutique hotels to seek more tranquil and countryside living experience. Check more about Recommended Accommodations in Yangshuo and Where to Stay in Yangshuo.
In order to help you know better about Yangshuo’s location, local transportation and highlights for planning your Yangshuo tour, we here collected some useful Yangshuo maps for your reference. Please check all Yangshuo maps!
Yangshuo Guilin Map
Yangshuo Tourist Map
Guilin to Yangshuo Transportation Map
Apart from the lovely Yangshuo, China also houses a series of fascinating destinations for sightseeing, including Zhangjiajie, Huangshan, Yangtze River, etc. and Longsheng in Guilin. Check the following detailed information.
We have helped many global travelers enjoy their memorable trips to Guilin for the past few years. Among them, Vijay's family and friends have traveled China for about 20 times with us and visited Guilin for many times, and also shared us their travel story. Travel with China Discovery to create your wonderful Guilin trip memories!
This short 4-day tour covers the three most popular destinations of Guilin - Li River, Yangshuo County and Longji Rice Terraces. Only 4 days are needed to get them all in a single trip.
During this 3 days brief but really classic Guilin vacation, you will never miss the landmarks of Guilin city, Elephant Trunk Hill, but surely catch enough inspiring hours to get relaxed by cruising down along the stunning Li River to Yangshuo Town.
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