5 Days Best Guilin In-depth Vacation (Li River, Yangshuo & Longji Terraces)

Day 1 Guilin Arrival

Pick up at Guilin - Elephant Trunk Hill - Reed Flute Cave

Welcome to Guilin, the most scenic city in China! Upon your arrival, be met by your local guide and escorted to your hotel in Guilin downtown.

You will start your Guilin tour after a break. Firstly make a visit to the symbol of Guilin landscape - Elephant Trunk Hill. A giant rock hill vividly shapes like an elephant which is drinking water. Besides, there are many historical sites here for you to explore, such as stone carving, Buddhist temple, relic exhibition, etc. Then, drive about 7 kilometers (about 20 minutes' drive) to the next attraction - Reed Flute Cave, a majestic underground palace with sparkling different colors. The magical Mother Nature condenses millions years of natural efforts to form the incredible stalactite, stalagmite, stone shield and stone waterfall of different sizes and shapes.

After the tour, be transferred to your hotel.

Evening Ideas: In the evening, if you want, you can to take a leisure walk around the famous city water system - Two Rivers and Four Lakes for the amazing night views.

Arrival Ideals: At present, there are many international and domestic flights to Guilin. Besides, you can take a high speed train to Guilin from Guiyang (about 2.5 hours), Guangzhou (about 3 hours), Changsha (about 3.5 hours), etc.

• Marina's Family Visited Elephant Trunk Hill in September, 2019
• Guilin Two Rivers and Four Lakes, Photo by China Discovery in October, 2018
• Delma from Ireland visited Reed Flute Cave in July, 2021

Day 2 Guilin to Longsheng (B, L)

Huangluo Yao Village - Ping'an Village (Seven Stars with Moon, Nine Dragons & Five Tigers)

In this morning, you will be driven about 80km (about 1.5 hours) to witness one of the most beautiful rice terraces in China - Longji Rice Terrace, an amazing feat of farm engineering rising up to 1000m high in Longsheng County. There are several featured Zhuang and Yao minority villages along the road and you will take a visit to the special Huangluo Yao Village, the "First Village of Long Hair in the World", where you can see women in red ethnic clothes with very long hairs (the longest can reach up to 1.7 meters).

Later, continue your drive to a beautiful 600-year-old Zhuang Village - Pingan and check in your hotel located near the rice terraces. After some rest, start to explore the breathtaking views. The rice terrace is layer upon layer, like the changing ladder created by nature leading to the blue sky, forming a majestic painting between heaven and earth. From Pingan, you can hike on the cobbled paths built among terraces to catch the best landscape. Climb up to the great lookouts at Seven Stars with Moon and Nine Dragons and Five Tigers from which you can get superlative views of terraces and villages. Hike half day around, then back to Pingan for dinner and accommodation.

Different seasons will show you the different views. From mid-April to Mid-June, local people will release water into the terraced fields. Patches of patches watery terraced fields will reflect its beauty in the sun shine. While during mid-June to mid-September, the glossy and green rice terraces wave with summer breeze, and you can also see the curves of the terraced fields. The months from late September to early October are the mature time of the rice when the whole terraced fields will become golden and local farmers will start to harvest.

Good to Know:

1. Weather: The temperatures of Longsheng are normally lower 2℃ to 3℃ than Guilin City (28.3℃ in July and 7.9℃ in January), while the mountain tops temperature is lower than the mountain foot, so please take some warm clothes with you.

2. Walking: When arriving at Pingan Village, you can only be dropped at Pingan Village Tourist Center parking lot that you need to walk about 900 steps to your hotel. Comfortable shoes are highly recommended!

3. Luggage carrying: For the aged or travelers who are lack of physical strength, you'd better hire a local porter to help carry your heavy luggage to the hotel (pay extra expense on your own).

• Claire from UK visited Longji Rice Terraces (Pingan, Seven Stars with Moon) in October 2021
• Santos from Canada visited Longji Rice Terraces (Pingan, Nine Dragons and Five Tigers) in 2018
• Huangluo Yao Village Long Hair Performance, Photo by Our Customer Wim
• Longji Rice Terraces (Pingan, Nine Dragons and Five Tigers) in Autumn, Photo by Our Customer Wim
• Longji Rice Terraces (Pingan, Nice Dragons and Five Tigers), Photo by Our Customer Steven in Spring

Day 3 Longsheng to Guilin (B, L)

Hiking from Ping'an via Zhongliu to Dazhai - Jinkeng Village

When walking up in the fresh air of peaceful morning, you may forget where you are. You can go to watch the magnificent sunrise over the beautiful rice terraces at a great location. Then get back to hotel for breakfast.

After breakfast, you will enjoy an in-depth hiking tour led by your guide from Pingan to Zhongliu and Dazhai (located in Jinkeng Yao Rice Terraces). The walk from Pingan to Zhongliu takes about 2 hours, as well as another 2 hours from Zhongliu to Dazhai. You will indulge in the most invigorating walk offering the most spine-tingling views - sparkling layers of waterlogged terraced fields tenaciously climbing the hillsides, bubbling stream, local farmers working in the fields and primitive minority villages. It is surely worth your time and effort!

Jinkeng Rice Terraces, is composed of five small villages of Red Yao People, with Dazhai Village on the mountain foot, Zhuangjie Village on the mountain side and Tiantou Village on the mountain top. The shape of Jinkeng Terraces is like a natural formed pit. With less commercial element but majestic scenery is the reason why Jinkeng Terraces is the most popular sites for hikers and photographers. Most of the gorgeous photos of Longsheng Rice Terraces published are shot here. The spot has three viewpoints which form a triangle.

After the tour, transfer back to Guilin for accommodation.

Useful Tips:

1. Most of the roads in the scenic spot are stone trails, so high-heeled shoes are not advisable. Following the stone trails to prevent getting lost the way.

2. Jinkeng Rice Terrace has three main sites - West Hill Music, Thousand-layer Terraces and Golden Buddha Peak and if you want to explore deeply, you can use cableway up to Golden Buddha Peak for the magnificent and panoramic view of the terrace. Please discuss with your guide based on the real situation.

• Dazhai Village, Photo by China Discovery in Early October, 2019
• Thousand-layer Terraces Golden View (Jinkeng, Longji Rice Terraces), Photo by China Discovery in Late October, 2018
• West Hill Music View (Jinkeng, Longji Rice Terraces), Photo by China Discovery in Late October, 2018
• Chona's Group from Philippines visited Longji Rice Terraces (Jinkeng) in September, 2018
• Delma from Ireland visited Longji Rice Terraces in July, 2021
• Jenn's family from USA visited Longji Rice Terraces (Jinkeng, Golden Buddha Peak) in October 2022

Day 4 Guilin, Li River Cruise to Yangshuo (B, L)

Li River Cruise - Yangshuo Countryside View - West Street

As the declaration in Chinese textbook "Guilin’s landscape is the best under heaven", today you will explore this best landscape starting with a relaxing sightseeing cruise along the Li River from Mopanshan Pier to Yangshuo Town. Along the 84-kilometer cruise, dazzling scenery overwhelms your eyes like a vast endless Chinese painting of winding river, green limestone karst mountains, fascinating countryside views, amazing scene of A Painting of Nine Horses, and notable view printed on the back of the 20 RMB note. (Please note: Lunch is served by the cruise with simple local Chinese cuisine. And you can take some snacks when getting on board.)

After about 4 hours’ cruise, disembark in Yangshuo Town, and check in your hotel. Take a short break, and then throw yourself into the stunning countryside views and relaxed atmosphere. Be enthralled by the patches of paddy fields nestling under green hills and near the mirror-like river, with farmers cultivating the soil with their water buffalos.

After that, walk leisurely on the ancient West Street to witness how the western culture and Chinese culture perfectly and peacefully coexist here. Whether you want to enjoy a cup of drink in bar, taste some local food, or just experience the relaxing atmosphere, you get it here.

Optional afternoon activities:

1. Join the interesting Chinese Cooking Class (15:00-18:00) to learn about Chinese dishes and cook your special dinner with the help of English-speaking chef. 2. Discover more about Chinese culture by joining our calligraphy class / Taichi class.

Optional evening activity:

Watch the splendid evening performance of Impression Liu Sanjie with the Li River itself as the stage, which was directed by famous director - Zhang Yimou (usually performs for an hour between around 19:45 and 22:20).

• Guilin Li River Scenery on 20 RMB Chinese Note, Taken by Claire from UK in October 2021
• Impression Sanjie Liu Show, Photo by Wilfred's Group from Netherlandse in 2018
• Claire from UK visited Yangshuo Countryside in October 2021
• Our Customer from USA Enjoyed Cooking Class at Yangshuo West Street in May, 2018
• Li River Scenery, Taken by Our Customer Santos from Canada in September, 2018
• Gerhard's Group from Germany Visted Yangshuo West Street in August, 2019

Day 5 Yangshuo & Guilin Departure (B, L)

Yulong River Sightseeing & Outdoor Activities - Flight / Train off Guilin

This morning, after breakfast, start your impressive exploration of the best charming sightseeing and ideal countryside ease at Yulong River. Let all the refreshing scenes please your eyes and souls to the utmost. Just enjoy every moment to close up to the Karst hills dotted around, chatting stream, rippling mountain reflection, swaying floras, patches of vivid crops, old dwellings on the riverside, comfortable breeze, clear azure sky... There are diverse kinds of ways for your enjoyment of the fun and beauty, including biking, hiking, bamboo rafting and scooter. You can easily choose and combine your ideal way(s) and part of Yulong River. (Please tell your likes to your travel consultants before booking the tour, as the final prices will differ by activities you choose.).

Biking (some physically demanding & sightseeing by the river) - Ride to enjoy the river view, the real fields, the antique houses and hundreds-year-old stone bridge (route: Yangshuo - Jima - Jiuxian Village - Shuiedi Dock - Gongnong Bridge - West Street; for 3 hours). During the tour, pay a visit of a local family near Chaoyang to have a short break and see their living environment and farming tools of local peasants.

Bamboo Rafting (relaxing and interesting & sightseeing on the river) - have fun with the classic bamboo rafting (Route A: Shuiedi Dock - Gongnong Bridge for 40-50 minutes; Route B: Jima Dock - Gongnong Bridge for 1.5 hours) to see the more serene view like pieces of traditional Chinese landscape ink paintings.

Driving (most leisurable and comfortable & sightseeing on the road) - sit leisurely in the car from Jima to Gongnong Bridge to appreciate the lovely countryside view (about 0.5 hour). You can get off and on anywhere on the middle way to explore more about your interested place.

After the visiting, be transferred to Guilin to catch your flight / train to next destination. (Note: arrange your flight or train in late afternoon or early evening.)

Note: according to the regulations of Yulong River Tourism, children less than 1 meter high and elders over 70 years old are not allowed to take the bamboo rafting.

• Alexia and Bruno Visited Yulong River in 2016
• Josh's Group from USA Enjoyed Cycling along Yangshuo Yulong River in July, 2023
• Delma from Ireland visited Yulong River in July, 2021
• Gerhard's Group from Germany Visted Yangshuo Countryside in August, 2019
• Jenn's family from USA Enjoyed Scooted along Yulong River in October, 2022