6 Days Shenzhen & Guilin Beauty Tour by High Speed Train

Day 1 Shenzhen Arrival

Flight / Train to Shenzhen

Ni Hao! Welcome to Shenzhen, the most innovative city in China! Upon arrival, you will be met by your local guide at the arrival hall of the airport or train station. Then, be escorted to check in your hotel in downtown by a private comfortable car. The rest of today is on your own to explore the “Silicon Valley of China”. If you want to explore nearby, feel free to get some practical suggestions from your tour guide.

Arrival Ideas: Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport has many international and domestic flights to and from, including Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, Chengdu, Chongqing, Kunming, Zhangjiajie, Hangzhou, Guiyang, etc. Furthermore, high speed trains are quite convenient from most domestic cities including Hong Kong (about 14 minutes), Guangzhou (0.5-1.5 hours), Foshan (1 hour), Guilin (3 hours), Xiamen (3.5-4 hours), Changsha (3-3.5 hours) and so on.

• Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport

Day 2 Shenzhen (B, L)

Ping'an Finance Center - Shenzhen Museum - Splendid China Folk Village

After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel. First, you will see the modern face of Shenzhen by getting atop the 600-meter tall skyscraper - Ping’an Finance Center. It is the tallest building in Shenzhen, the second tallest building in China and the 4th tallest building in the world. Reach Free Sky at 116th floor to catch a panoramic view of Shenzhen as well as overlook Hong Kong in far distance. Afterwards, be driven to Shenzhen Museum for a better understanding about this migrant city turning from a fishing village to the first-tier class metropolis in China within 40 years. Enjoy many informative displays and learn the history from ancient times to modern life. 

In this afternoon, be transferred to Splendid China Folk Village to have a glimpse of vast China and experience the colorful culture of ethnic minorities of China. Walk and recognize the iconic sites in Splendid China Miniature Park which is composed of 82 reproductions of beautiful scenery, grand architecture, historical sites and traditional dwellings of China. You won’t miss Forbidden City, Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors, Potala Palace, Mogao Caves, Li River, Leshan Giant Buddha, Stone Forest etc. Traveling across China within short time, you’ll be enchanted with China’s profound history, culture, natural beauty, palaces, temples and pagodas in one go. Then, take a stroll at China Folk Culture Village to explore 27 different ethnic villages built with the proportion of 1:1, experience brilliant culture, unique folk customs and hospitality of the ethnic groups. Watch interesting performances at their villages at the scheduled time. If your time allows, enjoy the fantastic performance called “New Oriental Neon Costumes” at Impression China Theater at 17:00, and “Dragon and Phoenix Dance” at Phoenix Square at 19:30.

After the tour, be escorted to your hotel for a good rest. 

• Ping'an Financial Center
• Splendid China Folk Village
• Shenzhen Museum

Day 3 High Speed Train from Shenzhen to Guilin & Transfer to Longji (B)

3-hour High Speed Train to Guilin - Accommodate in Longji Rice Terrace

After breakfast, you will be driven to Shenzhen North Railway Station for a high speed train to Guilin, which needs about 3 hours. Upon arrival at the railway station, our local guide and driver will pick up you and then transfer you to Ping'an Village at Longji Rice Terrace. Check in your hotel. The rest of today is free for you to explore beautiful surroundings.

Important to Know: 1) The driving from Guilin to Ping'an is about 2.5 hours. If your train arrives at Guilin after 5pm, we suggest you spend a night at Guilin, then transfer to Ping'an on the next day; 2) Walking: When arriving at Ping’an Village, you can only be dropped at Ping’an 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).

• Longji Rice Terraces (Pingan, Nice Dragons and Five Tigers), Photo by China Discovery in Early October, 2018

Day 4 Longji Rice Terrace - Guilin (B, L)

Sunrise - Seven Stars with Moon - Nine Dragons and Five Tigers - Drive back to Guilin

When you wake up in the fresh air of peaceful morning, you may forget where you are. Try to watch the magnificent sunrise from a great location on the terraces if you don't mind getting up very early. After breakfast, your guide will take you to explore the breathtaking views of Longji Rice Terrace leisurely. 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 Ping’an, 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 Ping’an. Then transfer back to Guilin City. Check in your hotel. The rest time is free on your own to have fun in Guilin - strolling, hunting food...

Good to Know:1) Best time to visit: Longji Rice Terrace can be visited all year round. Go mid-April to late June for mirror-like irrigated terrace and rice transplanting scene; go July to mid-September for green terraces; go late September to early-November for golden and harvest scene; or go late December to early February for silvery terraces; 2) The Viewing Platform of Seven Stars with Moon is under a reconstruction which means it is closed for travelers at present. The hiking route between Seven Stars with Moon and Nine Dragons and Five Tigers would do some adjustment during the construction. You won’t miss the amazing rice terraces scenery when visiting.

• Sunrise in Longji Rice Terrace
• Delma from Ireland visited Longji Rice Terraces (Pingan, Seven Stars with Moon) in July, 2021
• Longji Rice Terrices (Pingan, Seven Stars with Moon) in late September 2019, Taken by Caryn from Australia

Day 5 Guilin to Yangshuo (B, L)

Li River Cruise - Yangshuo Town - Yulong River - West Sreet

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's cruise, disembark in Yangshuo Town, and check into your hotel.

After a short break, 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 with the Karst hills dotted around, chatting stream, rippling mountain reflection, swaying floras, patches of vivid crops, comfortable breeze... There are diverse kinds of ways for your enjoyment of the fun and beauty, including biking, hiking, bamboo rafting and driving. 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 and the real fields (route: Yangshuo - Jima - Shuiedi Dock - Gongnong Bridge - West Street; for 1.5-2 hours).

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) - drive and travel 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 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.

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.

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).

• Beautiful Sunset View of Li River
• Josh's Group from USA Enjoyed Cycling along Yangshuo Yulong River in July, 2023
• Barbara from UK Enjoyed Bamboo Rafting at Yangshuo Yulong River in September 2021
• Chusi's Family from USA Visited Yangshuo West Street in June, 2018

Day 6 Yangshuo - Guilin & Guilin Departure (B)

Elephant Trunk Hill - Reed Flute Cave & Flight / Train off Guilin

After breakfast, transfer back to Guilin in a comfortable vehicle (1.5~2hrs). Then 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 to 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.

Lastly, your tour guide will take you to catch your flight / train to your next destination. Tour ends!

• Chusi's Family from USA Visited Elephant Trunk Hill in June, 2018
• Reed Flute Cave Crystal Palace, Taken by Delma from Ireland in July, 2021