Guilin & Paradise Yangshuo

According to your schedule, your local guide and private driver will pick you up from the airport or high speed train station today and then transfer you to check into the hotel. After a nice break, your Guilin tour officially begins.

Guilin is a China's must-see tourist destination for its world-famous karst landscape. Today, you will first start the tour with a visit to the underground karst cave, the Reed Flute Cave, and explore the amazing cave of stalagmites and stalactites in the company of your guide. Except for the lighting installed to illuminate the details inside, all elements in the cave remain in their pristine forms for visitors to appreciate.

In the evening, we take you for a 1.5-hour cruise tour on Two Rivers and Four Lakes, an iconic scenic ring belt at the liveliest heart of Guilin, which is often compared with the landscape of Venice. You will travel along part of Li River to pass by Elephant Trunk Hill, the city’s emblem, sail across four lakes, and tour a little on Taohua River, a tributary of Li River. Of the lakes, one is Shanhu Lake, on which you get to appreciate the glittering Sun and Moon Pagodas – historical symbols of Guilin dating back 1,300 years. Anyway, the night cruise will be a magical journey to understand why Guilin is called “a picturesque city”.

After breakfast, follow us to board a cruise and go explore the essence of Guilin’s karst beauty.

You will take a cruise down Li River to Yangshuo County, which will surely leave a lasting impression on you. Guilin's limpid water and charming mountains top those elsewhere and the Li River is the cream of the crop which attracts lots of tourists from all over the world. During the about 4-hour cruise journey, you will appreciate a typical karst landscape painting consisting of peculiar peaks, clear water, green fields, and sometimes carefree buffalos. Your tour guide will be with you and give you a brief introduction of Li River.

Have lunch onboard and continue to cruise until arrival in Yangshuo. You will be accompanied to check into the hotel first and then have a pleasant countryside trip to explore the picturesque rural scenery. You will cycle with a bike we rent for you in Yangshuo together with your guide to and around the rural area. It is really a unique, refreshing experience to see those green hills, villages, river, and farmland passing by up close. Your biking tour in the countryside takes around 2 hours. It won’t take too much efforts since your guide knows where to have quality breaks to rest and take good pictures. Halfway through your tour, you will also pay a visit to a local peasant's home to interact with family members and experience their life. Then return back to the hotel.

For this countryside trip, if you are not good at or simply don’t feel like biking, we can give you a car transfer to tour around.

We suggest you finish your free twilight time off with a stroll down the famous West Street. Sample some local food as dinner at one of the cafes or restaurants. Enjoy a vibrant night life.

► Dinner Suggestion:
Wang Jiang Lou (Binjiang Road branch), also translated as River View Hotel, has a far-famed restaurant bar on its first floor. As its name implies, when you enjoy your meal inside, you can also have a fantastic view of the Li River. With a history of more than 30 years, it is one of the oldest restaurants in Yangshuo. As its Chinese classical décor, authentic locally-flavored taste and warm service are attracting countless tourists from home and abroad every day, so we recommend you to visit early, get a dinner number in advance, and while waiting for your turn, go for a walk along the river or stroll the West Street (you will like it for its blend of both modern and ancient cultural elements of China) to browse stands of ethnic costumes and handcrafted jewelry. A meal costs CNY 80 / USD 11 per capita or so.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

We leave the full day free for you to explore Yangshuo on your own.

Nestling amongst the incredible karst mountains on the west bank of the Li River, Yangshuo is an ideal retreat away from modern hustle and bustle, providing enjoyment of cycling, rock climbing, mountaineering, caving and many other popular outdoor activities. As your hotel provides you with a cycling routes map of Yangshuo, you can plan a biking and a bamboo rafting to explore more of this small yet enigmatic world. You could also simply have tea or coffee in a sidewalk café to totally relax.

► Recommended Relaxation Mecca for Your Free Time:
If you are a coffee aficionado, why not make the atmospheric Mingyuan Coffee (Binjiang Road branch) your destination? The café has been run for almost 20 years, and is very popular with international tourists. It is decorated in a European vintage style, boasting a small garden and a location where you can appreciate the scenery of the Li River. At sunset you can see the sun shining on the river and the karst hills, forming a harmonious landscape painting. Just order a cup of delicate coffee over enjoying the stunning views to add memories to your trip! The average cost is around CNY 45 / USD 7 per person.

Alternative:
If you don't want a leisurely day off in Yangshuo, we can customize some guided tours for you. Please kindly check with your tour consultant for more details. Hereunder we already have a full day tour schedule for your reference:

First, take a morning cooking class in Yangshuo. We pick you up from your hotel to a vegetable market, where we will meet a chef and buy some seasonal vegetables according to the menu of the culinary school. You will learn to cook two dishes of meat and two of vegetables. Choices for you include Sichuan flavor Kung Pao Chicken, Beer Fish (local specialty), Sweet and Sour Pork, Braise Eggplant with Garlic & Chili Sauce, Fried Rice Noodles with Vegetables, etc., all enjoying national fame. Sample your masterpieces as you finish cooking. Now that you’ve learnt the recipes, you can also make your own Chinese food back in your hometown.

In the afternoon, go visit Jiuxian Village and enjoy a round-trip bamboo rafting along Yulong River. Located on the bank of Yulong River, Jiuxian Village can date from 1,400 years ago. All the houses here are still in their traditional Chinese styles with local features, like their fire-preventing Matou Wall (or Horse Head Wall) and typical southern Chinese sloping black roof, making the village a quaint standout. You will also start your rafting ride from the village to tour along the peaceful, glassy Yulong River.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

A private car takes you back to Guilin today. But before we head all the way down, we first turn to visit Xianggong Hill, around 40 minutes’ drive from Yangshuo. The top of Xianggong Hill is one of the greatest vantage points to take in the panoramic glamour of the Li River. The supreme view of the meandering Li River is attracting countless visitors and photographers from all over the world every year. Besides, it only takes about 15-20 minutes’ hike along a moderately sloped staircase to reach the top of the hill.

After finishing your 4 days Guilin Yangshuo tour, your guide and driver will take you back to the airport or the high speed train station, according to your plan. Safe travel!

Meals: Western buffet breakfast