5 days | Li River cruise, Yulong River bamboo rafting and the Impression Liu Sanjie outdoor show
Overview
Guilin's scenery is celebrated as the finest under heaven, and this five-day itinerary takes you deep into the best of Guilin and Yangshuo. It moves from the city sights of Elephant Trunk Hill and the Banyan and Fir Lakes to a poetic drift down the Li River on a four-star cruise, then on to Yulong River bamboo rafting, the Silver Cave and the Impression Liu Sanjie outdoor show set against real mountains and water; every stop is a classic. The trip closes with the climb to the summit of Yao Mountain for a panorama of Guilin and a visit to Shiwai Taoyuan, where old-world farmland meets karst scenery. It is the most representative in-depth route through Guilin and Yangshuo.
Highlights
Itinerary
On arrival in Guilin your private vehicle takes you to check in at your hotel before a classic tour of the city. Climb Elephant Trunk Hill, the emblem of Guilin's landscape, then stroll the shores of the Banyan and Fir Lakes to see the Sun and Moon Twin Pagodas from outside and their reflections on the water. After dark you can head to Dongxi Lane and Xiaoyao Tower to feel the blend of old and new in the city and sample authentic Guilin cooking.
After breakfast you go to Zhujiang Pier to board a four-star cruise boat for about 4.5 hours on the Li River, passing the classic scroll-painting scenery of peaks mirrored in the water and scattered fishing boats, with a buffet lunch on board. After reaching Yangshuo, the evening is given to Impression Liu Sanjie, the outdoor show produced by Zhang Yimou, which blends the natural landscape with ethnic song and dance, a night-time spectacle not to be missed in Yangshuo.
In the morning you board a shared bamboo raft on the Yulong River and drift along as if travelling through a painting, with views towards Moon Hill and the farmland of the Ten-Mile Gallery along the way. In the afternoon you explore the Silver Cave with its fantastical stalactites; legend has it that a visit to the Silver Cave means you will never want for money. The evening is free to wander Yangshuo West Street for its cosmopolitan bars and snacks.
After breakfast you return to Guilin, stopping on the way at Shiwai Taoyuan, a landscape park inspired by the classic tale The Peach Blossom Spring, where a boat ride takes you past a recreated old village and farmland. In the afternoon you ascend Yao Mountain, the highest peak in Guilin, for a panorama of the city among its hills. Azaleas in spring, seas of cloud in summer, red leaves in autumn and snow in winter make it beautiful in every season, a scenic area that combines Guilin's nature and culture.
After breakfast you are transferred to the airport or high-speed rail station to suit your departure, bringing five days among the mountains and rivers of Guilin to a close. The journey weaves together the clear waters of the Li River, the hills of Yangshuo and the old-town character of Guilin, leaving a lasting memory of scenery celebrated as the finest under heaven.
Inclusions
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Stops
The emblem of Guilin, named for its resemblance to an elephant dipping its trunk into the river. From the top you look over the whole city and the confluence with the Li River, and the lighting at night adds a poetic touch, making it the first landmark visitors head for in Guilin.
The loveliest stretch of water in central Guilin, ringed by banyan and fir trees. The Sun Pagoda is clad in bronze and the Moon Pagoda in glazed tiles, and at night their lights reflect in the lake like a dream.
Dongxi Lane is one of Guilin's oldest quarters, where Ming and Qing architecture sits alongside creative boutiques. Climb Xiaoyao Tower for a view over the old lanes and a sense of the city's blend of heritage and modern life.
Known as the 'hundred-li gallery', the stretch from Zhujiang to Yangshuo, with peaks mirrored in the water and scattered fishing boats, is the finest section of Guilin's scenery. The four-star cruise takes about 4.5 hours, with a buffet lunch enjoyed as the views drift past.
An outdoor landscape theatre produced by Zhang Yimou, using Guilin's mountains and water as a natural stage, with Zhuang folk songs and light effects in a stirring performance that fuses Zhuang culture with nature.
The Yulong River is the loveliest tributary of the Li River. Drifting downstream on a bamboo raft between banks of green bamboo and picture-like reflections, you feel the calm and poetry of travelling through a painting.
Yangshuo's celebrated rural scenic belt, with strange peaks rising on either side of the road and villages dotted among them. Moon Hill, a natural wonder with a round hole halfway up like a full moon hanging in the sky, is seen from the vehicle.
A classic karst cave about 2 kilometres long, where the stalactites glitter like silver on a spectacular scale. Legend has it that a visit to the Silver Cave means you will never want for money, an auspicious omen.
An old street with a thousand years of history, now home to bars, cafes and characterful restaurants. Browse and shop by day and soak up the cosmopolitan atmosphere by night; it is Yangshuo's liveliest landmark.
A cultural landscape park based on Tao Yuanming's The Peach Blossom Spring. The boat winds along a waterway of willows and blossom past farmland and Dong and Miao villages, as if stepping into an earthly paradise.
The highest peak in the Guilin area at 909 metres. From the summit you look out over the whole of Guilin ringed by its peaks. The scenery changes with the seasons, with flowers in spring, clouds in summer, red leaves in autumn and snow in winter, and locals say you have not seen Guilin until you have stood on top of Yao Mountain.
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