---
title: "Downstream, Then Up"
description: "5 days from a lit pagoda to a hilltop sunrise seeing one river whole"
type: "tour"
route_id: "guilin-yangshuo-5-days"
total_days: 5
price: 1600
highlights: ["Guilin", "Yangshuo"]
url: "https://www.lyriktrip.com/tours/guilin-yangshuo-5-days"
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---

# Downstream, Then Up

5 days from a lit pagoda to a hilltop sunrise seeing one river whole

One region, two bases. Reed Flute Cave, old town streets, a bamboo raft and riverside tea, with English-speaking guides throughout.

- Mostly flat and mostly slow. Two efforts stand out. One is the stone steps up to the viewing platform on the last morning, before light. The other is the cycling day: a bicycle or an electric bike or riding in the vehicle, all at the same price.

## Overview

Two waters, two bases, one move between them. You sleep two nights in Guilin and two in Yangshuo, and the move on day three is the boat itself: four and a half hours downstream, which is also that day's sightseeing. Guilin gets a full day of its own instead of being the place you land in. The Yangshuo days then go small: a raft on a side river, a bicycle on a farm track, an afternoon by the water with nothing after it. The last morning goes up, before light, above the bend you floated through. You'll come home knowing what a day with one thing in it feels like.

— LyrikTrip travel designers

Every LyrikTrip journey begins with a conversation. Tell us your dates, who is coming and which hub you are flying through. First reply within four hours; a clear price for your dates within one business day. On this route we will also tell you plainly where the boat class, the connection leg and the opening date stand, before you are asked for anything.

## Summary

- Route ID: guilin-yangshuo-5-days
- Duration: 5 days / 4 nights
- Starting price: $1,600
- Status: active
- Highlights: Guilin, Yangshuo
- Cover image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2SOnVgIN.webp

## Hero tags

- private
- From 1 guest
- Max: no fixed limit

## Highlight notes

- One region, two bases. Reed Flute Cave, old town streets, a bamboo raft and riverside tea, with English-speaking guides throughout.
- 5 days from a lit pagoda on the water to a hilltop before sunrise. See one river whole.

## Selling points

- Start on the water the evening you land: banyan branches over the banks, the twin pagodas lit out on the lake, and the trip has begun before you have unpacked anything.
- Give a whole day to one river: you change base without losing a day to the road, because the four and a half hours downstream to Yangshuo are the day's sightseeing rather than the way to it.
- Spend an afternoon that never asks where you go next: a raft on the Yulong, a bicycle through the paddies, then tea by the water with the hills standing in it.
- Climb before light on the last morning and watch the peaks go silver, then gold: from up there you can point out the bend you floated through two days earlier.

## City highlights

- Guilin (2 days): Arrive, then get on the water
  - Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/6AbLuJhv.webp
- Guilin (1 days): Above the bend
  - Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/6AbLuJhv.webp
- Yangshuo (2 days): One river, all day
  - Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/hMzVdhkD.webp

## Experiences

One region, two bases. Reed Flute Cave, old town streets, a bamboo raft and riverside tea, with English-speaking guides throughout.

- Two Rivers & Four Lakes by Night (Guilin): The name is the route: an evening boat loop through the two rivers and four lakes that ring Guilin's center. Banyan roots trail the banks, the twin Sun and Moon pagodas stand lit on the water, and bridge after bridge passes over your head, each a different silhouette. Scheduled once your train arrival is fixed.
  - Subtitle: Guilin's waterways after dark
  - Tags: Night
  - Host: Guilin, Guilin Lens — Karst rivers and terraces
  - Access: Scheduled once your train arrival is fixed.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/083abca9a4ce.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/f559f129a28d.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/36211596fbab.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/33719db26f4d.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/883f8324fece.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/8808cbb6b428.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/7c7846347b22.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/4bcebf85988a.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/18d677886a8b.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/9c860cd7f364.jpg
- Reed Flute Cave (Guilin): Reed Flute Cave shows Guilin's underground karst formations with illuminated stalactites and chambers.
  - Subtitle: A colorful limestone cave in Guilin
  - Tags: Cave
  - Host: Guilin, Guilin Lens — Karst rivers and terraces
  - Access: An indoor karst experience that complements Guilin's outdoor scenery.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/e7611934c686.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/770848dbf30f.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/352ad3486973.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/e96e13c5057e.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/60c85f0a8229.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/10322bda9e94.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/b393e88e8aa4.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/be5a75729cc4.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/24ac49d42cc8.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/d01ea01d0065.jpg
- Guilin old town on foot (guilin): pedestrian streets and the riverside snack lanes, walked rather than driven, about two hours and easily shorter or longer. The city is named for its trees: gui is the osmanthus, lin is a stand of them, and in autumn the smell reaches the street. No ticket item on this walk, and anything you eat along the way is on your own account.
  - Subtitle: pedestrian streets and the riverside snack lanes, walked rather than driven, about two hours and easily shorter or longer.
  - Tags: city
  - Host: Guilin, Guilin Lens — Karst rivers and terraces
  - Access: No ticket item on this walk, and anything you eat along the way is on your own account.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/158c3b050cdd.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/8e856571b518.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/560e0922cde7.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/304bde915a63.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/e6c14890c764.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/1e79af85aa18.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/e6f1223f89bb.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/ada6d43d126f.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/c3b843de2b9a.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/58e86ecdf18f.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/b671942606cb.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/da7afed4efe3.jpg
- Li River Afloat (Yangshuo): the Xingping stretch of the river, taken by bamboo raft or cruise boat; which one depends on the season and water level, and either way the same scenery does the work: peaks, riverside villages, the working river between them. Xingping Ancient Town's stone streets, grown on river trade, come first.
  - Subtitle: the Xingping stretch of the river, taken by bamboo raft or cruise
  - Tags: Nature
  - Host: Yangshuo, Yangshuo Lens — Countryside and karst calm
  - Access: Xingping Ancient Town's stone streets, grown on river trade, come first.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/78dd69d4ec0c.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/bfc408c4bfc4.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/36707e4edf21.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/d487482a71ef.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/6c5367f53386.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/876ec4ec8b81.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/111916249320.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/b6b549bed65b.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/7eea69cfad11.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/3fe4bfb22c5b.jpg
- Yulong River Cycling (Yangshuo): an afternoon ride at a relaxed pace through the countryside along the Yulong River, on the same day you arrive from Shanghai. The route passes rice fields, farming villages, riverside paths and limestone peaks: rural southern China at handlebar height, hours after you left one of its biggest cities.
  - Subtitle: an afternoon ride at a relaxed pace through the countryside along the
  - Tags: Active
  - Host: Yangshuo, Yangshuo Lens — Countryside and karst calm
  - Access: The route passes rice fields, farming villages, riverside paths and limestone peaks: rural southern China at handlebar height, hours after you left one of its biggest cities.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/02042b694496.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/b09be4e9e978.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/f08a7d5e0a6e.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/ed66fae24c5f.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/60d1bfc0b970.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/d129588d0b34.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/5943b2f5538d.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/f3ad04674ebb.jpg
- Yulong River bamboo raft (yangshuo): about ninety minutes on a bamboo raft along a chosen stretch of the Yulong River, a smaller and quieter river than the Li, with the raft sitting low enough that your hand reaches the water from the seat. Water level and the operator's safety rules decide whether rafts run on a given day; when they do not run, the riverside tea and the rest of the day stand as planned and nothing is charged for the raft. In the base price.
  - Subtitle: about ninety minutes on a bamboo raft along a chosen stretch of the Yulong River, a smaller and quieter river than the Li, with the raft sitting low enough that your hand reaches the water from the seat.
  - Tags: slow
  - Host: Yangshuo, Yangshuo Lens — Countryside and karst calm
  - Access: In the base price.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/36707e4edf21.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/d7cf27ae1b77.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/71b347933c91.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/bfc408c4bfc4.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/60d1bfc0b970.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/08531a77dfac.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/47c365ccd596.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/d129588d0b34.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/e972b823ffca.jpg
- Riverside Afternoon Tea (Yangshuo): a table set beside the Li River in mid-afternoon, mountains and water on every side, included in the day. It sits deliberately between the morning's raft and the evening's soft light: the pause that turns a sightseeing day into a river day.
  - Subtitle: a table set beside the Li River in mid-afternoon, mountains and water
  - Tags: Slow
  - Host: Yangshuo, Yangshuo Lens — Countryside and karst calm
  - Access: It sits deliberately between the morning's raft and the evening's soft light: the pause that turns a sightseeing day into a river day.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/484bdca99f74.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/6163ecd43212.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/6c5367f53386.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/c01fb0411dbf.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/876ec4ec8b81.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/ffdbab928ef1.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/636bbab57542.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/7eea69cfad11.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/3fe4bfb22c5b.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/f00b6b8a0bcd.jpg
- Xianggong Hill at Sunrise (Yangshuo): A pre-dawn start and a short climb of stone steps to the platform photographers rank among the Li River's finest: the great bend below, layered peaks turning silver, then gold, as the light comes up. Mist changes the picture by the minute, which is the point.
  - Subtitle: Sunrise over the Li River bend
  - Tags: Photo
  - Host: Yangshuo, Yangshuo Lens — Countryside and karst calm
  - Access: Mist changes the picture by the minute.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/08e757afb5b7.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/16653fa18065.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/4ede174ee009.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/7760be33afee.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/7d28774a7484.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/f728d8c37b0a.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2d6fd62c3ee4.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2ee126c13fe9.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/7159e7fa6afd.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/56823258cae1.jpg
- Xingping Ancient Town (yangshuo): an old river town of stone streets and shophouses, walked after sunrise while the town is still waking up, about ninety minutes. The stretch of the Li River printed on the back of China's 20-yuan banknote is the water beside this town, which is why the scene feels familiar to anyone who has spent a week paying for things in China. In the base price.
  - Subtitle: an old river town of stone streets and shophouses, walked after sunrise while the town is still waking up, about ninety minutes.
  - Tags: heritage
  - Host: Yangshuo, Yangshuo Lens — Countryside and karst calm
  - Access: In the base price.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/54824bed386e.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/0b4cfdbd6b6c.jpg
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## Itinerary

### Downstream, Then Up - 4 days

Journey

#### Guilin (2 days)

- Subtitle: Arrive, then get on the water
- Recommendation: Whatever time you land, the evening ends on a boat. Guilin introduces itself as a water system before it shows you a single street.
- Transport: Li River cruise
- Transport mode: car

Pickup at the airport or railway station · Two Rivers and Four Lakes night cruise · Evening

- Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/6AbLuJhv.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/3uGHEW2j.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/4UilJCmH.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/4VtYWWkT.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/4Yfatbqd.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/5ElOR2GL.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/5Mke9ayW.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/6451wQWE.webp
##### Day 1: Arrive, then get on the water

- (transport) — your driver and vehicle are waiting for the arrival details on your confirmation, whether you come in by air or off the high-speed rail from a hub city. The run into town is short enough to stay awake for.
- (sight) — the boat takes the ring of water around the city center, two rivers joined to four lakes. Stand at the rail as the twin pagodas come up on the lake, one gold and one silver in the water, with banyan branches closing over the channel behind you. Your guide sets the sailing time against your actual arrival, so a late flight moves the boat rather than the day.
- (note) — nothing else is scheduled. Dinner near your hotel is recommended and booked by your guide if you want it, on your own account.
- (accommodation) Shangri-La Hotel Guilin — Hotel stay in Guilin.

##### Day 2: The rock, above ground and below

- (sight) — you walk a made path down into a limestone cave, past columns and curtains of stone that took the water a very long time to build, with the formations lit as you go. Morning is set for it because the cave is cool and the street is better later in the day.
- (sight) — pedestrian streets, then the snack lanes along the river. Your guide names what is in the pans before you decide whether to eat it, and anything you try is on your own account. The city is named for the osmanthus tree, and in autumn you smell it before you see it.
- (sight) — this walk stretches or shortens to fit the afternoon, and there is nothing scheduled after it.

#### Yangshuo (2 days)

- Subtitle: One river, all day
- Recommendation: The move to Yangshuo is the boat, so no day is spent getting anywhere. Today is the day the trip stops being a list.
- Transport: Flight
- Transport mode: airplane

Board at the Guilin pier · Li River full cruise · Lunch on board · Arrival in Yangshuo

- Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/hMzVdhkD.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/3RSDiQUA.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/43ER0eM0.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/4iXf7Jvh.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/4LasL8DS.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/51gauczC.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/5Pv2GT5l.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/5zFw5FSH.webp
##### Day 3: One river, all day

- (sight) — your vehicle runs you to the pier and meets you again at the Yangshuo end. The boat class booked for your order is written into your quote.
- (sight) — about four and a half hours with the current. The peaks come past in rows, the near ones sharp and the far ones going pale, and the river keeps folding around them so the view resets every few minutes. Take the deck rather than the window seat for the first hour. Somewhere in the second hour you'll notice you have stopped asking how much further it is.
- (dining) — the sailing runs across the middle of the day. The pricing basis of the on-board meal is being finalized with the operator, so your quote states in writing whether it sits inside your base price.
- (sight) — the boat ties up and your vehicle takes you to the hotel you will not leave for two nights.
- (accommodation) Yangshuo Ancient Garden Boutique Hotel — Hotel stay in Yangshuo.

##### Day 4: A small river after a big one

- (sight) — you ride out through paddies and farmhouses on tracks a car cannot take, with the peaks standing up out of the flat fields on both sides. Bicycle, electric bike or riding in the vehicle alongside: decided on the morning by whoever in your party wants the least effort. The price is the same either way.
- (sight) — an afternoon on a selected section of the small river, the deck sitting low enough that the water runs a hand's width beneath your feet, and low weirs stepping the raft down with a slap and a splash. Trail one hand over the side and film the front of the raft against the hills.
- (sight) — one serving each, mid-afternoon, at a table by the water with the hills on three sides and again in the water in front of you. Nothing is scheduled after it. By the second cup you'll notice that nobody in your party has looked at a phone since the raft.
- (note) — deliberate. Tomorrow starts in the dark.

### Downstream, Then Up - 1 days

Journey

#### Guilin (1 days)

- Subtitle: Above the bend
- Recommendation: Up before light, over the river you came down. The last morning gives the four days behind it their shape.
- Transport: Private vehicle
- Transport mode: car

Xianggong Hill sunrise · Xingping Ancient Town · Drive back to Guilin

- Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/6AbLuJhv.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/3uGHEW2j.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/4UilJCmH.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/4VtYWWkT.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/4Yfatbqd.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/5ElOR2GL.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/5Mke9ayW.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/6451wQWE.webp
##### Day 5: Above the bend

- (sight) — the drive out goes in the dark and the stone steps take about twenty minutes with the town still asleep behind you. At the platform the river lies below in a long bend, and as the light arrives the peaks turn silver, then gold, the far rows last.
- (sight) — stone streets and shophouses after sunrise, with the town opening its shutters around you. The river beside it is the stretch printed on the back of China's 20-yuan banknote, so hold up a note and line it up if you are carrying one. Walking out of the last lane you'll feel the five days close into a single picture.
- (transport) — your vehicle runs you from Yangshuo back to Guilin airport or the railway station, timed against your onward departure with room to spare rather than trimmed to the minute.

## Daily plan

### Day 1 — Arrive, then get on the water

Whatever time you land, the evening ends on a boat. Guilin introduces itself as a water system before it shows you a single street.

- Pickup at the airport or railway station: your driver and vehicle are waiting for the arrival details on your confirmation, whether you come in by air or off the high-speed rail from a hub city. The run into town is short enough to stay awake for.
- Two Rivers and Four Lakes night cruise: the boat takes the ring of water around the city center, two rivers joined to four lakes. Stand at the rail as the twin pagodas come up on the lake, one gold and one silver in the water, with banyan branches closing over the channel behind you. Your guide sets the sailing time against your actual arrival, so a late flight moves the boat rather than the day.
- Evening: nothing else is scheduled. Dinner near your hotel is recommended and booked by your guide if you want it, on your own account.
- Stay: Guilin
- Meals: None included today

### Day 2 — The rock, above ground and below

A cave in the morning, an old street in the afternoon. By evening you can read the landscape you came for.

- Reed Flute Cave: you walk a made path down into a limestone cave, past columns and curtains of stone that took the water a very long time to build, with the formations lit as you go. Morning is set for it because the cave is cool and the street is better later in the day.
- Guilin old town on foot: pedestrian streets, then the snack lanes along the river. Your guide names what is in the pans before you decide whether to eat it, and anything you try is on your own account. The city is named for the osmanthus tree, and in autumn you smell it before you see it.
- Pace: this walk stretches or shortens to fit the afternoon, and there is nothing scheduled after it.
- Stay: Guilin
- Meals: Breakfast at the hotel

### Day 3 — One river, all day

The move to Yangshuo is the boat, so no day is spent getting anywhere. Today is the day the trip stops being a list.

- Board at the Guilin pier: your vehicle runs you to the pier and meets you again at the Yangshuo end. The boat class booked for your order is written into your quote.
- Li River full cruise: about four and a half hours with the current. The peaks come past in rows, the near ones sharp and the far ones going pale, and the river keeps folding around them so the view resets every few minutes. Take the deck rather than the window seat for the first hour. Somewhere in the second hour you'll notice you have stopped asking how much further it is.
- Lunch on board: the sailing runs across the middle of the day. The pricing basis of the on-board meal is being finalized with the operator, so your quote states in writing whether it sits inside your base price.
- Arrival in Yangshuo: the boat ties up and your vehicle takes you to the hotel you will not leave for two nights.
- Stay: Yangshuo
- Meals: Breakfast at the hotel

### Day 4 — A small river after a big one

Yesterday was one long look at the water. Today you get down onto it and then sit beside it.

- Yulong River countryside cycling: you ride out through paddies and farmhouses on tracks a car cannot take, with the peaks standing up out of the flat fields on both sides. Bicycle, electric bike or riding in the vehicle alongside: decided on the morning by whoever in your party wants the least effort. The price is the same either way.
- Yulong River bamboo raft: an afternoon on a selected section of the small river, the deck sitting low enough that the water runs a hand's width beneath your feet, and low weirs stepping the raft down with a slap and a splash. Trail one hand over the side and film the front of the raft against the hills.
- Riverside afternoon tea: one serving each, mid-afternoon, at a table by the water with the hills on three sides and again in the water in front of you. Nothing is scheduled after it. By the second cup you'll notice that nobody in your party has looked at a phone since the raft.
- No evening item: deliberate. Tomorrow starts in the dark.
- Stay: Yangshuo
- Meals: Breakfast at the hotel

### Day 5 — Above the bend

Up before light, over the river you came down. The last morning gives the four days behind it their shape.

- Xianggong Hill sunrise: the drive out goes in the dark and the stone steps take about twenty minutes with the town still asleep behind you. At the platform the river lies below in a long bend, and as the light arrives the peaks turn silver, then gold, the far rows last.
- Xingping Ancient Town: stone streets and shophouses after sunrise, with the town opening its shutters around you. The river beside it is the stretch printed on the back of China's 20-yuan banknote, so hold up a note and line it up if you are carrying one. Walking out of the last lane you'll feel the five days close into a single picture.
- Drive back to Guilin: your vehicle runs you from Yangshuo back to Guilin airport or the railway station, timed against your onward departure with room to spare rather than trimmed to the minute.
- Stay: Trip ends
- Meals: Breakfast at the hotel

## Hotels

### Nanning Marriott Hotel

- City: Nanning
- Description: Nanning Marriott Hotel offers luxurious rooms in central Nanning, with four restaurants, a spa and indoor pool.
- Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/iCzbe6uo.webp

### Hampton by Hilton Nanning Jiangnan

- City: Nanning
- Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/e8FLCuAw.webp

### Shangri-La Hotel

- City: Beihai
- Description: Shangri-La Hotel Beihai: spacious rooms with an outdoor pool, sauna, hot spring and Cantonese and Hunan dining.
- Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/jOFybn3U.jpg

### Sheraton Guilin Hotel

- City: Guilin
- Description: Sheraton Guilin Hotel is located by the Li River, offering comfortable rooms and easy access to Guilin’s attractions.
- Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/kjMQHeJN.webp

## Included / Excluded

### What's Included

- Private vehicle: Air-conditioned private vehicle for all listed touring and all land transfers on days one to five: pickup at Guilin airport or railway station on day one, the pier transfers at both ends of the day-three sailing, and the drive from Yangshuo back to Guilin airport or railway station on day five
- Inter-city transport: One leg only: the Li River full cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo on day three, about four and a half hours with the current, which is both the transfer and that day's sightseeing. The boat class is being finalized, so your quote states in writing the class booked for your order
- Hotels: 4 nights at your chosen level, four-star, five-star or quality boutique, breakfast included: Guilin 2 · Yangshuo 2
- Guide: Licensed English-speaking guide on all five days, including the night cruise on day one and the pre-dawn start on day five
- Tickets and entries: Two Rivers and Four Lakes night cruise · Reed Flute Cave · the Li River full cruise ticket · the Yulong River bamboo raft · Xianggong Hill. Nothing outside this list is a ticket item on this route
- Experiences: Guilin old town on foot, a street-level walk with no ticket item · Yulong River countryside cycling, with bicycle, electric bike or riding in the vehicle at the same price · riverside afternoon tea, one serving per guest · Xingping Ancient Town, a walk through the old streets
- Meals: 4 hotel breakfasts, days two to five, plus one riverside afternoon tea on day four, one serving per guest. The pricing basis of the day-three on-board lunch is being finalized, so your quote states in writing whether that meal sits inside your base price
- Insurance: Travel accident insurance

### Not Included

- International flights: Flights into and out of China
- Connection to Guilin: The hub-to-Guilin leg in both directions, flown or by high-speed rail, and any hub-city night the connection needs. Guilin has no nonstop service from the markets we sell to, so every order carries this leg; your quote states in writing who books it and who pays for it
- Visas: Visa fees and processing for guests who need a Chinese visa, including all US guests on this route
- Meals: Beyond the four breakfasts and the one afternoon tea: lunches and dinners are recommended and booked by your guide, on your own account. Street food tasted on the day-two old town walk is on your own account
- In-park transport: In-park shuttles, electric carts, cableways and lifts, where a scenic area charges for them separately. None is needed for this route as it is written; where a site operates a compulsory in-park transfer, we state its charge in writing before payment
- Optional add-ons: None on this route. The three cycling modes on day four are a choice inside an included experience, not an upsell, and all three cost the same
- Personal: Gratuities, single or extra-room difference, personal spending

### Special Notes

A few things on this route follow the calendar, the season or a supplier's confirmation. Here they are, told straight.

- Bookings are not open yet: the remaining items have to be settled first: Until those items are settled we take no orders and no deposits. Tell us your dates and we will write to you on the day it opens.
- Getting to Guilin: Guilin has no nonstop service from any of the markets we sell to, so every trip here starts with a connection through Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Beijing or Shanghai. Shenzhen is the shortest, about three hours by high-speed rail. That leg sits outside this plan. Each quote states in writing the inbound and outbound connection plan, the hub used, and who books and pays for that leg.
- Group: Private, just your party. From 1 guest. No fixed maximum party size.
- National holiday week: October 1 to 7 is a peak-crowd period on the Li River and around Yangshuo. Whether this route runs departures that week is under commercial review; until that is settled, every quote for those dates states the crowd situation in writing.
- Late-season water level: the day-three sailing is a river sailing, and late autumn and winter river conditions are being confirmed with our operator for this selling window. For departures from November 1 of 2026 onward, your quote states in writing what happens to that sailing where the operator shortens or reroutes it. We take no such order without that in writing.
- Substitutions already agreed: where the Yulong River water level or a safety ruling stops the raft on day four, the raft is dropped and the cycling and the afternoon tea run as planned. Where the day-one night cruise is sold out for that evening, it moves to the following evening in the same city with no change to hotels. Both are stated to you before payment and neither changes the price.
- The pre-dawn start: day five leaves in the dark for the hill, which is why day four carries no evening item. Your day-five departure time is checked against the climb plus the drive back to Guilin before your order is taken.
- Visa window: the 30-day visa-free policy currently runs through December 31, 2026. Because this is a 5-day plan, departures on or before December 27, 2026 finish inside that window; later departures are quoted only after the official renewal is announced.
- US passports: the US is not on the 30-day visa-free list, so every US guest on this route holds a Chinese tourist or business visa, including a 10-year multiple-entry one. The 10-day visa-free transit policy is not used as a sales channel for this route: this plan enters and leaves through the same city and its eligibility under that policy has not been reviewed. We confirm visa status before any payment.
- Confirmation and changes: the confirmation-time commitment and the change and refund terms are being finalized with our ground partners. Until they are settled, each quote states in writing its own confirmation deadline and its change and refund conditions.

## Is Five Days Your Length?

More than five days?

### More than five days?

This plan also runs as the Guilin and Yangshuo stretch inside a longer China trip. It joins cleanly onto a stay in the south, since the connection you have to make anyway is a short one from Shenzhen, Guangzhou or Hong Kong. Tell us your dates and the rest of your route, and we plan around the leg you are already flying.

## Good to Know

- Group: Private, just your party. From 1 guest. No fixed maximum party size.
- Pace: Two bases in 5 days: Guilin 2 nights, Yangshuo 2 nights. One move between them, and that move is the day-three sailing
- Effort: Mostly flat. The stone steps up Xianggong Hill on the last morning are the one real climb; on the cycling day a bicycle, an electric bike and riding in the vehicle all cost the same
- Ports: Guilin in, Guilin out. There is no nonstop service to Guilin from the markets we sell to. Every order therefore includes a connection through one hub: Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Beijing or Shanghai. That leg is booked and paid for as stated in your quote
- Visas: UK, most European and Canadian passports enter visa-free for days; so do Australian and New Zealand ones. Checked order by order against your dates. US passports need a Chinese visa for this route
- Language: Licensed English-speaking local guide on all five days
- Payment: When this route opens for booking: From 1 guest. A 10% deposit (minimum $399) locks your dates. The balance is due 14 days before departure
- Season: Selling window October to December 2026. Departures during the October 1 to 7 holiday week are under commercial review; for departures from November 1 onward the day-three sailing is confirmed against your dates and written into your quote

## Your Private Concierge

- Name: Jason Hu
- Title: Private China Route Concierge
- Tagline: A bilingual planning desk for tailor-made China journeys.
- Bio: Our China team tunes pacing, hotels and local hosts around each route style.
- Avatar image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/c0TBypRh.png

### Stats

- 20+ Years
- 300+ Trips designed
- 24/7 On-trip care

### The Conversation

Every LyrikTrip journey begins with a conversation. Tell us your dates and who's coming — and if this length isn't right for you, we'll say so and shape a shorter arc. First reply within four hours; a clear price for your dates within one business day.

- CTA: Start the conversation

### Step 01: Tell us what excites you

Not your dates and budget — your curiosity. Where have you always wanted to go? What do you want to feel? We start there.

- 24h: First concept delivered

### Step 02: We design it around you

Your specialist builds the itinerary from scratch — routes, hosts, hotels, and experiences you won't find anywhere else.

- 100%: Bespoke, never off-the-shelf

### Step 03: Lock it in with 10%

When the plan feels right, a 10% deposit holds your entire trip. Balance due 30 days before departure.

- 10%: Deposit to secure everything

### Step 04: Travel. We handle the rest.

Your Trip Pack arrives before you fly. On the road, your concierge is one message away — for the expected and everything you didn't plan for.

- 24/7: Support throughout your journey

- Free cancellation up to 30 days
- English-speaking concierge
- Secure payment via Stripe

- CTA: Talk to Us

## Guest Reviews

- Overall rating: 4.9
- Total reviews: 523
- Count label: from 523 verified reviews

4.9 / 5

### Platforms

- google: 4.9 (312 reviews)
- tripadvisor: 5.0 (211 reviews)

- Filter tabs: All, Google, TripAdvisor
- Emily Carter (🇺🇸 Seattle, USA · 5★ · May 2026 · google): Perfect for couples - My partner and I had an amazing time in China. Everything was arranged for us — transfers, hotels, guides. No stress at all.
- Claire Brooks (🇬🇧 London, UK · 5★ · Apr 2026 · tripadvisor): Great for families - Traveled with my two kids and had zero issues. The team made sure the pace wasn't too rushed and included things the kids would enjoy. Communication was easy throughout. Will definitely use them again for our next Asia trip.
- Laura Bennett (🇨🇦 Toronto, Canada · 5★ · Mar 2026 · google): Alisa made the whole experience easy - Alisa was our point of contact throughout and she was brilliant — patient, knowledgeable, and always quick to reply. The trip itself was wonderful. Beijing and Guilin were highlights.
- Mark Henderson (🇺🇸 Denver, USA · 4★ · Feb 2026 · tripadvisor): Good service, minor hiccup but sorted quickly - Really good service. There was a small mix-up with one of our restaurant bookings but it got sorted quickly. The rest of the trip was seamless.
- Rebecca Miller (🇺🇸 Boston, USA · 5★ · Jan 2026 · google): Really listened to what we wanted - Really helpful team. They listened to what we wanted and delivered. Beijing and Xi'an were incredible.

## China Ready

We've solved the hard parts. Here's everything a first-time Western traveler needs to know before arriving.

### VPN & Internet Access

- Badge: Do this before you fly
- What's blocked: Google, Gmail, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and most Western news sites are inaccessible in China without a VPN.
- Download before you leave: It's nearly impossible to download a VPN once inside China. Install and test at home. Recommended: Astrill (most reliable), Mullvad, ExpressVPN — subscribe to at least two in case one stops working.
- Hotel Wi-Fi tip: Some hotels block VPN connections on their Wi-Fi. Use your phone's mobile data as a hotspot if the VPN drops.
- Good news: WhatsApp works perfectly through a VPN, so your messaging stays unchanged. Apple iMessage and Signal also work.

### Paying in China

- Badge: Your concierge sets this up on Day 1
- China is cashless: Alipay and WeChat Pay are used for almost everything — restaurants, taxis, markets, tickets. Cash is rarely accepted in cities.
- International cards now work: Foreign Visa/Mastercard can now link directly to Alipay (set up in minutes, $5,000 single transaction limit). Your concierge walks you through the setup on your first morning.
- Carry some cash: We recommend ¥500–800 RMB in cash for the rare vendor that won't accept digital payment, and for small towns.
- Booking this trip: Your deposit and balance are charged via Stripe — the same trusted platform used by Airbnb and Booking.com. USD billing, no surprise conversion fees.

### Visa & Entry

- Badge: We handle the paperwork
- Do you need a visa?: Most US, UK, EU, Australian, Canadian, and New Zealand passport holders need a tourist (L) visa for stays over 10 days. We provide a visa invitation letter with every booking — it significantly speeds up approval.
- 240-hour visa-free transit: Citizens of 55+ countries (including USA, UK, most of EU, AUS, NZ, Canada) can enter China visa-free for up to 10 days if transiting through eligible ports. This covers our 12-day itinerary only if you have a confirmed onward flight.
- Processing time: Apply 4–6 weeks before departure. Standard processing: 4–7 business days. Express (3 days) and same-day options available at most Chinese consulates.
- What we provide: Visa invitation letter, hotel confirmation for all nights, suggested itinerary document — everything the consulate needs, formatted correctly.

### Safety & Practical Tips

- Badge: Our responsibility, always
- Is China safe?: China consistently ranks among the safest countries for foreign tourists. Violent crime against visitors is extremely rare. Cities have extensive CCTV coverage and a visible police presence.
- Emergency numbers: Police: 110. Ambulance: 120. Your concierge is your first call for any non-emergency situation — she has local contacts for every city on the itinerary.
- Health & medications: Bring a full supply of any prescription medication. International pharmacies exist in major cities but may not carry your brand. Travel insurance is required — we can recommend policies that cover China specifically.
- Language: English fluency outside hotels and tourist sites is limited. Your guides all speak English. We provide a printed pocket card with essential Chinese phrases and emergency contacts for every traveler.

## Before You Book

Everything worth knowing before you book.

### There are no direct flights to Guilin. How do we actually get there?

Through one hub, and we plan it with you before anything is charged. From Europe, the UK, North America or Australasia you fly into Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Beijing or Shanghai, then take a short flight or a high-speed train on to Guilin. From Shenzhen the train runs about three hours. That leg is not inside this plan's price, and your quote states in writing which hub you use, who books that leg and who pays for it. We also check your day-one arrival time and your day-five departure time against the plan before we take the order.

### Four and a half hours on a boat. Is that too long?

It is the point of the day rather than the cost of it. That sailing is also how you get from Guilin to Yangshuo, so it replaces a road transfer instead of adding to one, and nothing else is scheduled around it. You are on deck with the peaks passing on both banks, there are seats inside when you want them, and the boat class booked for your order is written into your quote. If sitting still for an afternoon is not how you want to spend a fifth of your trip, this is the route to think twice about.

### We're coming in November or December. Will the river be too low?

The Li River is a river, and its late-autumn and winter level is set by rainfall, not by us. We are confirming this selling window's conditions with our operator now, and no one can guarantee a river's depth months ahead. What we do instead: for any departure from November 1, 2026 your quote states in writing what happens to the day-three sailing where the operator shortens or reroutes it, and we will not take your order without that in writing. Whatever happens to the sailing, the two nights in Yangshuo, the Yulong River day and the Xianggong Hill sunrise are unaffected. They sit on a different river and on land.

### Getting up before dawn on our last day, with a flight to catch. Does that work?

It works, and it is checked against your actual departure time before we take your order. The hill is about two and a half hours including the drive out and the climb, and you are back down for breakfast time. Xingping Ancient Town follows, then the drive from Yangshuo to Guilin airport or the railway station, timed with room to spare. That is also why day four carries no evening item: the evening before a pre-dawn start belongs to sleeping. Where your departure is early enough that the sequence does not fit, we say so before you book rather than after.

### Can we book this now?

Not yet, and we would rather say so than take your money. the remaining items have to be settled first. the boat class on the day-three sailing; who books and pays for your connection into Guilin; and this route's remaining pre-listing review. Until those items are settled we take no orders and no deposits. What you can do now is send us your dates and your hub city; we will hold nothing, promise nothing, and write to you the day this route opens.