[Guilin Free Travel] How to enjoy Guilin in 4 days and 3 nights, a comprehensive itinerary planning guide!
Contents
- Trip Planner
- Guilin itinerary planning overview
- Guilin Day 1
- Guihai Qingyuan
- Duxiufeng Wangcheng Scenic Area
- Reed Flute Cave
- Guilin Day 2
- Longji Rice Terraces
- Guilin Day 3
- Silver Rock
- Yulong River Bamboo Rafting
- Guilin Eternal Love
- "Impression of Liu Sanjie" Landscape Live Performance
- Guilin Day 4
- Li River Scenic Area
- Qixing Scenic Area
- Elephant Hill Scenic Area
Show more
[Planning a new trip but don't know where to start? Let Trip.com's AI Itinerary Assistant generate custom itineraries with one click!]
✅ Copy a travel blog link to generate the same itinerary with one click
✅ Featured popular itineraries for the most authentic experience
✅ Import your favorite destinations and automatically arrange the best itinerary
✅ Check opening hours and recommended visit durations at attractions to ensure that every stop meets your expectations
This guide carefully plans a perfect 4-day and 3-night trip to Guilin for you. Covering local attractions, authentic food and popular shopping areas, you can easily travel around Guilin and enjoy a worry-free holiday. Whether it is an in-depth exploration of history and culture or a fashionable check-in in a modern city, this guide can meet your needs. Come and start your wonderful trip to Guilin!
Duxiu Peak overlooks the Ming Dynasty royal palace, Reed Flute Cave searches for the secret place in "Journey to the West", the bamboo rafting on Yulong River is picturesque, and the Shuang Theater immerses you in the Zhuang customs.
Take pictures of the moving lines of the clouds at Longji Rice Terraces, take in the reflection of Elephant Trunk Hill in the Li River, explore the wonders of Camel Peak at Qixingyan, and take in all the karst landforms.
| Date | Journey |
| Day 1 | Guihai Qinglan->Duxiufeng Wangcheng Scenic Area->Ludi Cave |
| Day 2 | Longji Rice Terraces |
| Day 3 | Silver Cave->Yulong River Bamboo Rafting->Guilin Eternal Love->"Impression of Liu Sanjie" Landscape Performance |
| Day 4 | Lijiang River Scenic Area -> Qixing Scenic Area -> Elephant Trunk Hill Scenic Area |
Xinchang·Guihai Qingyuan,which is a new popular scenic spot in Guilin city.It has attracted waves of visitors to come to appreciate art, enjoy the landscape, and discuss aesthetics here.Visitors can also try free riding, art sketching, picnic time, outing and walking...Adults and children are all immersed in the joy!
Address: No. 22, Hangtian Road, Qixing District, Guilin City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Xinchang Guihai Qinglan
Business hours: Open from 08:30 to 19:00 tomorrow (ticket sales stop at 18:30)
evaluate:
| There are vast expanses of green lawns and beautiful women everywhere. Not far away are beautiful green mountains. If time permits, you can spend a day here and it is very relaxing. We rented a tram and drove slowly around the scenic area. It was so relaxing! |
A hidden gem in Guilin! 3,600 acres of lawns nestled amidst karst peaks, with stunning reflections in the lake. Black swans and solitary trees offer countless photo opportunities. Camping and picnics are incredibly therapeutic, less crowded and relaxing, offering exceptional value! Truly known as "Guilin's Little Switzerland," the morning mist is like an ink painting, and the sunset like an oil painting. With a variety of activities, it's perfect for families, photo shoots, and relaxation. Breaking away from traditional impressions of landscapes, it's a must-visit in Guilin! A healing paradise hidden in the city, with expansive lawns, serene lakes, and comprehensive facilities and attentive service, every snapshot is wallpaper-worthy. You could easily spend a whole day exploring and never want to leave!The Duxiu Peak Wangcheng Scenic Area, with a history dating back to the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty more than 600 years ago, was a vassal city built by Zhu Yuanzhang for his nephew Zhu Shouqian. It is now a national 5A-level scenic area in Guilin City, with Duxiu Peak as its landmark attraction.
The natural landscape and the historical and cultural landscape in the scenic area complement each other. It can be said to be "a city in the scenery and scenery in the city". It is also the carrier of Guilin, a world-famous city of landscape, history and culture. The famous saying "Guilin's landscape is the best in the world" originated from the Duxiu Peak cliff. It covers Guilin’s three major historical and cultural systems and is a typical representative of Guilin’s history and culture. Entering the scenic area is like entering the door to Guilin’s history and culture. Therefore, the famous saying “Guilin’s landscape is the best in the world, and you can only know Guilin after visiting Wangcheng” was formed and widely circulated among the people.
As early as the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the great writer Yan Yanzhi studied literature and chanted poetry at the foot of Duxiu Peak, which initiated the literary style of the Lingnan region. During the Tang Dynasty, the first official school in Guangxi's history was established here. During the Song Dynasty, Wang Zhenggong engraved the famous phrase "Guilin's landscape is the best in the world" on Duxiu Peak, which has become Guilin's most representative slogan. During the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang's military advisor Liu Bowen took a fancy to the beautiful scenery of Duxiu Peak and later built the Jingjiang Palace. During the Qing Dynasty, the Jingjiang Prince's Palace was converted into the Guangxi Imperial Examination Hall, becoming a large imperial examination venue in the southwest region. It produced a total of 585 Jinshi (Jinshi) and 4 top scorers, one of whom even won first place in the imperial examinations. During the Republic of China period, Sun Yat-sen arrived here during the Northern Expedition and established the Jingjiang Palace as the base camp for the Northern Expedition. Guangxi Normal University moved in in 1954. Duxiu Peak and Wangcheng are not only places of outstanding people and beautiful scenery, but also the political, economic and cultural center of Guangxi throughout the ages.
【Duxiu Peak】
Duxiu Peak is located in the center of Guilin City. It stands alone and rises from the ground. It is the chief of the mountains in Guilin and the king of all mountains. Climbing to the top of the peak, you can overlook the whole city of Guilin. It has the momentum of "looking down on all the mountains at a glance" and is known as the "Pillar of the South Sky". As early as the Southern Dynasties, the great writer Yan Yanzhi wrote a poem "Nothing is as majestic as Duxiu Peak, among the towering cities and towns," to describe the majestic momentum of Duxiu Peak.
【Jingjiang Palace】
The Jingjiang Prince's Mansion is the best-preserved vassal site in China and the core attraction in the Duxiu Peak·Wangcheng Scenic Area. The Jingjiang Prince's Mansion Museum, also known as the "Chengyun Hall", was where the ancient princes handled government affairs. Now the museum displays the history of the changes of the Jingjiang Prince's Mansion and the entire Guilin. Visitors can gain an in-depth understanding through high-tech full-system projection and 3D projection, and can also experience the ancient rubbing technology in the "Palace Rubbing Workshop".
【Duxiu Peak Cliff Carvings】
There are more than 200 cliff carvings on the cliff of Duxiu Peak, all of which have been preserved from past dynasties. The famous saying "Guilin's landscape is the best in the world" comes from here. A large number of precious Buddha statues and Tai Sui stone carvings, as well as the Five Blessings series that were featured on the 2017 CCTV Spring Festival Gala, all come from the cliff carvings of Duxiu Peak. They are now national key protected cultural relics.
【Royal Palace Secret Rubbing】
The secret rubbings of the royal palace have a history of hundreds of years. It is a colored wind-water rubbing technique developed by Zhu Zuojing, the third-generation King of Jingjiang. It has now been listed as an intangible cultural heritage. Visitors can experience the ancient rubbing technique here and learn how to make royal secret rubbings, which are of great value to the inheritance and development of Chinese history, culture and folk art.
Address: No. 1 Wangcheng Road, Xiufeng District, Guilin
Business hours: Open from 08:00 to 18:00 tomorrow (admission ends at 18:00)
evaluate:
| I revisited the old place after 5 years. The tour guide No. 112 explained very attentively, the scenery was beautiful, the air was fresh, there were several activities inside, such as rubbing the word "Fu", stamping tourist stamps was also fun, there was also the imperial examination, etc. I will come again next time. |
Reed Flute Cave is located on the bank of Taohua River in the northwest of Guilin City. It is a well-known cave close to the urban area and has received many national leaders. There are many stalagmites, stalactites, stone pillars, stone curtains, stone flowers and other shapes in the cave, which is very spectacular. The "Crystal Palace" is the core part of the scenic area, and the old version of "Journey to the West" was filmed here.
Address: No. 1 Ludi Road, Xiufeng District, Guilin City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
Business hours: Open from 09:00 to 17:00 tomorrow
evaluate:
| It is a state banquet-level attraction, relatively close to downtown Guilin, but it is generally small. It takes about an hour to visit. Some of the attractions are quite spectacular. There are two places where you can take photos for free and make key chains. |
The Longji Rice Terraces are a large-scale terraced field group in Guilin, and the overlapping curves are very magnificent. There are several ancient ethnic minority villages here, inhabited by ethnic minorities such as the Zhuang and Yao. When visiting Longji Rice Terraces, people mainly hike to see the scenery and take photos. They can also try local farm dishes and experience ethnic minority customs. In addition, the sunrise at Longji Terraces is beautiful and worth seeing.
Address: Ping'an Village, Heping Township, Longsheng Autonomous County, Guilin City
Opening hours: 24 hours a day, all year round
evaluate:
| In mid-May, water had just been released into the terraced fields at Jinkeng Dazhai. Looking down at the terraced fields from the No. 3 and No. 2 viewing platforms, although there was no bright sunshine, blue sky and white clouds, the view was still shocking under the hazy rain. There are also a few farmers working in the fields, full of pastoral atmosphere. |
Yinziyan is a typical karst landform. The entire cave runs through twelve peaks and brings together stalactites from different geological ages, shining like silver. There is a saying that "If you visit Silver Cave, you will never lack money in your life", which has attracted many tourists. The cave is divided into three parts from the outside to the inside: the lower cave, the main hall and the upper cave. As you go up along the tour route, the view becomes wider and wider, and the scenery gradually unfolds. It looks particularly beautiful under the colorful lights.
Address: 10 km north along National Highway 321, Maling Town, Lipu City, Guilin City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
Business hours: Open from 08:30-17:00 tomorrow
evaluate:
| It's so beautiful. After seeing it, you will see all the karst landforms of Guilin on both sides of the Li River. Every landscape and cave are the wonder of nature, and they tell the story of the geology and culture of this place. Guilin is worth the trip. |
Bamboo rafting on the Yulong River is a great way to visit Yangshuo. Sit on a slow bamboo raft and see the rolling hills and rural scenery on both sides of the river. You will pass by small towns and many ancient bridges along the way. Below is the clear river, which is quiet and relaxing. There are many ways to raft on the Yulong River, including full-length rafting and half-length rafting. If you choose half-length rafting, you can also ride a bike for the other half, so you can enjoy both ways in one day.
Address: Yulong River Scenic Area, Yangshuo County, Guilin City (near Chaoyang Wharf)
Business hours: Open from 08:00 to 17:00 tomorrow
evaluate:
| Yulong River bamboo rafting experience is full! Five-star praise for the lumberjack! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟This bamboo rafting is definitely the highlight of the Yangshuo trip! We have to give a huge thumbs up to our lumberjacks! The master not only has super stable skills and controls the bamboo raft smoothly throughout the whole process, but also can tell the stories behind each landscape vividly and interestingly, like a walking "karst landform textbook"🌿 When passing by classic scenic spots, the master will kindly remind us of the angles for taking pictures, and even take the initiative to adjust the position of the bamboo raft to facilitate our filming. He really understands the hearts of tourists! What moved me most was the master's professional attitude. He remained enthusiastic throughout the whole process under the scorching sun, and his humorous quotes made everyone on the boat laugh. When encountering rapids, he said, "Just sit tight, I'm at the helm and you'll be safe," which instantly put people at ease. When we got off the boat, they also taught us to identify the wild plants by the river, which really maximized the experience! This professional and warm spirit of craftsmanship adds a layer of human warmth to the beauty of mountains and rivers. I strongly recommend that you all come to Yulong River to experience bamboo rafting. You will definitely not make a mistake if you choose this master! 👍🏻🛶 |
The large-scale song and dance "Guilin's Eternal Love" condenses Guilin's thousands of years of history and folk customs and is the soul of Guilin culture. The performance is divided into "Legend of Guilin", "Eternal Lingqu Canal", "Li River Love Song" and "Looking for Liu Sanjie". The performance utilized advanced high-tech means and stage machinery such as sound, light, electricity, and holography, and hundreds of actors performed passionately in the three-dimensional space of land, water, and air, singing a moving and eternal legend of Guilin. A "Guilin Legend" The river is like a blue silk belt, and the mountains are like jade hairpins. Guilin has enjoyed the reputation of "the best mountains and rivers in the world" since ancient times. In this beautiful land of Guangxi, there is a beautiful legend that has been passed down since ancient times. The beautiful scenery of Guilin attracted the evil black dragon, causing great suffering to the people and rampant miasma. General Fubo and Fairy Diecai descended from the sky to save the people. In order to keep this place prosperous and peaceful, they turned into mountains and rivers, protecting this land for generations to come. The second scene, "The Eternal Lingqu Canal", has the Great Wall in the north and the Lingqu Canal in the south. After going through numerous hardships and dangers, the Qin army finally dug the Lingqu Canal, achieving the great feat of connecting seven parts of the river to the Xiang River and three parts to the Li River. It connected the Xiang River, Pearl River and Li River, brought the advanced Central Plains culture to the entire Lingnan region, and helped Qin Shihuang complete the great feat of unifying China once and for all. From then on, Guilin became an important town connecting the inaccessible sea in the south and the Central Plains in the north. To this day, the Li River, which has been flowing for more than 2,000 years, still nourishes the vast Lingnan land with its sweet and clear water. The third scene, "Li River Love Song" is a folk song that is like the spring river water, without any fear of rapids or bends. The land and water nurture the people. This magical land of Guilin has given birth to many legendary figures, and Liu Sanjie is one of the most well-known ones. She is a lark that listens to the wind singing under the moonlight and can sing. Her beautiful singing spreads over the hills, making the flowers bloom and the clouds stay. The fourth scene, "Looking for Liu Sanjie," shows the changes in the world over the years. Today, tens of thousands of tourists from home and abroad come to Guangxi, to Guilin, to this grand singing festival, looking for the Liu Sanjie in their minds. Where is Liu Sanjie? It's you, it's me, it's her. We are all Liu Sanjie, and we are all lovers.
Address: Qianguqing Avenue, Yangshuo Town, Yangshuo County, Guilin
Business hours: Open from 14:00 to 21:00 tomorrow
evaluate:
| This is the fourth episode of the Eternal Love series that I have checked in. I have been addicted to it since the first one in Songcheng. Basically, when I travel, I must watch it as long as the city I am in has Eternal Love. The Guilin episode is also very good, and the city's characteristics are also very strong. |
"Impression of Liu Sanjie" is one of the large-scale live performances in the "Impression Series" jointly created by famous directors Zhang Yimou, Wang Chaoge and Fan Yue. The performance venue is located at the intersection of the Li River and Tianjia River in Yangshuo, and Shutong Mountain is across the river. The stage is a two-kilometer-wide expanse of the Li River, with twelve mountains as the backdrop. It is very grand and is a rare large-scale landscape theater. The performance is mainly based on local customs and is very exciting.
Address: China Lijiang Landscape Theater, No. 1 Tianyuan Road, Yangshuo County, Guilin
Opening hours: May 23, reopening at 23:59
evaluate:
| "Liu Sanjie" is a real-life performance of Guilin's landscape directed by Zhang Yimou, and is also a very famous tourist performance. According to the search results of the review, this performance is set against the backdrop of Guilin's landscape and presents the story of Liu Sanjie through singing, dancing, music and lighting effects. |
The landscape of the Li River is the essence of Guilin's landscape. "Guilin's landscape is the best in the world," which once appeared in elementary school textbooks. On both sides of the Li River are mountains of various shapes and forms. The most representative ones are the Nine Horses Painting Mountain and the Reflection of Yellow Cloth. The pattern on the back of the new 20-yuan RMB is the landscape of the Reflection of Yellow Cloth. You can take a cruise ship or a bamboo raft to tour the Li River. Large ships are spacious, while bamboo rafts are more romantic.
Address: X092 (Guimo Road), Lingchuan County, Guilin City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
Opening hours: 24 hours a day, all year round
evaluate:
| The Li River, as the soul of Guilin's landscape, enjoys the reputation of "Guilin's landscape is the best in the world" and is a precious gift from nature to the world. From a scenic point of view, the Li River is like a green silk ribbon, winding among thousands of peaks. Strange peaks on both sides of the river, winding clear water, steep cliffs hanging over the river, and green mountains floating on the water form a beautiful picture scroll of hundreds of miles. The Li River displays different charms in different weather conditions: on sunny days, the green peaks are reflected on the clear river surface, clear and bright; when the river is shrouded in clouds and mist, the mountains are looming in the mist, like a misty fairyland; and when it is misty and rainy, the river surface is vast and misty, the most poetic and picturesque, as if you are in a traditional Chinese ink painting, and every scene is breathtakingly beautiful. The famous Nine Horses Painting Mountain stands by the river, with sharp stone walls and colorful colors. If you look closely, you will find that the horses in the painting are standing or lying, neighing or galloping, in various shapes and forms. It is a wonder of nature. In terms of travel experience, taking a bamboo raft to cruise on the Li River is an activity not to be missed. Drifting leisurely on the calm water, with the breeze blowing on your face, you can feel the tranquility and beauty of the Li River up close. Every step you take brings a new scene, which is refreshing. You can also choose to take a cruise and enjoy the scenery on both sides of the river during the smooth voyage. However, it should be noted that there are various ways to tour the Li River. Bamboo rafting is divided into the full section and the highlight section, such as the Yangdi to Xingping section, the Yangdi to Jiuma Huashan section, etc. Each has its own characteristics and can be selected as needed. Bamboo rafts usually carry 4 people. If you do not want to share a raft, you will need to pay extra. In terms of cost-effectiveness, the ticket prices for the Lijiang Scenic Area vary depending on the way of sightseeing. The bamboo rafting ticket price from Yangdi to Jiumahuashan is about 118 yuan/person, and the ticket price from Yangdi to Xingping is 216 yuan/person. Taking into account the costs of transportation, food and other expenses, the overall cost varies from person to person. If you plan properly, such as booking in advance and choosing appropriate tour routes and restaurants, you can control costs to a certain extent. Although the price is not low, the unique natural scenery and sightseeing experience of the Li River make it worth the money. The only drawback is that during the peak tourist season, there are many tourists on the Li River, and the number of bamboo rafts and cruise ships is limited, so you may need to wait in line. Some commercial activities may also affect the purity of the tour. But overall, the Li River is still a favorite of domestic and foreign tourists with its unparalleled natural beauty and unique charm. It is a dream place worth visiting once in a lifetime. |
Qixing Scenic Area is a large, comprehensive park in Guilin City, located in the urban area with convenient transportation. The landmark attractions in the scenic area include the camel-shaped Camel Hump, the natural karst cave Qixingyan, the beautiful Song Dynasty stone arch flower bridge, and the Qixia Zen Temple with Tang-style architecture. There is a zoo suitable for bringing children to visit, where you can see the national treasure giant panda, as well as rock climbing, field battles and other expansion projects suitable for friends’ gatherings and company team building.
Address: No. 1, Qixing Road, Qixing District, Guilin City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
Business hours: Open from 07:30 to 18:30 tomorrow
evaluate:
| A 4A-level scenic spot in Guilin city. It's not very famous, and I guess many foreign tourists don't know about it. There is a mountain inside that looks particularly like a camel, which is worth checking out. There are many attractions in the scenic area, and there are also many monkeys. If you have time, I recommend going there. |
The Elephant Hill Scenic Area is a scenic area centered on Guilin’s landmark attraction, the Elephant Hill. The shape of the Elephant Hill looks very much like an elephant drinking water, so it is called the Elephant Hill. In addition to the Elephant Hill, there are also other scenic spots in the scenic area, such as Water Moon Cave, Love Island, Puxian Pagoda, Sanhua Wine Cellar, etc., each with its own characteristics, it is nice to just walk around.
Address: No. 1 Minzhu Road, Xiangshan District, Guilin City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
Opening hours: May 23, reopening at 23:59
evaluate:
| The correct name is "Xiangshan Scenic Area", and just for being “free”, it deserves a 5-star rating. Although there are a lot of tourists, it is still a must-see when you come to Guilin because of its reputation. It takes more than an hour to walk around the "elephant trunk" and "elephant eye". Highly recommended. |
Popular recommendations
Prince Harry Joins Ctrip Group Global Partners Conference: Advancing Sustainable Travel Together
TripBlog
7 Reasons to Put Cancun Mexico Into Your Vacation Bucket List.
TripBlog
Latest Trip.com Promo Codes, Flight Discounts & Hotel Savings (Weekly Update)
Trip.com Official
6 Things to know before Exploring the Montmorency Falls, Quebec
TripBlog