Private Tour · Guilin

Guilin Private Tour: 3-Day Karst Wonderland Itinerary

The Li River curling between karst peaks, rice terraces carved into mountainsides, and cycling through Yangshuo's jade-green fields — southern China at its most painterly. From $289 per person.

⏱ 3 days / 2 nights Private guide + driver From $289 per personAll-inclusive: guide, driver & tickets Customizable
Tour summary Guilin's karst landscape has been the subject of Chinese painting for a thousand years — and appears on the ¥20 note. This private 3-day tour floats down the Li River's most beautiful stretch, climbs the dragon-shaped Longji Rice Terraces, and ends with two wheels through Yangshuo's countryside, where water buffalo and limestone towers frame every turn.

Why Visit Guilin with a Private Guide

Guilin's scenery is world-class, but its logistics are scattered across river ports and mountain villages. A private guide sequences the Li River cruise at the golden hour, books the terrace viewpoints and the bamboo-raft window, and turns Yangshuo's maze of bike paths into a tailored ride — flat and easy or bumpy and adventurous. You travel with the current of the landscape, not against the tour-bus schedule.

Your 3 days / 2 nights Itinerary

Day 1

Reed Flute Cave & Elephant Trunk Hill

Morning Arrive and acclimatise: a morning in the Reed Flute Cave, a glittering limestone cathedral lit in pastel colours.
Afternoon Lunch of Guilin rice noodles, then a walk to Elephant Trunk Hill, the city's river-drinking landmark.
Evening Evening stroll along the Two Rivers & Four Lakes; your guide picks a local restaurant for beer fish.
Day 2

Li River Cruise to Yangshuo

Morning Board the cruise at Zhujiang wharf for the 4-hour float to Yangshuo — the nine-horse fresco hill, Xingping's ¥20-note viewpoint, and the karst towers sliding past.
Afternoon Lunch on board, then disembark in Yangshuo. Check in and relax — or join the optional bamboo-raft ride on the Yulong River.
Evening Dinner and the night show Impression Liu Sanjie — 600 performers on a river stage with the karst peaks as the backdrop.
Day 3

Yangshuo Countryside Cycling & Departure

Morning Morning cycle (or e-bike) along the Yulong River past Moon Hill, old bridges and rice paddies; stop for a farmhouse lunch.
Afternoon Afternoon at leisure in West Street or a cooking class making beer fish and spring rolls.
Evening Flexible transfer back to Guilin airport or high-speed rail to Guangzhou, Hong Kong or onward.
Every day is fully customizable — tell us your pace, interests and travel style and we will reshape the itinerary before you fly.

Top 5 Experiences You Can't Miss

Best Time to Visit Guilin

April–October is green and lush; the rice terraces are flooded and mirror-like in May–June and gold in September–October. Summer (July–Aug) is hot with afternoon showers — mornings are perfect. November–March is mild, quieter and misty — atmospheric, with lower prices.

Practical Tips

TopicAdvice
Cruise classWe book the comfortable upper-deck section of the Li River cruise; meals are served on board.
CyclingElectric bikes make the Yangshuo loop easy for all fitness levels — child seats available.
WeatherKarst showers are local and brief; a light rain shell is worth its weight.
PhotographyThe ¥20-note viewpoint at Xingping is best before 10am; your guide will have your banknote ready for the comparison shot.
PaymentCards in towns, cash for villages — your guide handles the small vendors.

What Our Guests Say

★★★★★

"The Li River cruise felt like sailing inside a painting. We cycled to Moon Hill the next day and ate the best fish of our trip."

— Mia & Oliver, Sydney, Australia
★★★★★

"Impression Liu Sanjie at night with the karst mountains glowing — the single most beautiful show I've seen anywhere."

— David L., Seattle, USA
Combine this tour with…

Most guests pair this itinerary with Zhangjiajie Avatar Mountains & Hong Kong Private Tour — we handle the trains, hotels and guides end to end.

Now booking 2026 departures · Spots fill fast for autumn

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