🇨🇳Guilin
The karst-mountain scenery on the back of the ¥20 note — a slower, greener corner of China built around the Li River and the backpacker village of Yangshuo.
Mid-range figures, per person
Per person, no flights — those are just below. The mid-range figure is researched; budget and comfort scale it, so treat the two as rough. The trip calculator and hotels below break the day down properly.
Fares are into Beijing, Shanghai or Guangzhou. High-speed rail or a $50–150 domestic flight covers the rest. Ranges are typical fares booked 1–3 months out, checked mid-2026 — school-holiday peaks run higher, and patient shoppers beat the bottom end.
Prices checked · how we work these out
Is Guilin expensive to visit?
No, it's one of the cheaper places this site covers: a mid-range day in Guilin costs $28–55 per person, and its $40 midpoint is 56% below the $90 median across all 127 cities here. Within China it runs 25% below the $53 average of our 13 China guides. That makes it pricier than 7 of the 127 cities, with a cheap meal at $1.50–4 and a mid-range hotel at $30–65 a night.
How much does a trip to Guilin cost?
| Trip length | Budget | Mid-range | Comfort |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 days | $45–105 | $84–165 | $150–300 |
| 5 days | $75–175 | $140–275 | $250–500 |
| 7 days | $105–245 | $196–385 | $350–700 |
| 14 days | $210–490 | $392–770 | $700–1,400 |
Per person and before flights, 3 days in Guilin costs $84–165 mid-range, five days $140–275, a week $196–385 and two weeks $392–770; a week costs about $105–245 on a budget and $350–700 travelling in comfort.
Per person in US dollars, flights not included. Each total is a daily range from the band above multiplied out: mid-range is the guide's researched figure and already includes a mid-range room; budget and comfort scale it by 0.6 and 1.8, so treat those two as rough. The trip calculator lets you set your own days and group size.
Entry & visa
Most Western passport holders need a visa arranged in advance through a Chinese embassy or consulate. Check current rules carefully, as visa-free transit programs are typically tied to specific gateway airports and don't reliably cover Guilin.
Visa rules turn on your nationality and change often — always confirm the current requirement for your own passport with an official government source before you book.
Quick facts
Money & what things cost
Guilin and Yangshuo run on Alipay and WeChat Pay like the rest of China, both usable with foreign cards in tourist mode — though Yangshuo's backpacker economy also still sees more cash and even the occasional card reader than most Chinese cities, a holdover from its long history as a foreign-tourist hub. A VPN is worth setting up before you land, since Google, WhatsApp, and Instagram are blocked here as everywhere in mainland China.
What locals earn
| Earnings | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Average monthly salary (Guilin, urban) | ≈ ¥5,600 ($780) | one of the lower urban averages among major tourist cities, reflecting a tourism- and agriculture-based economy rather than heavy industry |
| Typical entry-level salary | ≈ ¥3,200–4,500 ($445–625) | |
| Minimum wage (Guangxi region) | ¥1,690/month (≈$235) |
Food & drink
| Item | Local price | ≈ USD |
|---|---|---|
| Guilin rice noodles (mifen), a bowl | ¥8–15 | $1.10–2.10 |
| Beer fish (啤酒鱼), Yangshuo specialty, shared | ¥60–120 | $8.35–16.70 |
| Sit-down restaurant, per person | ¥30–65 | $4.15–9 |
| Western-style café meal (common in Yangshuo) | ¥35–70 | $4.85–9.70 |
| Coffee | ¥15–28 | $2.10–3.90 |
| Local beer at a bar | ¥8–20 | $1.10–2.80 |
Transport
| Item | Local price | ≈ USD |
|---|---|---|
| City bus ride | ¥1–2 | $0.15–0.30 |
| Didi (ride-hail) across town | ¥12–25 | $1.65–3.50 |
| Bus, Guilin to Yangshuo (~1 hour) | ¥18–25 | $2.50–3.50 |
| Li River cruise, Guilin to Yangshuo | ¥250–450 | $35–62.50 |
| Bamboo raft, shorter Yangshuo section | ¥100–200 | $13.90–27.80 |
| Didi from Guilin Liangjiang Airport to city | ¥50–80 | $6.95–11.10 |
Where to sleep & what it costs
| Tier | Per night | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hostel dorm | ¥35–70 ($4.85–9.70) | Plentiful in Yangshuo's West Street area and along the Guilin riverfront |
| Budget hotel | ¥130–230 ($18–32) | Common in both Guilin's center and Yangshuo |
| Mid-range hotel | ¥230–450 ($32–62.50) | Riverside or karst-view guesthouses in Yangshuo are excellent value at this tier |
| Luxury | ¥650+ ($90+) | A handful of resort-style properties with karst-mountain views around Yangshuo |
Been recently? Check our prices
One tap per figure. Check-ins reset whenever this guide is re-priced, so they only ever vouch for the numbers you see here.
Trip cost calculator
$40 per person per day · 4 nights of lodging (Mid-range hotel)
A rough estimate, not a quote. The daily budget already includes a room, so one traveler pays exactly days × that budget; lodging is the room’s part of it, priced from the hotels below but never more than 45% of the trip. Extra travelers share the room and add only their own spending. Flights use the midpoint of the Getting there ranges above.
Getting around
- From the airport
- Guilin Liangjiang International (KWL) is about 30–40 minutes from downtown Guilin. Didi runs ¥50–80; an airport shuttle bus also serves several downtown stops for less. Onward buses to Yangshuo run directly from the airport too, skipping downtown Guilin entirely if that's your first stop.
- Guilin to Yangshuo
- A direct bus takes about an hour and costs ¥18–25 from Guilin's bus stations; Didi or a private driver costs more but is faster and door-to-door. The classic four-hour Li River cruise between the two is scenic but pricier and slower — most travelers do it once, then bus back.
- Li River cruises & bamboo rafts
- The full Guilin–Yangshuo cruise (4 hours) shows the best-known karst scenery; a shorter bamboo raft trip on the Yulong River near Yangshuo is cheaper, more casual, and just as scenic for a shorter time commitment.
- Bike & e-scooter rental
- Yangshuo's countryside — rice paddies, smaller rivers, and villages between the peaks — is best explored by rented bike or e-scooter, widely available and cheap around West Street.
- On foot
- Both Guilin's riverside parks and Yangshuo's West Street are compact and walkable; the surrounding countryside is not, and needs a bike, scooter, or Didi.
Map
Drag to look around, or open Google Maps ↗ · Apple Maps ↗
Neighborhoods to stay in
- Yangshuo West Street
- The backpacker and traveler hub — cafés, guesthouses, and easy access to bike rentals and the Yulong River; the go-to first-timer base for most visitors.
- Guilin riverside (Zhengyang Road / Shan Hu-Rong Hu lakes)
- Central, walkable, and convenient if flying in and out of Guilin itself rather than basing in Yangshuo.
- Yangshuo countryside guesthouses
- Karst-view rooms outside the town center, quieter and more scenic but requiring a bike or scooter to get around.
- Near Guilin Liangjiang Airport
- Only useful for an early flight or late arrival — otherwise skip in favor of downtown Guilin or Yangshuo.
Things to do
Nightlife
Restaurants
Theater & shows
Tipping & etiquette
- Beer fish (啤酒鱼) is Yangshuo's signature dish and traditionally shared among a group — worth ordering with company rather than solo.
- Bamboo rafting on the Yulong River is genuinely a leisure activity here, not a whitewater sport — expect a slow, flat float rather than rapids.
- Haggling is expected at souvenir stalls and with unmetered raft/boat operators, but not in shops with posted prices.
- Avoid the topics of Taiwan, Tibet, and Xinjiang politics with new acquaintances — it's more awkward for your host than risky for you.
- Yangshuo's countryside is largely agricultural — respect working rice paddies and farmland when biking or walking through villages.
How to spend a trip to Guilin
Guilin the city is the gateway; Yangshuo is where the scenery and most of the good guesthouses are. Decide early which one you're sleeping in, because the bus between them takes about an hour each way.
One day means skipping Guilin city and going straight to Yangshuo. The karst landscape is what you came for, and it's downriver.
- MorningThe direct bus to Yangshuo, which runs from the airport as well as from Guilin's bus stations.
- MiddayA bamboo raft on the Yulong River: slower, cheaper and near enough as scenic as the full Li River cruise.
- AfternoonA rented bike or e-scooter out into the countryside between the peaks.
- EveningBeer fish, shared, then West Street for as long as it holds your interest.
Three days is the bottom of this guide's range and covers the three distinct things here: the city, the river, and the countryside.
- Day 1Arrive in Guilin, Reed Flute Cave and the riverside parks, one night in the city.
- Day 2The four-hour Li River cruise down to Yangshuo, which is the famous stretch, including the view printed on the ¥20 note.
- Day 3Yangshuo's countryside by bike, a Yulong raft in the afternoon, and Impression Sanjie Liu on the river after dark.
This guide puts Guilin and Yangshuo at three to four days, so five is one comfortable day more rather than a stretch. Spend it in the countryside, not on another ticketed attraction.
- Days 1–3The three-day plan above: Guilin, the river, and a first day around Yangshuo.
- Day 4Deeper into the countryside on a scooter — villages and rice paddies rather than viewpoints — with beer fish at Xie Dajie to finish.
- Day 5A slow last morning, then either back to Guilin for the flight or onward south; Yangshuo is a common stop between Guangzhou and the rest of southern China.
Safety & common scams
Guilin and Yangshuo are very safe for violent crime, including walking around at night in both towns. The real friction points for visitors are overpriced tourist-boat operators, road safety on rented scooters (traffic norms are looser than Western visitors expect), and the Great Firewall, rather than any personal danger.
Scams to know
- Unofficial 'cheap' Li River cruise tickets sold outside official counters — book through your hotel or an official ticket office to avoid overpriced or nonexistent tours.
- Unlicensed bamboo raft operators quoting inflated flat fares away from the official docks — use the marked ticket booths on the Yulong River instead.
- Overpriced 'silk' or 'jade' shops targeting river-cruise groups with commission-driven stops — treat included shopping stops on cheap package tours with skepticism.
- Unlicensed black cabs near the Guilin train station and airport quoting flat inflated fares — use Didi or the metered taxi queue instead.
Emergency numbers: 110 (police) · 120 (ambulance) · 119 (fire) — English-language support is limited outside Yangshuo's tourist businesses; your guesthouse can help translate if needed
Phone & internet
Get an eSIM (China Unicom/China Mobile via Airalo) before you land, or a physical tourist SIM at Guilin Liangjiang Airport. As everywhere in China, Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, and most Western apps are blocked by the Great Firewall, so set up a reputable VPN before you leave home — this matters more in Yangshuo than most Chinese destinations, since it's a common stop for longer-term travelers wanting to stay in touch with people back home. Alipay and WeChat both work without a VPN and double as payment and translation tools.
First-timer FAQs
Should I base myself in Guilin city or Yangshuo?
Yangshuo, for most travelers — it has the better guesthouses, the walkable West Street, and easier access to biking, rafting, and the karst countryside. Guilin city is more useful as an airport/train gateway and for the Reed Flute Cave, but doesn't need more than a night.
Is the Li River cruise worth the price?
The full four-hour Guilin-to-Yangshuo cruise (¥250–450) shows the most famous scenery, including the section on the ¥20 note, but it's slow and can feel touristy with large groups. A shorter, cheaper Yulong River bamboo raft trip near Yangshuo shows similar karst scenery for a fraction of the cost and time.
Is it safe to rent a scooter in Yangshuo?
Widely done, but go in with realistic expectations — local traffic norms are looser than in the West, roads outside town can be rough, and helmets aren't always provided by default, so ask for one. It's a great way to see the countryside if you're a comfortable rider.
How many days do I need?
Three to four days covers a river cruise or raft trip, a day of biking Yangshuo's countryside, and Reed Flute Cave back in Guilin, at a relaxed pace. It's also a common two- or three-night stop between Guangzhou/Shenzhen and the rest of southern China.
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