Li River

Video about "Li River Cruise" watch more videos »
Li River

A Li River cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo is one of the most popular activities in a Guilin holiday. A Li River cruise is included in all of our Guilin Tour Packages, or you could contact us for a tailor-made tour.

  • World-class view
  • See the karst landscape beautifully complimented by the Li River
  • Clean, comfortable, and classy 120-passenger cruise boat
  • English-speaking guide
  • English-speaking companions from various countries
  • Hotel pickup in the morning
  • Relaxed atmosphere
  • 6-person table seating
  • Chinese buffet lunch included some free drinks
Also read Sports Illustrated’s Super Models Photographed in Picturesque Guilin.

Scenery

Bamboo groves, jagged, sharp-edged hills like broken teeth, a wide placid river and peaceful farm and village terrain. Look down in the clear river to see the river bottom and rocky shoals.

Highlights

Nine Horse Fresco, Yellow Cloth Shoal, 20-Yuan Bill Hill, and Xingping Town.

Popularity

Yangshuo is a town of only 30,000 people, but more than 10 million tourists (about 100,000 are foreigners) come in annually, the majority via a Li River cruise.

Food

Yangshuo Beer FishFresh-Water Fish Cooked with Beer

The quality and quantity of the free buffet lunch is below what would be expected on land due to limited space and resources onboard ship. However, at the start of the cruise, a waitress comes by to take orders for additional entrees including fresh-water fish dishes (about 100 RMB or more per dish).

Sample Itinerary

  1. 8 to 8:30 am: Pre-arranged pickup of passengers at their hotels.
  2. 8:30 am: Van or bus transport to Zhujiang Pier.
  3. 9:30 am: Cruise begins. The tour guide gives an interesting detailed narration of the tour, the geography of the area, and the trip itinerary. A tourist map pamphlet is given to passengers on boarding for reference.
  4. 12 to 12:45 pm: Lunch.
  5. 1:30 pm: Arrive at Yangshuo. One hour of free time for sightseeing, shopping, etc. Walking West Street is recommended.
  6. 2:30 pm: Optional tour countryside bus tour to see cormorant fishermen, water buffalo, and countryside scenery. Optional river rafting excursion.
  7. 5 pm: Return to Guilin hotel. The return bus trip takes about 90 minutes. Inform your travel advisor when booking if you wish to return to Guilin earlier or later.

See also our Li River Cruise Day Tour.

The Li River Cruise

Li River Cruise Map

Zhujiang Pier is the usual boarding point for a Li River cruise. It is about 32 kilometers’ (20 miles’) or 40 minutes’ drive from Guilin city center.

Li River Hiking

For outdoor lovers hiking along the Li River is a good chance to get closer to nature and local life. The most popular route is from Yangdi to Xingping, which takes about 5 hours. See our Li River hiking video and our Li River hiking tour, or contact us for a tailor-made tour including hiking and anything else you would like to include.

The entire hiking route is about 22 kilometers long, divided into two sections: Yangdi–Jiumahua Mountain (10 km) and Jiumahua Mountain–Xingping (12 km). There are three choices for visitors planning to travel this section of Li River.

  • Only hike. If you do not want to continue hiking after arriving at Jiumahua Mountain, you can take a battery car to Xingping for free.
  • Hike half of the route. You can choose each of the two sections: Yangdi-Jiumahua Mountain, or Jiumahua Mountain–Xingping to hike, and for the rest section, you can take a raft for replacement, but be prepared for extra fee.
  • No hiking. You can take a raft to visit this section of Li River. It costs a little bit more than hiking.
Also read best hiking trails in China.

Best Time to Visit

The high season is from April to October. During sunny days, tourists can see the inverted reflection of the hills on both sides clearly in the water. During cloudy days, the hills are surrounded by mist and tourists may feel they are cruising in a mystical paradise. When the rain comes, drizzle is like a veil covering the hills and the river.

The rainy season is from April to July. In the hotter months of June and July the rain is often heavy but short-lived, with the afternoon sun quickly drying up the rain. In the heat of the summer the river mist is best seen in the early morning. See more on Guilin Weather.

In the winter low season (November till March) the water level gets much lower, so the cruise length is shortened to about 2 hours. It is quieter during this period because there are fewer tourists. Wear heavy coats when you take the cruise, because the temperature is lower than in the city.

Also Read: the River only after Li River in Beauty and best places to travel in early summer in China.

Li River Photos

1
Li River Photo
1
1
Li River Photo
1
1
Li River Photo
1

Recommended Guilin Tours More Guilin Tours

Essence of Guilin and Li River

3-Day Essence of Guilin and Li River

  • From:$394View Details
Li River Cruise & Yangshuo Combo

4-Day Li River Cruise & Yangshuo Combo

  • From:$439View Details
Hi, I'm Lynn Ye
I updated this article on March 13, 2013
See My travel blog
Send feedback to me about this article
follow this pageChina Highlights
Planning a trip? Ask us here 800-2682918 (USA & CA)
86-773-2831999 (Int'l)
Do you want to book a tour/hotel/Wi-Fi. etc.
Your Name Your Email
Q: Eddie chan Asked on 2013-02-28 Reply
Hi! I will be in Guilin on 23/3/13 and I''m planing to take the cruise to Yangshou on 24/3/13( 2 adults and 2 children age 5 & 7 ) we will be staying in Yangshou for 1 night can you help to arrange the ticket for the cruise and what are the cost ( without hotel )

Dear Eddie, yes, we are very glad to arrange the ticket for you. I have sent you the quotation via email. Please check it. Any questions, please feel free to let me know. Have a nice day!

Whitney Liao Replied on 2013-03-04
Q: Prachi` Asked on 2013-01-21 Reply
Hi , We are a group of 4 adults, 2 kids(5-6 years) and an infant. We are looking to book a Li river cruise on Feb 9th from Guiln to Yangshuo.Can you advise the timings, duration and rate.

Hi Prachi,

The cost for the cruise ticket is USD324 for the group. The cruise lasts for 4 hours.

The cruise time is from 9:30AM to 1:30PM or 10AM to 2PM based on the availability.

we can only get the ticket 1 day in advance before Feb.9th. So you will need to come to our office just besides the Elephant Trunk Hill in downtown area in Guilin to get the cruise ticket.

If you need a transfer or a guide's accompany, please let us know as soon as possible. The Chinese new year holiday is from Feb.9 to Feb14.  It is very hard to find a tour guide unless you arrange it now.

Thanks for your understanding.

Sammi

Sammi Dai Replied on 2013-01-22
Q: Brett Gillanders Asked on 2013-01-09 Reply
What cruises are operating at end of January? What is the cost of the hiking tour? and, are the rafts still operating?Brett

Hi Brett, the Li River Cruise is operating everyday. Do you want to hike from Yangdi to Xingping? Or somewhere else? The rafts are also operating. Please rest assured.

Whitney Liao Replied on 2013-01-10
Hi Whitney, Thanks for that. I will be there from 25th - 29th this month, on my own. Want to do some hiking, maybe some biking at the end of the river cruise, do the Hua River walk as described by Gavin. Do you have an office in Guilin? I have booked accommodation, will meander down by rail from Pingdingshan, and would like to call in early on the 25th, or late on the 24th, to see what I can do with my time :) Cheers Brett guest Replied on 2013-01-12
Hello Whitney, I was also wondering if I can book some train tickets, and 2 air tickets, at your office while I am in Guilin? Could you tell me where your office is? I will be staying at the Guilin JingGuanMingLou Museum Hotel, is it anywhere near there? Cheers Brett guest Replied on 2013-01-19
Hi Brett,sorry for being late. Yes, we can help book it. But it is near the China's Spring Festival, so the ticket is not easy to obtain. We will try all of our effort. We are based in Guilin. Welcome to our office! Add: 11 Binjiang Road Guilin 541002 China桂林市滨江路11号(541002) It is about 15mins walking from JingGuanMingLou Museum Hotel to our office. Whitney Liao Replied on 2013-01-22
Q: Ling Asked on 2012-11-05 Reply
hi, I am intending to visit guilin, yangshuo and Li River in end March or early april. could you advise how do i go about, accomodation, price ?We are a couple from Singapore going to Chengdu, than Guilin. Aty the end of the tour we will visit Chengdu for a couple of days before returning back to Singapore.thank youLing

Hi Ling, we are very glad to arrange this tour for you. Please kindly let me know below the information:

1. do you mean you will enter and depart China from Chengdu?

2. do you need any tour service in Chengdu?

3. class of hotels: 3/4/5 star?

After getting these information from you, we will send you a detailed itinerary soon.

Whitney Liao Replied on 2012-11-06
Q: Nancy Tan Asked on 2012-08-28 Reply
will be going guilin and cruising Li River on 3 Nov 2012, how is the temperature there? Any places of interest / scenery?

Hi Nancy, Guilin slowly turns to winter from November. The average low and high temperature is respectively at 17℃ (62℉) and 20℃ (68℉). The weather is a bit cold.  Better prepare winter clothes such as sweater and a padded coat, also long-sleeve T-shirts in case it gets warmer during the sunny day.

Li River Cruise is a highlight in Guilin, the other can't missing attractions are Elephant Trunk Hill, Reed Flute Cave, Fubo Hill, Yangshuo Countryside Cycling, Minority village and Longsheng Terraced Field, etc.

Whitney Liao Replied on 2012-08-28