You may not know where to start when planning a 3-day holiday in Guilin and its attractive countryside. Here's a popular and workable plan to see the highlights of Guilin and its neighboring counties in only three days.
Day One — Guilin City
Don't bother with Guilin? Go straight to Yangshuo? Absolutely NO! Guilin has many things to see that are unique and spectacular.
Highlights
- Elephant Trunk Hill — the most iconic limestone hill in Guilin city, shaped like a 55-meter-tall elephant drinking from the Li River
- Reed Flute Cave — an outstanding karst cave containing a large number of stalactites and -mites that will extend your imagination with their imaginative names and interesting stories.
- Daxu Ancient Town — Get an insight into Guilin's history and culture by visiting the old buildings. It is also a paradise for strawberry picking in spring.
- Zhengyang Pedestrian Street — a good place for buying souvenirs.
What to Eat
- Morning — Go to a local restaurant to taste rice noodles. Rice noodles is the most popular food for Guilin people, especially for breakfast.
- Lunch and Dinner — Many kinds of restaurants can be found in the city. McFound is a popular Chinese restaurant that also serves some Western dishes.
Where to Stay
- Guilin Shangri-La Hotel
- The Sheraton, Guilin
- The White House, Guilin
- Guilin Royal Palace
- Jingguanminglou Holiday Hotel
Options for Activities in Guilin
- Learning Chinese, Calligraphy, Painting, and Paper Cutting
- Learn Traditional Instruments
- Picking, making, and drinking tea at Guilin's Tea Plantation
- Visiting Fishermen's Houses
Day Two — The Longji Terraced Fields
The Longji Terraced FieldsLongji Terraced Fields is a must-see scenic area on an essence tour of Guilin.
Highlights
- See the swirling pattern of contoured terraces at Ping'an Village.
- Hike between the fields from village-to-village. Appreciate more of the the grand natural scenery and the traditional wooden minority houses, and pass a folk museum.
- Visit ancient Zhuang and Yao minority villages, featured with stilted buildings.
- If arrive in April, you may have a chance to attend the Red Yao Red Clothes Festival at Huangluo Yao Minority Village.
Where to Eat
- Ping'an Restaurant — best for scenery and local food
Where to Stay
- Ping'an Hotel — best place to see the sunset and sunrise
Interesting Experiences
- Taking a sedan chair up/down the mountain
Day Three — the Li River and Yangshuo
The Yulong River in YangshuoThis day includes a cruise on the Li River and a half-day tour of Yangshuo.
Highlights
- Li River Cruise — Relax in the picturesque natural scenery along the river.
- Cycling in the Countryside of Yangshuo — Enjoy the fresh air and rural scenes.
- Impression Liu Sanjie — a must-see night performance on the Li River, telling a traditional Zhuang minority story
- West Street — the best place for night owls, with many hot night clubs and quiet cafés
Options for Activities in Yangshuo
- Rock climbing
- Learn Chinese cooking
- Learn tai chi
Where to Eat
Many Western restaurants in and around West Street are highly recommended, such as the Restaurant in Rosewood Inn, and Café del Moon.
Where to Stay
- Green Lotus Hotel
- Yangshuo Resort
- Yangshuo Mountain View Retreat
- Dragon River Retreat
- Yangshuo Resort
See more on How Long to Spend in Guilin.
China Highlights, Your Guilin Specialist!
Tour Guilin with China Highlights.Based in Guilin, China Highlights is your specialist for China and Guilin tours.
Our Guilin tours are designed based on well over a decade of experience and feedback with the best attractions, restaurants, and hotels, and are fully customizable to your requirements. We can also tailor-make an exclusive tour of Guilin and anywhere else in China you would like to go.
Here are our most popular Guilin tours for your reference:
- 3-Day Essence of Guilin Tour: most classic Li River & Yangshuo Tour
- 4-Day Guilin Scenery and Minority Culture Discovery Tour
- 7- Day Guilin, Longsheng & Yangshuo Relaxation Tour