How Long to Spend in Guilin (3 Top Itineraries)

Guilin's picturesque karst landscape and idyllic countryside views attracts millions of travelers every year. But how to make the most of your days in Guilin? Keep reading to find your ideal Guilin adventure!

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• How Many Days to Spend in Guilin?
• 4 Days in Guilin: A Classic Highlights Tour
• 5 Days in Guilin: Enjoy Vibrant Activities
• 6 Days in Guilin: A Vacation for Relaxation

How Many Days to Spend in Guilin?

The Bamboo Rafts on Yulong River in Yangshuo, Guilin

To have a relatively complete Guilin trip, we suggest spending at least 4 days in Guilin, including the arrival and departure days. For a shorter stay in Guilin, you could opt for the following day trip plans to fill your itinerary.

• Guilin city tour: 1 day for the Elephant Trunk Hill, Reed Flute Cave, and Daxu Ancient Town. Best for snapping the landmarks.
• Longji Rice Terraces: 1 day for hiking between the terraces and visiting a local's house. Best for hikers and nature lovers.
• Yangshuo Countryside: 1 day for the Li River Cruise and cycling to explore the landscape. Recommended for enjoying natural views leisurely with a little sweat.

Enjoy the Rural Vibe in Yangshuo, Guilin

If you want to soak it all up and fully enjoy the vibrant outdoor activities and the rural vibe, we'd suggest taking it slow and aim for around 5-6 days to enjoy a leisurely stay.

• Best for families with children for fun: 5-Day Dynamic Guilin and Yangshuo Tour
• Aim for relaxation and slow pace: 6-Day Guilin Relaxation Tour

Life Seems to Slow Down in Guilin, China

If you have 7 or more days to spend and are looking for a trip combining other cities, there are some popular choices from our clients, such as Hong Kong, Zhangjiajie, and Chengdu.

• Hong Kong: 2–3 days to enjoy Hong Kong's theme parks and landmarks.
• Zhangjiajie: 3+ days to explore its stunning and surreal landscape.
• Chengdu: 2+ days to adore the giant pandas and savor spicy hot pot.
• Guizhou: 3+ days to explore diverse minority cultures.

It should be noted that all our private tours could be customized and tailored to your interests and needs. Please feel free to reach out to us, and we'd be happy to help create a tour just for you.

Discover real reviews of Highlights Travel Family's best-rated service across trusted platforms.

Visita a Guilin Una experiencia inolvidable. Nuestro guía Alonso es muy profesional y atento. Nos mostró la belleza de las terrazas de arroz. El paseo en “side car” fue una gran aventura. more Jun 2025, Patricio J

Traumreise durch China Wir waren w?hrend unserer 14 t?gigen Rundreise in China restlos begeistert von Land, Leute, Kultur und Essen. Alle Autos waren sauber und gepflegt und neuere Modelle. Bei unseren stets pünktlichen Fahrern haben wir uns sicher und bestens gefühlt. St?ndig hat man uns Wasser angeboten, einfach toll. Unsere Reiseführer sprachen flie?end deutsch und hatten ein umfassendes Wissen bei den jeweiligen Ausflügen und haben den ganzen Tag dafür gesorgt, dass es uns an nichts fehlt. Besonders waren auch die extravaganten Ausflüge wie z.B.einen Terrakotta Krieger selber basteln und mit nach Hause nehmen, oder die Radltour auf der Stadtmauer von Xi'An. Ein dickes DANKE an: Xiabo Song (Peking), Ken (Xi'An), Axel (Chengdu), Beate (Shanghai) und Lukas (Guilin). Die ganze Reise hat auch Lukas zusammen gestellt. Wir durften sogar das Büro von China-Highlights mit etwa 100 Mitarbeitern besuchen. Lieber Lukas, vielen herzlichen Dank für die wundervolle Zeit in China und Deine pers?nliche überraschung zu unserem 10. Hochzeitstag N?chstes Jahr gehen wir wieder auf Reise, natürlich mit China-Highlights more Jun 2025, Monika

UN VIAJE DE MARAVILLAS Contratamos un tour con la Agencia China Highlights desde Argentina. Somos un matrimonio de 62 y 60 a?os de La Plata, Provincia de Buenos Aires. Queremos destacar que todo el itinerario proporcionado por LUCIA ha sido de maravillas. Recorrimos Beijing, Xian, Zhangjiajie, Shangai, Suzhou, Guilin, Yangshuo y luego fuimos a Hong Kong y Japón. En este caso, emitimos una opinión respecto de Guilin y el guía ALONSO. Destacamos todo su conocimiento del lugar y del perfecto espa?ol que habla. Esto ha hecho que nuestra estadía haya sido espectacular, desde la Cueva de la Flauta de Ca?a hasta el recorrido por Yangshuo. Nos hemos sentido respaldados y confiados en todo el lugar, como también es válido remarcar el excelente chofer que nos acompa?ó en todo el recorrido por Guilin y Yangshuo. GRACIAS por todo lo brindado, el servicio prestado ha sido EXCELENTE. Saludamos a ellos, SANDRA y PABLO. more Jun 2025, Pablo

4 Days in Guilin: A Classic Highlights Tour

Take a Li River Cruise to View the Karst Landscape, Guilin

For a trip to Guilin, Guilin's key areas are Guilin city, Yangshuo, and Longsheng.

With a 4-day itinerary, it would be a little difficult to conclude all at once, especially when you must consider the arriving and departing times. Since the peaceful countryside and mountains (especially in Yangshuo/Longsheng) are more rewarding than the city, we suggest skipping Guilin city or adding an extra day for a relaxed pace.

However, it is possible if you don't mind a rather tight itinerary to include all 3 in 4 days, but it would be tiring and not recommended for most travelers.

• Day 1: Guilin arrival.
• Day 2: Take a day trip to Longsheng (hiking on terraced fields and experiencing local life).
• Day 3: Guilin to Yangshuo (take a Li River Cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo).
• Day 4: Travel around Yangshuo, then back to Guilin and departure (drive through the villages and the paddy fields, then take a ferry ride to visit a local town).

If your flight arrives early on day 1, feel free to explore the city. You could savor some local street food at Zhengyang Pedestrian Street, and enjoy the night view of the Sun and Moon Pagodas.

Embark early for a day trip to the stunning Longji Terraced Fields on your day 2. If you are not fit for walking, you could opt for an electric buggy to appreciate the landscape and get to the top easily. However, the best views come from walking. The route from Ping'an Village to Ancient Zhuang Village is highly recommended, as it is less difficult and scenic.

On day 3, you could take a 4-hour Li River Cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo County. This is a must-do as it is the best way to admire the karst landscape without rushing. Typically, we would book you a 4-star cruise with comprehensive facilities and a buffet lunch included.

Day 4 would be your departure day, and we don't want to take you on an overly touristy experience. Instead, we suggest exploring the real rural life by hopping on a local farmer's taxi to a farmers market, then driving through the villages where you could see water buffaloes working in the field.

Interested in this itinerary? Read on to get more details on our 4-Day Guilin Scenic and Ethnic Discovery.

5 Days in Guilin: Enjoy Vibrant Activities

Enjoy the Panoramic View from the Top of the Xianggong Mountain, Yangshuo

With 5 days in Guilin, you could enjoy a comfortable pace that perfectly balances city sights and countryside adventures. This itinerary is crafted for summer vacations, making it especially ideal for families traveling with children.

• Day 1: Guilin arrival.
• Day 2: Guilin day tour (explore the Li River Source Grand Canyon in Xing'an County).
• Days 3–4: Yangshuo (take a bamboo raft on Li River, climb the Xianggong Mountain, venture around by an ATV, explore an underground cave, and SUP on the Yulong River).
• Day 5: Back to Guilin and departure.

Guilin and Yangshuo offer the ultimate cool summer escape, with refreshing water activities and shaded countryside adventures ideal for beating the heat.

Before coming to Guilin, you may have heard that the Li River is the mother river of the Guilin people. Today, we would like to introduce the source of the Li River - Lijiangyuan Grand Canyon. You could swim in the clear water, enjoy the serene landscapes, and experience the Li River's purity firsthand.

Spending 2 days in Yangshuo would be appropriate since it has so much to offer.  Younger children enjoy gentle water fun like SUP(stand-up paddleboarding) and bamboo rafting, while older kids tackle rock climbing or ATV adventures.

Check out our 5-Day Dynamic Guilin and Yangshuo Tour for more details.

All our private tours are customizable. Reach out to us if you are encountering difficulties with planning a Guilin trip. You are in expert hands, and our travel consultants would craft personalized itineraries based on your dates and interests.

For inspiration, we also have a 5-day family tour that contains the Longji Rice Terraces if you are interested in: 5-Day Guilin Family Tour — Nature and Countryside Fun

6 Days in Guilin: A Vacation for Relaxation

The Colorful Reed Flute Cave Showing Stalactites of Various Shapes, Guilin

• Day 1: Guilin arrival, then stay overnight in Longji Rice Terraces(feel free to enjoy the sunset and sunrise).
• Day 2: Hike around the Longji Rice Terraces, then back to Guilin (enjoy the nature and learn about minority ethnic culture through a home visit).
• Day 3: Guilin City tour (explore the main highlights like Elephant Trunk Hill and Reed Flute Cave, feel the slow life here).
• Days 4–5: Yangshuo (take a Li River Cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo, enjoy a riverside afternoon tea, and cycle between the paddy fields).
• Day 6: Back to Guilin and departure.

If choosing between a 4-day or 5-day Guilin itinerary feels overwhelming, this 6-day plan offers the perfect balance.

Having 6 days in Guilin lets you embrace the city's leisurely rhythm. Guilin is a small third-tier city where residents generally have a slow pace of life, and even time seems to have slowed down here.

We don't want to push you forward with the attractions like a tight working schedule. This itinerary is designed to let you break out of your daily routine, and allow yourself to slow down and hear the rhythm of the peaceful nature.

All our tours could be tailored, and you could admire the highlights of Guilin without doing intense activities if this is what you are looking for.

Discover Guilin with China Highlights

Planning a great trip to Guilin is time-consuming and difficult. You could find all sorts of guides and itineraries on the internet, but what we want to introduce you to is the true essence of this city.

You will be in good hands with our native Guilin tour guides, and please let us know your interests and needs. We would share insider recommendations and tailor-make your unique Guilin tour.