The Wonder of Limestone and Granite
9-Day Guilin and Huangshan Photography Tour
This tour is specially designed for photography lovers and professionals. Experienced photography guide will lead you to the impressive Guilin landscapes and the famous Li River. Take photos of oddly-shaped rocks and the sea of clouds among Yellow Mountain's hills.
Tour Highlights
- Specialized English-speaking guide with professional photography experience
- Attractions around Guilin that only serious travelers and shutterbugs can find
- The picturesque scenery and idyllic life around the Li River
- Photograph wide-angle panoramas of the sea of clouds in West Sea Grand Canyon
- Visit charming ancient villages with traditional Chinese architecture and everlasting stories left behind




98.8% positive customer reviews among 10,000+
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China Highlights for all your China trips
Since August 2022 Sharon Huang is my Travel Advisor at China Highlights #chinahighlights. I have booked several trips and was always extremely happy with our customized itinerary based on my interest. Sharon is always immediately responding and is happy to assist with creating an unforgettable trip. I can only highly recommend Sharon and China Highlights for your travel within China. You should not look further and trust their experience and expertise. For my part, I’m already looking forward to discover more of this amazing and diverse country. more
May 2023,
Adriana
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April 2023 Tours in China, Carol Wang Advisor, China Highlights
I highly recommend the Company #china highlights and their guides Ryan/Shanghai-Suzhou, Lulu/ Hangzhou, Li or Lee/Zhangjiajie, Jenny/ Guilin, Adam/ Quanzhou, Gerry/ Hengdian-Hangzhou more
May 2023,
JeanneC
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Guilin Tour with China Highlights
We had a really nice tour with China Highlights and our Tourguide Chase in Guilin. The unique mountain landscape is a must-see when visiting China and a welcoming change to the big city life. We also went to Yuangshuo with the li river cruise and stayed at a cozy hotel. The tour was very well planned and they made sure that we had a great time. more
May 2023,
Valentin B
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Guilin area and rice terraces
We just returned from a trip to Guilin, the mountain rice terraces, the Li River, and a tour of local markets and farms. Roger Li was helpful setting up the trip, and Jenny Zheng was a fantastic tour guide. Very knowledgeable and fun to be with. Ms. Tao was a safe diver as well. Beautiful scenery and a worthwhile trip. Accommodations were good and we loved the food. Highly recommended! more
May 2023,
Ken Smith
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Guilin to Longsheng Rice Terraced Fields/ Minority Village at Guilin
My first tour was to drive to the rice terraced fields of Longsheng. I have only seen pictures before so it was truly amazing to see this in person. My guide Jenny #chinahighlights, did an excellent job of watching me as I walked and pointing out everything along the way. Insects, plants, explanations of what is going on with the plantings of rice, in particular. I had no idea at all about those details. We ended by climbing down and up into the village which you see down below at the beginning. Jenny brought me to a local house and our hostess had already prepared the sticky rice and smoked pork in bamboo, a fresh pickled cucumber salad, plus some home made sticky rice wine. All were very new and all very good! I recommend this trip as a learning experience! It is a lot of walking but it's worth it. more
May 2023,
Jeanne Christine
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Private Tour with China Highlights
This was a private tour with China Highlights for 8 of us (6 adults and 2 children aged 10 and 6) as part of a larger tour taking in Beijing and Wuhan. Our guide, Jenny, was fantastic and helped us to get the most out of the trip. She took us to some lovely, off the beaten track, restaurants and took care to plan the itinerary around our needs. We required a minibus for transport and the driver too was excelent. The weather wasn't kind to us as it was very humid and misty and there was some rain, but the trip to the rice fields and the boat trip through the Karst mountain scenery were both great. Some of us also went on the bamboo rafting trip which was well organised and very safe. more
Apr 2023,
Alan H
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Had een amazing six day trip in Guilin…
The guide, Chase, was very friendly, helpful and thoughtful. He showed up extra early or stayed later than planned just to help me order food in Chinese at a local restaurant or show me around an amazing park as a bonus to the activities of the day. He has a lot of knowledge of the area, speaks excellent English and is experienced enough to know what a western tourist needs to navigate such a unique area and culture. Guilin is amazing and I feel that China Highlights and my guide Chase helped me get the max out of a six day stay. more
Apr 2023,
F. H.
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Guillin and Yangshuo - Beautiful and Serene Must-See Landscape
We went on a private two-day tour of Guillin and Yangshuo with China Highlights during the Qingming spring break holiday. Chase was our guide and we will definitely recommend him to others. He made the whole trip run smoothly so we could just enjoy and relax. He was very patient, kind, and helpful with us and our two small children. We enjoyed talking with him about Chinese culture and his own life experiences. We loved our stay at The Moondance Hotel. The home style tofu dish and waffles they made were delicious! The highlights for our family were the Reed Flute Cave, Li River cruise, and bike ride through the countryside of Yangshuo. We wish we had a few more days in Yangshuo to explore more of the breathtaking natural landscape. Thank you Chase and China Highlights for an unforgettable time in such a beautiful place! more
Apr 2023,
Leah
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An Awesome Trip to Yangshuo Guilin
And our luck doesn’t just end there, it continues with our guide, Jay. Jay was very caring and observant. He anticipated our needs and looked after us. He was also very knowledgeable about the history and the geography of Guilin and Yangshuo. However, he would never bore us with too much details; he knew when to stop, but if we showed interest, and wanted to hear more, Jay always had more to share. And knowing my kids didn’t speak good Chinese, he would repeat in English again, making sure my kids didn’t miss out the important stuffs. Another good thing about having private tour is the flexibility. The rainy season started already in April, and there was this one day we were supposed to go to the bamboo rafting, but Jay was quick to suggest about swapping our program, so that we went first to the fan workshop, then the bamboo rafting and dodged the rain. Jay was kind and pleasant to be with. I would highly recommend him to anyone who is planning a trip to the Guilin / Yangshuo area. I once had doubts about Yangshuo being a boring scenic place, but now I am mesmerized by its beauty and the exciting activities it offers. more
Apr 2023,
dingsmama
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Stunning landscape rich in history and culture
Very well organised and professional service from start to finish. We had an amazing tour guide (Gary) who taught us so much about the culture and history of the area. His local knowledge gave us a true insight into the history of the people as we walked through the ancient villages and stunning landscape. I thoroughly recommend visiting Guilin and Yangshuo - such a magical place! I would also recommend Gary as a tour guide as he took us to some amazing hidden gems that were a little off the beaten track :) more
Apr 2023,
Will M
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Beautiful trip to Stunning Yangshuo and Guilin!
I had the opportunity to be in the area and, even though I was traveling solo, couldn't miss seeing Guilin and Yangshuo. I'm sure glad I didn't. Gary Wei was an excellent guide who gave me personalized attention and made sure everything went smoothly. More than that, he has such a pleasant, positive personality, I never felt alone and always had fun. And, since I was traveling solo, he took lots and lots of pictures for me! Bamboo raft cruise down the Li River, a hike along the river bank, countryside biking in Yangshuo, exploring caves and hills around the area…everything was magically beautiful. I only wish I had a couple more days to spend because there is so much to do and see. Thanks, Gary, for a wonderful three days!! more
Mar 2023,
christinajeanne
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Gorgeous Guilin with Gary
What made it all the better of course was the sure and steady guidance of Gary whose knowledge and love for his home was as bountiful as the greenery all about! Upon arriving in Guilin, Gary and our wonderful driver, whose knowledge of the roads and navigating skill are a credit to her, escorted me to my first hotel in Guilin proper which was not only beautiful, with its spectacular waterfall feature, but also manned by friendly and experienced staff more
Jan 2023,
Apis N
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An Exceptional Tour with China Highlights - Highly Recommended!
She was knowledgeable and friendly and took care of every small detail to ensure we had a great time at every destination. She was also very considerate of our baby and made sure that we had everything we needed to make our vacation comfortable and enjoyable. more
Jan 2023,
Imane
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Rated 5 out of 5 stars
During Golden Week holidays we spent 7 wonderful days in Guilin, Longsheng and Yangshuo. Thanks to Carol for a well organized and stressless trip and also to our tour guide Henry who was always very knowledgeable and supportive. He did a great job making the trip comfortable and enjoyable for us. more
Oct 2022,
Anja
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Amazing trip to Guilin and Yangshuo
Thanks to Gary Wei and China heights for an amazing customised three day excursion in Guilin. Really enjoyed caving, the rock climbing and a relaxing afternoon with stand up paddle. Gary our tour guide was able to find paths off the beaten track and often time there were no other tourist to be seen. He also went out his way to make sure we’re well provisioned and took his own initiative to not only be our tour guide and our own photographer, providing us with many more and different memories of the trip. We would highly recommend both china highlight and especially Gary Wei as your local guide for a worry free, non stress trip. more
Oct 2022,
Yujie Z
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Guilin and Yangshuo
We had wonderful holidays in Guilin and Yangshuo during the golden week. Our guide Linda was able to plan the activities in a way that we manage to visit several places in short time. It was something very special to be the first person to go rafting and on the “wild” hiking to the top of the mountain to enjoy a beautiful view. Thanks to Linda we had an unforgettable holiday with many special moments. more
Oct 2022,
Karla
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Lovely getaway during National holidays to Yangshuo
Thanks to Sharon from China Highlights to organize such a great customized trip. A big shoutout to our amazing tour guide Gray. He made sure that traveling even during such a busy period of time was such a joy. Gary went out of his way caring for us. And his photography skills are spot on to have beautiful memories also captured in the digital way and not just in our hearts. We loved our time in beautiful Yangshuo and will be definitely back to Guilin anytime soon. more
Oct 2022,
Adriana Peiris
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Perfect holidays in Guanxi!
We had a wonderful experience in Guanxi. Our tour guide Henry was not only well informed about sights, history and local hotspots, he managed to make our trip to Guilin, Longcheng and Yangshuo interesting, funny and relaxing all in once. He really knows how to give interesting insights to parents and kids and took perfect care for both of our families. The tour organization was great ! more
Oct 2022,
Daniel
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Great experience
I travelled to Guilin with friends and was really amazing. China Highlights is a very professional agency that will take care of every detail. Our guide was Frank, very passionate and helpful all time. Great experience more
Oct 2022,
Daniela G
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Explore Guilin by Bike
We had 4 amazing days with China highlights in Guilin. Our Guide Steven made it a perfect experience! It was definitely one of our most memorable trips we ever had and thanks to China highlights and our guide Steven everything went so smooth that we didn’t have to worry about anything - perfect holiday! more
Sep 2022,
Benedikt P
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Suggested Itinerary
Upon your arrival in Guilin, a comfortable vehicle (non-smoking) with an experienced driver will transfer you directly to your hotel. Your guide will help you check in.
Longji rice terraces are a sight not to be missed when visiting Guilin. They are one of the most impressive man-made wonders in China, built into steep mountainsides.
Longji is about 2½ hours' drive from Guilin. Firstly, you will head to Dazhai Yao village, one of the most beautiful areas around Guilin. Upon your arrival, first have lunch in a local farmer's restaurant. After lunch, take pictures of local Yao people and learn how to make local oil tea and bamboo cooked rice.
Later head to Ping'an Zhuang village, in where you will stay overnight. Have a taste of photographing the fields. You'll snap the marvelous terraced fields from all angles, with local minority houses dotted around. In late afternoon, your guide will show you the way to the Jiulong Wuhu (Nine Dragons and Five Tigers) , an ideal place for overhead views of the rice terraces and photographing the sunset.

If the weather condition allows you to shoot the amazing sunrise, you will get up early to shoot this incredible sunrise scenery. You will get some photos of magnificence with mist-shrouded mountains. The large-scale rice terraced fields with the sunrise is stunning.
In the afternoon, head to Yangshuo and take photos at Fuli Bridge, a bridge with an over 600-year history. At the upper reach of the Yulong River (Meeting Dragon River), photographers can get some photos of Fuli Bridge across the river surrounded by Guilin's karst landscape.

The early bird catches the worm – be up before dawn to capture the sunrise! It will be a 20 minute climb up Xianggong Mountain to photograph the breathtaking sunrise at the place where Li River runs as a right-angled bend..

In the afternoon, you will be driven to Xingping Ancient Town to get another photography highlight: the rose sunset (pray for a cooperative weather) and the evening a fishing scene on Li River, with a bamboo fishing boat, a cozy gas lamp, an experienced fishing man, and several ospreys.

Continue to collect sunrise photos or misty-morning photos around the Li River. You'll be taken to the dock in Xingping. Enjoy the beautiful, peaceful river, as you take a ferry to sunrise spots nearby, for some fantastic photos of the sunrise. This stretch is one of the most spectacular on the river, incorporating the 20-yuan banknote view.

After breakfast, your guide and driver will transfer you to Guilin airport to take flight to Huangshan. Your local tour guide and driver in Huangshan will meet you in the airport and then transfer you to your hotel .
Today you stay overnight on the Yellow Mountains. It takes about one hour from central Huangshan City to reach the foot of the Yellow Mountains. To save time and strength, we will arrange the Yuping Cable Car to go up (15 minutes) the Yellow Mountain.
Visit Tianhai Scenic Area, take photos of Greeting Guest Pines, Lotus Peak, Turtle Peak and many other nameless peaks.

Get up early to Bright Top to take pictures of sunrise. Located in the middle of the Yellow Mountains, Bright Top is one of the main peaks. It is the second highest peak at about 1,860 meters above sea level.
After breakfast, visit West Sea Grand Canyon, which is good for photographing stone forest and the sea of clouds. The U-shaped Grand Valley is 12 kilometers long, with a maximum altitude difference of 400 meters. It is the most precipitous site with the most original natural view. Stone forests are everywhere and the walking distance is so long that it is a favorite destination for backpackers.

In late afternoon, visit Cloud-Dispelling Pavilion for the Sunset.
Today get up early again to continue to collect sunrise photos of the Yellow Mountains. Visit Beginning-to-Believe Peak and nearby many other peaks of Beihai Scenic Area.
After breakfast, go down the mountain by Yungu cable car, transfer to Hongcun village. With a history of over 800 years, this charming village will show you the original Hui style architecture (a type of traditional Chinese architecture) and everlasting stories left behind.

Trip Notes
1.The Best Time to Photograph
Guilin: The prime time for photography in Guilin is from May to October. During these months, the daytime is longer and the light is good, and temperatures are hot or warm. November to February is the low-water season and air is not very transparent.
Huangshan: The Yellow Mountains is suitable for photography all year round, with seasonal beauties. The following recommended time will add more color to your photos:
March to April: Yellow rape flowers start to bloom in spring. The mountains are decorated with red azaleas; the hills are covered by green tea plants and golden blooming yellow rape flowers.
September to October: On the way to the Yellow Mountains, you can see fields filled with golden chrysanthemum. The mountains are dazzled with the changing colors of the plants of the fall season.
December to March of the following year: The top of the Yellow Mountains will be covered with snow and ice from time to time in winter. The mountains turn into a winter wonderland and it's the best time to photograph the seas of clouds.
2.About the Guide
Our guides are local and experienced, who also good at photographing . They know Guilin and Huangshan Scenic Area just like their own backyard. Based on your strength and weather, our guide will show you the best route for sightseeing and inform you the dangerous parts during the tour. During different seasons of the year, the best position and angle for taking photos vary with the height of the sun. Your guide will show you the best time and locations.
3.The Weather
The weather plays a very important role in a photography tour. Your guide is flexible, and can make appropriate changes based on the weather, after a discussion with you. If you encounter some bad weather for photography, your guide will try his/her best to take you to the place best suited to the weather conditions.
4. Reminder—about the Yellow Mountains
West Sea Grand Canyon, Celestial Capital Peak, and Lotus Peak usually close from December to March of the following year due to the snowy weather. The guide will adjust the itinerary to cover other highlights to make the most of your time.
Price Per Person in US Dollars
Nov.1 - Mar. 31 | 4-star |
---|---|
2-5 People | $2,079 |
6-9 People | $1,369 |
Apr.1 - Oct.31 | 4-star |
2-5 People | $2,149 |
6-9 People | $1,439 |
Note: The above prices are not applicable to Chinese National Holidays.
Tour Price
Price includes:
Start planning your tailor-made tour now. Your 1:1 travel consultant will reply within 1 working day.