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Both Guilin and Hong Kong are popular travel destinations in South China. Guilin is renowned for its beautiful countryside and karst river-and-mountain views. As one of the major entry and departure cities in China, Hong Kong is known for its efficient transport, great food, lively nightlife, and exciting shopping scene. Many people would like to visit Guilin from Hong Kong to extend their trip and take advantage of the visa-free transit policy. This article will help you plan a perfect tour to explore these two cities.
How Long to Spend in Hong Kong and Guilin?
Generally speaking, for a deeper experience and comfortable pace, it's recommended to spend at least 3–4 days in each location to explore the major attractions and try interesting activities.
In Guilin, it is recommended to spend 2 days sightseeing downtown, visiting Elephant Trunk Hill, Reed Flute Cave, and other places of interest. Then spend 2 days in Yangshuo for idyllic outdoor activities.
In Hong Kong, you could easily spend 2–3 days visiting top attractions, such as Victoria Peak, Disneyland, and Ocean Park.
1. A Classic 7-Day Hong Kong and Guilin Tour
With 7 days in Hong Kong and Guilin, you can cover the highlights of these two cities and experience local life by trying interesting activities with our special arrangements.
Days 1–4: Guilin
In Guilin, spend a day downtown to visit some of the top attractions including Elephant Trunk Hill and Reed Flute Cave. On the second day, take a Li River Cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo (about 4 hours), during which you would see celebrated mountain-and-river views.
On the third day in Yangshuo, there are numerous outdoor activities which are good for families with kids to do, including cave exploring, rock climbing, cycling amongst the paddy fields, meeting local farmers, and seeing their houses, learning Chinese calligraphy, and cooking classes.
If you are interested in Chinese ethnic group culture, you can spend another day on the Longji Terraced Fields to hike around the tiered paddies and visit the local ethnic groups' houses.
5–7: Hong Kong
In Hong Kong, a visit to Victoria Peak is a must. From the Peak, you would get stunning panoramic views of the city and Victoria Harbour. The best way to reach the Peak is by Peak Tram. If you prefer a more active approach, then hiking is another option.
After enjoying the views from the peak, head down to Central and explore the trendy Soho district, which is known for its shops, cafes, and restaurants. If you are traveling with kids, Hong Kong Disneyland and Ocean Park should be on your list. There you can view spectacular fireworks shows, parades, and live performances.
How to Travel from Hong Kong to Guilin
You can take a flight or high-speed train from Hong Kong to Guilin. The best way to travel from Hong Kong to Guilin is by high-speed train from Hong Kong West Kowloon Station to Guilin West Station. The journey takes around 3½ to 4 hours, and trains operate 2–3 times a day.
By flight: There are no direct flights from Hong Kong to Guilin. You would need to transfer at Shanghai or another China city, which would take more than 7 hours. This is an alternative if you fail to book train tickets.
Costs for a Trip from Hong Kong to Guilin
Travel costs in Hong Kong are much higher than in Guilin, especially in terms of hotel and food prices. For a private tour of both cities, the average cost per day is about US$220–350 per person, including trains tickets, 4- or 5-star hotels, lunches, attractions, guides, and private transport. So, a 7-day tour of both cities would cost around US$1,540–2,450 (excluding flights into/out of China).
During the peak times (May 1–5, October 1–7, and the summer holidays), the price of hotels and airfares can go up by 50 to 100%. We realize that this is a significant amount of money, and while we advise early booking, we know that many things can affect your trip plans, so when you book with us, you'd receive a 100% refund of any payments made to China Highlights if you cancel up to three weeks before departure (more details here⇒).
Accommodation in Hong Kong and Guilin
In Hong Kong, most travelers choose hotels in the Central area as it is home to some of the city's most iconic landmarks, including Victoria Peak, the International Finance Centre, and the Hong Kong Observation Wheel. This area offers plenty of shopping, dining, and nightlife options, making it a great choice for travelers who are looking for a lively environment.
In Guilin, we recommend you stay in the city center area, which has many hotels, restaurants, and shops, making it a convenient location for travelers. In Yangshuo, it is recommended to stay in local boutique hotels, where you can have a good view of the beautiful river-and-mountain and enjoy the quiet countryside life. Contact us to book the best hotels in Yangshuo.
Discover real reviews of Highlights Travel Family's best-rated service across trusted platforms.
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Highly recommend Lele from Guilin China highlights
Guilin is absolutely breathtaking! The incredible views along the li river make those fantastical Chinese landscape paintings come to life. Walked around the rice terraces and rode a bike along the dragon river were unforgettable highlights. Our trip was made even better thanks to our guide, Lele from China highlights , who ensured everything went smoothly. Lele was helpful, professional, and provided just the right amount of insight about the area’s history and culture. more
Mar 2025, Teo O
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Guilin with great Lili from China Highlights
Guilin is a very beautiful city. And our guide Lili from China Highlights made our visit much more enjoyable. She is a very smart and kind lady, who is always looking out for us. She even teached us painting!! She helped us with everything, and gave us very useful advices and suggestions. Lili is also a very good photographer!! Without asking her to do so, she was always taking beautiful pictures of us, and sent them to us. We really apreciatte her attitude toward us. And love the pictures she sent to us. We traveled with her to Yangzhou, and I am sure Yangzhou would not had been so beautiful without her. Thank you Lili!! more
Mar 2025, Cecilia Ly
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Amazing Guilin
Our trip to Guilin with China Highlights was awesome. We did a boat trip on the Li River from Guilin to Yangshuo as well as staying in Yangshuo and Xingping. The scenery was absolutely fantastic! There were limestone pillars everywhere and the people were so friendly. Our guide, William took us to all the best spots and gave us excellent historical and cultural information. He was always attentive and engaging with us. We sampled lots of delicious food as well as being introduced to local people - we even got some cooking lessons. Our hotels - Moondance (Yangshuo) and XingPing Island resort were friendly and welcoming family-style boutique hotels. Everything was so well organised we never had to worry about anything. (Thanks also to our CHL consultant, Chandler, who converted our original wish-list into an amazing itinerary). more
Mar 2025, Richard
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Best Times to Visit Hong Kong and Guilin
Hong Kong: For mild and pleasant weather, the best time to visit Hong Kong is between October and November when temperatures are warm and comfortable, and it is relatively dry. The other popular time to visit Hong Kong is during Chinese New Year, which falls in January or February, when you can see the city alive with dragon dances, fireworks, and lantern displays.
Guilin: The best time to visit Guilin is during the months of September to November when the weather is pleasant and there is little rainfall. Then you can get the clearest views of the beautiful Li River and pointy mountains.
So, if you want to visit both Hong Kong and Guilin in a trip, then the best time to travel is from October to November, when the weather is warm/cool and dry in both cities.
The rainy season in Hong Kong and Guilin is a little different, with the heaviest rain in May/June in Guilin, but it's later and heavier in Hong Kong from May to August . However, the rain does not last too long usually. So, it wouldn't affect your trip too much.
Tour China with Us
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