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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 the advantage of the 72-hour visa-free 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.
China Highlights, Asia Highlights, and Global Highlights collaborate to provide families and couples with personalized and stress-free experiences in diverse destinations.
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Another excellent trip with China Highlights
Another wonderful four-day section of our tailor-made three week China Highlights trip, this time in the region around Guilin, Yangshuo and in the Longji rice terraces with our friendly guide Chase. The 4-hour Li river cruise on a 4-star boat, the bamboo rafting - which our guide kindly got us by queueing from 4am onwards - hike to Moon Hill, bicycle river trip and Liu San Jie light show were all excellent, so was the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat hotel. The hike in the Longji rice terraces from Ping’an to another village, bamboo rice cooking experience and Baike Boutique Hotel with its great views were also all wonderful. We wished we could have stayed longer! more
Aug 2023,
Axel R
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Inoubliable
Séjour inoubliable dans la région de Guilin avec China highlight et la guide Alice. Choix d’activités surprenantes où nous avons été comblés à plusieurs reprises : grotte de la fl?te de roseau, visite des marchés ou des lieux importants de Guilin ou Yangshuo, spectacle à couper le souffle, visite d’une maison ancestrale de paysans, rizières et visite dans une maison pour faire un repas transitionnel, etc. Tout était super ! Même les enfants ont adorés ! Les choix de logements étaient aussi super ! La chaufffeure qui nous conduisait d’un point à l’autre était aussi bien gentille et patiente ! Expérience et souvenirs gravés dans notre c?ur ! Merci ! 11/10 more
Aug 2023,
Jasmine B
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Another great China Highlights trip
Another wonderful four-day section of our tailor-made three week China Highlights trip, this time in the region around Guilin, Yangshuo and in the Longji rice terraces with our friendly guide Chase. The 4-hour Li river cruise on a 4-star boat, the bamboo rafting - which our guide kindly got us by queueing from 4am onwards - hike to Moon Hill, bicycle river trip and Liu San Jie light show were all excellent, so was the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat hotel. The hike in the Longji rice terraces from Ping’an to another village, bamboo rice cooking experience and Baike Boutique Hotel with its great views were also all wonderful. We wished we could have stayed longer! more
Aug 2023,
Axel Rudolph
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Guilin and Yangshou - well worth a trip!
Both Guilin with its amazing rice paddies and Yangshou with the Karst landscape are scenically stunning and a must see in China. Gary our tour guide from China Highlights is incredibly passionate about his role as tour guide and does everything possible to ensure your time in Guilin and Yangshou is memorable. From Guilin we went to see the famous rice paddy fields and spent a day walking through the paddy fields and eating a fantastic lunch in a local restaurant. In the evening we went on a foodie tour of Guilin which was very well worth it and we ate some very local food we would never have tried on our own. We then spent two days in Yangshou. The scenery here is just stunning and there are lots of different ways you can enjoy it. Gary took us up a particular mountain, off the beaten track, that meant we had the view really all to ourselves - absolutely stunning. But the rafting down the rived, cycle ride and the sidecar rides were also great fun. Thank you Gary for making our time in Guilin and Yangshou very memorable more
Aug 2023,
Sandra
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Superb tailored tour in exquisite place!
We were treated to the most amazing, full, tailor-made, unique & personalised tour of Guilin & Yangshuo over 4 days.. Our excellent guide Vincent went the extra mile to give us the best experience and included local, personalised activities & adventures, hidden gems off the beaten track! We had the best time, using every minute tfor both 'wow" & 'local' experiences and with helpful advice always. His helper Karpo was also amazing & helped us a lot, as did our driver Mr Tan. It all flowed effortlessly for us, while they were working hard behind the scenes! ..and also to meet our every need. We are so grateful. Thank you for showing us the best of Guilin & Yangshuo, & for looking after us so well, while also avoiding the crowds in high season. more
Aug 2023,
teresamk8
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Beautiful scenery and great experience!
Visiting Yangshou County in Guilin was the most scenic and beautiful part of our 2 week trip in China. Chase from China Highlights was our guide. He was friendly, funny and very personable in our time in Guilin. He had great recommendations for us to try at the hotel and would go out of his way to make sure our wants and needs were met. He knows the area of Yangshou very well and truly made the culture of the area come to life. more
Aug 2023,
Annie A
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Amazing Guilin-Yangshuo trip
Wonderful experience in the amazing landscapes of Guilin area. A big thank you to guide Ken for his amazing help and guidance, and to Carol for organizing this trip on very short notice. more
Aug 2023,
Filip
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Guilin experience
First of all thank you to our English speaking guide Steven, who’s help and knowledge about China made sure this trip exceeded out expectations. more
Aug 2023,
Filip Naudts
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Amazing experience with Chase and CHINA HIGHLIGHTS
The whole experience was amazing. Chase our tour guide and the driver were super nice. The attractions we went to in Guilin and Yangshou were magnificent and the choices of hotels to stay at were clean and relaxing. Definitely would recommend China highlights to friends wanting to visit China from abroad. more
Jul 2023,
Consumer
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Had an amazing time in Guilin and…
Had an amazing time in Guilin and Yangshou. Everything was well organized and the places we visited were beyond beautiful. Our tour guide, Chase, was very humble, helpful and knowledgeable. He also speaks English very well so we didn’t have trouble in communicating. I did an amazing wedding shoot in Yangshou and Chase was kind enough to take photos and videos. I definitely recommend this service to friends wanting to visit China and will definitely recommend asking the company for Chase to be your tour guide. more
Jul 2023,
Afnan Alqadri
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Amazing experience
Me and my husband took a trip to Guilin and Yangshou and it was for sure amazing! I had a pleasant experience with Highlights in China. The tour Guide Chase was super kind and helpful and very knowledgeable about China. He made the trip easygoing I forgot about the language barrier because he was automatically translating without us even asking. The attractions we went to were magnificent and getting to places was just way easier with a driver picking us up and taking us to far away places. I definitely recommend it to anyone coming from abroad to visit China more
Jul 2023,
hakiim a
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Unforgettable River Lii
We took a trip to Guilin as part of our China journey. We had some great time there due to our guide Frank from China Highlights. Everything was perfectly organized and went as planned. We visited the amazing rice terraces, we took a 4 star boat on the river Lii, we rode a bike along the river, had delicious food, stayed at a wonderful hotel. more
Jul 2023,
Viki B
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Wonderful 3 days in Longji/Guilin/Yangshou with guide Vincent
My wife in and spent 3 delightful days in the area, including an overnight in the Longji Rice terraces and a cruise on the Li river. We had laid out our preferences and all the arrangement had been made by China Highlights: guide, car, hotels and the cruise. I appreciate their willingness to ability to tailor the time to our priorities, and our guide Vincent, also was happy to adapt the schedule to our interests on the fly. Vincent is an outstanding guide and was an important part of the success. In addition to being knowledgeable and flexible, he is also very personable - critical when someone is joining your vacation for 3 days. He ably helped find and arranged for vegetarian food and took additional photos that he shared with us. I highly recommend both China Highlights and Vincent. more
Jul 2023,
Flamenco64
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Best Tour of Guilin
My family and I went to Guilin over the summer, and we had a wonderful experience. We went to see the Longsheng Rice Terraces and on a cruise to see the landscape of Guilin. Our guide Chase was able to make the tour more enjoyable, with his knowledge and his patience. He went out of his way to make sure we got the most out of our trip. I recommend this trip to anyone who wants to enjoy Guilin to the upmost, but doesn’t want to have the hassle of touring with a big group of strangers. Thank you Chase!! more
Jun 2023,
Jimena M
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Perfectly organized trip to Guilin
We spent 3 days in GuiLin and Yangshuo. The trip was great! China Highlights booked everything for us so we didn’t have to worry. The accommodations were clean and comfortable and the activities were exactly what we were looking for. Our guide, Chase, was excellent. He spoke fluent English and was friendly, knowledgeable, efficient, very willing to accommodate our requests and pleasant to be around. He was the perfect balance of being warm and helpful while giving us space to have our own trip. more
Jun 2023,
S R
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A truly unforgettable tour
I would like to thank our guide Jenny for our wonderful time in Guilin and yangshuo. Your expertise and attention to detail helped us understand and appreciate the history and culture of the city in a way that we never could have on our own. Your friendly and personable nature made the tour enjoyable and engaging, and we loved the stories and anecdotes you shared along the way. We will never forget this experience and we are so grateful to have had you as our guide. Thank you again for a truly unforgettable tour. We will definitely be recommending you to our friends more
Jun 2023,
ajay p
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Excellent, will book again
I have booked Guilin and Yangshuo tour with Chinahilights and it was amazing. Our guide was Jenny. She is very helpful and good command in English. She take care of our all China trip starting from arrival to return. We did not face a single problem although I did not know Chinese. It is worth to book with Chinahilights and ask Guide Jenny. I guarantee your tour will be memorable. Thanks again Chinahilights and Jenny. more
Jun 2023,
Brahma Nath
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Amazingly Awesome!
The guy who was our tour guide, Chase, was a total gem ! He was so professional and knowledgeable. He was never overbearing, gave us plenty of space, while guiding us on a breathtakingly beautiful, fun, educational, exciting and relaxing adventure!They arranged for a private driver to escort us to each new attraction.We hiked, saw ancient villages, took a Li River cruise, went to the Reed Flute Cave, hit the local street markets, went electric bike riding in the countryside along rice paddy fields, and more! I would do it again, and probably will do it again with more friends. So, yes, worth it! An absolutely awesome time more
Jun 2023,
Wondy C
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Amazing Guilin and Yangshuo trip!
Booked a 5 day private tour for me and my senior parents. Incredible experience! Our tour guide was Oscar and he was insightful, professional, and understanding of our questions and needs. The hotels were beautiful and comfortable, the attractions we saw were stunning (Longji rice terraces, reed flute caves, river cruise, etc), the activities were really fun (hiking, cooking class, meeting a villager). Super comfortable, well-planned itinerary. We went a bit off season in mid-June, which was great because there were hardly any tourists in some of the places we visited, like the rice terraces and the caves. Definitely try to avoid national holidays because Oscar said those places get packed. more
Jun 2023,
Domee
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Million thanks to Chase , Kimi and China Hightlights!!
Our Tour Guide Chase is very caring and full of patience throughout the trip , we have the best of fun in Guilin and Yangshuo , so much to see and sceneries to die for . Thank you China Hightlights!! more
Jun 2023,
Jade
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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.
Guilin’s 72-hour Visa-Free Policy
Now you can take advantage of 72-hour (3-day) visa-free transit for 51 countries for a short visit to Guilin as well as Hong Kong. Read more about Guilin’s 72-hour visa-free policy.
Note: If you are traveling from Hong Kong to Guilin and using the 72-hour visa-free permit, you can’t go back to Hong Kong after you finish your time in Guilin. You would need to take a flight from Guilin to somewhere outside the mainland China region (only KL, Seoul, Jakarta, and Taipei are available currently).
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