China's most famous natural-scenery destination — there's an old Chinese saying, "Guilin's landscape is the finest under heaven (桂林山水甲天下)" · this is a land of weathered limestone karst peaks rising straight out of the water · the headline experience is the Li River cruise (漓江), an 83-km float to the town of Yangshuo (阳朔) past mountains mirrored in the water (the view printed on the 20-yuan note) · climb the Longji rice terraces (龙脊) that ladder up entire mountainsides · in the city itself there's Elephant Trunk Hill (象鼻山), Guilin's symbol · the twin Sun and Moon Pagodas on Shan Lake · the illuminated Reed Flute Cave (芦笛岩) · and the Two Rivers Four Lakes (两江四湖) walk through the city by night · and Thai passport holders enter visa-free
Guilin (桂林) is in Guangxi, and it's China's most famous natural-scenery destination. Honestly, there's an old saying every Chinese person knows — "Guilin's landscape is the finest under heaven (桂林山水甲天下)." The heart of it is a sea of weathered limestone karst peaks rising straight out of the rivers. The one experience everyone comes for is the Li River cruise (漓江), an 83-km float down to the town of Yangshuo (阳朔) past mountains mirrored in clear water — that's the exact view printed on the 20-yuan note. In Yangshuo there's West Street (西街) and bamboo rafting and cycling along the Yulong River (遇龙河) · up in the hills, the Longji rice terraces (龙脊) ladder up entire mountainsides like giant staircases · in the city itself you've got Elephant Trunk Hill (象鼻山), Guilin's symbol · the twin Sun and Moon Pagodas (日月双塔) on Shan Lake · the colourfully lit Reed Flute Cave (芦笛岩) · and an evening stroll around the Two Rivers Four Lakes (两江四湖) in the centre — and Thai passport holders enter China visa-free.
From the karst peaks along the Li River, Elephant Trunk Hill, the Sun and Moon Pagodas on Shan Lake and the Two Rivers Four Lakes by night to Reed Flute Cave and Fubo Hill, plus the town of Yangshuo, West Street, the Yulong River and the Longji terraces — this is the scenery you'll really find in Guilin.
The full Guilin travel guide is growing piece by piece · the Stay tab is ready now, Eat and See are in the works, and for Plan and Prep there are China guides to read first — choose a tab below to get started
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9.0Elephant Trunk Hill · Sun & Moon Pagodas · Two Rivers Four Lakes · Reed Flute Cave · Seven Stars Park · Fubo Hill · Solitary Beauty Peak — see where each one is in the city (Yangshuo and Longji are out-of-town trips) and plan your route more easily.
Pick by budget and the spot you want — compare prices across three sites before you book · Trip.com has the most China hotels
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⛰️ Mountain View
🏆💎💎💎⛰️🏙️💎🏙️🌳⭐🛍️🎒A great trip doesn't have to stay in one place — three spots around Guilin you can reach by bus, boat or high-speed rail for a day trip or an overnight.
Guilin (桂林) is in Guangxi, and it's China's most famous natural-scenery destination. There's an old Chinese saying everyone knows — "Guilin's landscape is the finest under heaven (桂林山水甲天下)." Its defining feature is a sea of weathered limestone karst peaks rising straight out of the rivers · the must-do is the Li River cruise (漓江), an 83-km float down to Yangshuo (阳朔) past mountains mirrored in the water (the 20-yuan-note view) · the Longji rice terraces (龙脊) at Longsheng · in the city, Elephant Trunk Hill (象鼻山), the symbol of Guilin · the twin Sun and Moon Pagodas (日月双塔) on Shan Lake · the colourfully lit Reed Flute Cave (芦笛岩) · Fubo Hill (伏波山) and Solitary Beauty Peak (独秀峰) to climb for city views · and to finish, a bowl of Guilin rice noodles (桂林米粉), the local staple.
Guilin works on any budget — backpackers around ฿1,000-2,200/day · mid-range ฿2,800-5,500/day (excluding flights; mountain-view resorts in Yangshuo run higher) · get around the city by bus, taxi and DiDi (Guilin has no metro), and reach Yangshuo and Longji by coach or hired car · the real draw is the nature — the Li River cruise and the karst landscape you can't find anywhere else · arrive by high-speed rail at Guilin / Guilin North / Guilin West, or fly into Guilin (KWL) airport about 30 km from the city · the best time to visit is April–October (the rainy season turns the mountains green and misty and the Longji terraces are at their best), with dry, easy October–November weather (skip Chinese New Year and the long national holidays) · Thai passport holders enter China visa-free · and don't forget a VPN · eSIM · Alipay/WeChat Pay before you go.
The Wherebest team is steadily adding in-depth Guilin hotel reviews and travel guides — best areas to stay in · things to see · what to eat · trips to Yangshuo and the Longji terraces. Start planning your trip with our complete China travel guide →
Start planning from the China travel guide, then take in Guilin one sight at a time