Where to Stay in Guilin for First-Timers: City, Yangshuo or the Terraces?

Q: Where should I stay in Guilin for the first time?

For a first trip, the Guilin city centre around the Two Rivers Four Lakes (两江四湖) is the best base for most people — you can walk to Elephant Trunk Hill, the Zhengyang pedestrian street and the illuminated Sun and Moon Pagodas at night in minutes, with rice-noodle shops all around. Taxis and DiDi are cheap, and Guilin has no metro, so basing yourself where you'll actually spend time is the easiest choice. The plan that works best for first-timers is two nights in the city centre, then one or two more in Yangshuo.

Q: Should I stay in Guilin city or out in Yangshuo?

It depends on what your trip is about. Guilin city is more convenient — close to the airport and the railway station, with sights and food in town (Elephant Trunk Hill, Reed Flute Cave, the night cruise), so it's a good base for your first days. Yangshuo (about 65 km south) is the real karst-scenery base — cycling through rice fields, bamboo rafting on the Yulong River, and West Street buzzing in the evening. The plan most people are happiest with is two nights in the city, then move to Yangshuo for one or two more — you get both the convenience and the countryside.

Q: I want to wake up to karst-mountain views from my room — where should I stay?

For full karst-mountain views, Yangshuo is the answer, especially the resorts along the Yulong River and the rice fields such as Alila Yangshuo (a former sugar mill, scored 9.6) and Banyan Tree Yangshuo (villas among the karst peaks, scored 9.6). In Guilin city itself you can still get Li River views — Shangri-La Hotel Guilin (on the east bank by Seven Star Park, scored 9.3) wakes you to the limestone hills too. Always check that the room you book actually faces the river or the hills.

Before you book

Your area decides the whole trip

Picture this: you book a great-value hotel, then discover it's far from everything — every cruise, every photo of Elephant Trunk Hill, every evening lakeside walk means another taxi. Guilin isn't like Shanghai or Beijing: it has no metro in the city at all, so getting around runs on buses, taxis and DiDi. On top of that, the things people come to Guilin to see are spread far apart — the city sits in one place, Yangshuo is about 65 km south, and the Longji rice terraces are roughly 2 hours north.

That is why choosing your area here matters more than you'd think — it's not just "near or far," it's "where will I actually spend my time." We split the trip into four main areas, each with its own character, price level and pace. Work out what your trip is really about, pick the right base now, and the whole thing runs smoother.

Just starting to plan? Read our Guilin first-timer guide or how to get around Guilin first. But if you want the straight answer on where to sleep — read on.

Recommendation #1

First time? Plan it like this

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Best Plan for First-Timers

Two nights in the city centre, then one or two in Yangshuo

For most first-time visitors, the plan that works best is to start in the city centre around the Two Rivers Four Lakes (两江四湖) for two nights — you can walk to Elephant Trunk Hill, the Zhengyang pedestrian street, and the illuminated Sun and Moon Pagodas at night in minutes, with rice-noodle shops all around. It's close to the airport and the railway station, so it's an easy base for your first days. Then move out to Yangshuo for one or two more nights, to cycle through the rice fields, drift down the Yulong River on a bamboo raft, and wake up among the karst peaks. You get both the convenience and the countryside in one trip.

City pick: Atour Hotel Guilin (Two Rivers Four Lakes · Elephant Trunk Hill) — smart design, great value, walk to Zhengyang Street · scored 9.5/10 — or see every option in Top 10 Guilin Hotels.

See all Guilin hotels →

4 areas to stay

Which area suits you?

Hotel picks with a real review link for every area — choose the one that fits your trip.

The Sun and Moon Pagodas (Gold and Silver pagodas) lit up on Shan Lake in central Guilin at night, reflected in the water

Area 1

City centre · Two Rivers Four Lakes

两江四湖 / 中山路 / 正阳步行街 · the best first-timer base

Suits: everyone arriving in Guilin for the first time — anyone who wants to wake up and walk straight to Elephant Trunk Hill, Shan Lake and the pedestrian street. This is the heart of the city around the Two Rivers Four Lakes, gathering Zhongshan Road (中山路), the Zhengyang pedestrian street, the rice-noodle shops and the lakeside walks in one spot. At night the Sun and Moon Pagodas glow over the lake. The big win is that everything is within walking distance.

Getting around: no metro — 5–15 min walk to Elephant Trunk Hill / Shan Lake · taxis and DiDi cheap across town · close to Guilin Railway Station

🏨 Shangri-La Hotel Guilin — 5★ on the Li River by Seven Star Park 9.3

🏨 Atour Two Rivers Four Lakes Elephant Trunk Hill — design, value 9.5

🏨 Lavande Central Square Elephant Trunk Hill — easy-on-the-wallet midscale 9.2

See all Guilin hotels →

Guilin at night — city lights along the river with karst hills behind, near the railway-station district

Area 2

Near Guilin Railway Station / North

桂林站 / 桂林北站 · good value · onward high-speed rail

Suits: travellers chasing value and moving on by train — Guilin Railway Station (桂林站) is right in the city, a walk or short ride from the Two Rivers Four Lakes, and rooms here tend to run a little cheaper than dead-centre. Guilin North (桂林北站), about 10 km north, is the main bullet-train hub — to Yangshuo in ~24 minutes · Guangzhou South in ~2h45. It's handy for early train catches, but Guilin North isn't a sightseeing area and goes quiet after dark.

Getting around: no metro — Guilin Station walks into the centre · Guilin North is a ~20–30 min taxi into town · the airport bus drops at Guilin Station

🏨 Guilin Bravo Hotel — central classic, near the lakes 9.4

🏨 Lijiang Waterfall Hotel — 5★ right on Shan Lake 9.1

See how to get around Guilin →

The Yulong River near Yangshuo — bamboo rafts drifting past green rice fields and karst peaks on both banks

Area 3

Yangshuo · West Street / Yulong River

阳朔西街 / 遇龙河 · the karst-scenery base · ~65 km south

Suits: people here mainly for the karst scenery and the outdoors — Yangshuo is about 65 km south of Guilin city. West Street (西街) is lively with bars and cafés in the evening, while the Yulong River countryside is quiet and rural: cycling through rice fields, bamboo rafting, and karst peaks outside the window. The luxury resorts cluster out here. The pace is slower than the city and it's further from the airport, so it works best for one or two nights after the city.

Getting around: no metro — a bullet train from Guilin North reaches Yangshuo Station in ~24 min (then ~30 min into town) · direct buses ~1–1.5 h · bikes, e-bikes and rafts once you're there

🏨 Alila Yangshuo — riverside luxury in a former sugar mill 9.6

🏨 Banyan Tree Yangshuo — villas among the karst peaks 9.6

See the Yangshuo West Street guide →

The Longji rice terraces at Ping'an — a mountain village with curved tiers of paddy fields following the ridges, light morning mist

Area 4

Longji terrace villages

龙脊平安 / 大寨 · overnight for sunrise · ~2 h north

Suits: people who want the terraces at first light — Longji is about 2 hours north of the city. The guesthouses in the Ping'an (平安) and Dazhai (大寨) villages are simple and rustic rather than luxurious, but they give you something the city can't — mist drifting over the paddies and the sun rising behind the ridge. It's best for just one night, not a base for the whole trip; the rest is more comfortable in the city or Yangshuo.

Getting around: no metro — a tour bus or charter up to Longsheng (~2 h) from Guilin · reach the villages on foot or by cable car · book the transfer and your night ahead

🏔️ Ping'an / Dazhai village guesthouses — simple, with terrace views 1 night

See the Longji rice terraces guide →

Tight budget vs splurge

On a tight budget, Guilin city has value midscale rooms from around ¥95–360/night (฿475–1,800), such as Lavande Central Square (¥95+) and Atour Two Rivers Four Lakes (¥360+), both a walk from Elephant Trunk Hill and Zhengyang Street. See every option in Top 10 Guilin Hotels.

For five-star rooms with knockout views, check Top 6 Luxury Hotels in Guilin — from Shangri-La on the Li River in town, to Alila Yangshuo and Banyan Tree Yangshuo, resorts set among the karst peaks at ¥1,400–2,000+ (฿7,000–10,000+) a night.

What to eat near your hotel

You can't visit Guilin without its rice noodles (桂林米粉) — our Guilin rice-noodle guide covers the shops and how locals eat them. Then the full Guilin food guide walks you through every dish worth trying, and if you head to Yangshuo, don't miss Yangshuo beer fish (啤酒鱼), the town's signature dish.

Frequently asked

FAQ · what people ask before booking

Where should I stay in Guilin for the first time?

For a first trip, the Guilin city centre around the Two Rivers Four Lakes (两江四湖) is the best base for most people — you can walk to Elephant Trunk Hill, the Zhengyang pedestrian street and the illuminated Sun and Moon Pagodas at night in minutes, with rice-noodle shops all around. Taxis and DiDi are cheap, and Guilin has no metro, so basing yourself where you'll actually spend time is the easiest choice. The plan that works best for first-timers is two nights in the city centre, then one or two more in Yangshuo.

Guilin has no metro — how do I get around, and how does that affect where I stay?

That's right — Guilin has no metro or subway in the city. Getting around relies on public buses (¥1–2, scan Alipay or WeChat) and taxis or DiDi (flagfall about ¥9–10, cheap and the easy default). The headline sights like Yangshuo and the Longji rice terraces are out of town and need a tour bus or a train transfer. Because of that, pick your area by where you'll actually spend your time — choose the central Two Rivers Four Lakes for city sights and night walks, near the station if you're stopping over to catch an onward HSR, or Yangshuo if you're mainly here for the karst scenery. See more in our how to get around Guilin guide.

Should I stay in Guilin city or out in Yangshuo?

It depends on what your trip is about. Guilin city is more convenient — close to the airport and the railway station, with sights and food in town (Elephant Trunk Hill, Reed Flute Cave, the night cruise), so it's a good base for your first days. Yangshuo (about 65 km south) is the real karst-scenery base — cycling through rice fields, bamboo rafting on the Yulong River, and West Street buzzing in the evening. The plan most people are happiest with is two nights in the city, then move to Yangshuo for one or two more.

I want to wake up to karst-mountain views from my room — where should I stay?

For full karst-mountain views, Yangshuo is the answer, especially the resorts along the Yulong River and the rice fields such as Alila Yangshuo (a former sugar mill, scored 9.6) and Banyan Tree Yangshuo (villas among the karst peaks, scored 9.6). In Guilin city itself you can still get Li River views — Shangri-La Hotel Guilin (on the east bank by Seven Star Park, scored 9.3) wakes you to the limestone hills too. Always check that the room you book actually faces the river or the hills.

Should I spend a night at the Longji rice terraces, or just visit on a day trip?

Longji (龙脊) is about 2 hours north of Guilin city, and it's worth staying one night if you want sunrise or sunset over the terraces and the early-morning mist. The guesthouses in the Ping'an (平安) and Dazhai (大寨) villages are simple and rustic rather than luxurious, but they give you an atmosphere the city can't. One night is plenty — it isn't a base for the whole trip; the rest is more comfortable in Guilin city or Yangshuo.

How do I get from Guilin Airport (KWL) into the city?

Guilin Liangjiang Airport (KWL) is about 28 km southwest of the city centre, and there is no airport metro. The cheapest option is the Airport Bus (机场大巴 Line 1) from Terminal 2 to Guilin Railway Station in the centre, roughly every 30 minutes, about 07:00–22:30, around 60 minutes, ¥20. A taxi runs about ¥80–100 (40–50 minutes) and DiDi about ¥70–90; many hotels arrange a paid pickup. To reach Yangshuo directly, there are shuttles or charters of about 1.5 hours. Confirm current fares before you travel. For paying around town, see our Alipay / WeChat Pay guide.

Guilin travel guide

Sights · transport · map · every area

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