Best Guilin Hotels & Hostels for Solo Travellers
8 Safe, Social, Central Stays with English-Speaking Staff Who Plan Your Yangshuo Trip

We open the solo list with the stay solo travellers talk about most — Guilin Wada Hostel scores 9.0/10 from real cross-platform reviews. This is Guilin's social, foreigner-friendly hostel, set in the city centre in Xiufeng district, an easy walk to the Sun & Moon Pagodas and the Zhengyang pedestrian street, and just a ~10-minute walk from Guilin Railway Station. What works best for solo travellers is that the English-speaking reception books your Li River cruise, the ride to Yangshuo, and the bamboo raft for you (the very thing that's confusing when you arrive alone), plus common areas and a multi-language library that make it easy to meet fellow travellers, and dorms from just ¥70 (฿350). Guests praise the friendly vibe, the cleanliness, and the walk-everywhere location. The honest catch: it's a hostel, so dorm beds are shared (book a private room if you want quiet), the facilities are basic rather than a hotel's, and dorm beds fill up fast in high season, so book ahead · details compiled from real reviews on Trip.com.

This is the pick for solo travellers who want a private room that's still good value and safe — Universal Hotel scores 9.5/10 from around 5,293 real guest reviews, higher than several of the city-centre five-stars. It's a four-star in the city centre by Liberation Bridge (解放桥) in Xiufeng district, an easy walk to the Two Rivers Four Lakes and the Zhengyang pedestrian street — a lit area you're comfortable walking back to at night. What works for solo travellers is that it has a private twin room from just ¥130 (฿650), a quiet room of your own for less than in many cities, plus a Li River sunrise-view room where you open the curtains in the morning to the bridge and karst peaks. Guests call the rooms clean, great value, and central. The honest catch: it's a four-star with no hostel-style social space (pick a hostel on the list if you want to meet people), the entry rooms are twin city views, and the Liberation Bridge area is busy in the evening.

This is an Atour-brand design midscale that suits a solo traveller who wants a nice private room in a safe area — Atour Hotel (Zhengyang · Two Rivers Four Lakes · Elephant Trunk Hill) scores 9.5/10 from around 2,330 real guest reviews, higher than several of the city-centre five-stars. It sits on the Zhengyang pedestrian street (正阳步行街) in the city centre, a lit, busy zone you're comfortable walking back to at night. What works for solo travellers is a clean, private design room at a still-light price, plus Atour's signatures — comfortable beds, a scent, and a reading nook that's good for reading alone — and a location where you step out and walk to Elephant Trunk Hill to eat and wander straight away. Guests praise the clean, warm-toned design rooms and the good atmosphere. The honest catch: it's a midscale with no hostel-style social space (pick a hostel to meet people), standard rooms are compact, and it's on a pedestrian street that's busy in the evening (street-facing rooms may get noise).

This is the cheapest private room among the hotels (not hostels) that's still in the city centre — good for a solo traveller who wants a cheap private room in a good spot — Lavande Hotel (Central Square · Elephant Trunk Hill) scores 9.2/10 from around 6,528 real guest reviews. It's a Lavande-chain midscale on the Zhengyang pedestrian street (正阳步行街) by Central Square, a lit, busy area you're comfortable walking back to at night. What works for solo travellers is a clean, private room from just ¥95 (฿475) — a room of your own for close to the price of a dorm in some places — plus Lavande-chain standards like soft beds and a lavender-scented room, and a location that walks to the Sun & Moon Pagodas and Elephant Trunk Hill. Guests call the rooms good value and central. The honest catch: it's a three-star with small entry rooms, no hostel-style social space (pick a hostel to meet people), and it's on a pedestrian street that's busy in the evening (street-facing rooms may get noise).

Over to the Yangshuo base — the highest-scoring foreigner-friendly stay on the list — Yangshuo Sudder Street Guesthouse scores 9.3/10 from around 548 real guest reviews on Trip.com. The guesthouse sits in a quieter area of Yangshuo among the karst views, but still a ~10-minute walk to West Street 西街. What works for solo travellers is that the staff speak good English and book trips, transport and scooter rentals (reviews praise how much they help plan Yangshuo), plus an outdoor pool and a backpacker vibe where it's easy to meet fellow travellers, with dorms from around ¥80 (฿400). Guests praise the friendly staff, the good facilities, and the comfortable dorm beds. The honest catch: it's in Yangshuo, ~65km from central Guilin (good for carrying on after the cruise, not a base for the city of Guilin), it's in a quieter area a short walk into 西街, and it's a local property, so confirm foreign-passport check-in when you book · details compiled from real reviews on Trip.com.

This is the hostel right in the heart of Yangshuo's backpacker scene — Yangshuo Wada Hostel West Street scores 9.0/10 from real cross-platform reviews. It's the sister branch of Guilin Wada that many people pair as a combo (Guilin then Yangshuo). What works for solo travellers is that it's just a ~2-minute walk to West Street 西街 and the Li River — step out and you're at the bars, cafés, restaurants and bike rentals straight away — plus a library, a tour desk and an on-site restaurant that make it easy to plan a raft float / cycle and find food, with dorms from just ¥70 (฿350). Guests praise the walk-to-everything location, the helpful staff, and the clean rooms. The honest catch: it's a hostel with shared dorms (book an ensuite private room for quiet), it's in Yangshuo, ~65km from central Guilin, and it's right by 西街, where the bars are loud at night (outer rooms may get noise) · details compiled from real reviews on Trip.com.

Another classic foreigner hostel in Guilin, in the city but on a quieter lakeside than Wada — Guilin This Old Place International Youth Hostel scores 8.7/10 from real cross-platform reviews (Tripadvisor ranks it among the top specialty-lodging picks in Guilin). The hostel sits on Ronghu Lake (榕湖) in Xiufeng district, a ~10-minute walk to the Zhengyang pedestrian street and food. What works for solo travellers is that the staff speak good English and book the Li River cruise, the rice terraces and the bamboo raft, plus a bar / lounge on site where you can sit and meet fellow travellers, and clean, nicely decorated rooms. Guests praise the quiet lakeside spot that still walks into town, and the helpful trip-planning staff. The honest catch: it's a hostel with shared dorms (book a private room for quiet), it scores a notch below the top picks, and it's an older building with some classic-feeling parts.

We close the solo list with a cheap Yangshuo hostel that's close to West Street 西街 but still sleeps quietly — Yangshuo 11 International Youth Hostel scores 8.7/10 from around 221 real guest reviews on Trip.com. The hostel is just a ~1-minute walk from West Street 西街 (you enter beside the souvenir shop), but the rooms are set back, so it's quieter than staying right on the bar street. What works for solo travellers is cheap dorms from just ¥70 (฿350) for backpackers on a tight budget, plus staff who book scooters and trips well (their English is okay and they use a translation app to help, patiently). Guests praise the clean rooms, the powerful shower, the good WiFi, and the spot near 西街 that's still quiet. The honest catch: it's a hostel with shared dorms, the staff's English is okay rather than fluent (communication via a translation app), and the entrance is a little hard to find, down an alley beside the souvenir shop · details compiled from real reviews on Trip.com.