One Day in Guilin: Everything You Should Know

Is one day enough to visit Guilin? Certainly not. As one of the most popular destinations in China, the stunning karst landscape will shock you when you arrive there. From taking a bamboo-like raft on the green Li River to exploring the local Longji Rice Terraces for a full day, it takes at least 2 days to finish an essential exploration of Guilin. However, you will enjoy your 1-day tour in Guilin if you follow our carefully-planned itinerary. We hope you can experience more highlights in a better way within 24 hours.

How to Plan Your One-Day Trip in Guilin

Where to Visit

Yangshuo is a famous and beautiful small town that’s about 60 kilometers south of Guilin. You can find the most representative karst landforms, the most renowned section of the Li River, and hundreds of small hills there. Yangshuo is absolutely your first choice if you only have one day in Guilin.

What to See

In fact, in one day, you can see most of the highlights in Guilin: the karst landscape, the Li River, countryside views, and unique hills.

Suggested Activities in Guilin

Don’t be frustrated at having such a short amount of time as you can actually complete many fun activities in one day. Here are some examples:

• Climb to the top of Xianggong Hill and enjoy the stunning panoramic scenery of the Li River before your view is broken by passing cruise boats.
• Take a bamboo raft to travel across the Li River and admire the mountains on both sides.
• Have a nighttime stroll in the bustling West Street. Enjoy your evening by having a glass of wine in a local bar.
• Taste the most common staple food — Guilin rice noodles.
• Draw on a traditional Chinese fan at Fuli Ancient Town.
• Cycle alongside the Li River to a local village. It’s a better way to fully explore Yangshuo and escape from a large number of tourists.
• Admire the golden sunset at Yangshuo. See the mountains from a distance and drink in the sight of their elegant curved shapes.
• Watch a live performance of “Impression Liu Sanjie” at Yangshuo. Liu Sanjie is known as the ‘singing fairy’ in the legend of the Zhuang minority group.

Your 1-Day Itinerary in Guilin

If you are planning a tour to Guilin, please feel free to contact us. 

7am to 8am:

• Prepare for Your 1-Day Trip

The early bird catches the worm. Getting up early is the best way to make the most of your day. It’s best if you are able to wake up earlier than 7am. You can buy some bread, milk, fruit, or nuts from a supermarket before your trip if you don’t like the local dishes. Due to the sourness of some specialty dishes, some of our customers haven’t liked the smell of Guilin cuisine.

8am to 10am:

• Take a Car from Guilin To Xianggong Hill

It’s about 60 kilometers from downtown Guilin to Xianggong Hill.

10am to 10:50am:

• Have a Bird’s-Eye View of the Li River from Xianggong Hill

Xianggong Hill is located in Xingping Town, Yangshuo. It’s about 50 minutes’ drive from Yangshuo County and 90 minutes’ drive from downtown Guilin. Looking at it from a distance, Xianggong Hill is just an ordinary mountain until you arrive at the top of it. Then you’ll see the jaw-dropping panoramic view of the Li River, and the view of the mountains around it are amazing. It’s not a regular mountain view, as some mountains are taller while others are lower. These mountains are arranged on both sides of the Li River, and rice fields vividly decorate the area around the mountains — it’s just like a beautiful Chinese painting. 

10:50am to 12:40pm:

• Cycle in Yangshuo’s Countryside

Ride a bike to get closer to nature after you have seen a panoramic view of the Li River. Usually, the countryside is more interesting and authentic than monotonous city lifestyles. It’s quiet and you can enjoy your 1-day trip in a beautiful village.

12:40pm to 1:30pm:

• Have Lunch at a Local Restaurant

Chinese food varies in different regions. Try some Guilin cuisine if you are curious about local Chinese dishes. The most famous local foods include Guilin rice noodles, beer fish, camellia oil tea, and steamed mandarin fish.

1:30pm to 3:50pm:

• Try to Draw on a Traditional Chinese Fan in Fuli Ancient Town

Enjoying the elegant landscape is just one part of your 1-day Guilin trip. Join in with some cultural activities and visit some historic sites to make your travel experience wonderful. Fuli Ancient Town is not as famous as other attractions in Guilin but a worthwhile activity in Fuli is to learn traditional Chinese painting and try to draw on a Chinese fan by yourself. Did you like the scenery you saw at Xianggong Hill? Then maybe you can try to draw it from memory on a paper fan.

3:50pm to 5:30pm:

• Take a Local Raft on a Classic Section of the Li River

The Li River is divided into many sections from Xing’an County in the north to Pingle County in the south. The Yangshuo section is the highlight of the Li River. You’ve had a panoramic view of the Li River from the top of Xianggong Hill, have cycled to a village alongside the river, and can now explore the Li River in the most popular way — by taking a bamboo raft. Compared with a traditional cruise from Guilin, taking a raft is more convenient for travelers on 1-day trips due to the limited time. It’s about 1 hour for a round trip on the Li River. During this period, you can take photos and see nature up close. Enjoy it.

5:30pm to 9pm:

• Have Dinner and Watch the Local Show — Impression Liu Sanjie

After a whole day’s trip, your evening in Guilin should be relaxing and interesting. Watching a performance or drinking a glass of wine in a bar are good ways to spend an evening in Yangshuo. Impression Liu Sanjie is a particularly recommended show that you can’t miss.

Without any professional dancers or staging, you can see the live show that is set against a natural background of mountains and the river, with the beautiful local people as the performers. This famous show was directed by a well-known Chinese director named Zhang Yimou, who also directed the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Impression Liu Sanjie is one of his wonderful art performances, which is well combined with the local culture. Liu Sanjie is called a ‘singing fairy’ in local folk stories. It’s not just a love story but a part of the culture that represents Guilin’s lifestyle and local way of thinking.

9pm to 11pm:

• Enjoy the Nightlife

Yangshuo is a small county. The most bustling street for nightlife is the famous West Street. Guilin has been a popular worldwide destination for many years. It’s said that many Western travelers fall in love with Yangshuo when they arrive in this peaceful and beautiful area. It’s an ideal place to live and enjoy yourself. West Street is not just a busy street at night but is also a popular business street.

Useful Travel Tips

How to Get to Guilin

If you are going to visit Zhangjiajie, Chengdu, Guangdong, Hong Kong, or other cities close to Guilin, taking a high-speed train is comfortable and good value for money. If you want to visit northern cities, such as Beijing, taking a flight is a time-saving way to travel.

How to Get to Yangshuo

Yangshuo has a bus station and a high-speed train station so you can arrive there by bus or high-speed train. Guilin Liangjiang International Airport offers a direct bus to Yangshuo.

Where to Stay for 1 Day in Guilin

This depends on when you will leave the next day and where you want to visit. In downtown Guilin. If you decide to leave Guilin the next morning, staying in the downtown area is more convenient to go to the train station or airport.

Recommended area:

1. Near Guilin South Railway Station, Jiefang Bridge, or Anxin Subdistrict.
2. Near the attractions you will visit, such as Yangshuo’s West Street, Guilin city center, or Longji Rice Terraces. If you are not in a hurry to leave, have a good night first and go to Guilin the next day.

See more on: Where and How to Get Accommodation In Guilin City?

How to Get Around in Guilin

Taking a taxi or renting a car is convenient for foreign travelers. Guilin is a small city and it’s cheap (from 10 to 30 yuan) to take a taxi within the downtown area. You can also rent a private car if you want to explore many attractions in a day. Many local travel agencies offer this kind of service.

See more about Guilin Transportation on: The Best Means of Transportation in Guilin

How Much Money You Need for 1 Day in Guilin

Compared with Beijing or Shanghai, Guilin is a small city so it’s cheaper to travel there. For a good hotel, 300 yuan is enough. It costs about 50 yuan per person to have dinner in a local restaurant. It may be a little more expensive, however, to book tours or hire a guide due to the maturity of Guilin’s tourist industry.

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