5D4N
Best Apr–Oct
Guilin Entry/Exit
Guangxi · Li River Bamboo Raft to Longji Rice Terraces
Li River essence section private bamboo raft, Longji Rice Terraces + Huangluo Yao Village, Yulong River multi-person bamboo raft, Yangshuo West Street night scene, Silver Cave, Fuli Bridge aerial photography. Longji mountains first, then south to Yangshuo — no backtracking.
All-Inclusive · No Add-Ons
Contract = Appendices Identical
Hotel Name Confirmed = Locked In
USD Pricing
Pricing
4+ people · per person
USD 280from
RMB ¥2,000 · MYR 1,290 · USD 279
Under 4 people · per person
USD 420from
RMB ¥3,000 · MYR 1,936 · USD 418
More people = lower per-person cost — groups of 6/8/12 have more room for negotiation. Private group, one vehicle per booking, no joining with strangers.
Actual pricing varies with vehicle type and hotel tier. Contact a travel consultant online for an exact quote.
Actual pricing varies with vehicle type and hotel tier. Contact a travel consultant online for an exact quote.
✓ ¥500K Travel Insurance
✓ All-Inclusive
✓ No Shopping Stops
✓ No Tipping
Itinerary
Day-by-Day Plan
Guilin entry/exit. 5 days 4 nights — Longji Rice Terraces first, then south to Yangshuo — no backtracking. Overnight in Yangshuo: West Street by night, Yulong River morning scene.
DAY 1
Arrive in Guilin
Arrive in Guilin, private car pickup → Hotel check-in. Your travel consultant walks you through the entire itinerary — every day, every hotel, every optional upgrade, confirmed one by one.
DAY 2
Longji Rice Terraces · Huangluo Yao Village
Guilin → Longji Rice Terraces → Huangluo Yao Village (Home of the World's Longest Hair). Stay: Guilin.
DAY 3
Gudong Forest Waterfall · Guihai Qinglan
Gudong Forest Waterfall → Guihai Qinglan. Stay: Guilin.
DAY 4
Li River Bamboo Raft · Yangshuo West Street
Li River essence section bamboo raft (Yangdi–Nine Horse Fresco Hill, incl. shuttle cart) → Scenic photo at Jia Tian Xia Stele → Martial-arts-style cormorant fisherman photo → Qianli Jiangshan sunset with complimentary coffee/juice → Free time on Yangshuo West Street. Stay: Yangshuo.
DAY 5
Yulong River · Silver Cave · Return
Drive-by Ten-Mile Gallery → Yulong River multi-person bamboo raft → Silver Cave → Fuli Bridge aerial photography + ethnic costume experience → Osmanthus Commune (complimentary) → Station/airport drop-off.
Inclusions
What's Included & Excluded
✓ Included
Full trip 7-seat business vehicle (incl. fuel / tolls / parking)
High-rated 4-diamond hotels (incl. breakfast)
Longji Rice Terraces ticket + Huangluo Yao Village
Gudong Forest Waterfall ticket
Li River essence section bamboo raft (incl. shuttle cart)
Yulong River multi-person bamboo raft
Silver Cave ticket
Fuli Bridge aerial photography + ethnic costume experience
Osmanthus Commune (complimentary)
¥500K travel accident insurance
Bottled water throughout + airport transfers
✗ Not Included
Round-trip flights to Guilin
Lunch and dinner (recommended, not mandatory)
Personal expenses, souvenirs
Visa fees (visa-free entry for many passport holders)
Hardware Standards
Vehicle & Hotel
No "equivalent substitution" fobbing-off — what's confirmed is what you get.
Fully Licensed 7-Seat Business Vehicle
Company-owned, company-dispatched, company-inspected. Not some last-minute hire off the market. Overseas travelers carry more luggage — 4 people in a 7-seater means every person has room for at least one large suitcase + one carry-on.
Minimum vehicle match: 4 pax → 7-seater / 6 pax → 9-seater / 10 pax → ≥17-seat midibus. Sized to headcount + luggage, never crammed.
Minimum vehicle match: 4 pax → 7-seater / 6 pax → 9-seater / 10 pax → ≥17-seat midibus. Sized to headcount + luggage, never crammed.
High-Rated 4-Diamond Minimum
Selection standard: a good 4-diamond outclasses an average 5-star; a bad 4-diamond is worse than a 3-star. Hotel names disclosed before departure — and that is the hotel you'll stay in. If exceptional circumstances arise, we upgrade to a higher standard at our own expense.
Competitors promise "¥2,000/night wooden lodge" → you arrive to a 800 RMB, 15 sqm shoebox. We don't play that game.
Competitors promise "¥2,000/night wooden lodge" → you arrive to a 800 RMB, 15 sqm shoebox. We don't play that game.
Why This Way
Itinerary Design Logic
Not a random mashup of attractions — every pacing choice has a reason.
Why do the Li River on D4? Longji first, then south to Yangshuo?
No backtracking. Longji Rice Terraces are north of Guilin; Yangshuo is south. D2 goes north to Longji, D3 Gudong Waterfall is near Guilin, D4 heads south down the Li River to Yangshuo — straight north-to-south, zero doubling back. Reverse it (Yangshuo first, then back to Longji) and you'd add 2 extra hours of wasted driving.
Why stay overnight in Yangshuo instead of returning to Guilin the same day?
Yangshuo West Street by night + Yulong River by morning are worth the stop. During the day: Li River bamboo raft down to Yangshuo. Evening: West Street bars, street food, live folk music. Next morning: Yulong River bamboo raft — the river in morning mist is even more beautiful than during the day. Return to Guilin the same day and you miss both these highlights.
Why the essence section of the Li River instead of the full length?
The Yangdi–Nine Horse Fresco Hill section is the soul of the Li River landscape — Nine Horse Fresco Hill, Yellow Cloth Reflection, the 20 RMB note backdrop are all in this stretch. The full 4-hour route is too long and the scenery repeats in the second half. The essence section is 1.5 hours — just the right pace, and you still have time for Yangshuo West Street after.
Guangxi Route Pitfalls
What You'd Run Into With Competitors
Every entry below comes from real Xiaohongshu feedback. The most common traps from budget tours.
"Promised a private bamboo raft — arrived to find 6 strangers crammed onto one raft, every photo full of heads" High-frequency trap
→ What We Do
Li River essence section: private bamboo raft, no pooling. Yulong River multi-person raft is clearly stated in the contract as a multi-person raft — no surprises on arrival. Contract body = appendices, every word identical.
"Li River stops at shopping outlets along the way — jade and latex stores, 2 hours trapped inside each" Common trap
→ What We Do
All-inclusive · no add-ons after arrival. Zero shopping stops, zero forced self-paid items. Bamboo raft means bamboo raft — from Yangdi to Nine Horse Fresco Hill, no shopping stops in between.
"Promised a 5-star hotel in Guilin — ended up in a small county inn an hour's drive from the attractions" Common trap
→ What We Do
Hotel names disclosed to you before departure. Hotel locations written into the contract — downtown Guilin or Yangshuo, clearly specified. If it doesn't match, full refund of the price difference.
FAQ
About This Route
Is the Li River bamboo raft safe?
Yes. The Li River bamboo raft is a regulated scenic-area operation with life jackets and a boatman at the helm. The essence section Yangdi–Nine Horse Fresco Hill has calm waters — this is not whitewater rafting. Suitable for elderly and children alike — about 1.5 hours, smooth and comfortable.
Which months are best for the Longji Rice Terraces?
Best in April–May during the irrigation period (mirror terraces) and September–October for the golden rice waves. July is lush green and also beautiful. Avoid November–March dry season — the terraces dry up and there's little to see. We schedule D2 for Longji — mountains first, then water.
Is Yangshuo West Street lively?
Very lively. Yangshuo West Street is Guilin's hottest nightlife district — bars, street food, handicrafts, street performers. Stay one night in Yangshuo: West Street by night, Yulong River by morning — two completely different experiences.
Are meals included? How do we handle food?
Breakfast is included; lunch and dinner are not. Guilin's culinary highlights: Beer Fish, Guilin Rice Noodles, Stuffed Field Snails, Lipu Taro Pork. Your driver-guide recommends restaurants locals actually eat at, not commission-based tourist traps. Average USD 5–15 a day eats very well.
Start Planning Your Guangxi Trip
Tell us your group size and travel dates, and a travel consultant will customize your Guangxi itinerary.
Key Takeaways
- This 5-day, 4-night Guilin and Yangshuo itinerary starts and ends in Guilin, going first to Longji Rice Terraces and then south to Yangshuo to avoid backtracking.
- The route includes Longji Rice Terraces, Huangluo Yao Village, Gudong Forest Waterfall, the Li River essence section bamboo raft, Yangshuo West Street, Yulong River, Silver Cave, and Fuli Bridge aerial photography.
- According to the itinerary notes, the Yangdi–Nine Horse Fresco Hill section is used for the Li River because it covers key scenery in a shorter ride, leaving time for Yangshuo West Street afterward.
- The package states that transport, 4-diamond hotels with breakfast, listed attraction tickets, airport transfers, bottled water, and travel accident insurance are included, while flights, most lunches and dinners, personal expenses, and visa fees are not included.
- The article says bookings are private groups with one vehicle per booking and no joining with strangers, and it notes that actual pricing depends on vehicle type and hotel tier.
Official resources
- Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China (mct.gov.cn) — the national regulator for licensed travel agencies
- National Immigration Administration (nia.gov.cn) — official entry, exit, and immigration information for mainland China
- Consular Services, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (cs.mfa.gov.cn) — official consular information and travel notices